Keto Cauliflower Tots
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 09/30/2015 - Last updated on 05/02/2023
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This keto cauliflower tots recipe is a delicious appetizer, snack, or side for any keto meal with only 1.7 grams of net carbs per tot.
Bonus, these are baked cauliflower tater tots that can also be baked in an air fryer!
What Are Keto Cauliflower Tots?
Keto cauliflower tots are delicious low-carb cheesy cauliflower nuggets, perfect bite-size food to snack on, share as an appetizer or serve as a side to grilled meat.
How To Make Keto Cauliflower Tots
Bonus, to make these cauliflower tots keto, you only need a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- Steamed/drained cauliflower – see recipe card for steaming method and how to drain steamed cauliflower perfectly. You can also use cauliflower rice bought from the freezer aisle.
- Eggs – make sure you are using room-temperature eggs. Eggs are keto-friendly.
- Almond flour – fine, blanched. Learn how to pick your keto flour.
- Whole psyllium husk – this is optional but highly recommended! In fact, steamed cauliflower, even well-drained, can keep some moisture that may make the tots softer and fall apart. Psyllium husk is the key to puffy cheesy cauliflower tots!
- Grated cheddar cheese – or parmesan. Find out which cheese is keto-friendly.
- Grated mozzarella
- Spices – salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano are the best.
Preparing The Cauliflower
The first step to making these keto cauliflower tots is to cook the cauliflower.
To do so, you can either microwave the florets in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/3 cup of water for 7 minutes.
Alternatively, you can place them in a steaming basket or in a large saucepan with boiling water.
Once the cauliflower florets are cooked, drain them thoroughly for at least 10 minutes.
Then place them in a clean towel that you then squeeze hard to extract as much water as possible.
Making The Batter
Combine the drained cauliflower, almond flour, psyllium husk, cheddar, mozzarella, beaten eggs, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
Stir the mixture with a silicone or wooden spatula, or you can use a food processor on the low-speed setting.
Shaping The Tots
Cauliflower tater tots are a bit messy to shape as the batter is sticky, but it is easier if you oil your hands. Also, you can use a cookie scoop to help you out!
It will shape cauliflower tots of the same size every time, and therefore they will have roughly the same carbs amount per serving!
Scoop about one tablespoon of the mixture out of the large bowl.
Give them their tater tot shape by rolling the scoop of cauliflower mixture in your hands.
Place the formed tots on a large baking sheet lined with lightly oiled parchment paper.
Baking The Tots
These are baked cauliflower tots, which means they are perfect for meal prep for your week’s keto snacks.
Place the baking sheet in the oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serving The Keto Tots
These keto cauliflower tots are a delicious side dish to any meat, fish, or even on salad.
It’s perfect with my homemade ketchup or your favorite low-carb sauce to replace potatoes on the side of a keto burger.
It doesn’t even taste like cauliflower, these cauliflower tater tots are a perfect side dish for grown-ups and kids alike.
Changing The Flavor
You can change the flavor of these keto cauliflower tots by adding different spices such as paprika, allspice, pepper, or cilantro.
They can also have a stronger cheesy taste with a hint of parmesan cheese.
Storage Instructions
You can store your keto cauliflower tots for up to 3 days in the fridge, baked or unbaked, in an airtight container.
It’s also possible to freeze the unbaked tots in zip-lock bags. I usually pre-freeze them for 1 hour on a plate covered with parchment paper.
When half-frozen, it is easier to transfer them into a zip-lock bag to freeze and keep a beautiful shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, frozen cauliflower can be used as long as it’s drained properly.
Each keto tot contains only 1.7 grams of net carbs. Read the full nutrition information below.
Classic tots are made with breadcrumbs and are therefore not keto-friendly. This is why you need a recipe such as this one to make low-carb tater tots!
A single classic cauliflower tot typically contains about 13 to 15 grams of net carbs, it’s almost the same as 10 of the tots you can make with this recipe!
More Cauliflower Recipes
If you like recipes with cauliflower, you’ll love these other keto recipes:
Enjoy this cauliflower tots keto recipe, and don’t forget to share a picture of your creation with me on Instagram! See you there!
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Keto Gluten-Free Cauliflower Tots
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz Cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 Eggs
- ⅔ cup Almond Flour
- 1 tablespoon Whole Psyllium Husk optional
- ½ cup Grated Cheddar
- ½ cup Grated Mozzarella
Spices
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare a baking tray covered with baking paper. Set aside.
- Cut the raw cauliflower head into small florets, removing stems, and weigh the amount required by the recipe.
Steam the cauliflower florets
- Microwave method. Place the florets into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/3 cup water, cover with a microwave-safe lid (or plate). Microwave for 7 minutes or until the florets are soft and tender. Frying pan method/steam basket method. In a large frying pan, add 1/3 cup water to boil. Add the cauliflower florets in the pan or steam basket, cover, reduce to medium/low heat, and steam until soft and tender for about 8 minutes.
- Place the steamed cauliflower florets into a drainer for at least 10 minutes or until lukewarm. You can place the drainer next to an open window to cool faster. You know the cauliflower is ready when there is no more steam coming out of it, and the cauliflower florets are lukewarm but not burning hot.
- Place the steamed cauliflower florets on a towel and squeeze the towel as hard as you can to take the water out. See my recipe video to see my technique. You should obtain a sort of cauliflower mash and remove around 2-4 tablespoons of water. Discard liquid.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the drained cauliflower, almond flour, psyllium husk, grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, beaten eggs, and spices. Psyllium husk is optional but adds a lovely texture while absorbing any extra water that could be left in the cauliflower, so I recommend you don't skip this!
- Combine with a spatula first, then squeeze the batter with your hands.
- Scoop out the cauliflower batter with a cookie scoop to make sure you form 20 cauliflower tots of even sizes. Oil your hands with olive oil, roll the batter in your hands to shape little cylinders/tots.
- Place the cauliflower tots onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a space of half a thumb between each. They won't expand while baking, but you don't want them to stick to each other.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden on the outside and cheesy.
- Serve hot with dips of your choice. I recommend my sugar-free ketchup recipe.
Freezing
- Store 3 days in the fridge, baked or unbaked, in an airtight container.
- You can freeze the unbaked tots in ziplock bags. I usually pre-freeze them for 1 hour on a plate covered with parchment paper. When half-frozen, it is easier to transfer them in a ziplock bag to freeze and keep a beautiful shape.
- This recipe makes about 20 cauliflower tots.
Notes
Tools
Getting Started What Is Keto? Macro Calculator Sweetener Converter Intermittent Fasting Keto Fruits Keto Vegetables Keto Flours Fighting Keto Flu Healthy SweetenersWant My Kitchen Equipment?
Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
Disclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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How much cooked cauliflower should I end up with? With the spinach balls recipe you give that info…
Thanks
As long as you measure the raw cauliflower florets, you are all good. Cauliflower volume and weight won’t change after cooking compared to spinach, that’s why you don’t need to measure it again after cooking. Enjoy.
Where do you find psyllium husk?
In my supermarket it’s sold next to healthy gluten free flours or organic aisle. Otherwise look on amazon for Now Psyllium husk. Enjoy the recipe, XOXO Carine
Hi! I made them today, and I must say they were delicious! I am thinking of making them again this week, and adding some chopped onio and some crushed garlic. Thank you for the reccipe!
That will be delicious with onion and garlic !Thanks so much for the lovely feedback. Take care, XOXO Carine
Thank you for the recipe, these were great. I’m mostly plant based so swapped the egg for Xanthan gum and the cheeses for vegan versions.
I love love, your recipes, I make your bread roll recipe most weeks but in a loaf tin so it goes further
Thank you so much for sharing these tips with me, I had no idea it will work so well with vegan cheese and xanthan gum! Take care, XOXO Carine
Can I use 10oz frozen cauli rice and cook per package directions instead of the fresh cauliflower?
It should work yes but make sure you follow the steps to drain the water after the cauliflower rice. Enjoy the recipe and let me know how it goes! XOXO Carine.
Where is the nutritional value info? Carbs? Fat? Protein?
Nutrition panel appears after the recipe card. There is 1.7 g net carbs per tots. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
I tried this recipe and is delicious as all the others. I added some Parmesan cheese because my batter was a bit wet. I’m a decent cook but would have helped me to know how many oz of batter is each tot because I winded up with less than yours and to know the macros for portion size. Great work Carine!! Thanks
I am glad you enjoy the cauliflower tots! Mine are size of a tablespoon for your info. Thanks for the lovely feedback. Enjoy the recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Oh my gracious these turned.out devine.last night! Toddlers can have.nuggets now.without me.being wrapped in mum guilt for.it!
That is what I love to read and why I am sharing those recipes! So glad tat your kids loves them too 🙂 Enjoy the recipes on the blog. XOXO Carine.
Just got to your blog. These sound yummy!
I will certainly give them a try, since I’m sensitive to gluten!
Looking forward to checking out your other recipes!
Luisa
Welcome on the blog ! You’ll find lots of gluten free recipes on the blog. Simply browse through the recipe tab on top of the blog and filter on gluten free. Have a lovely day and thanks for reading the blog. XOXO Carine.
