Keto Zucchini Tots Recipe – Baked or Air Fried

Are you a fan of keto zucchini recipes? Then this keto zucchini tots recipe will be right up your alley. You’ll love this healthier version of a tater tot, oven-baked or air-fried zucchini bites. Great for a low carb diet and using the garden bounty!

It’s the season of zucchini. This simple keto-friendly recipe is perfect for people with a lot of garden veggies who are looking for new, creative ways to prepare them.

Zucchini is low in carbohydrates, high in fiber, and very nutritious. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B1. But let’s get to the fun stuff, the tots!

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Is zucchini keto? | Equipment | Ingredients | Instructions | How to prep zucchini | Baking time | Air fryer instructions | How to store | Reheat from frozen | Variations | More zucchini recipes | Nutrition disclaimer

Low carb zucchini tots

A zucchini tot is a low carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly snack. They’re the perfect party appetizer or side dish for any meal! These crispy zucchini tots would be great with some sour cream, ranch dressing or even marinara sauce. You can also top them with shredded cheese and bacon bits for an extra kick of flavor.

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable that it’s hard not to love it in some form or fashion; we’ve seen it used as noodles, in keto tarts, in keto zucchini bread, and now tot form! The best part about this zucchini tater tots recipe is they only take 30 minutes from start to finish and you can enjoy your favorite garden vegetables guilt-free.

Is zucchini keto?

Zucchini is low carb! Yes, it’s keto-friendly too.

How many carbs are in it? In this entire recipe, there are one and one-half cups of shredded zucchini. In the entire 1 1/2 cups, the zucchini contains 3 grams of protein, about 6 grams carbs, and only about 27 calories. AND you divide that into 10 servings for the zucchini tater tots. Nice!

This recipe makes ten servings, and one nutrition serving is two tots.

This information is according to MyFitnessPal.com. I recommend figuring your own macros using this or another app using the exact ingredients you use in your recipes and snacks. This will give you the most accurate information and will help you keep within your personal macros on the keto diet plan.

🍽 Equipment

What kitchen equipment do you need for ketogenic zucchini tots? Well, start with a large bowl and a whisk. You’ll need something to make the grated zucchini. I use a vegetable grater, but any kind of grater will do – even an old-fashioned cheese shredder!

• a mini muffin tin or baking sheet lined with parchment paper
• large-sized mixing bowl
• vegetable grater
• oven or air fryer
• a knife
• a cutting board
• cookie dough scoop (optional)

🥘 Ingredients in keto zucchini bites

• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, excess liquid removed (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar cheese also works well)
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp garlic granules or garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion granules or onion powder
• 2 large eggs

🔪 Instructions: how to make keto zucchini tots

First of all, get out a muffin tin (mini!) or a parchment paper lined baking sheet and a large or medium bowl. There should only be about 10-15 minutes of prep time for this recipe.

Spray the pan with a cooking spray of avocado or coconut oil. Then go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you prefer to use the air fryer, see those instructions in the section below.

How to grate zucchini and prep for recipes

Next, wash, cut off the stem, then grate the zucchini or shred it.

Place it in a colander or a tea or dish towel, add some salt, and let it sit and release the water. You want to drain or squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible. Leave it to sit for at least 5 minutes.

Then wrap the tea towel around the zucchini and squeeze out all the excess moisture or press it down in a colander. Wipe up any excess liquid with a kitchen towel or paper towels if need be.

Mix the dough

After that, add zucchini, grated mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese to the bowl. Mix it all together with a spoon or spatula until everything’s evenly distributed.

Then sprinkle the garlic granules, and onion granules, salt and pepper over the mixture. Next, blend it together well so there are no lumps. You can add more or less salt and pepper to taste.

Now, crack one egg then two into a bowl and whisk them together using a small whisk or fork. Once blended well, transfer the eggs to the main mixture and stir to combine.

💭 Top tip for keto zucchini tots

If you have one, use a small cookie scoop or just a tablespoon to spoon the tots into the muffin pan. Place a nice rounded tablespoon in each mini-muffin spot. If you don’t have a mini-muffin pan, spoon them in a single layer onto a lined baking sheet.

⏲ Baking time

Now it’s time to bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops just start to turn a golden brown. Once baked, take the tray out and let them cool.

If you used a baking sheet, leave them for about ten minutes then just lift them off with a thin spatula and place them on the cooling rack. Remove the keto tots from the mini-muffin pan to the cooling rack as well.

Serve the tots as a keto appetizer or side dish with sugar-free marinara sauce sprinkled with Italian seasoning, keto ranch dressing, or ketchup.

👨‍🍳 Air fryer tots

To use an air fryer, spoon the rounded tablespoons of the zucchini mixture onto the air fryer plate or tray.

I like to pre-heat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 35o degrees F. Then air fry (or air crisp) for 10 to 12 minutes. Once the edges and top begin to brown, they are ready!

Open the lid/door to cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes. Then serve them with marinara, keto ranch dressing, or ketchup as a dipping sauce.

🥣 How to store ketogenic zucchini tots

It’s best to store these keto zucchini tots in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can make and cook all of them, then keep them stored in the fridge and heat them up as you require.

They can be kept in the freezer for up to a few months, but the longer they’re in there the taste may change.

🧊 Reheat from frozen

To reheat from frozen, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (or toaster oven). It doesn’t matter if they defrost or get cooked from frozen, they’ll still taste great! Place them on a pan and bake until heated through, for about 14-16 minutes.

📋 Keto zucchini tots variations

You can make many different types of keto tater tots with this basic recipe.

If you don’t have mozzarella cheese on hand, use another kind of cheese instead. Tasty variations could include cheddar or Monterrey Jack. Also, try adding some fresh herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, or feel free to add another Italian seasoning to the mixture. Whatever you have in the garden or looks fresh at the store is probably a good option.

Other delicious options to add 1/3 cup diced bacon and jalapeno pepper (as desired) for spicy tots, or add 1/3 cup cubed pepperoni for a tasty keto pizza tots style twist.

Some people also like adding a little almond flour or coconut flour to the mixture. Personally, I prefer it without any flour due to its texture.

Are you still wondering what gluten-free recipes you can make out of all those garden vegetables?

If you want more great recipes for vegetables but aren’t sure where to start, try browsing through our blog archives. We have tons of easy keto friendly recipe ideas for a low carb diet, all of which may tempt even the pickiest eaters.

Make this easy homemade zucchini tots recipe

What are your favorite ingredients that make for a delicious keto appetizer? With golden brown zucchini tots, you can get more veggies in without missing out on any flavors! This low carb recipe is quick and easy – perfect as an appetizer or side dish just like my sour cream and onion keto chips.

The best part? It’s so easy to prepare these bites with an air fryer or to bake on a baking tray in the oven. Enjoy!

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👩‍🍳 More keto zucchini recipes

1. Keto Zucchini Tart Pizza
2. Easy Orange Almond Keto Zucchini Muffins
3. Creamy Keto Italian Sausage Soup
4. Keto Zucchini Waffles
5. Keto Zucchini Lasagna
6. Best Keto Zucchini Bread

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutrition information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.