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Combine three veggies into deliciously crispy Veggie Nuggets that you can serve straight out of the oven—or warm up after freezing them. They’re versatile, loaded with veggies, and perfect for dipping!
Veggie Nuggets
These veggie nuggets have a similar texture to chicken nuggets, have boast a nice dose of vegetables and whole grains. Plus, they are an easy food for toddlers to eat, especially when dunked into ketchup, Ranch, or another favorite dipping sauce.
The leftovers bake up nice and crispy straight from the fridge or freezer, so they’re a nice homemade alternative to store bought nuggets.
Ingredients in Veggie Nuggets
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Fully cooked rice
- Whole wheat breadcrumbs
- Shredded cheese
- Egg
- Cumin
- Salt
TIP: I like to cook the rice and prep the veggies ahead of time—you can do both up to 2 days ahead of when you plan to make the nuggets—which makes the process of these a little easier.
How to Make Veggie Nuggets Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at how to make veggie nuggets. Scroll down to see the full information.
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet.
- Add the veggies and garlic to the food processor. Grind well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and grind to make a uniform batter. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides at least once.
- Form into ovals, roll in breadcrumbs, and and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake and serve warm.
TIP: I like to make these as tot shapes, or a sort of long oval, as I like the way they cook in that shape.
Tell me about the texture of these nuggets.
The outside of the nuggets are crispy and the inside is soft and tender. They are not firm like a chicken nugget, but are very soft inside and easy to bite and chew.
What do these veggie nuggets taste like?
They have mellow flavor from the garlic and cumin and have a pleasant savory flavor. They do not taste overtly like any of the veggies, but are super yummy when dipped into a favorite dipping sauce!
Can I freeze these nuggets?
Yes! You can store them in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months and warm them in the oven to serve. They crisp up nicely from storage either way—which is handy if you want to serve them over the course of a few weeks!
What goes well with them?
We like dipping them into ketchup or Ranch and having them with simple sides like Cheesy Rice, regular rice, or simply cut up fruit.
Veggie Nugget meal with Cheesy Rice and kiwi
Tips for Making the Best Veggie Nuggets
- I like to cook the rice and prep the veggies ahead of time—you can do both up to 2 days ahead of when you plan to make the nuggets—which makes the process of these a little easier.
- I like to make these as tot shapes, or a sort of long oval, as I like the way they cook in that shape.
- You can store them in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months and warm them in the oven to serve. They crisp up nicely from storage either way
- If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, try these Italian breadcrumbs from Ian’s.
- We like dipping them into ketchup or Ranch.
- If you’re looking for an egg-free option, I don’t have one for this recipe, but check out the variation in my Broccoli Tots!
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you make it for your kids. Please comment and rate below to share your thoughts!
This recipe was originally published February 2018. It has been updated significantly to improve the flavor and texture, but the original recipe is here if you’re looking for it.
Homemade Veggie Nuggets (with 3 Veggies!)
Description
I like to prep the veggies and rice ahead of time so that the process of making the nuggets is a little quicker. You can of course do it all at once though!
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup plain whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 cup fully cooked rice (I prefer jasmine or short grain brown rice)
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup additional whole-wheat breadcrumbs for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and garlic into a food processor. Grind to chop the veggies finely.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the 1/3 cup breadcrumbs. Grind into a uniform batter, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out batter, form into an oval “tot” shape, and roll in the 1/3 cup additional breadcrumbs. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat to make all of the nuggets.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes or until lightly golden brown and firm to the touch. Serve warm with a favorite dip such as ketchup or Ranch as desired.
Notes
I like to cook the rice and prep the veggies ahead of time—you can do both up to 2 days ahead of when you plan to make the nuggets—which makes the process of these a little easier.
I like to make these as tot shapes, or a sort of long oval, as I like the way they cook in that shape.
You can store them in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months
Warm from the fridge for 6 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Warm from the freezer for 8-10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. You can also warm them for 30-60 seconds in the microwave, though they will not be crisp on the outside.
If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, try these breadcrumbs from Ian’s.
If you’re looking for an egg-free option, I don’t have one for this recipe, but check out the variation in my Broccoli Tots!
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