Get ready to make everyone at your table happy with these Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots. They are gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. With just a couple ingredients, these simple and flavorful tots are going to become a fast favorite.
This is an EASY weeknight option. They’re a perfect appetizer, finger food, or side dish. I make them with pantry ingredients I always have on hand, and they can be made ahead of time as part of meal prep or even frozen. They’re truly so versatile! They have plant-based protein from the quinoa, whole grains from the oats, and of course, veggies from the sweet potatoes! I love to eat these Vegan Sweet Potato & Quinoa Tots. They’re so addictive while also being so nutritious!
Making Tots in the Oven
I tested these tots in the oven, and while it works, they just taste better cooked on the stove top with a little bit of oil! It also takes less time to cook them in a cast-iron skillet and they get a delicious crunch that is so enjoyable.
Allergy-Friendly Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
These crispy, delicious tots are egg-free, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. Everyone at your table can enjoy this dish!
Kid-Friendly Sweet Potato Tots
These tots are a favorite for all three of my kiddos! They’re flavorful finger food perfect for dipping and soft enough for toddlers to enjoy. What more could kids want?! Since little ones love dunking, serve them with ketchup, Honey Mustard Sauce, Hummus, or Tahini. Check out this post for more healthy snacking tips for kids and toddlers!
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to incorporate into recipes whenever possible. Their vibrant orange color lets you know you are getting all that immune-boosting vitamin A (also helpful for vision and bone health). You’re also getting dietary fiber, potassium, and they’re high in vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are convenient and versatile and somehow serve as both a comfort food and health food all at once.
Sweet potatoes have similar calorie content to russet potatoes but with more fiber. One medium sweet potato offers almost 700% of your daily recommend intake of vitamin A, while russets offer none, and sweet potatoes offer almost double the amount of vitamin C compared to russets. (Source)
All About Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my go-to foods! It’s perfect for meal prepping because it is light and absorbs flavor so well. It’s so good in baked into foods (like these tota!) and I love it as a side to almost any entree. It is easy to prepare and offers such amazing health benefits. It is loaded with fiber (one serving has over five grams) and is considered a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids. This makes it a great source of plant-based protein for vegans. In fact, it has more protein than any other grain. Quinoa is a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals. It also offers important minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc.
What to Serve With Sweet Potato Tots
Let’s make a meal of it! Here are a couple favorites that would pair really well with my tot recipe…
- The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Crispy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Kid Approved Vegan Carrot Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- Easy One-Pot Pasta
Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
- Total Time: 12 minute
- Yield: 25 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get ready to make everyone at your table happy with these Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots. They are gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. With just a couple ingredients, these simple and flavorful tots are going to become a fast favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (made in Instant Pot or on stovetop)
- 1 cup oats, ground into a fine flour in your blender
- 1 cup sweet potato, mashed (made in Instant Pot or oven with the skin removed – see notes)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined. Use your hands to form into 25 tots.
- Cook in a skillet on the stovetop in 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for 5 minutes per side. Or, bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, flip and then bake for 10 minutes more.
- Enjoy immediately dipped in ketchup, my homemade sour cream, my homemade vegan honey mustard sauce or my easy tahini sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop for best results.
- This recipe can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the tots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (not touching one another). Once frozen solid you can transfer the tots to a freezer-safe storage container or bag where they are touching. To thaw, place the tots in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to reheating for best results. Reheat on the stovetop or the oven for best results.
Notes
For added texture and plant-based protein (and healthy fats) you can add 1/2 cup of my homemade grain-free panko breadcrumbs. Just mix them in before forming into tots and proceed with the recipe as directed.
I cooked my sweet potato in my Instant Pot pressure cooker. To do this, place one or more sweet potatoes on the steamer rack in the pot. Add 1 cup of water. Cook on manual high pressure for 25 minutes (no need to peel the potato first). Make sure the valve is on sealed not venting. When it is done cooking, manually release the steam. Use tongs to transfer the potato(es) to a cutting board and slice in half lengthwise. Once cooled you can remove the skin with your hands by peeling it back. It should come right off without much effort.
If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can also bake your potato whole in the oven. Here is how I recommend baking a sweet potato in the oven: Place a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork on one side then place directly on the middle rack (not on a baking sheet and not wrapped in foil). Bake for 45 minutes or until tender and the skin is thin and toasty. Baking time will vary based on the diameter of your sweet potato. You may need up to 60 minutes for a large sweet potato. The bottom baking sheet will catch any drippings for an easy cleanup. Remove from oven and pierce with a knife to ensure it is fully cooked. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes for easier handling. Slice the potatoes in half and split the flesh down the center.
Prep time assumes quinoa and sweet potatoes have been cooked in advance.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10-15
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop or Oven
Keywords: quinoa sweet potato veggie tots
THESE ARE THE MOST INSANE THING YOULL EVER MAKE OMG IM MAKING THESE FOR EVERY MEAL!!
Haha! You leave the best comments, Sara! I love it! Thank you SO much for the review! I really appreciate it and I’m so so happy you love them too! You can definitely add more seasoning – I kept them simple for the kids here.
Have you ever tried to make them in air fryer? I was wondering if it would be good?
I have not but another reader did and loved it actually!
Hi,
Did you try these with millet ? Wondering if cooked millet instead of quinoa will have the same effect.
Hi, Harika! I have not tried that but I bet it would work just fine! Please let me know how it goes for you 🙂 Best, Elaine