Homemade Cauliflower Tots

With quinoa, cauliflower, and cheese, these healthy little tots are a great finger food for kids. This recipe makes about 20 tots, which is 4-6 servings for toddlers—or 1-2 servings for adults.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 22

Total Time 52

Servings (Makes about 20)

Calories 240kcal

Author Amy Palanjian

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower florets (chopped)
1 cup fully cooked quinoa (slightly cooled)
⅓ cup shredded mozzarella
⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs (divided; regular or Panko style)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons shredded or grated Parmesan
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pizza seasoning or cumin (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring a kettle of pot of water to a boil. Place cauliflower into a heat-safe bowl and pour water over top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and spread onto a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry well.
(Or, to cook the quinoa and cauliflower together: Add 1/2 cup rinsed raw quinoa and 1 cup cauliflower florets into a small pot with 2½ cups water. Simmer until everything is soft and the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool slightly and proceed with the recipe.)
Place the cauliflower, quinoa, cheeses, egg, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, flour, salt, and spices, if using, into the bowl of a food processor. Grind into a uniform batter.
Form into 1-tablespoon balls, form into a tot shape, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. If you’d like to have the outsides crispy, coat each ball in the remaining
before placing on the baking sheet. (If the batter is too sticky to form into tots, add a little more breadcrumbs or flour.)
Bake for 22-24 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm with ketchup, if desired. (Or cook in the Air Fryer for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.)

Video

Notes

Storage: Store for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Reheat in the microwave or for about 5 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Or, let cool fully and store in a zip top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To warm from frozen, place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
Egg-free: Try an egg replacement like the one from Just Egg.
Air Fryer: Air fry at 375 F for 10-12 minutes.
Cook your quinoa according to package directions so it's completely soft and allow to cool before starting the recipe. You can cook the quinoa up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
If you have any trouble with the batter sticking as you form the tots, pop it into the fridge for a few minutes. I never have had a major issue, even though the batter is fairly sticky, but that would help if needed.
Use a measuring spoon to portion out the tots. If they're all pretty close to the same size, they'll cook evenly.
Roll the tots in additional breadcrumbs for a slightly crispier outside.
Let them cool slightly before you serve them and break them into smaller pieces for younger toddlers and older babies as needed.

Nutrition