Homemade Sweet Potato Tots with Carrot are nutritious, delicious, and easy-to-make. These bite-sized veggie tots combine sweet potato and carrot then baked or air-fried until crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. They make an excellent snack or side dish for babies and toddlers practicing self-feeding or baby-led weaning.
And hey — don’t be surprised if you find yourself snacking on them too; they’re that good!
If you’re looking for another veggie tots recipe for toddlers, check out my Easy Homemade Broccoli Tots. Tons of parents love this recipe, so I know you will too.
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Sweet Potato and Carrot Tots for Toddlers
If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for nutritious meals that your kids will actually enjoy. That’s why I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite go-to recipes: sweet potato and carrot tots. I’m all about keeping things easy in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cooking for my toddler. These sweet potato tater tots require just a handful of simple ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your pantry.
THE BEST PART: They sneak in the goodness of veggies while being perfectly sized for those adorable baby hands, making them excellent for baby-led weaning.
Reasons Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Tots Recipe:
These sweet potato carrot tots are made with simple, healthy ingredients – primarily sweet potato and carrot – two powerhouses of vitamins and fiber. Besides being incredibly healthy, here’s why these tots will be on repeat in your household:
- Convenient and Mess-Free: Easy to grab and little mess, they are perfect for on-the-go or at-home snacking.
- Versatile Cooking Methods: Whether you prefer baked sweet potato tots or you’re an air fryer lover, this recipe caters to all.
- Freezer-Friendly: Make them in batches and freeze them for those hectic days.
- Nutrient-Packed: Sweet potatoes and carrots are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
Easy Homemade Sweet Potato Tots for Baby-Led Weaning
One of the things I love most about these sweet potato tots is that they’re perfect for baby-led weaning. If you’re not familiar with baby-led weaning, it’s a feeding approach that allows babies to feed themselves from the very beginning of their food journey. These tots are just the right size and texture for little hands to grasp and explore, making them an ideal option for introducing solid foods to your baby.
Here is another baby-led weaning recipe that you may also like: Vegetable Chicken Fingers for Babies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet Potato
- Carrot
- Breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Parmesan Cheese
- Seasonings: Garlic powder and sweet paprika for flavor
- Salt and pepper to taste
Here is How to Make Sweet Potato Tots
Cook the Veggies: Start by boiling or steaming the sweet potato and carrot until tender. I love the steaming method because it retains most of the nutrients.
Preheat and Prep: If baking, preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. For air frying, you can set aside and preheat later to 380°F.
Mash and Season: Once your veggies are soft, mash them together in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, sweet paprika, freshly ground black pepper and salt if using.
Shape the Tots: Use your hands or a small cookie scoop to shape the mixture into bite-sized tots or cylindrical shapes.
Cook to Perfection: For baking, place the tots on the prepared sheet, brush or lightly with olive oil (I like to use avocado oil and sometimes coconut oil), and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden. If air frying, cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy, shaking the basket halfway through.
Serve and Enjoy!: Let them cool before serving. My 2 year old daughter loves these with a side of ketchup.
Recipe Tips for the Perfect Sweet Potato Tater Tots
Here are some add-ins and substitutions you can try for your tots :
- Extra Veggies: Experiment with other vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, spinach or cauliflower. Just be mindful of the water content of the vegetables and adjust the recipe accordingly to prevent the tots from becoming too soggy.
- Gluten-Free Alternatives: You can substitute the breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives such as almond flour, crushed gluten-free crackers or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- Cheese: Try other cheeses like cheddar, or mozzarella. Alternatively, you can mix in a spoonful of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without dairy.
- Quinoa: Incorporate cooked quinoa into the sweet potato mixture for added protein and texture.
- Nutritional Boosters: Boost the nutritional content of your tots by adding ingredients like ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds. We’ve been loving these Tiny Tots Nutritional Booster.
How To Store and Reheat
Storage:
Allow the sweet potato tots to cool completely to room temperature before storing them. This helps prevent condensation, which can make the tots soggy. Transfer the cooled sweet potato tots to an airtight container or a resealable bag. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze (Optional): If you want to store the sweet potato tots for longer, you can freeze them. Arrange the cooled tots in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating:
Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the refrigerated or frozen tots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If frozen, you can reheat them directly from frozen; just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Bake the tots for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.
Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the refrigerated or frozen sweet potato tots in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If frozen, you can reheat them directly from frozen; just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. Air fry the tots for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until heated through and crispy.
More Toddler Meals with Veggies To Try
Easy Turkey Meatballs for Toddlers (With Veggies)
Cheesy Spinach Pasta Sauce for Toddlers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long to cook sweet potato tots in air fryer?
The cooking time for sweet potato tots in an air fryer can vary depending on the size of the tots and the specific model of your air fryer. However, as a general guideline, sweet potato tots typically take about 10-12 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
Are sweet potato tots healthy?
Yes, sweet potato tots can be a healthy option, especially when compared to traditional tater tots made from white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fiber.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Sweet Potato Tots with Carrot
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potato about 1 lb
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs add more for added texture
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt less or more as desired
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Start by boiling or steaming the sweet potato and carrot until tender. I love the steaming method because it retains most of the nutrients.
- If baking, preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. For air frying, you can set aside and preheat later to 380°F.
- Once your veggies are fork tender and soft, mash them together in a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, sweet paprika, freshly ground black pepper and salt if using.
- Use your hands or a small cookie scoop to shape the mixture into bite-sized tots or cylindrical shapes. The batter may be sticky so I recommend coating the palms of your hands with some oil. If you want the tots to be extra crispy, once shaped you can roll each tot in extra breadcrumbs.
- For baking, place the tots on the prepared sheet, brush or lightly with olive oil (I like to use avocado oil and sometimes coconut oil), and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden. If air frying, cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Let them cool before serving. My 2 year old daughter loves these with a side of ketchup.
Notes
4 comments
My toddler, love these! I made some homemade ranch dip on the side for him to dip these in. He gobbled them up, and they are super filling too.
It’s great that your toddler loved the tots and enjoyed them. Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂
Do you think you could use shredded carrot (wrung out with paper towel to remove moisture) instead of steaming the carrot before baking? Just looking at some shortcuts for a busy tired mom! Thanks
Yes, you can definitely use shredded carrot. Just make sure it’s finely shredded and well wrung out so the tots don’t get soggy. The texture may be slightly less soft than steamed carrots, but it should still work