Cauliflower Tots
Cauliflower Tots are cheesy, crispy, and kid-approved. This veggie-packed version of tater tots trades cauliflower for potatoes to make your family’s new favorite side dish — and they’re gluten-free!
Serve these Cauliflower Tots alongside Mini Shepherd Pies for a comforting dinner the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I Can’t Get Enough of These Cauliflower Tots
These crisp little morsels are one of my best vegetable recipes ever. I love that they mimic classic tater tots, but they’re made with shredded cauliflower instead of shredded potatoes! Cauli tots are also baked rather than fried, which does double duty in keeping them lighter while allowing the edges to get deliciously crispy and the cheese to melt until it’s nice and toasty. Tots are a great and easy side to Pan Seared Cube Steaks or Beefaroni, which can be whipped up while the tots are in the oven. Some more highlights include:
- My kids love them. Yes, this is such a bonus! Both the kids and the adults at the table gobble these up fast.
- You can double the recipe. I love these tots so much I’ll often make a double batch, serve one round for dinner, and then freeze the rest for another time.
- Lighter than tater tots. The swap of cauliflower for potatoes and baking the tots in the oven keeps things from feeling heavy or greasy.
- Great with … everything. From burgers to dipping sauces, there are so many ways you can serve these veggie tots.
What You’ll Need
Cauliflower plus cheese and cornmeal (or gluten-free breadcrumbs) come together to make a quick snack or side. Here’s a look at what you’ll need, with the full ingredient amounts included in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cauliflower: You’ll need about 1/2 head of cauliflower for this recipe. You can make roasted cauliflower with the rest of the head, or double the recipe and use the entire head of cauliflower. Yes, you are reading the recipe correctly – you do NOT cook the cauliflower before shredding it.
- Salt: I used kosher salt in these tots.
- Cheddar Cheese: Use about 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese or another hard, flavorful cheese such as parmesan or Gruyere.
- Cornmeal: Gluten-free cornmeal helps to hold the tots together. You could also use gluten-free bread crumbs or ground oats (oat flour).
- Egg: A large egg is essential in binding the ingredients together to give structure to the tots.
- Seasonings: Ground mustard and black pepper.
How to Make Crisp Cauliflower Tots
Use a mini muffin pan to help shape the tots. I’ve included an overview below of how to make this recipe, and you can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Drain the cauliflower. Sprinkle the shredded cauliflower with salt, then let it sit to release moisture before squeezing out the water.
- Add to a bowl. Place the drained cauliflower in a bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients. Now add the cheese, cornmeal, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dry mustard, and pepper to the cauliflower.
- Mix thoroughly. Use a fork to mix the tot batter together.
- Add to pan. Divide the mixture between greased muffin cups, pressing it down.
- Cook: Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Tips and Variation Ideas
- Spray your muffin tin. You’ll want to coat it really well. I don’t love using tons of nonstick cooking spray, but in this case, it will ensure you can get your tots out of the muffin tin. You can also use a silicone muffin pan, but the bottoms don’t get quite as browned and crisp.
- Ensure crispness. Squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can and really pack the mixture into the muffin tins. This will ensure nice, crispy tots.
- Try another cheese: Sharp, medium, or mild cheddar works, or try another melty cheese like Jack or Fontina. Or do a mix of cheeses. You can try my Pepper Jack Cauliflower Tots or Parmesan Mozzarella Cauliflower Tots.
- Season them up: Give them a sprinkle of garlic powder, taco seasoning, or make Old Bay Cauliflower Tots (they taste a little like Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits!).
- Grain-free: To make these grain and gluten-free, use almond flour or quinoa flour instead of cornmeal.
- Buy riced cauliflower: Look for already-riced (shredded cauliflower) in the refrigerated or frozen section of your grocery store and save yourself some prep time.
- Try other vegetables: If you can find other riced veggies like broccoli or mixed vegetables at the store, swap them for the cauliflower in equal amounts.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Make a double batch and freeze one for later. Here’s how to store cauliflower tots:
- Fridge – Place leftover, cooled tots in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – Add cooled tots to a freezer-safe container or sealable, freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat the tots straight from the freezer following the directions on the recipe card.
- To Reheat – Spread out the tots in an even layer on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler on high heat until heated through and crispy, about 2-3 minutes.
Make It a Meal
- Burgers. Serve cauliflower tots with Greek Burgers or Air Fryer Hamburgers. Keep it a vegetarian meal with Black Bean Quinoa Burgers.
- Fries. A big plate of crunchy, salty fries like my Air Fryer Truffle Fries, Air Fryer French Fries, or Herbes du Provence Sweet Potato Fries.
- As an appetizer. Dip your tots in homemade ketchup or store-bought ketchup for the easiest appetizer or snack! I also love them with a bowl of Homemade Balsamic Ketchup, Buffalo Ranch, Avocado Ranch Dressing, or Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip.
