These tots are packed with creamy butternut squash, shredded carrot and lots of flavourful spices. Make a big batch and enjoy leftovers as a quick snack, side dish or tossed into a salad. They are always a big hit with a crowd and are Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
I’m not too sure what the exact definition of a “tot” is, but in my view it’s a bite sized ball of potato/sweet potato/butternut squash deliciousness that’s slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Most of the tots I’ve ever tried have either been deep-fried or pan-fried to help get that crispy outside shell. I wanted to try to avoid oil and frying for this recipe to keep the tots healthy and light without sacrificing any of the texture.
These Butternut Squash tots are full of rich spicy flavour from the addition of paprika, cayenne and cumin with bits of grated carrot and onion to add texture to the butternut squash puree. The mixture is rolled into balls and baked in the oven for 25 minutes to get a nicely crisp shell. The tots hold together well when baked, just be sure to use a spatula when turning them during cooking so that they do not stick to the tray.
I was amazed at how well these tots lasted as leftover in the fridge and was still snacking on them 3 days later. To really maximize the enjoyment, bake any leftovers in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up before eating.
I like serving these tots with ketchup or chipotle lime mayonnaise.
Here are a few other butternut squash recipes that you will love:
- Mexican Breakfast Hash
- Roasted Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Tacos
- Butternut Squash Noodles with Tahini Lemon Sauce
- Butternut Squash Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Kale Pesto
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Butternut Squash Tots
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius (350 Fahrenheit) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Place the butternut squash cubes on the baking sheet, the should be approximately 1/2 an inch or smaller in size. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes until tender and lightly browned in colour
- Place the cooked butternut squash in a bowl and mash with a fork until a puree is formed and there are no large chunks, the smoother the better
- Add to the puree the grated carrot, onion, parsley, paprika, cumin, almond flour, cayenne and salt and stir until well combined.
- Roll the batter into bite sized balls and place them on the baking sheet which you may want to lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
- Bake the balls in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, checking and turning every 10 minutes or so to ensure that each side cooks evenly and doesn't burn.
- Serve the balls warm with your favourite dipping sauce
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
Absolutely loved this. It takes a little time but worth it. I would recommend making two or three batches.
Hi so it seems most people are asking you why there’s Did not brown up like yours did. So what did you do different to get a different result than what the recalls for. I don’t want to make them if there not going to be browned up or look like the picture.
I bumped up the heat to 360 after the first 15 minutes. They were not as brown as the picture either. I would say maybe a few more minutes at 375. Still really good.
I had the same question. So for the second time i made it, increased oven temp to 400 and cooked for 45 min. It worked out
Made these but mine didn’t brown like yours did. And they weren’t firm. The taste was amazing tho. Any suggestions on what I may have not done correctly?
Hi! I’m so excited to make these with a squash I just got from my CSA. I would love to know what you do to get them to brown so nicely! Do you put a bit more oil on them? Some other secret? Thanks so much!
Morning! I am dying to make these but I do not see the nutritional info?
thanks!
c
Unfortunately I do not include nutritional info with my recipes but I recommend using an app called RecipeIQ which can calculate the nutrition of any recipe in seconds
I do love the flavor, however, was really hoping and expecting them to get crispy. They are too soft in the middle for my liking. Would it make sense to add some sort of a bread crumb like panko..?
These are awesome! They didn’t turn out as crispy as I wanted – might have to increase the oven temp a bit next time to figure out what works best for my oven. They worked great with my tahini-lemon-garlic go-to dipping sauce! YUM
I’m so happy that you liked them Lili! Yes I think increasing the oven temp should create a more crisp crust on the tots.
Made these tonight and they are delicious! I think next time I will leave out the cayenne for the kiddos! Can’t wait to have these on a salad tomorrow with some primal kitchen ranch dressing.
Ohhhh Butternut squash tots with ranch sounds like heaven! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them!
Trader Joe’s sells cans of pure butternut squash purée. Do you think that would work? It would sure save time!
You could use canned butternut squash although the flavour would be different. Roasting the cubed butternut squash gives it a delicious caramelized flavour that really adds to the taste of the tots.
I do not like the taste of fresh parsley. Would it be ok to use dried parsley instead of fresh? How much would that affect the taste.
Yes of course! The parsley is just added for flavour so if you don’t like the flavour then you can leave it out completely or use dried. When switching from fresh to dried use 1/3 the amount of dried due to the concentrated flavour.