Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (2024)

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If you miss tater tots on a ketogenic diet, you will love this easy keto cauliflower tots recipe. They make for a great low carb side dish or keto snack. Best of all these cauliflower tater tots only have 1.8g net carbs for 9 of them!

You might also like this keto cauli cheese bread!

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (1)

While I’m not a huge tater tots fan I do like them and sometimes I really miss French fries and potatoes on a keto diet. So I thought I’d try my hand at these keto cauliflower tots.

I’m really psyched about how they came out. These keto cauliflower tater tots use 3 different cheeses and spices so they are really tasty and I think you will love them.

I experimented with cooking them 3 different ways and found baking them the easiest. Though if you fry them in a little oil on the stove they tasted even better! The air fryer didn’t work out because they stuck too much to the basket.

Store bought tater tots & veggie tots vs my keto tots.

  • Ingredients – Store bought tater tots are made with potatoes, different types of flour and various artificial ingredients. Veggie tots have similar ingredients but uses vegetables instead of potatoes. Potatoes and flours both are very high in carbs and why consume artificial ingredients if you don’t have to.
  • Taste – My tots are made with cauliflower rice, 3 different cheeses, eggs and spices so IMO they have a lot more flavor than the others. Regular tater tots taste more like a mini hash brown and veggie tots are supposed to taste like regular tots. Here is a good review of different veggie tots though if you are interested in buying some.
  • Low Carb – My low carb tots have only 1.8g net carbs for 9 tots. Ore-Ida tots have 13g net carbs for 9 tater tots and Green Giant Veggie Tots (cauliflower) have about 19g net carbs for 9.
Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (2)

Ingredients in my cheesy cauliflower tots

The ingredients for my keto tots are cauliflower rice, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder and onion powder.

The 3 cheeses and spices really adds tons of flavor while the riced cauliflower gives it the texture of classic tater tots.

Let’s make some keto tots!

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

STEP 2: Mix together the cauli rice, egg, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, garlic powder and onion powder in a large mixing bowl.

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (3)

STEP 3: Take a tablespoon or so of the mixture and squeeze in your hand. Form it into a tater tot type form and lay on the baking tray.

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (4)

STEP 4: Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (5)

As you can see above they spread a bit but they firm up well and taste delicious!

Other ways of cooking the tots

In addition to baking these in the oven, I also tried cooking the tots in the air fryer and frying them on the stove.

Cooking in the Air Fryer.

With the air fryer I cooked them for 8 minutes at 380°F. Unfortunately they really stuck to the basket even though I sprayed it well. So I would not recommend this way.

Pan frying on the stove.

The second way I tried was to heat about ¼ inch of oil in a skillet and fried the tots on each side until gold brown.

I really liked the taste of frying on the stove top but it wasn’t worth using all of that oil and the time it took to fry them in a skillet.

To me the oven was the overall best way to cook these faux tater tots. However if you have the time or inclination, frying them in the skillet is tasty.

Below you can see the difference in frying and baking the tots. The browner one have been fried.

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Keto recipes that would go great with this dish.

Because tater tots are more of casual type of food, they would work well with one of these keto burgers, chicken nuggets, fried pork strips, chicken drumsticks or rotisserie chicken.

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (7)

Low Carb Ketchup Suggestions

If you are looking for a keto ketchup, Heinz no sugar added ketchup has just 1g net carb per tablespoon and Primal Kitchen ketchup has 2g net carbs. Both have very good ratings, though I have not tried them.

And if you want a recipe, try my friend Sara’s ketchup recipe or Kimspired’s recipe.

I hope you give these keto cauliflower tater tots a try next time you are in the mood for potato tots and enjoy them as much as we did.

The nutrition information for 1 tot is 33 calories
2.3g fat / 0.3g carbs / 0.1g fiber / 2.4g protein = 0.2g net carbs

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (8)

Keto Homemade Cauliflower Tots Recipe

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

If you crave tater tots on a low carb diet, try these keto cauliflower tots. They are full of flavor and make a great keto side dish or snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cauliflower rice
  • ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and place a piece of parchemnt paper or silicone mat over a baking tray.
  2. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients until well incorporated.
  3. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and squeeze together in your hand then shape into a tater tot shape.
  4. Place on the covered baking tray and continue with all of the mixture. Make sure to leave a little space between them.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the they are golden brown.
  6. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Notes

The nutrition information for 1 tot is 33 calories
2.3g fat / 0.3g carbs / 0.1g fiber / 2.4g protein = 0.2g net carbs

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 33

Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (9)
Keto Cauliflower Tots Recipe - easy, tastyketo snack or side dish! (2024)

FAQs

How many net carbs are in cauliflower tots? ›

Green Giant Veggie Tots Cauliflower (6 pieces) contains 14g total carbs, 9g net carbs, 7g fat, 2g protein, and 130 calories.

