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Cauliflower Nuggets Baby Finger Food (BLW)

Looking for cauliflower baby food ideas? These cauliflower nuggets have a soft texture and are small in size, making a great finger food for baby led weaning, toddlers, older kids and even adults. These cauliflower nuggets have no cheese, no dairy and no bread crumbs (gluten free).

Whether you call them cauliflower nuggets, bites or tots, they are a great way to serve cauliflower for babies who need to develop their motor skills and discover new food textures.

Cauliflower nuggets, bites, tots, cakes as baby finger food and baby led weaning.

If you want to start baby led weaning with cauliflower, this baby cauliflower recipe is just great for that! And you can adapt it making them even healthier than a fried option by using the oven or the air fryer.

Cauliflower Nuggets /Tots For Baby / Toddler

These cauliflower tots can be enjoyed by babies who learned how to chew (approximately 7-8 months old babies, but everyone is different, so use your judgement). They’re just the right size for as finger food, snacks and lunch boxes and just like these sweet potato fritters can be eaten warm or cold.

Related: Beet Fritters

Ingredients Needed

  • Cauliflower – you can use raw, steamed or baked (small babies need softer textures). You will need to roughly chop it in a food processor (or grated) and squeeze the liquid with a cheese cloth.
  • Potato – use white or sweet potatoes. They can be raw (liquid squeezed), steamed or boiled. For softer texture use soft potatoes mashed, grated or finely chopped in a food processor.
  • Eggs – are used here as the binding agent plus they provide texture and flavor.
  • Arrowroot flour – similar to tapioca flour this acts as a binding agent too (especially if you use raw veggies) adding thickness and elasticity to cauliflower nuggets.
  • Salt and spices – use pink salt or sea salt, garlic granules, onion granules and black pepper (omit for small babies). If you prefer use freshly chopped garlic and onion.
  • Parsley – or other preferred greens, finely chopped.

How To Make Cauliflower Nuggets For Baby

1. Boil or steam the cauliflower florets and potatoes (cut into quarters to reduce cooking time) until lightly soft, but not too tender. Allow to cool before proceeding further.

2. Chop roughly both cauliflower and potato in a food processor pulsing 7-12 times (the mixture should resemble the cauliflower rice) do not over-process. Squeeze the liquid with a cheese cloth, the dryer the better.

3. Mix with the rest of ingredients in a medium bowl, just to combine.

Mixed ingredients (cauliflower rice and chopped potatoes, eggs and spices) ready for forming the cauliflower tots or nuggets.

4. Form and shape the nuggets with your hands. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture and shape it into a rectangular cake (or circular) using a spatula or your palms.

Process shots of how to make cauliflower nuggets tots or bites for babies, how to shape with your hand.

5. Drop gently onto the hot oiled skillet and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on each side. Use a spatula to even out the edges and the top surface.

Process shots of how to make cauliflower tots, nuggets or bites for babies as finger food, how to fry in a skillet until golden brown.

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Tip For Perfectly Cooked Cauliflower Nuggets

The thinner the nuggets are the faster and better they will cook inside. If frying use a neutral high smoke point oil like avocado or grape-seed oil. If baking, you don’t need to worry too much about thickness. If you want to use an air-fryer is best to freeze the nuggets and fry after (frozen), so they will keep their shape better.

How To Make Oven Baked Cauliflower Nuggets/ Cakes

  1. Prepare the mixture as described above and preheat the oven to 425F with a cookie sheet inside.
  2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small rectangular or oval shaped tots. Use oiled hands for a golden crust.
  3. Place on the hot cookie sheet (covered with parchment paper) 1/2 inch apart and bake for about 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. You can also use the broil for the last 2 minutes of baking.
Cauliflower nuggets tots  finger food stacked close up shot.

Variations and Tips

Frozen cauliflower (or riced cauliflower) works too. Just squeeze the liquid and you’re good to go. No need to cook. Broccoli is a great addition too if you want extra veggies.

For extra flavor and binding capacity you can also add some cheese.

Toddler hand holding the cauliflower nugget.

How To Store

  • Store leftovers for about 3 days in the refrigerator (they tend to get soggy with time so it’s best eaten fresh).
  • Freeze formed tots (raw) up to 3 months in an airtight container. Bake or fry when ready without thawing.
  • Reheat – place them on a cookie sheet and reheat in the oven at 175C /350F until heated through (about 10-15 minutes). 
Bite of cauliflower nugget close up shot.
Need more baby finger food recipes? Check out the finger food category for more ideas!

