Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

on Jun 06, 2023, Updated Oct 30, 2023

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These sweet potato zucchini tots are both savory and sweet with a soft and pillowy texture. They’re perfect for lunch, a side, or a fun snack!

Sweet potato zucchini tots served with avocado and yogurt.

Zucchini and sweet potatoes are vegetables that are so nutrient-dense and pair so well together. The sweet potato adds the perfect touch of sweetness and the zucchini and cheese add a savory flavor to balance out the potatoes. They freeze well and are great served with a dip or on their own!

What You’ll Need
Step By Step Instructions
Ingredient Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe Notes
Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots Recipe

What You’ll Need

Here is what you’ll need to make these sweet potato zucchini tots:

Sweet Potato: The main star ingredient for these tots. You can either cook the potato in the microwave or in the oven.
Zucchini: You can remove the skin if you’d like, but I incorporated the skin into the mixture for all the more nutrients!
Breadcrumbs: I like to use plain flavored panko breadcrumbs.
Shredded Cheese: Used to add flavor to these veggie tots. I used parmesan cheese, but you may use any cheese.
Onion Powder: For added 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!

Freshly baked sweet potato zucchini tots.

Step By Step Instructions

Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork and cook it in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, or until it is soft and tender. Transfer the flesh to a bowl and measure out 1 cup of the mashed potato.
Shred the zucchini using a cheese grater. I used the side with the smallest-sized holes on my box grater to get the mixture to be as smooth as possible, but if you prefer larger chunks in the tots, use a larger-sized hole on the grater. You will want to have about 1 cup of packed grated zucchini.
Use your hands, a towel, or a cheesecloth to squeeze out as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. Once you remove the moisture, you should end up with about 1/2 cup of the grated zucchini.
Add the zucchini, mashed sweet potato to a bowl along with the breadcrumbs, cheese, onion powder, and salt (if using). Mix well until combined.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and shape them into small tots. Place the tots on a parchment paper-lined pan.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-18 minutes, or until the edges begin to slightly brown.

Steps to make sweet potato zucchini tots.

Ingredient Substitutions

Zucchini: The zucchini may be replaced with any other veggies! Carrots would also work well in this recipe.
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. You may also swap it with nutritional yeast.

Storage Instructions

Once cooled, store the sweet potato zucchini tots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake the tots at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or microwave for 15-20 seconds or until warmed. To freeze, place the cooled tots 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, adding 10-second increments as needed. You may also reheat these tots in the air fryer using your air fryer’s reheat function.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to prep the sweet potato?

I like to plan ahead and prep the sweet potatoes for this recipe beforehand. You can roast it in the oven if you have some time or quickly cook it in the microwave if you’re in a pinch!

Do I need to squeeze the liquids out of the zucchini?

Yes, squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini helps prevent the tots from being too soggy in texture.

Can I make these tots dairy-free?

Yes! Swap the parmesan cheese for dairy-free cheese, or nutritional yeast.

Do these tots still bind well since they don’t contain eggs?

Yes! The consistency of the sweet potato helps serve as a binder so that they still hold together and maintain their shape.

What is the consistency of these tots?

These tots aren’t like your traditional crispy potato tots. They are soft and pillowy in texture with a slightly crisp coating.

Recipe Notes

It is extremely important to remove as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. Excess moisture will result in an overmoist mixture that will cause the tots 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.
I used 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese in this recipe for added flavor. Mozzarella cheese is a good low-sodium alternative for young babies.
Add salt and other seasonings for a bit more flavor if serving to adults. I usually make a batch for my baby and add salt and a little spice to a batch for everyone else!

Here are some other veggie-based recipes that you may like!

4.91 from 10 votes

Sweet Potato Zucchini Tots

By: Lily Payen

These sweet potato zucchini tots are both savory and sweet with a soft and pillowy texture. They're perfect for lunch, a side, or a fun snack!

Prep: 12

Cook: 18

Total: 30

Servings: tots

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Ingredients

▢ 1 cup mashed sweet potato, from about 1 large sweet potato
▢ 1 cup grated zucchini, packed, from about 1 medium zucchini
▢ ¼ cup parmesan cheese
▢ ¼ cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
▢ ½ tsp onion powder
▢ ¼ tsp salt, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork and cook it in the microwave for 6-7 minutes, or until it is soft and tender. Transfer the flesh to a bowl and measure out 1 cup of the mashed potato.
Shred the zucchini using a cheese grater. I used the side with the smallest-sized holes on my box grater to get the mixture to be as smooth as possible, but if you prefer larger chunks in the tots, use a larger-sized hole on the grater. You will want to have about 1 cup of packed grated zucchini.
Use your hands, a towel, or a cheesecloth to squeeze out as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. Once you remove the moisture, you should end up with about 1/2 cup of the grated zucchini.
Add the zucchini, mashed sweet potato to a bowl along with the breadcrumbs, cheese, onion powder, and salt (if using). Mix well until combined.
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and shape them into small tots. Place the tots on a parchment paper-lined pan.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-18 minutes, or until the edges begin to slightly brown. Let them cool completely before serving.

Notes

It is extremely important to remove as much moisture from the zucchini as possible. Excess moisture will result in an overmoist mixture that will cause the tots 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.

I used 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese in this recipe for added flavor. Mozzarella cheese is a good low-sodium alternative for young babies.

Add salt and other seasonings for a bit more flavor if serving to adults. I usually make a batch for my baby and add salt and a little spice to a batch for everyone else!

Nutrition

Calories: 14.81kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.15g, Protein: 0.73g, Fat: 0.39g, Saturated Fat: 0.22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 0.85mg, Sodium: 29.71mg, Potassium: 41.7mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 0.49g, Vitamin A: 965.6IU, Vitamin C: 1.28mg, Calcium: 19.35mg, Iron: 0.11mg

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