Step aside, tater tots. There’s a new family favorite in town and it’ll have you skipping the spuds in favor of a more figure-friendly alternative. Welcome to the potato-free party, Easy Baked Broccoli Tots! You’re lean, you’re green and you’re a veggie-packed machine.
So just how does one turn a cruciferous vegetable into a healthy snack worthy of dipping and dunking into a rainbow of condiments? It all starts with the good ol’ blanching of the broccoli, which contributes two key elements to tot production:
- It brings out the bright green color of the veggie and ensures your resulting tots won’t be a shade of brown.
- It tenderizes the broccoli just enough to ensure your tots will be pillowy rather than crunchy.
Green vegetable pillows, you say? Count me in! These baked broccoli tots also steer clear of the deep-fryer, which means you can indulge time and time again without the guilt.
I’ve provided notes in the recipe below for how to make these tots dairy-free and/or gluten-free, so read on for the dietary swaps and substitutions to make this snack friendly for the whole family.
And when it comes to dipping, the options are endless. Ketchup, Ranch dressing and hummus all get approval in my book. But feel free to dress up your dip a bit with basil pesto or garlic aioli.
Not a fan of broccoli but still a tot-aholic? Don’t miss my recipe for 5-Ingredient Baked Cauliflower Tots!
Craving more? Subscribe to Just a Taste to get new recipes, meal plans and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! And stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup small diced onion
- 1/4 cup finely ground breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Ranch dressing or ketchup, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets to the water and cook them just until fork tender, about 5 minutes. Thoroughly drain the florets and transfer them to a food processor. Pulse the broccoli for a few seconds just until the it breaks down into small pieces. (Do not overmix the broccoli or the mixture will be too wet to form into tots.)
- Measure out 3 packed cups of the broccoli and add it to a large bowl. Add the diced onion, breadcrumbs, egg and Parmesan cheese and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Using your hands, portion out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and mold it into a tater tot shape. Arrange the tots on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the tots for about 20 minutes then flip them once and bake them an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crisped. Remove the tots from the oven and serve them with ketchup, Ranch dressing or hummus for dipping.
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 broccoli mixture.
- The cheese can be omitted in order to make this recipe dairy-free.
- The breadcrumbs can be swapped for finely crushed gluten-free pretzels, cereal or dried bread in order to make this recipe gluten-free.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Shoutout
Did you try this recipe?
Share it with the world! Mention @justataste or tag #justatasterecipes!
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.
The mixture did not stick together. I even made another batch and doubled the egg. I tried towel drying the broccoli after draining, so that it would not be too wet. I wanted this to work, but ended up just putting part of it in a casserole dish to cook on its own :(
Hi Jessica – I’m sorry you didn’t have success with this recipe. It sounds like either the broccoli may have been overcooked or overmixed.
should they be so wet? Maybe I didn’t drain broccoli enough? I thought I did.
Hi Colette – It could also be that the broccoli was pulsed too long in the food processor, which would cause the mixture to be too wet to form into tots.
can i use Almond Flour insted of the 1/4 cup of cheese?
Hi Ron – Feel free to leave out the cheese!
Instead of egg what we can use?
Hi there! I’ve never tried this replacement, but I have read you can mix together 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and use it as you would a normal egg. Would love to hear your results if you give it a shot!
My husband and I love broccoli tots pizza crust. I am now going to use this recipe for our crust instead! It is perfect. Thank you.
Wow! Can’t wait to hear your results, Cyndi!
Can I steam the broccoli in the microwave rather then boiling it? And, should I cook it only halfway through?
That should work! Just make sure to follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Just found this recipe and will try it tonight! My husband is on a highly restricted diet because he has a stomach stent. These should work perfectly to provide another way to give him some green in his diet. (Will also try the cauliflower tots, they also sound wonderful.
Hello Kelly. I love your recipes! I bought some riced broccoli this weekend (had never seen it before) and I was looking for a recipe to use it in. Will this work with the riced broccoli if I quickly blanch it and then follow the directions outlined here? Thanks!
That should work, Joey! Just follow the rest of the recipe as directed.
Just a question. Can you put these into a mini muffin pan and bake them that way? Thanks
Hi Carol! Yes that will work but you might have to adjust the baking time. And definitely make sure the muffin pan is greased well!
Just made these yummy tots and they are wonderful and keeping it a bit more healthy… I love ranch but living in Europe u don’t find Ranch dressing no where, so I substituted Greek joghurt and seasoned it up abit was, so good Ty vm for the recipe.,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Tina!
Oh Kelly why on earth didn’t I find you 21 years ago when the first of my 3 children were born?? Do you know how many tantrums, tears and screaming you could have saved me?!?! Thankfully, all 3 love most vegetables/fruits now, but I so wish I’d found you sooner. On a serious note, I made these yesterday and they went down a treat – in fact they loved them so much I’m having to make them again tomorrow lol. We’re having your Asian Glazed Meatloaf today, so I’ll let you know how I get on. Your recipes are FIT (fun, informative and tasty lol) xx
Ha! Thanks so much for your comment, Melanie! And welcome to Just a Taste :)
Haven’t had a chance to read through the comments so excuse me but im on low carb so instead of using breadcrumbs or whatnot, can i just double the parm? Thanks, Amanda :)
Hi Amanda! I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure but let me know if you give it a shot!
I used Almond Flour and they came out great
Woohoo! Love to read that, Daniela!
So glad that you decided to include nutritional facts.
Can they be frozen
Hi Annita! Yes, they should freeze well after baking. Enjoy!
What would you recommend doing with them after freezing?
Hi Rebecca! You can freeze them after baking and then to reheat them, pop the tots back into the oven or even a microwave and cook them until warmed throughout.
These look great! Can’t wait to try them. I also have the crescent roll veggie bars on my to do list.
Thank you so much, Debra! I hope you enjoy both recipes! :)
Hum… I love this recipe! They looks very flavourful and ultra-easy to make! Thanks for sharing that ;-)
Can these be made with frozen broccoli? If thawed in a colander and not cooked first, maybe? We go a bit overboard with our frozen veggie buying at Costco :)
That should work!