Easy and Healthy Zucchini Tots are the perfect way to use your large bounty of garden zucchini! This is the best easy and healthy zucchini side dish recipe!
Easy and Healthy Zucchini Tots for the win! Guys, you must love zucchini as much as I do because this Zucchini Tots post is one of my all time most popular. It was my first recipe to go viral on Pinterest, so it holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite posts. It could use a little TLC though. I didn’t write much in the original post, nor did I include many pictures. So this new updated post has photos of a new shaping method. The muffin pan method is quicker, but I like the football shape as well to change it up some. The football shapes also resemble a tater tot more, so if you are trying to convince your kid they are taters, then try that method!
This recipe makes a ton and you will need a big baking sheet for all the tots! I love how this big one bakes them up nice an crispy!
Although the original photos aren’t great (someone needed to teach me about white balance!!) I am keeping this one because so many of you have loved the muffin pan ones! It also serves as a great reminder to me and every beginning blogger that your photography WILL improve with some hard work and practice!
The end of July, when everyone’s gardens are over flowing with zucchini, is one of my favorite times of the year. My parents always grow a giant garden and some years, I think we had zucchini in a different form every night. Zucchini is so versatile and I have used it as pizza crust, in muffins and bread, fried, baked into fries, and everything in between, but I have to say that these tots are definitely one of my favorite preparations.
I made these Zucchini Tots countless times last summer, probably at least once a week! I just made them for the first time again last week and I can’t believe that I waited so long. I love these because they are so easy to make and they are so filling that they easily replace the starch component of your meal. They are great along side something from your grill or as a snack to go with a summer salad. If you don’t have a garden, then beg some from your neighbor, hit up a farmer’s market, or just pick some up from your favorite grocery store!
This recipe was originally a Weight Watcher’s Recipe, so it is definitely healthy! Even if you are not on a healthy diet, I promise you will love these Zucchini Tots. Crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and packed with zucchini and cheddar flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup dry Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 4 ounces of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- After shredding your zucchini, lay out on a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle salt on it. Let it sit 15 minutes and then squeeze out as much water as you can. (The salt helps draw the moisture out)
- In a medium mixing bowl, add in zucchini, onion, bread crumbs, eggs, and cheese. Add salt and pepper and stir well.
- Spray a 24 cup mini muffin with cooking spray and then put zucchini mixture in each cup. Press each cup down slightly to compress. Sprinkle each cup with just a few panko crumbs for some added crunch.
- Alternative Method: Shape heaping tablespoons of zucchini mixture into small football shapes. Place on a non-stick cooking sheet.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and desired crispiness. We like ours crispy so I usually do 20 minutes.
- If using the muffin pan, run a knife to loosen as soon as you get them out of the oven.
- Let cool for a minute and then remove from pan.Enjoy!
Look Delicious Amanda. Pinned to share with others and so I can make these when I am overflowing with Zucchini. Thanks for sharing. Shari… http://www.puregracefarms.com
Thank you for pinning!
When I calculate the smart points it comes out to 1 smart point each tot?? Still worth it, but, just wondering how you got your number.
Hi Summer. I actually adapted this recipe from a well known WW blogger and based it off her nutrition facts and Smart Points. My mom is a weight watchers leader so I will have her double check, thanks for letting me know!
My guess is they were calculated with an older points system – only based on the fact that this was originally posted in 2014. Smart Points are much different than Points or Points Plus were!
I am struggling to get my toddler to eat veggies so this is great. Thanks for sharing!
If your toddler is a ketchup eater, these are great dipped in there!
Looks very tasty!
Yum. This sounds great and I’m happy that it’s a ‘tot’ that’s not fried. Pinning. Seen on Eat Create Party.
I’m always looking for new ways to make zucchini, I love this idea of zucchini tots. I think the boys will definitely give these a try. Thanks so much for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday party this week. I’ve pinned and shared.
Thanks so much for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday. I am always looking for less starchy recipes to replace the more starchy ones for my diabetic husband. These would be so much better than potatoes for him. I chose this as my host favorite this week, so it will be featured on daily dish magazine Monday.
My dad is also diabetic and I am always looking for great carb less side dishes!
Oh I am definitely using this recipe once I get my hands on some farm fresh zucchini! Thank you for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday! Hope to see you next week!
Oh my goodness, another awesome zucchini recipe! Thank you for linking it up with Foodie Fridays — I can’t wait to try it! We only got a few zucchini from the farm this week but I know they’re coming!
I love everything zucchini, and was planning on making zucchini tots later today!!! Can’t wait to try your recipe 🙂 Visiting from #FoodieFridays!!
