Baked Zucchini Tots | Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30

Ready for my new favorite kid (and adult) friendly way to use up your summer zucchini?  These easy, savory Zucchini Tots!  They're simple to mix together (with ingredients you probably already have on hand), and super quick and easy to bake in the oven for a summer side dish.

If you like my Cheesy Zucchini Biscuits, you will also love these!

Why this Zucchini Recipe Works

I love how mess free these are - no frying or stovetop action required.  And my favorite part?  They are a hit for baby Hudson too!  He crawled right over and grabbed one when I was taking the pictures for this post, so I set him up in his high chair & let him go to town!

He loved the soft insides the most so I decided to try half of the batch in muffin form to give him even more of that fluffy inside, and it worked great!  See my notes below if you want to give those a try too.

Hudson was able to snack on these, Dathan and I had them as a side with our dinner (with pork chops and a salad - so good!) and they reheated super easy in the oven too.

How to Make Baked Zucchini Tots

The flavors here are so simple yet so satisfying - nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy bite.  Garlic and onion as usual, and I added just a pinch of heat to balance out all of the flavors.  Salt & pepper to taste (I went easy on the salt for Hudson's sake, but did an extra pinch over ours once baked).  Here's what else you need:

• Zucchini 
• Eggs 
• Almond or Coconut Flour
• Arrowroot flour
• Nutritional Yeast
• Garlic Powder 
• Onion Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne 

These couldn't be easier to throw together, and grating zucchini is so much easier than other veggies like potatoes and carrots because they're so tender.  Honestly takes just a minute or two!

Notes

• For squeezing ALL of the extra moisture out of the zucchini, I used a nut milk bag by Ellie's Best that you can find HERE on Amazon.  It's super easy to use and wash and made it a breeze to get all of that liquid out so I didn't have soggy tots, haha.  
• But if you struggle at all to get ALL of the moisture out - no worries!  You can add more coconut flour just a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is easy to form into your tot shape.  They won't dry out, I promise!  This recipe is super foolproof.
• For muffins, scoop the mixture into silicone muffin cups or a greased muffin tin and bake at 375ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown on top.
• Our favorite dipping sauces include ranch or marinara.

Baked Zucchini Tots

Makes 24 to 30 tots.
Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 2 eggs 
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper, to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth (or even some paper towels) to squeeze all of the moisture out of the grated zucchini - put some muscle in, and squeeze out as much as you can!
3. Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  If the mixture seems too wet to form into a "tot" shape or won't hold together, add a tablespoon more of flour at a time until the moisture is all absorbed (this may be an issue if you don't get all of the water out of the zucchini, but adding flour is no big deal and won't dry them out - promise!)
4. Form into 1 to 1 1/2" long "tots" and place on the lined baking sheet.
5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, flip, then 15 more minutes.
6. Let the tots cool for a few minutes before serving with your dipping sauce of choice - we like ranch or marinara!

*Notes:

• For muffins, scoop the mixture into silicone muffin cups or a greased muffin tin and bake at 375ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown on top.

If you make and love this recipe, make sure you give it a review below.  And be sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!