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Home » recipes
4.9 from 13 reviews

Shredded Zucchini Tots

18 minutes
zucchini
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:3/25/19
Updated:11/30/21
Jump to Recipe

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love – even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

Zucchini Tots

Zucchini Tots

This weekend I had 3 gorgeous zucchini squashes sitting in my refrigerator.  What should I do with them? I thought about muffins, I thought about zucchini cookies, but I didn’t want to make something sweet – I wanted my zucchini savory.  Always thinking of how to bridge the gap for family meals between adults and toddler approved I made these Shredded Zucchini Tots.  

You guys, these are SO GOOD.  How good are they? Well let me tell you.  They’re so good I’m thinking about growing zucchini squash in the garden this year JUST so I can make these tots! 

Easy Toddler Recipes – even for picky toddlers!

My toddler daughter is my official taste tester, not because I gave her this job, but she gave herself this job because she’s hungry all the time.  I swear she can be in another room, and I can be tip toeing around in the kitchen, but somehow she knows Mama is cooking and suddenly I hear the pitter patter of her feet rushing to the kitchen.  

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

I gave her half of a Zucchini Tot, and crossed my fingers.  If she liked these, these would be great to add to her menu because they’re loaded with zucchini (2 and 1/4 cups to be exact).   I watched her walk away, nibbling on the tot.  Ok, she didn’t look back at me yet and glare and throw it on the floor.  So far, so good.    

Then she climbed up on the couch.  Ok, I don’t love her eating zucchini tots on the couch without a plate, but I’m going to pretend I don’t see this.  She continues to nibble.  I take a few more secret glances at her.    I turn my back to start loading the dishwasher, and then I hear her feet running into the kitchen.  UH OH.  

But wait – this is not an aborted mission!  She does not run into the kitchen crying out, instead she’s excited! She smiles!  “MORE!” she demands.  Wait.  My toddler is asking for more zucchini?  I believe I can hear angels singing.  I give her another half.  She runs off happily.   Now I’m really happy too!

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

Zucchini Squash Recipes

This recipe calls for 2 and 1/4 cup zucchini squash.  Depending on the size of your zucchini, this will probably be 2 or 3 zucchini.  We need shredded zucchini for this recipe, so the first step is to peel them.  

How to Peel Zucchini

How to grate zucchini

Using a grater once the zucchini is peeled, just run it up and down the grater a few times.  Grating zucchini is a pretty quick and easy job, not taking long at all.  This will provide you with enough shredded zucchini in less than a minute!

How to Grate Zucchini

How to remove water from zucchini

Zucchini has lots of water in it, which isn’t what you want when you’re baking zucchini bread or making these tots.  After the zucchini is shredded I add it to a colander and press down firmly with my hand.   I will do this a few times, tossing the zucchini around, until I don’t feel much water being removed any more. 

Remove water from zucchini

As you can see with just a few presses, there was quite a bit of water in the zucchini that I got out.    This would cause our zucchini tots to be too soft and not firm up, so please make sure not to skip this step!

Zucchini is high water content

How to Make Zucchini Tots

In a bowl add shredded zucchini, beaten eggs, all purpose flour, Italian bread crumbs, salt, shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese together.  Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together. 

Zucchini Tots Ingredients

Add a little bit of extra Italian bread crumbs to a shallow bowl.  Roll your zucchini into a tot, and then add to bread crumbs, coating it on both sides.  This is going to help brown up both sides. 

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 
EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

Add olive oil to a frying pan and cook these zucchini tots over medium high heat, until they’re browned on both sides, around 3-4 minutes on each side.

Continue to fry them until all the mixture is gone, this usually gives me 2 batches in the frying pan to cook.   And just like you have a gorgeous stack of zucchini tots to eat!

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

Vegetarian Nuggets

These Zucchini Tots remind of me chicken nuggets, but without the meat.  My daughter likes to call them veggie nuggets,  and her lunch box always comes home empty when I pack them for her for daycare, which makes me very very happy.

Cheesy Zucchini Tots

Because these are made with cheese that melts beautifully inside, rip one of these zucchini nuggets in half and you’ll fall in love!

