Our six ingredients Cauliflower and Zucchini Bites are not only the perfect meal option for toddlers and kids but for the whole family. We always make them for our 16-month-old toddler Luca, but the whole family ends up eating them for lunch, dinner or even as a snack.
This recipe is really easy to make, nutritious, and delicious. You can have the cauliflower and zucchini bites chilled or warm. We make this recipe a lot during the summer as the zucchinis are in season so we simply leave them out of the fridge for an hour and eat them at room temperature.
The ingredients you need to prepare our yummy bites are zucchini, cauliflower, onion, egg, whole wheat flour and nutmeg (optional).
To make this recipe, we use this muffin tray. It's a mini muffin tray and you can get the perfect bites sizes with it. They will be small and easy for your little one to pick up and eat.
How to prepare the Cauliflower and the Zucchini.
Cauliflower. The best option when making these bites is to make cauliflower rice. All you need to do is cut the cauliflower into florets and blend them in a food processor for a couple of seconds. The cauliflower will be blitzed into a similar size than rice. Our toddler Luca is not the biggest fan of cauliflower, but he loves these bites!
Zucchini. The zucchini needs to be grated and all the excess water removed. To make sure that the bites don't turn out soggy, mix the grated zucchini with a teaspoon of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cheesecloth and squeeze out all the water making pressure with your hands. I'm amazed every time we cook these bites of how much water comes out. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, you can use a colander or drainer.
Why are Cauliflower and Zucchini Bites perfect for your Toddlers and Kids?
- They are healthy. Cauliflower and zucchini contain a high amount of fibre and are packed with nutrients. This is a perfect meal to improve your little one's digestion.
- It's a great choice if you are following the baby-led-weaning method or if your toddler is starting with solids. They can pick the bites themselves and they have the ideal consistency.
- They will stay good in the fridge for 2-3 days if you have leftovers.
- You can serve the bites with rice, potatoes, and other veggies to m
- You can add your little one's favourite sauce. Luca loves our homemade Romesco sauce for example!
- For picky eaters, the vegetables are hidden and the mixture can be blended before baking for a smoother consistency.
Cauliflower and Zucchini Bites for Toddlers and Kids
Ingredients
- ½ large zucchini
- 300 g cauliflower
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini and place it in a mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix and leave for 10 minutes.
- Put the zucchini inside a cheesecloth and squeeze out all the water making pressure with your hands. When all the water has been squeezed out, place the zucchini back in the mixing bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 180C and coat the muffin tray with some olive oil.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and transfer into a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds until the consistency of the cauliflower is similar to rice and add to the mixing bowl.
- Heat some oil in a pan and add the onion finely chopped. Stir fry for a few minutes until it has softened and add the onion with the zucchini and the cauliflower.
- Add into the mixing bowl the rest of the ingredients: eggs, fresh shredded nutmeg and the flour. Combine all the ingredients until the mixture is uniform.
- With a spoon and your hands form small balls and transfer them into the muffin tray. We use a small muffin tray so the bites are smaller and cook faster.
- Bake the bites for 30-40 minutes or until golden.
For more toddler and kids meal ideas, check our 10 Healthy Meals Ideas.
Mary Ortiz says
How much longer should they bake if using regular muffin tin?
Laura says
Hi Mary, if the bites are bigger, I would allow them to cook for at least 10 more minutes. You can always check the inside of the Cauliflower and Zucchini Bites with a fork, when they are ready, the fork should come out dry.
Prachi says
Followed the same recipe, the mixture turned out to be soggy(squeezed the zuccini water using a cheesecloth). And where is the mention of salt? Is this a saltless recipe?
Laura says
Hi Prachi, sorry to hear that, the recipe is listed with the exact ingredients we use, and we make this recipe almost weekly. We use medium-size eggs, I don't know if the eggs used were too big. If the Zucchini was squeezed I cannot think of anything else that would make the mixture soggy. This recipe doesn't contain salt as it's meant for toddlers as well. You can always add salt to the mixture before baking it. I will include this note in the recipe, thank you!
veenaazmanov says
Best for a kids party. Kids to definitely feast on a healthy treat. Love the combination and spice flavor too.
Marta says
My kiddos not only loved eating these cauliflower bites, they enjoyed making them, too!
Laura says
That's lovely!
Amy Liu Dong says
I may say that these looks so enticing and the texture will really make you wanna eat this on the spot. I'm definitely gonna make this at home for some snack time.
Jenny says
Actually we all liked these cauliflower and zucchini bites not just my kids! Lovely and easy to make for a children's party.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
These Cauliflower and Zucchini Bites looks really delicious and I'm sure kids will love them especially my son.
Aditi Bahl says
Tried this recipe and my kids just loved the flavors. Had to prepare another batch today. Loved it.
Amanda Mason says
My kids (not toddlers anymore) loved these! Such a healthy snack! Perfect flavor...my kids are teens now and asked me to make more! Great recipe!
Laura says
We love hearing that! Thank you Amanda!
Sara says
These look quite tasty. I will make them for the kids, but just know, I will be happily eating them too. I love finding new ways to use zucchini as my garden is producing it at such a rate the kids groan when they see it. LOL
Laura says
Every time we make them for our toddler we end up eating them as well! So yummy!
Gunjan says
Such a kid friendly recipe and a great back to school meal. It’s on my menu starting next week.
Uma Srinivas says
My family likes both cauliflower and zucchini! will try this soon... Looks yummy and perfect for kids snack box.
Tara says
These were such a hit with the family this week! It was so nice to know that we were getting in our veggies in such a delicious and fun way!
Supriya says
Can you suggest a replacement for egg please.
Laura says
Hi Supriya, have you tried cooking with "flax eggs"? To make a flax egg, mix one tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Mix together, and let sit in your fridge for 15 minutes to set up and thicken. Then it will be ready to use!
Christine lee says
Hi Laura can I replace whole meal flour with all purpose flour? Thanks
Laura says
Hi Christine, sure you can! We use wholemeal flour, especially when cooking for our toddler as it's healthier. All-purpose flour will work just as good, if the consistency is too wet, you may need to add a bit extra as whole meal flour is denser. Thank you!
Adity says
Hi, I'm curious if you can make this recipe in advance and store for easy baking later. If so, at what step would you recommend refrigerating? Thank you,
Adity
Laura says
Hi Adity, sure, you can make the bites ahead, store before baking and then you just need to bake them before serving!
Adity says
Great, thank you, I'll give that a try.