- Grilled cheese. Skip the fries with your Gluten Free Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich and serve cauliflower tots instead!
More Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower Tots
Cauliflower Tots is a veggie-packed version of tater tots that trades cauliflower for potatoes. Easy, gluten-free, and kid-friendly!
Servings: 4 servings, 6 tots each (makes 24 tots)
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cauliflower (about half of a head. See Note.)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
- ¼ cup cornmeal (bread crumbs or ground oats also work)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with oil or cooking spray.
- Place 3 cups shredded cauliflower in a kitchen towel and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss slightly and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess moisture.
- Combine the squeezed cauliflower, 4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup cornmeal, 1 large egg, remaining 1/21 teaspoon kosher salt,½ teaspoon dry ground mustard, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl, and mix together thoroughly. I like to use a fork.
- Using a spoon or scoop, divide the mixture between 24 muffin cups and press down firmly into the cups.
- Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly before running a knife around the edge to pop the tots out of the muffin tin.
Notes
You can use the shredding attachment for a food processor or a hand grater to shared the cauliuflower.
Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Tots
Amount Per Serving (6 tots)
Calories 198
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 70mg23%
Sodium 809mg34%
Potassium 433mg12%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 345IU7%
Vitamin C 57.8mg70%
Calcium 237mg24%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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I’ve made the Pizza crust before and will try these also. my question about this is about the cauliflower do you not cook it first and than squeeze out the water?
No, I do not cook it first. Not a lot of water will come out, but squeezing it does get rid of some of the natural moisture and helps the tots hold together better.
Made these to take to a party as an appetizer. They were a huge hit. When I make them again for just my husband and me, I think I’ll add some cayenne pepper for a little kick. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I’ve been working on adding some different flavors. So glad you liked them!
These look delicious!! Do you think I could use frozen cauliflower?
I have not tried with frozen. I think they might be a little squishier, since the cauliflower is not pre-cooked before making the tots. But if you try it, let me know, and I’ll share if I try it.
I have been “going” to make this for weeks now, and I finally have decided it will be a great addition for my dinner tonight, but I am still confused about one thing. You say to squeeze all the water out of the cauliflower, now according to my cooking experience there shouldn’t really be any water there unless you have already slightly blanched it, and I do not see that mentioned anywhere in the recipe, I haven’t seen anyone else having any problem with this. Can someone please let me know, preferably before this evening, otherwise I am going to go with a short dunking for the cauli. Thank you everyone, especially you Brianne
Georgina – I am so sorry to be replying so late. I was so sick for a few weeks and got very behind on my comments. The raw cauliflower retains some natural moister. When you squeeze it, it draws out some of the excees liquid so that the tots stay together better,
These are so yummy!! I’ve made them soooo many times now! I’ve even made them without the egg and didn’t use a subsititute and it stuck together really well!! Thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
Good to know. Someone with an egg allergy asked me about a substitute.
Saw these on your Facebook post and immediately made them. I left out the corn meal because I didn’t have any and they were still amazing! The only problem is that I might eat the entire batch!
I actually made a slight variation last night without the cornmeal and they were great. So glad you liked them!
I discovered this recipe through pinterest and have been hooked on it ever since! We’ve taken these as appetizers to holiday dinners, potlucks and today– Super Bowl. While they are great with an easy homemade ranch dip for kids — the adults usually polish them off with an even easier accompaniment of buffalo wing sauce (who’d have thought?). Delicious all around — just be sure to use freshly grated cheese, I used pre-shredded once for ease and they turned out too dry (I think it’s the coating they put on the shreds).
Oh funny, good tip. I’ve never tried the preshredded kind. So glad you are enjoying them and maybe I’ll have to make a version with the buffalo baked right into them. Mmmm, I can taste it now!!
I’m making these right now. I think perhaps you meant “grated” rather than “shredded”. When I used the shredding disc in my FP (the one I use for shredding cabbage for slaw), there were many “slices” of cauli-floret and stem. The picture (and common sense) tells me this . I had to used the regular processing blade to render the cauli into pieces small enough that they resemble the pic and would cook in the given time.
They are in the oven so I can’t give them an actual rating, I don’t have a blog so can I not comment?
Hmmm, we must have different types of blades because with my shredding/grating blade, it looks almost like shredded cheese (well except the florets make smaller pieces). I did get you comment and hope you enjoyed them.
Do you freeze them before or after you bake them? Does Bug eat them cold?
I freeze them after. They will heat stuff up at his school, but he doesn’t like his food too hot, so he may very well have had them cold at some point. He is not too forthcoming with those details 🙂
These look yummy. Do you think they’d work equally well with mozz?
I am actually planning to try that. Mozz is softer, so not sure about how they will hold together without some other tweaks.