Baked Cheddar Broccoli Tots

Baked broccoli tots with cheddar cheese have the same crispy exterior and soft interior as traditional tater tots without any potatoes. These healthy broccoli tots are perfect for baby led weaning or toddler lunches, and the rest of the family will love them, too. Grab your favorite condiments and dipping sauces for an easy snack you can feel good about eating!

Broccoli tater tots go great with ketchup, ranch dressing, cheese sauce, or honey mustard sauce for dipping.

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Broccoli Tots
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

My easy-to-make broccoli tots are a surprise family favorite! While everyone in my household loves (most) veggies, these tots have won our hearts with their crispy exterior, creamy interior, and classic broccoli and cheddar flavor combo.

In fact, as much as my daughter enjoyed cheesy broccoli tots when she was little, I think she loves them even more now as an almost highschool grad.

🥘 Ingredients

• Broccoli - Fresh broccoli crowns (3 cups thawed frozen broccoli works too!)
• Egg - An egg is the binding ingredient that holds the broccoli, cheese, and breadcrumbs together. If you need an egg substitute, see my preferred options here.
• Panko Breadcrumbs - Homemade Panko breadcrumbs or storebought Italian-seasoned Panko.
• Cheddar Cheese - Cheddar cheese is a classic choice for broccoli. Freshly shredded cheese will melt the best and help hold your tots together!
• Salt & Pepper - Salt and pepper to taste.
• Garlic Powder (optional) - Garlic powder is optional for flavor but highly recommended. You can also use 1-2 cloves of finely minced fresh garlic.

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Make Broccoli Tots

Using a mini muffin pan makes shaping these tots ten times easier, although I also included instructions for shaping them by hand if that's what you prefer. To get started, you'll need a knife and cutting board, your measuring utensils, a mixing bowl, and a mini muffin pan or baking sheet.

This recipe makes about 24 tots or 4 servings of 6 tots.

Step 1: Prep the broccoli. Start with preheating your oven to 400ºF ( 204ºC ) and wash the broccoli. Blanch 3 fresh broccoli crowns or 3 cups (540 grams) of florets in boiling water, or place them into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high heat, covered with a damp paper towel, for 2 minutes. *If you are using frozen broccoli, allow the broccoli to completely thaw then heat in the microwave as directed above.

Step 2: Chop the broccoli. Finely chop your broccoli, by hand or using a food processor with the 's' blade attachment, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add remaining ingredients. Add 1 egg, ⅔ cup of cheddar cheese, ⅔ cup of Panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of optional garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper (to taste).

Step 4: Form the tots. Combine the ingredients thoroughly, and then scoop into a non-stick spray-coated mini muffin pan. Press each broccoli tater tot bite down into the pan and fill them until even with the top of the muffin tray.

Step 5: Bake, cool, and serve. Bake for about 25 minutes at 400ºF (204ºC/Gas Mark 6) or until the tops are golden brown and slightly crispy around the edges. Remove from the oven when done, and allow your broccoli tots to cool slightly before serving.

How To Hand-Shape Broccoli Tots (Optional)

Step 1: Chill. These broccoli tater tots can be hand-shaped, but I prefer the ease of using a mini muffin pan for them. If you want to shape them to resemble packaged tater tots, chill the broccoli mixture for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Scoop and shape. Scoop the broccoli mix into heaping tablespoonful portions and squeeze it in your palm. Then, use the fingers of your free hand to smooth the edges. That's the best method I've gotten to work...rolling them was a joke!

Step 3: Bake, cool, and serve. Place the tots on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at the same temperature. Roll the tots after 8 minutes, then continue to cook for an additional 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the tots to cool slightly before serving.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• Steam-in-microwave bags of broccoli work great. Steamable bags of broccoli can be heated in the microwave as directed on the packaging rather than covering it with a damp paper towel. Just remember to let the broccoli cool before handling.
• Add a dash of hot sauce. Now that my daughter is older, we like to add 2 teaspoons of sriracha to these tater tots for a subtle but tasty kick. Try it with your favorite hot sauce!
• Healthy and customizable. For a Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Keto, or Atkins-friendly version, you can omit the breadcrumbs and/or cheddar cheese as needed.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Once the tots have cooled off, put them in a sealed zip-top bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Broccoli tots freeze wonderfully. Just transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag once they have completely cooled and squeeze out all the air. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating

Reheat in the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 3-4 minutes or the oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at the same temperature for 8-10 minutes. Flip or roll them halfway. You can reheat them in the microwave, but they won't be very crunchy.

📖 Recipe Card