These vegan cauliflower tots are SO easy to make using frozen, riced cauliflower. Make them in the oven or in the air fryer, no egg needed!
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Air fry your cauliflower tots or bake them up in the oven. Either way, they are crispy outside, tender inside, and fun to make!
You don't need egg to make these vegan cauliflower tots! They're so delicious with a side of your favorite dipping sauce, like vegan ranch dressing, tahini sauce, creamy gochujang salad dressing, BBQ sauce, ketchup, or curry mayo!
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- potato - We are not peeling this potato, so choose a Yukon gold or white potato. You can use a red potato if you don't mind the look of the peels showing.
- cauliflower rice - This recipe uses frozen cauliflower rice that you thaw either in the microwave or on the counter. If there is a lot of excess liquid, drain it off.
- breadcrumbs - A little bit of panko helps the tots maintain their shape. You can use gluten-free, if needed.
- cornstarch - Cornstarch is your other binder. You can use other starches, like potato or tapioca starch, if you prefer.
- seasonings - I'm using onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use other seasonings of choice, if you like! Smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, curry powder, cajun spice, etc all work really well in these.
🥣 How to make cauliflower tots
Add the potato with enough water to cover to a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're very tender. You want them really soft, so they'll be easy to mash. Drain and rinse with cold water, so they'll become cool enough to handle.
While the potato cooks, add the thawed cauliflower rice, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to a large bowl, and mix well with a fork.
When the potato is done cooking, transfer it to the bowl with the cauliflower, and mash with a fork. When it's cool enough to handle, use clean hands to knead the potato and cauliflower together until you have an even mixture that sticks together well.
Use your hands to form the cauliflower mixture into about 18 balls or tater tot shapes.
To air fry: Transfer the cauliflower tots to your air fryer basket. Air fry at 400° F for 8 minutes, then flip the tots over. Air fry at 400° F for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until they're golden brown on the outside.
To bake: Arrange the tots on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400° F for 30 to 35 minutes, until they're browned on the outside.
💡 Helpful tips
- After mashing the potato with a fork, make sure you get in there with clean hands and knead really well. You want the mixture to stay together, and kneading is the key.
- When you form the tots, make them nice and tight, which will help them hold their shape, even when you dip them into sauce.
💬 Frequently asked questions
Conventional cauliflower tots use eggs as a binder. In this recipe, we're using mashed potatoes and a little bit of cornstarch to help them hold together without eggs.
You don't! We are using a thin-skinned potato, and since tots have a little texture, leaving the skin on is fine.
🍴 More tots!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cauliflower Tots
Equipment
- Air Fryer - optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced Yukon gold or white potato no need to peel
- 1 ½ cups frozen cauliflower rice thawed and drained well
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the potato with enough water to cover to a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're very tender. You want them really soft, so they'll be easy to mash. Drain and rinse with cold water, so they'll become cool enough to handle.
- While the potato cooks, add the thawed cauliflower rice, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to a large bowl, and mix well with a fork.
- When the potato is done cooking, transfer it to the bowl with the cauliflower, and mash with a fork. When it's cool enough to handle, use clean hands to knead the potato and cauliflower together until you have an even mixture that sticks together well.
- Use your hands to form the cauliflower mixture into about 18 balls or tater tot shapes.
- To air fry: Transfer the cauliflower tots to your air fryer basket. Air fry at 400° F for 8 minutes, then flip the tots over. Air fry at 400° F for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until they're golden brown on the outside.
- To bake: Arrange the tots on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400° F for 30 to 35 minutes, until they're browned on the outside.
Alicia
I just got the Instant Pot air fryer lid, & this is the first thing that I made with it. I only used a tiny sprinkling of oil. The recipe doesn't say anything about peeling the potatoes, which I prefer not to do anyway, so I just left the skin on. Well... my only regret is not buying a full-sized air fryer. OMG these are SO good!!! I'm having trouble waiting for my husband to come home before I eat them all!! Now I wish I had a full-sized fryer so I could do more at a time. I did try doing it in a double layer (the IP lid comes with an insert that has a second layer) & I used parchment paper; maybe that's why the bottom layer didn't really cook, so I just removed the top layer & did it again. Great recipe, & I look forward to making more from this site!
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad you loved them, Alicia! You're correct -- no need to peel the potatoes. I love cooking with thin-skinned potatoes, because I hate taking the time to peel them. I've noticed the same thing when using a rack: the food underneath tends to not cook as well. I think it's because the food on the top rack blocks the circulation of air. Welcome to the site, and thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment!
Hildegarde
These recipes look great. Due to a digestive condition, I can never have fried foods again but I miss that crunch. So my question is about outgassing....as we've learned over the years Teflon and the like outgas toxic fumes. Where does the air fryer stand in this issue?
What's the interior (where it gets hot) made of?
Thanks.
I hope I can use one!
Becky Striepe
The inside is nonstick, so if you're avoiding Teflon, you may want to look for another option. You can bake these, just double the cooking time (you may need a few extra minutes at the end, as well) and turn them halfway through cooking.