Cauliflower veggie tots are a great way to add more vegetables to your diet. These vegan tots are healthy, easy to make, and super tasteful. Thus, a perfect snack or appetizer for you and for sharing with friends and family.
These tots are made from three simple vegetables, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and a handful of pantry staples. These are not just vegan but are also easy to make, Gluten-Free, and Oil-free.
HOW TO PREPARE THESE CAULIFLOWER VEGGIE TOTS
(Please read the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredients, measurements, steps, and notes).
Preparing Cauliflower veggie tots is a simple process with a couple of easy steps. The secret to success is to remove the liquid of the veggies as much as possible. These tots are not just tasteful but offer a healthy vegan solution to your snack craving.
In addition, the ingredients used in making these tots are easy to find and always available in a vegan kitchen pantry.
Here is everything you need to know about making these crispy Cauliflower veggie tots!
INGREDIENTS
These tots are made from vegetables, oats, and a few easy seasonings to add flavor. For the preparation, you’ll need:
- Cauliflower florets: The first and foremost ingredient you will need to make these tots is cauliflower, the recipe’s star. One head works very well for me. You will need to keep the florets and discard the stem. When buying cauliflower, always choose fresh produce. It should be free from green or brown patches, and the florets should be firm. And to speed up the process, you can also buy a bag of florets ready to cook.
- Zucchinis: Zucchini is a vegetable available all around the year. It is tasteful and nutritious and thus works well in this recipe.
- Carrots: Carrots do not just add a slightly sweet flavor but also a vibrant color to these tots. Carrots are also available all around the year, so you can easily find them everywhere.
- Flaxseed meal: It is widely used in vegan recipes because of its nutritional value and its sticky and gel-like texture when mixed with water. It acts as a binding agent ensuring your tots don’t fall apart.
- Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to any vegan dish. Plus, it also adds an umami flavor.
- Gluten-free rolled oats: We will use rolled oats to help with the crispiness. Process oats in a food processor until they like breadcrumbs (don’t over mix, we don’t want a flour-like texture). I prefer oats; however, you can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko.
- Garlic salt: Garlic salt is a blend of salt and garlic powder. It adds a savory flavor to the tots and makes them more tasteful.
- Ketchup: Ketchup is a great way to serve these delicious Cauliflower veggie tots. You can, however, choose any other dipping sauce as well.
DIRECTIONS
Here are a few simple and easy steps you have to follow to make these Cauliflower veggie tots:
First, prepare the baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and setting it aside. Also, preheat the oven to 400°F or 204°C.
Now, start making these veggie tots by steaming cauliflower florets. For that, boil water in a pot or a saucepan. Place a steamer basket on top with the cauliflower florets and cover the steamer. Let the florets cook until they are soft.
In a bowl, add ground flaxseeds and water and mix well. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to thicken.
Grate carrots and zucchinis finely using the smallest hole of the grater. Set them aside.
Once the cauliflower is soft, place it in a food processor bowl and process until it is chopped. Make sure you chop it coarsely, not very finely. Once done, let it cool down a bit.
Cover a large bowl with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. Place grated vegetables and cauliflower on the cheesecloth and start squeezing the vegetables to get rid of excess liquid.
Now transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Add the flaxseed egg, oats, nutritional yeast, and garlic salt. Mix well and place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Use a tablespoon to make equal-sized tots and place the mixture on a prepared baking tray.
Place the baking tray in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tots get a beautiful golden color. Don’t forget to flip them halfway into the cook.
Serve with ketchup or your favorite sauce.
HELPFUL TIPS
Keep a few tips in mind when making these Cauliflower veggie tots for perfect results:
- When processing cauliflower florets, work in batches if your food processor bowl is small.
- You must eliminate maximum liquid from the vegetables. So, if possible, work in batches. If moisture is left in the vegetables, the tots will not just fall apart but will also become soggy.
- You can use Italian herbs, onion powder, cumin, paprika, etc., to add more flavor to the tots or replace salt if you need to.
- These Cauliflower veggie tots are super easy to store. You can keep the leftovers by placing them in an air-tight container and refrigerating them for seven days. Make sure they reach room temperature before you store them. Reheat them in the preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes and enjoy.
What to love about this recipe? Well, it is:
- Savory and flavorful.
- Crispy on the outside and soft from the inside.
- Not mushy.
- Kids-friendly.
- Simple and easy.
- Perfect as a healthy snack.
Let’s prepare these delicious tots!
WATCH THE STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO!
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RECIPE AND INSTRUCTIONS
CAULIFLOWER VEGGIE TOTS
Equipment
- Food processor
- Pot with steamer basket
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets about 1 cauliflower head.
- 2 zucchinis medium-sized, washed.
- 2 carrots medium-sized, peeled and washed.
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2/3 cup old fashion rolled oats Gluten-Free, processed until getting a breadcrumb texture.
- 1 tsp garlic salt or to taste.
- ketchup for serving (optional).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Bring to boil water in a steamer pot or regular medium saucepan or pot. Add a steamer basket on top with the cauliflower florets. Cover and steam the florets until they are soft when pierce them with a fork (4-7 min).
- Stir together the ground flaxseed meal with the water to make the flax egg in a small bowl. Let sit in the fridge for 10 minutes to thicken.
- In the meantime, grate the zucchinis and carrots, using the smallest-sized holes on the box grater; set aside.
- Add the steamed cauliflowers to a food processor and pulse until they are chopped. You’ll have to work in batches based on the size of the processor work bowl. Let it cool a little.
- Prepare a large bowl covered with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Add the grated zucchinis and carrots, the steamed cauliflowers, and use the towel to squeeze out as much liquid as you can*.
- Transfer the veggies to a large bowl, add the flaxseed egg, nutritional yeast, oats, and garlic salt. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Form even-sized tots using a tbsp of mixture and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- *You can work on batches to make sure you are removing the moisture well. It’s super important to remove as much moisture as possible; otherwise, it will cause the tots to be soggy.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. To reheat, place them in a pre-heated oven 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes.
- If you avoid salt or prepare these veggie tots for small kids, replace the garlic salt with other condiments, like some Italian herbs. You can also play with seasoning and make them spicier or adjust the flavor to your taste.
WAYS TO ENJOY THESE CAULIFLOWER VEGGIE TOTS
Cauliflower veggie tots are a perfect finger food for kids and a healthy snack for adults.
You can enjoy these with ketchup or other vegan dips like Vegan Cheese Sauce, Vegan Sour Cream, yummy Vegan Mayo, soy sauce, etc.
You can get creative and enjoy it alongside your sandwiches or in tortillas.
And if you’re hungry for more veggie stuff like this one, try these veggie burgers:
DID YOU MAKE THESE CAULIFLOWER VEGGIE TOTS?
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