How to Eat Zucchini Tots

In my opinion there’s 2 ways to eat zucchini tots.  You can eat them as is – they’re tasty just like that.  Or you add a little bit of tomato sauce on top of each – that’s my family’s preferred method. The tomato sauce gives them a slight Italian taste, it’s almost as if you’re eating a Italian rice ball. 

EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 

Freezing Zucchini Tots

I often will make a double batch of these, one to eat for dinner, and one to freeze.   These make for a quick weeknight meal if my family is in a rush (when aren’t we in a rush?), or I can easily defrost these for school lunches.     To freeze them just stick in a freezer safe bag, and then throw in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds to defrost and heat.

More Recipes You Might Like:

Veggie Nuggets
Roasted Eggplant Soup
Sweet Potato Cookies
Glazed Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Cookies

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EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love - even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 
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4.85 from 13 reviews

Shredded Zucchini Tots

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EASY to make zucchini tots recipe that your family is going to love – even your picky toddler! These healthy nuggets are ready in less than 20 minutes total and are 136 calories a serving. Low carb and keto recipe! 
By: Pamela Reed
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes
Total Time 18 minutes minutes
serves 8

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • additional bread crumbs to roll tots in

Instructions

  • Peel and shred zucchini using a grater.  Since zucchini is high in water, place in colander and press on it, to remove the excess liquid.  Place shredded zucchini in bowl.
  • Add beaten eggs, salt, flour, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Mix completely with a spoon.
  • Add olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium high heat.  Shape zucchini into nugget/tot shape and roll around in additional bread crumbs to cover.  Add tots to frying pan and cook until brown, usually 3-4 minutes on each side. 
  • Serve immediately as is, or my family loves them with a little bit of tomato sauce.    You can also make a double batch and freeze them.  

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 136kcal (7%)
Author: Pamela Reed
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:toddler recipe, zucchini recipe, zucchini tots
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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  1. Cristi Newton says

    May 31, 2020 at 3:11 pm

    great idea, thanks

    Reply
  2. Roxana says

    May 17, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    This looks delicious! Do you know what I can use in place of eggs in the receipe?

    Reply
  3. leslie galeota says

    February 8, 2020 at 10:53 am

    made these for years, Italians call them pizzella…zucchini salted in strainer, eggs, flour, baking powder, chives, parmesan, moisten with milk and fry..yummy

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    February 7, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    I love these! My picky eater (19, not a toddler) raved about them! Great way to get him to eat zucchini!

    Reply
  5. ali randall says

    February 7, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    What a great way to get your veggies. My kids would love these and I love that they are an easy way to get more vegetables in my children.

    Reply
  6. Jenn says

    February 7, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    What a clever way for me to get extra veggies into the kids! Going to try these for sure!

    Reply
  7. Tammy says

    February 7, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    One of my absolute favorites! They look so crispy and beautiful. Now I want to make these on the weekend ^_^

    Reply
  8. rebecca says

    February 7, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I LOVE these! thanks for sharing

    Reply
  9. Pam Wakefield says

    May 23, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    Can you use almond flour instead? What about something besides bread crumbs to make it gluten free? Am really trying to do this.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      May 24, 2019 at 9:35 am

      Hey Pam, I’ve never made these gluten free so you’ll have to experiment! If you do, let me know how they turn out.

      Reply
    • Kristy says

      July 20, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      Made them with rolled oats as the breadcrumbs and a gluten free flour mix and they turned out great!! My 9 month old devoured them! And so did I!

      Reply
      • Pamela says

        July 22, 2019 at 2:29 pm

        Hey Kristy, thanks for sharing this! I’m so happy to hear your little one (and you!) liked these tots! 🙂

        Reply
  10. Sarah says

    April 1, 2019 at 12:32 am

    Do you think these could be made in an air fryer?

    Reply
  11. Katie Brown says

    March 25, 2019 at 5:43 pm

    These look amazing! Do you know what the net carb count is for these??

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      March 26, 2019 at 10:23 am

      Hey Katie, I don’t know the carb count, but if you google “carb calculator” that should help you! Enjoy the zucchini tots!

      Reply
  12. Cecile says

    March 25, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    These look AMAZING!!! ❤️❤️ Going to put zuchinni on my shopping list!!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      March 26, 2019 at 10:21 am

      Enjoy Cecile, I hope you like them – we just made another batch yesterday to keep in the freezer!

      Reply
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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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