These sweet potato tots are the perfect tasty nutrient-packed meal or snack for both little ones and adults! Eat them cold or hot, with dip or no dip. Also makes a great healthy lunch box option or starter food for baby-led weaning! {Gluten-free & vegan}
The recipe testing continues with our little guy and last week’s experiment were these Sweet Potato Lentil Tater Tots.
As you can probably tell by the other recipes on my blog, I am a HUGE lover of sweet potatoes. If you don’t believe me, you can check out my other sweet potato-themed recipes below:
- Sweet Potato Sliders
- Sweet Potato Hummus
- Baked Cinnamon Paprika Sweet Potato Fries
- Sweet Potato Coconut Mash
- Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Clearly, we love incorporating sweet potatoes into EVERYTHING.
So introducing them to our baby early on was just the natural thing for a sweet-potato-lovin’-mama to do. Plus, the texture is perfect for little ones who might not yet have any teeth, like our little guy.
But these tots aren’t just limited to babies, we adults with teeth also enjoyed them too ;)
And, can you really go wrong with a vegetable that’s loaded with vitamin C, A, potassium and fibre?!
Definitely NOT!
Initially, I baked up some sweet potato fries for our little guy (minus the addition of salt) and he chomped away on those for a few days (and by chomping, I mean he consumed half and threw the rest on the floor), but I wanted to incorporate some more variety and iron into his diet as well.
That’s where these tater tots come into play.
By simply combining the cooked sweet potato with some cooked lentils and throwing in a few spices, you end up with ONE tasty and healthy little bite.
Benefits of Sweet Potato Lentil Tater Tots
The sweet potato lentil combo is so perfect (especially for picky eaters) because you don’t even notice the lentils when they’re mashed together with the sweet potatoes, but they add that extra boost of protein, iron and fibre!
As mentioned in my Mini Salmon Cakes post, there are different forms of iron — both animal and plant-based. Because lentils are plant-based, the iron is not quite as readily absorbed, but by pairing them with the sweet potato, which is a source of vitamin C, it helps to enhance the absorption of this mineral.
That’s why these two foods together are a winning combination!
Recipe Tips
- You may notice when you’re rolling the mixture into tater tots, the sweet potato mixture is pretty soft. Don’t worry — they will firm up as they’re cooking and cooling. The end result should be slightly firm and golden on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
- If you find that the mixture is too moist to form into tots, you may wish to add some additional bread crumbs to the mixture.
- For babies, I recommend leaving out the salt to limit sodium consumption, but for older children and adults, you can add a little bit of salt into the spice mixture, if desired. I tried them with and without salt and thought they tasted good both times, but it’s totally up to you!
- To prevent them from sticking to the pan, I suggest baking the tater tots on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or a silicone baking sheet. I use these tools all the time and they can make the clean up process SO much easier. There’s enough cleaning up to do with kids in the house!
How to Store
You can store these tots for up to four days in the fridge, or better yet. If you don’t feel you can eat them within that time frame, you can place them in a ziplock bag or air-tight container separated with parchment paper and store them in the freezer. They should be good in the freezer for up to three months.
To reheat, simply place in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until heated through or pop them in the microwave for about a minute.
Once you’ve made up a batch, they make for such a convenient snack or side!
Serving suggestions
There are a number of ways to serve up these tater tots. Eat them either warm or cold and further increase the flavour (and fun!) by pairing them with a dip like any of the following:
- Tzatziki
- Roasted Garlic Dip
- Ranch
- Ketchup
- Hot sauce
What kid (or adult) doesn’t love dip!?
For adults, to add to the taste and presentation, you can also sprinkle with some chopped parsley or cilantro!
What’s your favourite way to incorporate sweet potatoes?
More similar recipes
- Cauliflower Kale Tots
- Broccoli Cheddar Tater Tots
- Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
- Spinach Zucchini Frittata Fingers
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Sweet Potato Tots
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato (about one 8-oz medium-sized sweet potato)
- 1/2 cup red split lentils uncooked
- 1 cup no salt-added vegetable broth can also use chicken broth
- 1/2 each tsp paprika onion powder and garlic powder
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (can also sub in gluten-free bread crumbs or almond flour)
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Optional add-ins:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce sweet potato with a fork and bake in oven for about 45-50 min. Alternatively you can microwave for approx 6-10 mins, until soft to the touch. Allow the sweet potato to cool slightly. Remove skin from sweet potato and place in medium-sized bowl and mash until smooth.
- While the sweet potato is cooking, add the lentils to a saucepan, cover with the broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is almost absorbed (about 15 minutes). Turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave for 10 min.
- Add the cooked lentils to the bowl with the sweet potato, along with the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, panko bread crumbs and salt (optional) and combine mixture with hands or a spoon.
- Form mixture into approximately 18 small croquettes that are about 2-inches long and 1-inch thick and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spray or brush the oil over the top of each tater tot.
- Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for approximately 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. They should be slightly crispy on the outside and lightly golden.
Notes
- For babies, I recommend leaving out the salt to limit sodium consumption, but for older children and adults, you can add a little bit of salt into the spice mixture, if desired.
- If you find that the mixture is too moist to form into tots, you may wish to add some additional panko crumbs to the mixture.
Nutrition
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Guys, thanks For sharing this great recipe. My family loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friends. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
My pleasure! So happy you and your family enjoyed it…and thanks for sharing the love!
I added a bit of panko bread crumbs for a little extra texture. They held together great!
Thanks for the tip Emma! I bet the panko was delicious! Will have to try that next time!
Hi, can I use lentils from a can?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it would work out okay! You may need to mash them a little more so that they reach the consistency of the cooked red split lentils. You may also wish to add some bread crumbs to the mixture to help everything bind together. Keep me posted on how it turns out if you try it with the canned lentils!
I made these at about 1tbsp size and they don’t look anything like this…cooked for 25 min they’re much drier looking and certainly less pretty. I did spray with olive oil before they went in the oven, so I’m guessing they just overcooked? That said, they still taste really good and have a nice crunch to them. I think my toddler will like these and I’ll make again with some cooking adjustments!
That’s so strange! It is possible that they were overcooked. Maybe try adding a bit more sweet potato to them next time to see if that helps to prevent them from being too dry. Also try decreasing the cooking time a bit to see if that does the trick. Hope that helps!
I made these into patties and they ended up falling completely apart. They taste great and I think my LO still be able to pick them up but definitely very challenging to freeze at this point. Is there a trick to helping them bind? Maybe I made my patties too thin?
I’m sorry that they fell apart! I think the trick is rolling the mixture between your hands to make them in the shape of a veggie tot rather than a patty, so about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick. That’s how I made them and had no issues with them falling apart. The sweet potato and lentils should also be very well cooked. If it’s too firm, it won’t bind together as well. Hope that helps for next time!
Thank you. I will definitely try that. Despite them falling apart they were still a big hit! I plan on making them again :)
So glad they were a hit! Hopefully they work out better next time!
If freezing how do you reheat?
You can either place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until warmed through or pop them in the microwave for about a minute. Hope that helps!
Can I use regular lentils instead of red split lentils? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would be okay! Hope it works out for you!
Do these freeze well?
Yes, they freeze really well! Usually I freeze about half the batch every time I make them and I’ve never had any issues. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi!
Thanks for Sharing this awesome receipe ! I was wondering the temperature of the oven at the last step please?
(Ps: excuse my english i’m french)
Thank you
Hi Caroline, it’s my pleasure! For the last step, the oven should be at 400 degrees F. I apologize, I should’ve made that more clear. Hope that helps!
Does it make a difference in flavor if you make it in the microwave instead of the oven (the sweet potato)?? I am super excited to make these for my little guy, I think I am going to add some sauteed onions!
You can definitely cook the sweet potato in the microwave instead of the oven. You just want it to be soft enough to combine with the lentils and to form into the taters. Love the idea of adding sautéed onions! Hope your little guy enjoys them!