I made this last night and it was a hit! My family loved them! Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad you liked them!!
Do you know how many calories are in them? I’m not on weight watchers but counting calories. Please respond to my email, so I make sure I get your response.
Hi Diane! I am not the best at calculating calories, that is why I don’t usually include it, but four tots would be around 110 calories. I will send this info to your email as well!!
Hi There! I wanted to stop by and tell you how delicious these zucchini tots look. I discovered your recipe on Pinterest, and wanted you to know that I’ve linked to your recipe on my Weekend Healthy Recipes Roundup. I’ll be giving it a try for sure.
Thank you so much for including me in your Round Up! I will be stopping by to check it out!!
Can you freeze them after making them? Have anyone tried?
I have never tried it. If you try,please let me know how they turn out. I imagine they would be okay, you would just have to reheat in the oven to keep the crispiness.
Hello! I was just wondering if you had ever made them in “regular-sized” muffin pans? As I don’t have a mini, I just thought I’s ask because they look so yummy! 🙂
I haven’t Ashley! But you can just shape them into little football like shapes and bake them on a non stick cooking pan sprayed with cooking spray. They are really good that way too!
Hi there! These sound amazing! Do you have any idea of the amount/ratio for the 21 day fix? How many of what container dies it equal? Can’t wait to try them 🙂
Hi Christina! This recipe was just meant to be Weight Watchers friendly, not 21 Day Fix as well. I know so many people have labeled some of my images incorrectly on Pinterest, so if you got here thinking it was 21 day fix, I am sorry!! But this is a really delicious recipe and I think could be made Fix appropriate. I would use whole wheat breadcrumbs and use a mozzarella cheese because it has less fat than cheddar because of the water ratio. I think you could fit probably at least 2 tots, maybe 3 in a green veggie container! Thanks for stopping by and I have you found some other 21 Day Fix recipes here on the blog!
It’s so funny how when you start to get to know other bloggers that you realize a specific post is there’s! I have totally pinned this! I’m obsessed with zucchini and I can’t wait to make these! It’s been on my to do list!
Hahaha Ruthie that is funny and so awesome! This recipe seriously has spread like wildfire and I owe so much of my growth to it! You need to make these ASAP! I just did last week and we ate almost all 40 of them between my husband and I!
My family loves zucchini and i think these would be a great hit. Pinning to try. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Cathy
Oooh these look so good!! My boys would gobble them right up…thanks for sharing 🙂
Oh these look so tasty! Pining for later.. can’t wait to try them!
Thank you for pinning!
I love zucchini! Now, if I could just get my family on board! These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them.
I made these zuchini tots in a cookies pan I had they are good, reminds me of quiche. thanks
Im glad you liked them! And I love quiche,so anything quiche-like is good in my book!
I made these zuchini tots in a cookies pan , reminds me of quiche. thanks
These turned out pretty good! Used mozzarella instead of sharp cheddar since thats all I had, and did use a mini muffin pan. When I make these again I will probably modify a bit. They turned out more like a mini quiche than a tot so maybe less egg. Otherwise super yum! My boyfriend the carnivore loved them 🙂
I’m so glad you liked them! And I agree, when you do them in the muffin pan, they are more quiche like, but when you roll them and do them on the sheet pan, they are more tot like! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know your opinion!! You don’t know how much I appreciate feedback!
Just to let you know…the WW plan changed again. With the new Smart Points value would now be 4 tots for 2 smart points (based on a recipe of 24)
Thank you for letting me know! My mom is a leader and had told me there were changes, but I hadn’t gotten to adjust the point values. Thank you for providing that!!
Just wanted you to know that the WW plan has changed. Based on the new plan….4 tots would now be 2 smart points (based on a recipe of 24).
This looks so yummy. Could you figure this for the new smart points, please? Thank you for these yummy recipes.
4 tots would now be 2 smart points! They are super yummy! I hope you try them!
Would I be able to use frozen shredded zucchini?
Hi Rosa! I am not sure, I have never used frozen zucchini. I would think that it would work, but may not get as crispy. I would make sure to really squeeze the water out of the zucchini first.
Well…. I made these for my toddler in hopes of freezing them and helping him have more veggies throughout the week. Unfortunately, these tots are so dang delicious that somehow my husband and I ended up eating nearly half the batch ourselves, and I just know in my heart the rest of them won’t last through tomorrow… sorry kid.
hahaha!! They are so good, aren’t they? I eat so many straight off the baking sheet before they even make it to the table! I think this just means you need to make them again!