Strong Bones Broccoli Tots
These cheesy broccoli tots are full of mighty flavour and are packed with the good stuff. The garlic and dried oregano give them a yummy pizza-style twist that your children are bound to love. A bit like croquettes, they bake into little golden bites that are deliciously crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, which makes them perfect for small hands or as an easy family snack.
Broccoli brings fibre and vitamin C, while the eggs, cheese and ground almonds add protein and calcium to support growing bones and help keep hunger at bay.
Suitable for weaning babies up to teens. Find the gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free switches in the cook’s tips below.
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Strong Bones Broccoli Tots
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C(conventional) or 170°C (fan) and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
- Steam (or boil) the broccoli florets for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.
- Drain well. Once cool enough to handle, finely chop the broccoli or give it a quick pulse in a food processor. Be careful not to over-process as you want small pieces rather than a puree.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the grated cheese, eggs, ground almonds, crushed garlic and oregano. Mix well, gently mashing any larger pieces of broccoli. Season with salt and pepper if using (not for under 12 months).
- Scoop up a tablespoon of mixture and shape into small cylindrical tots. Place them onto the lined tray.
- Repeat until all the mixture is finished and then pop them in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Leave to cool a little and serve with the dip of choice – we love Mr Organic naturally sweetened ketchup.
Notes
- If you have carrots or courgettes to use up, you can grate them and mix them into the broccoli (just reduce the amount of broccoli accordingly).
- To give these tots a bit more sophistication for older kids and adults, supercharge them with a little dulse or nori seaweed and even chopped-up smoked salmon!
- Nut-free: swap the ground almonds for coconut flour or fine sourdough breadcrumbs.
- Dairy-free: replace the cheese with 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
- Egg-free: replace the eggs with 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 5 tablespoons water, left to thicken for 10 minutes.
- These tots store in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be frozen for 3 months. It is a perfect recipe to batch cook and freeze.
- Try dipping them in ketchup – my pick is Mr Organic Naturally Sweetened Ketchup
Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.
NB. Updated and improved from a recipe originally written 21 November 2021.
These look delicious, if swapping egg for the ground flax how much should I add?
Thank you
I hope you can find the answer in the Cook’s Notes now