More Cauliflower Tips And Recipes For Kids

Have you tried this recipe? Your feedback is really helpful, please rate and leave a comment below recipe card!

cauliflower nuggets tots bites baby finger food.

Cauliflower Nuggets Baby Finger Food (BLW)

ThrivingNest
These cauliflower nuggets have a soft texture and are small in size, making a great finger food for baby led weaningtoddlers, older kids and even adults. These cauliflower nuggets have no cheese, no dairy and no bread crumbs (therefore – gluten free).
5 from 2 votes
DIETS: Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Baby Food
Servings 22 nuggets
Calories 38.3 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 cups cauliflower (steamed, chopped (like cauliflower rice)
  • 1 cup potato (steamed, chopped like cauliflower / for GAPS see notes)
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot flour (or other starchy flour)
  • 1/3 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic granules (or use 2 cloves fresh, minced)
  • 1/2 tsp onion granules (or use 1/2 small onion, diced)
  • 2 tbsp parsley (fresh finely chopped)
  • avocado oil (for frying, about 2-4 tbsp)

Instructions
 

Pan Frying Cauliflower Nuggets

  • Boil or steam the cauliflower florets and potatoes (cut into quarters to reduce cooking time) until lightly soft, but not too tender. Allow to cool before proceeding further.
  • Chop roughly both cauliflower and potato in a food processor pulsing 7-12 times (the mixture should resemble the cauliflower rice) do not over-process. Squeeze the liquid with a cheese cloth, the dryer it is, the better.
  • Mix with the rest of ingredients in a medium bowl, just to combine.
  • Form and shape the nuggets with your hands. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture and shape it into a rectangular cake (or circular) using a spatula or your palms.
  • Drop gently onto the hot oiled skillet, use a spatula to even out the edges and the top surface, and fry until golden brown on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Baking Cauliflower Nuggets (Tots)

  • Prepare the mixture as described above and preheat the oven to 425F with a cookie sheet inside.
  • Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small rectangular or oval shaped tots. Use oiled hands for a golden crust.
  • Place on the hot cookie sheet (cover with parchment paper) 1/2 inch apart and bake for about 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. You can also use the broil for the last 2 minutes of baking.

Notes

Tips For Perfect Cauliflower Nuggets / Tots
  • The thinner the nuggets are the faster and better they will cook inside.
  • If frying use a neutral high smoke point oil like avocado or grape-seed oil.
  • If you want to use an air-fryer is best to freeze the nuggets and fry after (frozen), so they will keep their shape better.
  • Frozen cauliflower (or riced cauliflower) works too. Defrost, squeeze the liquid and you’re good to go. No need to cook. Broccoli is a great addition too if you want extra veggies.
  • For extra flavor and binding capacity you can also add some cheese.
  • To make these GAPS compliant, substitute the potato with celery root and the arrowroot flour with any seed flour you like.

Nutrition

Serving: 1nuggetCalories: 38.3kcalCarbohydrates: 4.3gProtein: 1.2gFat: 1.9gPotassium: 125.5mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 1.1IUVitamin C: 7.2mgCalcium: 0.5mgIron: 1.3mg
Have you tried any of these recipes? Your feedback is really helpful, please rate and leave a comment below recipe card!!

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Looking for cauliflower baby food recipes? These cauliflower nuggets (also called cauliflower tots or bites) are small in size, making a great finger food for baby led weaning, toddlers, older kids and even adults. This is a perfect cauliflower recipe for babies who need to develop their motor skills and discover new food textures. Make the cauliflower nuggets healthier baked,  or fried. #cauliflower #baby #fingerfood #kidsrecipes #cauliflowernuggets #cauliflowertots #cauliflowerbites #toddler

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13 Comments

  1. At what point do you measure the cauliflower and potato? When it is raw and in pieces or after it is cooked and processed? Can’t wait to try this with my baby!!!

    1. 5 stars
      I made these tonight for my son and used 1 cup of sweet potato instead of white potato and if I’m honest, added a little bit of butternut squash to make the potato a full cup. I cooked them in the air fryer and my son had 3!!! This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!

  2. I made these with broccoli and sweet potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. My eight-month-old approves! (And so do mom and dad 🙂)

  3. 5 stars
    If you’re not using an egg it might be tricky to get the shape right so I decided to use an egg, they turned out amazing!

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