How to Make Cauliflower Tater Tots

Ever wondered how to make low carb cauliflower tater tots? Learn two easy ways – a paleo and cheesy version – to make your favorite treat healthy, gluten free and grain free! 

Tater Tots.

IE: pillowy little, golden-brown, crispy bites of potato LOVE. They’re in the background of all of your childhood meals, and I don’t know ANYONE who doesn’t like them.

But, now that we’re grown up and are trying to feed ourselves better-for-you-choices, tater-tots don’t have a super regular place in our diets. They’re packaged, made with questionable ingredients and just generally not-so-good for you! Which is where cauliflower tater tots come in!

Cauliflower Tater Tots are a super popular recipe here on Food Faith Fitness. I mean, who doesn’t love the feeling of eating carbs when they’re secretly eating VEGETABLES!? The first version that I made uses grains and cheese. However, after many people asked for subs, I also created a paleo cauliflower tater tots recipe that gets rid of all those things!

So, let’s take a look at how to make cauliflower tater tots!

What is a cauliflower tater tot?

A cauliflower tater tot is exactly like how it sounds. It’s a mixture of cauliflower rice, some kind of binder- usually egg, sometimes cheese and various spices that are combined and then formed into round circles, like a tater tot. The circles are then baked in a very hot oven, so that the outside gets very golden brown and crispy, while the inside stays soft and tender!

What is cauliflower rice?

In order to make cauliflower tater tots, you first need to know how to make, and cook cauliflower rice.
Ricing cauliflower is easy. All you have to do is cut a head of cauliflower into small florets and then put it into your food processor. Pulse the florets until they are broken down, and look similar in size to grains of rice.

There are multiple ways to cook riced cauliflower. The easiest way would be the microwave, which is typically how I do it for recipes. However, if you don’t like using the microwave, you can use the oven to steam cauliflower rice. You can also pan-fry it, which is my favorite way if I am eating the cauliflower rice as a side dish.

How to make Cauliflower Tater Tots:

Version 1: Not Paleo

1. Add your cauliflower florets into the food processor and process until rice like.
2. Transfer the cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe bowl and cook until tender. Alternatively, you can oven-steam it, if you do not like to use the microwave.
3. Immediately stir in seasonings, diced onion and some cottage cheese (this helps bind.) Microwave for a few more seconds to get the cottage cheese really creamy and melted.
4. Add in a large egg white, some fresh parsley, cheese (also helps bind, and adds flavor) as well as some panko. This really helps the cauliflower tater tots get super crispy and golden brown! Stir until everything is well mixed.
5. Drop the cauliflower mixture onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet in 1 Tbsp mounds. Lightly pack the mounds together so they stick together once baked.
6. Spray the tops of the tots with cooking spray and bake in a 400 degree oven until they begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Then, give them another spray and bake them until they are a deep, golden brown, about another 7-10 minutes.
7. DEVOUR them!

Get the full cauliflower tater tots recipe here.

Version 2: Paleo Cauliflower Tater Tots

1. Add your cauliflower florets into the food processor and process until rice like.
2. Transfer the cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe bowl and cook until tender. Alternatively, you can oven-steam it, if you do not like to use the microwave.
3. Add diced onion, parsley and seasoning and stir it all together. Add in a large egg white, to bind it all, as well as some olive oil and stir until well combined.
4. This time, we aren’t going to use cheese. Stir in almond meal, tapioca starch (this is optional, but helps make them extra crispy!) and coconut flour. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed by the flours, and the cauliflower mixture starts to get thick.
5. Drop the cauliflower mixture onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet in 1 Tbsp mounds. Lightly pack the mounds together so they stick together once baked.
6. Spray the tops of the tots with cooking spray and bake in a 400 degree oven until they begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Then, flip the tots over, give them another spray and bake them until they are a deep, golden brown, about another 9-10 minutes.
7. DEVOUR them!

Get the full paleo cauliflower tater tots recipe here.

Now go enjoy your hidden veggie, low carb tots!