Air fryer cauliflower tots are a delicious keto and low carb side dish or snack. A healthier version of tater tots made with a few ingredients, cooked to crispy perfection and only 1g net carb each tot.
Cheddar cheese is used to help make the soft texture of the inside of the air fryer tots and the flavour goes well with the cauliflower. I found that the cauliflower rice and cheese were moist enough not to need an egg to help bind them. The low carb flour that I used to bring the mixture together to shape the cauliflower tots was oat fiber. You could use coconut flour or almond flour instead.
What is oat fiber?
Oat fiber is simply the fibre made from griding oats and is not oat flour nor oat bran. It is a great insoluble fiber. The fibre content nets out the total carb content making it a great low carb flour to bake with. If you are counting total carbs, rather than net, you might want to keep an eye on your macros when baking with oat fiber.
The colour of oat fiber ranges from golden to white with different brands. I prefer the white brand by Lifesource as it makes a great replacement for flour and has less of an aftertaste. I purchase mine online as it’s not currently available on the island.
Is oat fiber keto?
The joy of oat fiber is that it is a great keto choice because of it’s high fiber content. Use it for baking in place of coconut or almond flour. I like using it with Fathead dough in low carb bagels.
How to make cauliflower tots
- The cauliflower needs to be riced and cooked first. Fresh cauliflower is preferable, but you could use the frozen, cook in a bag riced cauliflower too.
- As with most cauliflower rice recipes, squeeze the excess water from the cauliflower rice. A soggy mixture will not hold the shape for a vegetable tot.
- Add the grated cheese and seasonings. The seasonings are optional, and you could tweek this to your own flavour. Perhaps dried herbs or a touch of cayenne for extra spice.
- The oat flour should be added once all the other ingredients are mixed. It is used to help bind the mixture as you would use flour. If your mixture is too watery, add more oat fiber.
- When forming the tot shapes, squeeze them tight so that any excess moisture is removed.
- The air fryer draw needs to be lightly sprayed so that the cauliflower tots do not stick. I give the tots a light spraying too to keep them crispy.
How long to cook cauliflower tots in an air fryer
Timers may vary between air fryer brands but I find that if I preheat my air fryer I can cook these cauliflower tots for 10 minutes at a heat of 200C/400F degrees. My tots were fairly chunky in size so if you are making smaller and more delicate tots you will need to reduce the cooking size. Check the tots after 6 minutes to see if they are crispy enough for you.
Broccoli makes a great substitute
If you have had your fill with cauliflower then swap it with broccoli to make delicious air fried broccoli tots instead.
Tips & Suggestions
Shape the cauliflower mixture into balls instead of tot shape. These work great for another keto snack recipe.
Roll the tots in a hard dry cheese mixture such as Parmesan for a cheesy crispy coating.
Replace the Cheddar cheese with any other cheese such as Edam or Gouda.
These cauliflower tots can be baked if you don't have an air fryer. Bake for 25 minutes at 200C/400F degrees.
Can be frozen and air fryed direct from the freezer. Add a few more minutes onto the cooking time.
Other low carb cauliflower snacks
Cauliflower Cheese & Onion Croquettes
Air Fryer Cauliflower Tots
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup oat fiber
Instructions
Make & cook the cauliflower rice
- Cut the cauliflower into stalks and place in a food processor. Pulse until you have cauliflower rice.
- Place the cauliflower in a bowl with 3 tablespoons water. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and allow to stand for 2 minutes. When removing the clingfilm be careful not to scold yourself with the steam.
- Squeeze any excess water from the cauliflower using either a nutbag or a large strong, paper towel.
Assemble the Tots
- Place the cooked cauliflower rice into a medium bowl and add the seasoning and grated Cheddar cheese. Mix well.
- Add the oat fiber to bind the mixture. If the cauliflower mixture is too moist then add more oat fiber.
- Using clean, damp heads, shape the cauliflower mixture into tots (small barrel shapes). A ball shape works too.
Cooking the Tots
- Lightly spray the air fryer tray with oil.
- Place the cauliflower tots in a single layer on the tray and give a quick light spray with oil.
- Cook at 200C/400F for 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Richard Kohout
How much almond flour or coconut flour would you substitute for the 1/2 cup of oat fiber. I don't think coconut flour would be a 1:1 substitute?
Angela Coleby
Coconut flour is close to the same measurements of oat fiber. I'd advise you add a 1/4 cup at a time though. For almond flour you would need about 3/4 cup. Enjoy the recipes!