Seven baked zucchini tots on a round white plate with a round white bowl of marinara sauce and a brown towel behind the plate all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Zucchini Tots

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 Recipe

Any 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. 

Zucchini Tots

Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping and enjoy!

Recipe

Originally Published On: October 15, 2018

Last Updated On: August 1, 2023

Seven baked zucchini tots on a round white plate with a round white bowl of marinara sauce and a brown towel behind the plate all on a wooden surface

Zucchini Tots

Zucchini tots are similar to traditional tater tots, only made with shredded zucchini. A great after-school snack and sneak in some veggies!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course:
Appetizer
|
Snack
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
cheese
|
zucchini
Servings: 24 pieces
4.67 from 3 votes

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)

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

Nutrition calculated without marinara sauce
Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Zucchini Tots
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 35 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 149mg6%
Potassium 37mg1%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 83IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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 Marinara Sauce

26 thoughts on “Zucchini Tots”

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 4 stars
    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

  5. I love zucchini – so these would be so awesome. I need to give these a try and sneak some veggies in on my kiddos.

  6. 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!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating