Healthy Broccoli Tots (oven, air fryer)
Broccoli tots are the perfect healthy way to get in more veggies at your meals! This broccoli tot recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, low carb, Whole30 and so easy to make! All you need are 5 ingredients and about 30 minutes!
Why this recipe works
- These broccoli tots are just like tater tots but full of veggies.
- You can freeze these broccoli tots and have them on hand for a quick and easy side dish
- Kids love these healthy broccoli tots! They are great dipped in homemade ketchup or dairy free ranch dressing
- These tots are better than store bought and so much less expensive! These low carb broccoli tots are made without eggs or cheese and are naturally gluten free and Whole30 friendly!
How to make broccoli tots
Step 1: Chop the broccoli florets and stems and place.
Step 2: Steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes or microwave for 3 minutes on high.
Step 3: Remove the broccoli from the steamer basket and place it directly into the food processor.
Step 4: Process the broccoli until it starts to resemble rice.
Step 5: Add the broccoli rice to a large bowl. Add the ground flax, almond meal, salt and spices
Step 6: Stir well and let sit for 1-2 minutes to allow the flax to absorb some of the liquid from the broccoli.
Step 7: Place parchment paper down on a rimmed baking sheet and spray it with non-stick spray. Form the broccoli mixture into broccoli tots and place them on the baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake in a 375F oven for 15 minutes. Take the tots out of the oven and flip them so they can brown on all sides. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Alternatively, bake the tots in an air fryer at 375F for 12 minutes.
Top tips
Ways to shape broccoli tots:
- Firmly press the mixture into the palm of your hand. Press it together with your thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand until a tot is formed.
- Use mini silicone muffin pans to firmly press the mixture down to ensure they will stick together
- Use a mini silicone donut mold and form these into little donut rings that are easy to eat and kids love them!
Why you should steam the broccoli:
- Steaming the broccoli first makes the broccoli bright green
- By first steaming the broccoli, it makes the broccoli tots softer and helps creates the texture you want for the tots. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave.
Other spices you can add
Common questions
How to freeze broccoli tots
You can make a large batch of these broccoli tots and freeze them so you can eat them anytime. You can freeze these tots before or after baking them. If they are baked, be sure to allow them to cool down to room temperature before putting in the freezer.
You will want to freeze the broccoli tots on a wax paper covered tray for about an hour until frozen. Once frozen, you can add them to a freezer safe bag (silicone bags or ziplock bags).
How to reheat:
If you freeze the broccoli tots before baking, simply place them in a 375F oven bake for 23-25 minutes.
If you freeze the broccoli tots after baking, reheat the tots in a 375F oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat in the air fryer at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
What are the best dips for air fryer broccoli tots:
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Arugula Cashew Pesto
- Tahini Pesto
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Cilantro Chimichurri
- Spicy Tahini Dressing
More broccoli recipes
- Low carb cheesy broccoli cauliflower soup (Instant Pot)
- Healthy Broccoli 4 Ways
- Broccoli Salad Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Whole30 Broccoli Cheese Muffins
- Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Broccoli Slaw Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Vegan Broccoli Casserole
- Vegan Broccoli Cranberry Walnut Salad
If you love this recipe you should try:
Broccoli Tots
$2.76 Recipe/$0.69 ServingGuided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli (2 small heads of broccoli) - $1.65
- 1/4 cup ground flax - $0.28
- 1/2 cup almond flour - $0.73
- 1 tsp sea salt - $0.05
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder - $0.05
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli florets and stems
- Steam the broccoli for 3 minutes or microwave for 3 minutes
- Add the steamed broccoli to the food processor
- Process the broccoli by pulsing it until the broccoli resembles rice
- Add the riced broccoli to a large bowl with the ground flax, almond flour, salt and garlic powder.
- Stir the broccoli with the rest of the ingredients and let sit for 1-2 minutes to come together.
- Form 18-20 broccoli tots by pressing the mixture into the palm of one hand then forming tots using the thumb and pointer finger of the other hand. Press the mixture together well.
- Bake in a 375F oven for 20 minutes, flipping with 5 minutes left so they can brown on both sides.
AirFryer Instructions
- Form the broccoli tots in steps 1-7 above.
- Carefully place the broccoli tots in the air fryer in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap.
- Turn the air fryer to 375 and cook for 12 minutes.
Perfect for some riced broccoli we hadn’t found a use for! Thank you!