4 Ingredient Crispy Cottage Cheese Tots
Crispy on the outside with a soft, cheesy center, these 4-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Tots are an easy, protein-boosted twist on a classic comfort food. Great as a kid-friendly snack, or a simple side—no frying, no fuss, just crunchy, cheesy tots.
Ingredients
- 1 (12oz/340g) bag frozen cauliflower rice, thawed
- 1/2 cup (108g) 4% cottage cheese, excess liquid drained
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup (48g) Italian panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Transfer the thawed cauliflower rice to a fine-mesh strainer. Using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, press firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. The cauliflower should feel very dry.
- Add the cauliflower, cottage cheese, egg, and breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl. Mix until evenly combined. The mixture is thick and should be able to hold its shape. If you want more salt in your tots, also mix in 3/4 tsp salt into the batter.
- Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the mixture and shape into classic cylinder tot shape, about 1-inch long.
- Arrange the tots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each one. Optional: If you want the tots to have a golden brown finish, spray the surface of the tots with cooking oil spray.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the bottom of the tots are browned. Flip tots over and bake for another 12-15 minutes until the tots are crispy and golden brown on both sides (if not using oil spray, the tots will be more pale but should still crisp up). You can also cook the tots in the air fryer at 400°F (204°C) for about 15 minutes (no need to flip the tots) or until crispy and golden.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. You can also garnish the tots with finely chopped parsley and add salt if desired. Store any uneaten tots in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- This recipe works best with 4% cottage cheese. Lowfat cottage cheese is more watery.
- This recipe works best with Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs will not get crispy enough. I used Progresso Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs.*
- Cauliflower rice sold at stores is usually sold frozen, which is why this recipe uses frozen cauliflower rice. I used Whole Foods cauliflower rice.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1tot, Calories: 21kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 62mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 1g, NET CARBS: 3
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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