Baked Mozzarella Broccoli Tots
These golden, crispy Baked Mozzarella Broccoli Tots are a fun, veggie-packed side the whole family will love. Great way to sneak in veggies!
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These Baked Mozzarella Broccoli Tots are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and made with just a handful of simple ingredients.
Broccoli tots are an easy way to increase your veggie intake and a great way to get picky eaters to eat vegetables!
They’re crispy, bite-size, and perfect for dipping. My husband and I like to serve them with ranch or a garlic aioli, but my kids like them with ketchup.
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Frozen broccoli
- Shredded mozzarella
- Egg
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper
Optional, but I sometimes add crushed red pepper flakes to add a little touch of spice.
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
After you blend the ingredients in the food processor, just use a cookie scoop to get equal amounts of broccoli mixture.
I drop the cookie scoop mixture on the baking sheet and gently form it into a uniform cylinder. (full instructions on recipe card)
How to serve broccoli tots
Broccoli tots are a great, family-friendly vegetable side dish to serve with your favorite protein.
Dipping sauces for broccoli tots:
- Ketchup
- Roasted Garlic Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli
- Ranch dressing
- Roasted Jalapeno Aioli
💡Tips & Tricks
- Broccoli: Once your frozen broccoli has defrosted, be sure to drain any remaining liquid and squeeze it dry so the tots don’t get mushy. Tips for using fresh broccoli are in the recipe card below.
- Cheese: Feel free to replace the mozzarella with another cheese.
- Gluten: To make these broccoli tots gluten-free, just use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Looking for more vegetable side dishes? Here are some favorites:
- Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
- Curry Spiced Roasted Carrots
- Crispy Za’atar Roasted Potatoes
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Baked Mozzarella Broccoli Tots
Equipment
- baking sheet
- food processor
- (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package of frozen broccoli, defrosted tips for fresh broccoli in notes
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the defrosted broccoli and squeeze it dry so the broccoli tots don't get mushy. Add the broccoli to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients (mozzarella, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and if you like a little spice, crushed red pepper flakes). Blend just until everything is incorporated and there are no chunks. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor.
- Take your cookie scoop and gather some of the broccoli mixture. I like to press it in there to make it compact and brush off the extra around the edges. Dislodge the cookie scoop onto the baking sheet and gently form it into a cylinder. I get 14-16 broccoli tots depending on how compact they are in the cookie scoop.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes. Check them at the 22-minute mark. They're done when they're golden on the bottom and slightly crisp. We love these with ranch dressing, ketchup, or my Roasted Garlic Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli, which is linked in the post. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’d rather use fresh broccoli, you can cut it into florets, blanch and drain it, then follow the recipe.
- If you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs, you can season plain breadcrumbs with dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
- Store leftover broccoli tots in an air-tight container and use within 4 days.
- Reheat broccoli tots in an oven or air fryer. A microwave will make them soft.
- To freeze them raw: form the tots and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. To cook from frozen, add 5-10 minutes to the bake time. Use within 2-3 months for the best quality.
- To freeze them cooked: let them cool completely, then freeze on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Bake at 375-400 for 8-12 minutes or until heated through. Use within 2-3 months for the best quality.
These broccoli tots are a hit with picky eaters!