Cauliflower Tots

A classic from the first Eat Happy cookbook.

May 10, 2025

Since cauliflower has become the perfect substitute where we would have previously used rice or potatoes, let’s take this all the way and make my favorite childhood comfort food: the tot.

Cauliflower tots are a savory low carb indulgence, made mostly of vegetables, but with that perfect crisp exterior and perfect soft interior. If I were fancy, I’d call them Cauliflower Croquettes. But I am not fancy. No, I am not.

Make these tots dairy free if you substitute vegan cheese. You can also omit the egg if you need to as they hold together fine without one. To “pre-rice” the cauliflower, simply grate it on a box grater or in a food processor until the consistency of rice, or purchase bags of pre cut cauliflower.

This recipe can be found in the Sides chapter of my first cookbook Eat Happy.

REAL QUICK, FAM…

Some updates from the Eat Happy Kitchen:

Cheese Bites will go up for sale on or around 5/19. If you are not signed up on the notification list—GO THERE NOW AND DO IT, YO.

The only people who will get the limited discount on cheese bites are the folks on that list! Giterdone!

BOGO25 is still active on spice blends, so grab them while we got ‘em.

IF YOU SHOP AT THESE STORES: Ralph’s, King Soopers, QFC, Fred Meyers, Smith’s, or Fry’s…Eat Happy Kitchen pasta sauces are on shelf! We will be updating our exact store list, but please support our retail partners. Besides, it costs less than ordering online, and you don’t have to wait to get your sauce!!

Now let’s get back to one of my fave, easy to make summertime recipes. You can make Cauliflower Tots year round, but I love to pair them with grilled meats and cold green salads in the summer.

One day, I will re-write and publish the updated, revised, and expanded version of Eat Happy. While I may cut old recipes and add new recipes, the next gen of my cookbook will include Cauliflower Tots because this recipe is a CLASSIC. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Download the printable version of this recipe here.

CAULIFLOWER TOTS

(Yields 24-30 tots)

4 cups pre-riced cauliflower (equivalent of about 2 heads of cauliflower)
2 tablespoons olive oil for baking sheet
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons minced red pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño
2 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup almond flour or crush plain pork rinds
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 egg

Steam the pre-riced cauliflower for 10 minutes in a stove top steamer insert, or microwave in a bag for 4 minutes. Pour the hot cauliflower “rice” onto a clean, dry towel, and press any and all excess water out. Press one more time for good measure while allowing cauliflower to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick foil or parchment paper drizzled with olive oil. In a large bowl, mix the cooled cauliflower, onion, red pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, almond flour or crushed pork rinds, cheese, salt, and pepper until evenly blended. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Form into tot shapes (1” wide by 2” long) and lay on the baking sheet, about 1/2” apart. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, gently flip the tots, and continue baking for 20 more minutes until crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately.