Cheesy Carrot Bites
on Jan 03, 2022, Updated Nov 15, 2023
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These cheesy carrot bites are a great way of serving carrots! They are soft and tender, making for a perfect lunch or handheld snack!
Cheese is pretty magical when it comes to enhancing the taste of veggies. It’s amazing how much flavor a little cheese can add and these cheesy carrot bites are no exception! They are perfect for dipping into ketchup, ranch dressing, or even snacking on as-is!
If you’re looking for more veggie-based recipes, you’ll also love these savory veggie muffins and green bean fritters! These cheesy zucchini fritters and broccoli and cheese bites are other fun ways of incorporating more greens into your little one’s diet!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these cheesy carrot bites:
- Carrots: The main star ingredient for these cheesy bites.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use plain flavored panko breadcrumbs.
- Egg: Used as a binder to help hold these bites together.
- Shredded Cheese: Used to add flavor to these bites. I used a 4-cheese Mexican blend for added flavor, but you may use any type of cheese.
- Garlic/Onion Powder: For added flavor.
- Black Pepper: For a little added kick and flavor.
- Salt: Optional ingredient for a little added flavor. You can make a batch without salt for a younger baby and add salt to the rest for everyone else!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
- Eggs: For an egg-free version, substitute the egg with a flax egg by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water and letting it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to set and thicken.
- Breadcrumbs: I use panko breadcrumbs in this recipe, but for a gluten-free version, replace the breadcrumbs with almond flour.
- Cheese: For a dairy-free version, substitute the cheese for dairy-free shredded cheese.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Shred the carrots using the smallest size hole on a box grater. Use your hands or a towel to squeeze out as much moisture from the carrots as possible. You may also place the carrots over a sieve and use the back of a spoon to press down on it to remove the moisture (Image 1).
STEP 2: Add the carrots to a bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well until combined (Images 2 & 3).
STEP 3: Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll them into small balls. Place the balls onto a parchment paper-lined pan (Image 4).
STEP 4: Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until the edges start to slightly brown.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, store carrot bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, microwave for 15-20 seconds or until warmed through. To freeze, place the cooled bites in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before reheating, or quickly reheat on high in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Tips For Success
- It is extremely important to remove as much moisture from the carrots as possible. Excess moisture will result in an overmoist mixture that will cause the bites to be soggy. You can use your hands or a towel, but I find that using a nut milk bag is the easiest to remove the most moisture. Don’t throw out that juice! It has amazing nutrients that can be used in another recipe!
- This recipe makes 10 small carrot balls. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger batch!
- If you’d like to make these in a mini muffin pan, I recommend using a silicone muffin pan as they pop out easily without any sticking.
- I used 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese in this recipe for added flavor. Mozzarella cheese is a good low-sodium alternative.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can air fryer these bites at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Make sure to spray the tots with a little oil beforehand and keep an eye on them to ensure that they don’t burn.
I recommend using the smallest size hole on a box grater to grate the carrots. This is so that the carrots merge seamlessly with the other ingredients and so that the mixture binds together well.
Yes! Zucchini and broccoli are great additions that could work here! If you are using zucchini, be sure to remove any excess moisture from it before adding it to the mixture.
Other Carrot Recipes You’ll Love
Carrot Fritters
Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
Oven-Baked Zucchini Carrot Tots
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins
If you tried these Cheesy Carrot Bites please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Cheesy Carrot Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
- ⅓ cup grated cheese
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt (optional)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- Shred the carrots using the smallest size hole on a box grater. Use your hands or a towel to squeeze out as much moisture from the carrots as possible. You may also place the carrots over a sieve and use the back of a spoon to press down on it to remove the moisture.
- Add the carrots to a bowl along with the other ingredients. Mix well until combined.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll them into small balls. Place the balls onto a parchment paper-lined pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges start to slightly brown.
Notes
- It is extremely important to remove as much moisture from the carrots as possible. Excess moisture will result in an overmoist mixture that will cause the bites to be soggy. You can use your hands or a towel, but I find that using a nut milk bag is the easiest to remove the most moisture. Don’t throw out that juice! It has amazing nutrients that can be used in another recipe!
- This recipe makes 10 small carrot balls. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger batch!
- If you’d like to make these in a mini muffin pan, I recommend using a silicone muffin pan as they pop out easily without any sticking.
- I used 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese in this recipe for added flavor. Mozzarella cheese is a good low-sodium alternative.
Wow, I was looking for innovative ways to use fruits and or vegetables from my fridge for my LO who is a 15 month old picker eater. Just a few small changes I made which worked out. I sautéed the garlic and onions before adding to the mix. Also I substituted crushed Ritz crackers for the Panko bread crumbs. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you
I’m so glad to hear that your little one enjoyed these bites! Thank you for sharing your feedback and swaps as well!😊
Great blog article. Really looking forward to read more.
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Do you have to reheat these? Want to make it for my toddlers lunch and I don’t think they reheat anything for them. Once made and refrigerated can they eat it cold?
Hi Jessie! These are best served warm but can definitely be eaten cold! I’ve packed them in a lunchbox cold in the past and my son didn’t mind them cold, but it was a texture change we practiced first at home so that he was used to them being cold at school! An alternative would be to pack them in a thermos lunchbox if your little one prefers them warm😊
Where is the moisture from the carrots? Mine are completely dry. Is there steaming or boiling involved with the carrots beforehand? I didn’t see it in the instructions.
Hi Marla! There should be no moisture in the carrots once they are grated and the liquids are squeezed out. The main moisture from these bites come from the egg😊
I love these just as much as my twin girls. 10/10 recipe!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed these, Richelle!😊
Wanting to try these for my toddler. Curious, will they freeze well?
Hi Abbigail! Yes, you can freeze them in a freezer safe container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months😊
All of my kids really enjoyed these!
I’m so glad to hear that your little ones enjoyed these bites, Nicole!😊
I have been desperately trying to get my toddler to eat veggies, and this is the only way he’ll eat them that doesn’t end up with me needing a carpet cleaning. He asks for these 3-4 times a week for lunch. If you have any other veggies this works with let me know because I tried it with peas and that was a fail lol
Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I’m so glad to hear that your little one enjoys these carrot bites, Juni!😊 I haven’t tried other veggies with these but maybe you can try out some of my other veggie recipes here😊
I forgot to squeeze the moisture out of the carrots so the inside was a little more soft, but they still turned out great. And I didn’t add any extra cook time. I also only had one egg (needed two because I was doubling) so I used chia seeds and an egg substitute and didn’t notice a difference at all!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these bites, Mallory! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback😊
My daughter loved them! Are there any other vegetables that this could work well with?
I’m so glad to hear that! You could also try these broccoli tots which are pretty similar😊