Keto Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
These Crispy Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Tots are the perfect finger food for game day, low carb, keto and gluten free! Just 3 g net carbs per serving.
Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Tater Tots Recipe
Oven fried low carb cauliflower tots can actually get that crispy outer coating just as if you had fried them!
These delicious keto Cauliflower tots are made without grains and looks like a potato puff or some know them as Tater Tots. These look good enough to get even the pickiest of kids to eat them!
I can’t help it, but I have an insane desire to fool my kids into eating cauliflower. It’s an addiction really. I do it all the time, like in my Bacon Cheeseburger Hidden Cauli Casserole, and the many others that came from that recipe. It’s seems they may be catching on to my tricks, but they also don’t seem to care and still eat it regardless. So mom is winning here!
This keto cauliflower tots recipe is an adaption from my Mock Tater Tots original recipe in my first cookbook. I’ve recently just released my 3rd book, The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet that sold out first printing and is a best seller on Amazon!
I added some mozzarella to really give it some substance and that cheese really overpowers the traditional taste of mashed cauliflower, which is good for my kids since they typically hate cauliflower and can detect it easily.
But it wasn’t just for my kids, this recipe was for me. I was craving some carbs like crazy and needed something to curb that craving. I was browsing my cookbook and there it was, adapt and conquer! My whole family loved these crispy tots!
Carbs in Classic Tater Tots
Regular tater tots made with potato and refined flours are not keto friendly or low carb. Keto tater tots use cauliflower to replace potato.
32 grams of store bought potato “tater” tots have about 9 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of protein and no dietary fiber.
Our keto tater tots serving size is 4 large tots around 60 grams in weight, having 6 total carbs and 11 grams of protein and 3 grams dietary fiber. Per serving just 3 grams of net carbs.
How to Make Low Carb Cauliflower Tots
To view the nutritional information please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Ingredients
cauliflower florets (or frozen riced cauliflower thawed)
parmesan cheese
mozzarella (cheddar cheese can also be used instead)
eggs
garlic powder (feel free to add onion powder if you like)
garlic salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place steamed cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles cauliflower rice.
If using store bought cauliflower rice, thaw it and squeeze as much moisture from the rice as possible.
Fresh cauliflower doesn’t have the excess moisture that frozen cauliflower rice has. It can be used but be sure as much excess water is removed. The best way I have don this is placing frozen thawed cauli rice in a clean hand towel and squeezing multiple times.
Pour cauliflower mixture it into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients until combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a small cookie scoop or about a tablespoon of the mixture, form into small tater tot shapes and place onto baking tray.
I was able to make 32 tots.
Bake for 15 minutes then flip them over for cook another 5 minutes until golden brown.
Cool slightly, then enjoy with some sugar-free ketchup!
FAQs for Cheesy Cauliflower Tots Recipe
Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes you can air fry these if you prefer. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray air fryer tray with cooking spray and place tots in a single layer in air fryer. Air fry for 5 minutes then flip over and air fry until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes more.
Can I swap the coconut flour with almond flour?
I have not tested this recipe swapping coconut flour with almond flour though i am sure you could do that.
Please not that 1/4 cup coconut flour is equal to about 1 cup almond flour. Coconut flour is much more dense and absorbent and that’s why it works so well in this recipe. If you do swap almond flour and use 1 cup amount, you will have at least double the batter to form tots.
Can I fry these cauliflower tots in oil instead of bake?
You could certainly fry these in oil a few at a time in a hot pan with some avocado oil or coconut oil, be sure to use enough oil in the pan, but it just seems like more work than needed in my opinion.
Baking at a high temperature really can produce that same kind of outer texture you’re looking for.
How to Store Keto Tots
After tots have cooked and cooled, remove any excess oil placing on paper towels. Place in a single layer between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
If you have some no sugar added ketchup, dip these in that or make your own Homemade Ketchup!
Cheesy goodness baked to perfection and a delicious side dish!
You may have trouble eating just 4 per serving on your low-carb diet or keto diet! Be sure to share and don’t tell the kids until AFTER they try them, works in my house!
More Keto Recipes using Cauliflower
Thin Crust Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Keto Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb and Gluten Free)
Crispy Cheesy Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower
- 1 cup parmesan
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place steamed cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles crumbs.
- Pour it into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients until combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoopor about a tablespoon of the mixture, form cylinder shapes.
- I was able to make 32 tots.
- Bake for 15 minutes then flip them over for cook another 5 minutes.
- Cool slightly then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Do you have suggestions as to what could be substituted for the Parmesan cheese?
The only thing I can think of is something like nutritional yeast.
Can these be make the night before and reheated in the oven??? Anxious to try!!
yes
Turned out really dry. Not cheesy at all.
Maybe they were cooked quicker in your oven than in mine. Dry usually means overcooked.
a couple of people have mentioned using this recipe for pizza crust………any suggestions? thank you
Hi, I’m a big fan!
I wanted to say I adapted this recipe to make two other items.
First, you can shape them I’m to cups and they make great “potato” skins.
Second, the whole recipe makes a fantastic pizza crust.
Thank you again for all you do!
Hi, when I hit the print button on the receipe it doesn’t go anywhere. When I try to Pin it it doesn’t and I can’t paste it cause it doesn’t appear. What can I do?
Hi,
I was wondering it these could be cooked in an Air Fryer, and if they can, at what temperature and for how long?
Thank you, these look amazing.
Did you try this? I was curious about this also!
Can’t find your contest!!
https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/naturally-keto-starter-pack-giveaway/
Could you use premade mashed cauliflower? If YES, about how much would you need?
I tried these with ready made cauliflower rice from Costco. I didn’t precook cauliflower, just used it raw. I added another egg to get it to stick together better, to make up for not a lot of moisture from raw cauliflower. I also diced up some crisp bacon and some pickled peppers and added to mix. Yummy!! Thanks so much. These will be a regular part of our meal plan.
I think the net carbs are 3.3
These were AWESOME! We dipped them in marinara too.
I’m going to use this recipe as a base for pizza crust as well!
You don’t mention whether you have to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower. Every other cauliflower recipe I’ve seen requires this. Was it left out of your instructions, or do you not need to do that for this recipe?
Nope it’s not mentioned because you don’t have to squeeze out any liquid.
Do they freeze well? I would like to make a batch and divide into single servings for when my husband has french fries when we have “burgers”.
yes you can freeze them after you’ve cooked and cooled them.
Hi Brenda, I can’t handle coconut. It makes my throat sore. Any alternative you can suggest!
If you can have nuts try almond flour.
I make these almost weekly. They’re SO good and easy!!!
Thank you!
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Aggie
I made these today and they are good. I got 50 out of the recipe and they are a good size. Will have to refigure the nutritional data. I did add some cayenne pepper, dried parsley flakes, and onion powder. Substituted reduced fat Mexican cheese blend for the mozzarella and it worked beautifully. It still tastes like cauliflower to me, but not overly. Will be nice to take to lunch with some SF ketchup. I made so many that I’m going to have to freeze them…hope that works.. Thanks!
Update on nutritional data: Made 10 servings of 5 tots each. 167 cal., 9 fat, 6 carbs, 2 fiber, 12 protein.
Does it have to be mozzarella?? Can I substitute cheddar? Sounds so good!
I think cheddar would work as well.