Home › Recipes › Cooking for Kids › 5-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots (Oven or Air Fryer)
Kelly Senyei
Posted: August 23, 2015
Updated: August 02, 2023
from 18 votes
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Skip the spuds and ditch the deep-fryer in favor of this quick and healthy recipe for 5-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots that can be made in the oven or in an air fryer.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love ‘Em
- Five Simple Ingredients
- How to Make Cauliflower Tots
- Tips for Recipe Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Veggie Tater Tots Recipes
- 5-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots Recipe
There are two things I always scour a restaurant menu for: doughnuts and tater tots. My obsession with the former has been well documented around these parts (See: Easy Glazed Doughnut Holes and Air Fryer Biscuit Doughnuts), while the latter is just now making its debut. But before you go reaching for the potatoes, can I gently encourage you to make a mad dash for the cauliflower instead?
Yes, indeed. Potato-less cauliflower tots, a.k.a. a veggie-packed, slightly cheesy, absolutely easy alternative to the traditional finger food we all know and love.
Why You’ll Love ‘Em
Aside from being the ultimate way to sneak veggies into any meal, cauliflower tots have many redeeming qualities:
- They’re made with only five ingredients. Sweet!
- They’re baked, rather than fried.
- They can be made in the oven or in an air fryer.
- They’re a (nearly) starch-free side dish or snack.
Suddenly craving cauliflower? Preheat your oven (or air fryer!), grab the veggies and feel free to fancify these tots by tossing in fresh herbs or spices for added zing.
Then all that’s left to do is dip and dunk in your choice of sauces, from ketchup to roasted garlic aioli and beyond. Phew. An entire post about tots and not a single Napoleon Dynamite reference. (Now give me some of your tots!)
And for all those with even more cauliflower cravings, don’t miss my top-rated recipes for Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Chives, Cheesy Roaster Cauliflower Dip and Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Dressing.
Five Simple Ingredients
- Cauliflower: You can’t have cauliflower tots without cauliflower! You’ll need two medium heads of cauliflower for this recipe or 3 cups of cauliflower rice.
- Onion: The addition of onion elevates the flavor profile, lending a subtle savory note to the tots.
- Parmesan cheese: I love the flavor Parmesan adds but if you’re looking to go dairy-free, you can omit it.
- Breadcrumbs: When choosing breadcrumbs, opt for finely ground ones. Or, you can swap in ground oatmeal, almond flour or even crushed-up gluten-free pretzels (just make sure they are finely ground).
- Egg: The egg acts as a binder, holding all the elements together and ensuring the tots don’t crumble during baking.
How to Make Cauliflower Tots
- Preheat the oven and prepare your baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a nonstick baking sheet liberally with cooking spray.
- Boil the cauliflower, then pulse it. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the water and cook them just until fork tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Thoroughly drain the florets and transfer them to a food processor. Pulse the cauliflower for a few seconds just until it breaks down into small pieces (about the size of grains of rice).
Kelly’s Note: Do not overmix the cauliflower or the mixture will be too wet to form (see image below).
- Combine ingredients. Measure out 3 packed cups of cauliflower and add it to a large bowl. Stir in the diced onion, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, plus salt and pepper, mixing until thoroughly combined. (The mixture should be roughly the consistency of mashed potatoes.)
- Shape the tots. Using your hands, scoop up 1- to 2-tablespoons of the mixture and mold it into a tater tot shape. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the shaping process with the remainder of the mixture, spacing the tots about 1 inch apart.
- Bake to perfection. Bake the tots for about 20 minutes then flip them and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crisped.
- Serve and enjoy! Once baked to perfection, remove the tots from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two before serving. Enjoy them as they are or pair them with your favorite dipping sauce, such as ketchup, pesto or, my favorite, garlic hummus.
Tips for Recipe Success
- The Perfect Cut: The onion should be cut small enough so that it’s not too chunky and can be easily mixed into the cauliflower mixture.
- Season Generously: Cauliflower has a mild flavor, so don’t be shy with the seasoning. Add your favorite herbs, spices, and even garlic or onion powder to enhance the taste.
- Drain, then Drain Again: Excess moisture from the boiled cauliflower will make it difficult to shape the tots. It’s really important that you thoroughly drain the boiled cauliflower, and when in doubt, you can even squeeze out excess moisture in your hands after you’ve pulsed it in the food processor.
- Don’t Skip the Flip: This ensures even browning on both sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an egg substitute?
I’ve never tried using a flax egg in this recipe or any other egg substitute so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, cauliflower tots can be frozen after baking them. They’ll keep in the freezer for several weeks or even a month when stored in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Then to reheat, pop the tots back into the oven, air fryer or microwave and cook them until warmed throughout.
What if I don’t have a food processor?
Grab your sharpest knife and get chopping! The smaller the cauliflower pieces, the more compact your tots will be, so mincing is the way to go.
Can these be made in a mini muffin tin?
Absolutely! You can pack the mixture into a greased nonstick mini muffin pan or in a silicone mold that fits inside an air fryer.
More Veggie Tater Tots Recipes
- Cheesy Baked Zucchini Tots
- Baked Butternut Squash Tots
- Easy Baked Broccoli Tots
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots
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Side Dish
5-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots
Skip the spuds and ditch the deep fryer in favor of cheesy cauliflower tots made with just five ingredients.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.45 from 18 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Servings 35 tots
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup small diced onion
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup finely ground breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a nonstick baking sheet liberally with cooking spray. (See Kelly's Notes for air frying instructions.)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the water and cook them just until fork tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Thoroughly drain the florets and transfer them to a food processor. Pulse the cauliflower for a few seconds just until the it breaks down into small pieces (about the size of grains of rice). (Do not overmix the cauliflower or the mixture will be too wet to form.)
Measure out 3 packed cups of the cauliflower and add it to a large bowl. (See Kelly’s Notes.) Stir in the diced onion, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, mixing until thoroughly combined. (The mixture should be roughly the consistency of mashed potatoes.) Using your hands, scoop up 1- to 2-tablespoons of the mixture and mold it into a tater tot shape. Place it on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the shaping process with the remainder of the mixture, spacing the tots about 1 inch apart.
Bake the tots for about 20 minutes then flip them and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crisped. Remove and serve with ketchup, pesto, hummus or your preferred dipping sauce.
Kelly’s Notes
- The onion should to be cut small enough so that it’s not too chunky and can be easily mixed into the cauliflower mixture.
- Any extra puréed cauliflower can be turned into my go-to mashed potato substitute, Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Chives.
- To air-fry the tots: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Coat the basket with cooking spray then add a batch of tots. Air-fry the tots for 6 minutes, then flip them once and air-fry an additional 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- ★Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
Serving: 1tot, Calories: 17kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 28mg, Potassium: 104mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 13IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