Are cauliflower tater tots healthy? ›

Cauliflower tots are arguably less healthy than tater tots

And in that smaller serving, you're getting the same amount of total fat (7 g) and double the saturated fat (1 g vs. 0.5 g). The cauliflower also has more sodium (310 mg vs. 290 mg per serving), plus two grams of sugar as opposed to the sugar-free classic tots.

What is a good substitute for tater tots? ›

CAULIFLOWER TOTS are the less-carby, healthier version of tater tots and they're made with simple ingredients.

How many carbs are in cauliflower Keto? ›

Cauliflower has a similar nutrition profile to broccoli. It's also a great cruciferous veggie to choose when you're on keto, says Dixon, as it has 1.5 grams of net carbs per half a cup.

How many net carbs are in 2 cups of cauliflower? ›

Cauliflower, raw (1 cup) contains 5.3g total carbs, 3.1g net carbs, 0.3g fat, 2.1g protein, and 27 calories.

Does cauliflower have more carbs than potatoes? ›

Nutritionally, cauliflower is lighter in calories and carbs than potatoes and is more nutrient-dense. That's why it's popular among the low carb and weight loss communities.

What is the healthiest food cauliflower? ›

It's high in vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate, which supports cell growth and is essential during pregnancy. Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium. A one-cup serving contains only 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of dietary fiber.

Is cauliflower healthier than potatoes? ›

Cauliflower is lower in carbohydrates, offer more nutrients and has lower calories than potatoes. But if you don't have dietary restrictions, adding both cauliflower and potatoes to your regular diet can be beneficial.

Are fries or tots healthier? ›

No. Tater Tots have binders that regular fries don't usually have, (seasoned curly fries and their ilk being an exception). Plainer, less 'modified' food usually being better for you than foods with lots of additives, stick with the pure fries….

Can I use shredded hash browns instead of tater tots? ›

Replace Tater Tots: Use hash browns or even cooked and diced potatoes for a different texture. Cheese Swap: Try gruyere or pepper jack cheese for a different flavor profile.

How do I get the crispiest tater tots? ›

The secret? Rolling each tot in a little olive oil before baking for a crispy on the outside, soft on the inside tater tot. Once the tots are out of the oven, sprinkle with garlicky parmesan cheese.

What makes tater tots stick together? ›

We know that what keeps the Tater Tots stuck together is a combination of two pretty sticky things: moist starches and proteins. The more they come in contact with each other, the stickier they become, and the tighter/gummier the Tater Tots will be.

Can I eat unlimited cauliflower on keto? ›

With cauliflower there isn't a maximum. There's a minimum. A portion is about a quarter of a head. Because cruciferous vegetables are so beneficial we should eat at least one portion every day.

Can I eat a whole cauliflower on keto? ›

Whole roasted cauliflower is a delicious, Whole30-friendly, keto, and vegan side dish!

Can I have a cheat day in keto? ›

It's okay to have a cheat day while observing keto. But keto practitioners recommend you plan your macros carefully. Don't go all out on your cheat day — know your limits so you don't get knocked out of ketosis and become unable to get back.

How many net carbs are in frozen cauliflower? ›

Frozen Cauliflower (1 package, (10 oz)) contains 13.3g total carbs, 6.8g net carbs, 0.8g fat, 5.7g protein, and 68 calories.

Why does cauliflower pizza have so many carbs? ›

A single slice could have anywhere from 2 to 29 grams. That's a huge range, especially because cauliflower isn't carb-heavy (a cup has 5 grams). Why the difference? Crusts may include rice or brown rice flour, sugar, tapioca starch, and corn starch, which supply carbs.

How many net carbs are in fried cauliflower? ›

Fried Battered Cauliflower (1 floweret) contains 3.6g total carbs, 3.2g net carbs, 4.1g fat, 1g protein, and 55 calories.

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