Zucchini tots are similar to traditional tater tots, only made with shredded zucchini. A great after-school snack and sneak in some veggies!
Jump to RecipeAny other parents out there who have to hide vegetables to get your kids to eat them? I know I can’t be the only mom who does this. And I’m pretty sure my parents did it to me, too. That’s where these zucchini tots come in handy!
My boys take after their momma and I take after mine. None of us really eats many vegetables. But, I do try. I will put quite a few vegetables in my chicken fried rice, and make smoothies with fruit and vegetables, and I’ve been eating a salad a lot lately. I know it’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
Tyler and Ryan are a bit better at eating vegetables than I am. Their only problem is once they’ve decided they aren’t going to like something, they won’t change their minds. Especially Tyler.
But what kid doesn’t like tater tots? I remember chowing down on the school lunch tater tots when I was a kid.
Traditional tater tots are made with shredded potatoes. I wanted something healthier to try for the boys. We also had a zucchini in the refrigerator that wasn’t going to be used for anything. So I decided to make some zucchini tots.
It was also a great chance for me to use the shredder attachment for my stand mixer. I got it years ago but rarely use it. Honestly, I forget about it most of the time! The attachment shredded the zucchini with ease. If you don’t have a stand mixer or the piece for it, you can use a regular box shredder, too.
Zucchini Tots Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- marinara sauce (to dip)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400F. If you are using a baking stone, leave it in the oven to preheat. If you are using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Shred the zucchini.
Then drain it of as much liquid as possible. I used a piece of cheesecloth and wrapped it around the zucchini. Then I continued to twist it tighter to release the liquid.
Place the zucchini in a large mixing bowl and add the eggs, panko, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese. We used sharp cheddar cheese because we all like that and it was what we had. You could also try them with white cheddar or mozzarella for a slightly different flavor.
Whisk all of the ingredients together until they are well combined.
Scoop out the zucchini mixture by the tablespoon and place them on your prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Recipe
Originally Published On: October 15, 2018
Last Updated On: August 1, 2023
Zucchini Tots
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- marinara sauce (to dip)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Prepare a baking sheet by leaving a stone in the oven or lining a sheet with parchment paper
- Shred the zucchini
- Place in a mesh strainer or use a cheesecloth to squeeze out as much liquid as possible
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the marinara sauce
- Scoop by the tablespoon and place on the prepared baking dish
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tots are golden brown
- Serve warm with marinara sauce to dip
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Recipes with Hidden Veggies
- Zucchini Bread: A Sweet Way to Eat Your Veggies
- Simple Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta Recipe with Hidden Carrots
- Zucchini Tots
- Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Artichoke Soup
- Tomato Soup (Vegan and Dairy-Free)
- Vegetable Fritters: A Sneaky Way to Eat Your Vegetables
More Recipes with Marinara Sauce
- Meaty Marinara Sauce in the Slow Cooker
- Super Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
- Sesame Pull-Apart Rolls
- Homemade Pizza Burgers: The Best Combo of Two Recipes
- Zucchini Tots
- Herbed Tortellini (or Ravioli)
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stromboli Ring
- Classic Stuffed Shells
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
I’ve never heard of tots before but they look yummy! I’ve been very lucky in that my daughter has always loved veg so I’ve never had to hide it like so many of my friends did!
Oh man, you are lucky! I have such a hard time getting my boys to eat most veggies.
Hmmm, interesting recipe! I haven’t found a way to start eating zucchini yet, so this may be the ticket.
This is a great way. You get just a bit of the taste of zucchini in there without too much at once.
never heard of it before, but they look delicious!!
xx
lau
We used to have tater tots made with potatoes, but this is a healthier version of that.
I just saw a frozen version of these at the grocery store but I’m sure your recipe is way healthier and SO much tastier! Plus, I love that these are baked instead of fried- yum!
Oh really? I had no idea they had them in the frozen section. I’ve never seen them here but never really looked, either.
I love seeing your kids helpin the kitchen! My kids are much more likely to eat something they have a hand in preparing. I’m definitely going to try these. I’m lucky that (so far) my kids eat their vegetables, but it’s always great to change up what I serve.
They love helping in the kitchen, especially my oldest son. And yes, when they help make something they are more likely to at least give it a try.
This is awesome. I love seeing creative ways of doing healthy meals that kids will like too. It’s also fun to make these with a kids.
Sometimes you have to get creative to get kids to try things like this.
THESE ARE SO CLEVER!!! My girls will eat zucchini many other ways, but for some reason as soon as I shred/spiralize it, they refuse to touch it (except in bread/muffins). Will have to try this on them sometime!
That’s so strange! Kids can be so funny sometimes.
I have months where all I eat is veggies and then other months where I don’t eat any! This would be a good way to help balance that!
I’ve done that before, too. We go through stages of making a lot then times when we don’t make any.
These is such a great idea! I don’t have kids yet but I know how to trick them into eating vegetables haha! I hope I won’t have too though! These look so yummy I’m a cheese lover
They are great for tricking adults into eating veggies, too 😉
I love zucchini – so these would be so awesome. I need to give these a try and sneak some veggies in on my kiddos.
It’s a great way to sneak them in since you can’t see the veggies, they don’t know they are eating them!
This looks like such a delicious way to get some more veggies into a diet. I wonder if my daughter would be interested in it. It and a good dipping sauce is awesome.
Having something to dip it in tends to make a difference for kids. It’s more fun that way!
These tots sound delicious! Luckily I don’t have to hide zucchini from my children, these are one of their favourite vegetables. But I will try your recipe with other vegetables and see what happens!
Oh man, I even have to hide zucchini from myself 😉 That’s awesome that they are so willing to eat zucchini!
Zucchini is one if my favs!!!!! I so love it baked. I cant wait to try it this way. It look amazing
These are a great way to make it into an easy snack.