Healthy Keto Zucchini Tots Recipe
Move over, tater tots—these keto-friendly Zucchini Tots are here to steal the show! Whether you’re looking for a delicious way to sneak more veggies into your diet or a healthier alternative to traditional tater tots, this easy recipe will surely become a new favorite. With just a handful of ingredients, including fresh zucchini, sharp cheddar cheese, and coconut flour, these baked tots are a perfect low-carb snack or side dish.
Unlike traditional zucchini fritters that are fried, these Zucchini Tots are baked in a mini muffin pan, making them a healthier choice. Each serving of four tots contains only 4 grams of net carbs, making them a great option for those following a low-carb diet. Plus, they’re a fantastic way to get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy their vegetables!
These Zucchini Tots are a recipe from The Ketogenic Cookbook by Jimmy Moore and Maria Emmerich. This cookbook is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in a low-carb, ketogenic diet. It’s filled with delicious recipes like these tots and tips and meal plans to help you start your keto journey.
Ingredients
For this homemade zucchini tots recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheese, about 4 ounces (or nutritional yeast if dairy-sensitive)
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
How To Make Keto Zucchini Tots
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
Prepare the zucchini by placing the shredded zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Toss it with the salt and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help draw out excess water.
Remove excess water by using a tea towel, dish towel, or paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This step is crucial to ensure your tots don’t turn out soggy.
Mix the ingredients by sprinkling the coconut flour onto the shredded zucchini and tossing it well to coat. Add the eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, and smoked paprika. Mix everything until well combined.
Fill the muffin tin by placing 1 ½ tablespoons of the zucchini mixture into each muffin cup, pressing down lightly to ensure they hold their shape.
Baking time
Bake the tots in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, run a knife around the edges of the tots to loosen them. Let them cool for a minute to set up before removing them from the pan.
These Zucchini Tots are best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply place them on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven or air fryer until heated.
Tips for Perfect Zucchini Tots
- Customize your tots: Feel free to add your favorite seasonings like garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or red pepper flakes for an extra kick. You can also substitute the sharp cheddar cheese with Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese for a different flavor.
- Removing moisture: It’s essential to remove as much liquid as possible from the shredded zucchini. This will prevent the tots from becoming too soft and help them achieve a crispy, golden-brown exterior.
- Use a small cookie scoop: A small cookie scoop that measures 1.5 tablespoons is perfect for portioning the zucchini mixture into the muffin cups.
Zucchini Tots Nutrition Information
Thanks to an astute reader, the nutrition information for these tasty tots has been updated. Since I originally posted this recipe, I have changed recipe plug-ins, which also means that the way the nutrition is calculated is different. I also noticed that I listed it as 24 servings because there are 24 tots. I should have entered 6 servings since each serving is 4 tots. Below are some screenshots of the recipe plug-in and its calculations.
Zucchini Tots
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded zucchini about 1 medium zucchini
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheese about 4 ounces (or nutritional yeast if dairy-sensitive)
- ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Place the shredded zucchini in a medium-sized or large bowl and toss with the salt. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze out any moisture and discard the liquid.
- Sprinkle the coconut flour onto the zucchini and toss well to coat. Add the eggs, cheddar cheese, onion, and paprika and mix well to combine.
- Fill each muffin cup with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Run a knife around the tots to loosen as soon as you get them out of the oven. Let cool for a minute to allow them to set up, then remove them from the muffin pan.
Notes
Nutrition
The Ketogenic Cookbook
In The Ketogenic Cookbook, by Jimmy Moore and Maria Emmerich, readers are introduced to the ketogenic diet – a low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. (It’s commonly referred to as a keto diet.)
While this may seem counterintuitive to what modern science is trying to tell us, many are finding success in losing weight and becoming healthier by following a ketogenic diet. By consuming little to no carbs, the body goes into a state of ketosis—it burns its own fat as a primary source of fuel.
Whether you’re new to keto or a seasoned pro, this book has great recipes and information to help you succeed.
My husband and I have been doing Keto for a year. It’s always fun to find new recipes to try. These zucchini tots are great. Although next time, I’m not going to add the salt. I don’t think it needs it. I think some riced cauliflower mixed in would be good too.
I’ve made these before and they are amazing! Even younger kids love them❣️
So glad you enjoy the recipe. 😊
Can these be frozen after they’re baked?
I have not tested them, but I imagine that after they have cooled you could freeze them. I would place them in a ziplock freezer bag, remove excess air, and then freeze them.
Sorry, I meant to say coconut flour not almond flour
Being that it is a small quantity, I would imagine that it should be fine.
Can I substitute the flour for oat flour or whole wheat flour. I don’t have almond flour.
These are awesome! I used Parmesan as the main cheese component and added garlic powder, extra paprika and a spicy herb mix. I also did extra onion. I cooked them for about 20-25 minutes and they browned nicely. Dipped them in sour cream for a delicious meal!
That’s wonderful!
Can almond flour be used in lieu of coconut flour?
I don’t know.
Researching how to substitute, I see different ratios that can be used. According to Ditch the Carbs, 1/4 cup coconut flour is equivalent to 1 cup of almond flour. If my math is correct, then 1/4 cup of almond flour should substitute for the coconut flour in this recipe.
If you try it, let me know how it works out. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qGbb4kNaZru6cYjc9
I tried to add a picture. I cut the salt in half, used Pepper Jack cheese, topped them with a little ham and cheese so they would brown, and substituted thyme and cracked pepper for paprika which I did not have. A huge amount of water came out of my home grown zucchini and I also had to bake them for 25 minutes. What I like about this recipe is it lends itself to experimentation with similar ingredients. I will make again.
They are good!
Thanks for sharing! They look like they turned out great!!
I didn’t get the water out of the zucchini prior and they turned out fine. Super delicious
That’s great to hear!
Can I substitute the eggs with egg replacer because I’m allergic to eggs.
That’s a great question. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer to that. If you try it, please let me know how it works out.
I’m not sure how you count your carbs, but when I added up everything I used in this recipe I came up with 1 carb per tot.
Your info says 13g carbs per 4 tots. Is that a typo?
Other than that, it was a good recipe, only thing I changed was I added was cayenne for a kick!
I’ll make them again for sure. We have a good crop of zucchini growing in our garden.
Next time I’ll add some fresh diced jalapeño & maybe some crispy crumbled bacon for a new flavor.
Thank you so much for pointing that out. I re-ran the nutrition information and also got 1 gram of carbohydrate per zucchini tot. I posted an explanation at the bottom of the post.
I’ve made these a bunch of times and everyone loves them every time! So flavorful and the texture is great – I compare them to mini quiches. Thanks!
Your comment makes my heart happy! (Thank you!!!)
Can I sub out zucchini for cauliflower?
I really don’t know. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out.
How much nutritional yeast to replace the 1 cup of cheese?
I imagine it would a 1:1 ratio.
amazing flavor but they stayed super flat, probably needs more flour?
Perhaps another egg?