Thank you! Have been looking for a yummy, dairy-free veggie snack for my son for quite some time. I so appreciate your work and willingness to share.
Hi Sarah, Thank you so much for your kind comments! You made my day 🙂 I love sharing all the recipe I experiment in my kitchen and those cauliflower tots are definitely one of my 3 years old girl favorite food!So great to sneak some extra veggie in their day! Enjoy and I hope to see you soon around the blog. xoxo. Carine.
Hi there!! Where can I find this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Silvia, it is now showing again in the recipe box up to this comment section. I had some issue with my server update and the recipe plugin crash for few hours. I apologize for that inconvenience. I hope you will love this simple & healthy cauliflower tot recipe. See you soon on the blog. XOXO Carine.
I definitely had to add a lot more flour and even used twice as much cauliflower “crumbs” to get the consistency such that it would hold together and not puddle on the cookie sheet. Then I had to up the spices and the salt and so it wasn’t bland. I liked this idea though, and it was something to start my experimenting! Oh, and I’m sure my eggs were bigger than hers in the recipe, as I’m using fresh farm eggs that are very large!
Hi Annie, I had no problem following this recipe at all. You said you added twice cauliflower “crumbs” and used bigger eggs which explain why your batter was more wet and needed more flour. Concerning the spices it is really up to everyone to adjust regarding taste. I hope you enjoyed this recipe anyway and that I will see you back on the blog very soon 🙂 Carine.
Hi there,
These sound lovely! I am going to make them for my 3 year olds birthday party. You mention you can freeze them. Do I follow the whole recipe and then freeze them the step before making them into nuggets? So everything is combined with the veggies and then I freeze. Defrost the day before, shape them and bake them and serve. Is that right? Just trying to do as much as possible before the party and these would be great if I can freeze them all made up! Thanks. ?
Hi Tash, Great idea! I always shape the batter into nuggets before freezing them. It will save you some time the day you want them. I freeze them on a large platter covered with baking paper. After an hour – they are half frozen so I transfer them into a large airtight plastic container. This way it keep very well in the freezer up to 1 month for sure. The day you need some, simply place each frozen nuggets on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper. Defrost 1 hour then bake until crispy ! I tried to bake them frozen it works too, simply required a bit more time to bake. It is cooked when crispy outside and warm and moist in the middle. I hope your kid will love them! My girl is 2 and 1/2 and it is always a big hit with her 🙂
Hi Tash, Great! I always shape the batter into nuggets before freezing them. It will save you some time the day you want them. I freeze them on a large platter covered with baking paper. After an hour – they are half frozen so I transfer them into a large airtight plastic container. This way it keep very well in the freezer up to 1 month for sure. The day you need some, simply place each frozen nuggets on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper. Defrost 1 hour then bake until crispy ! I tried to bake them frozen it works too, simply required a bit more time to bake. It is cooked when crispy outside and warm and moist in the middle. I hope your kid will love them! My girl is 2 and 1/2 and it is always a big hit with her 🙂
these are absolutely delicious!! thanks so much for the recipe.
Do you provide the nutritional info on your recipes somewhere?
I just subscribed to your page because I love what I see!
Hi Cristina, Thank you so much for your lovely comment! You made my day. I am not providing the nutritional info on my recipes but it is actually a good idea! I will add this to my to do list for the next recipes. But those cauliflower tots are definitely healthy! I hope I see you soon on the blog. Enjoy the recipes! XOXO Carine.
OMG these are awesome! We were recently told that our 3 yo daughter can’t do gluten, dairy, or sugar – and I made these tonight -absolutely delish! Only thing I changed was I lightly fried them in coconut oil to speed up the process, and added quite a bit more flour – for some reason my original mix was pretty watery. Our eggs were XL so maybe that was why.
I am so glad you love them! I used eggs size 6 (the smallest size) so I guess it explains why you had a more watery battery. But adding more flour is a good options. I will try the frying version, sounds yummy too. I just bought a huge cauliflower so it will be great to try the recipe differently this time 🙂 thanks for the lovely comment. See you soon on the blog Liz 🙂
This is such a good idea! I would love to make them and use them as a meat-free salad topper!
Thank you 🙂 I love the idea of adding those into my salad too.
Hi there,
I love your recipes, especially this one.
I also wanted to ask if you could maybe invite me to your pinterest board. I am: https://www.pinterest.com/ketorezepte/
Thanks in advance!
Chrisina
Hi Christina, Thank you for this lovely comment. The pinterest board is not mine I not even a contributor into this board so there is not much I can do I am sorry. See around ! Carine. xx