Sweet Potato Tater Tots Recipe for Kids

Are you a french fry person or a tater tot person? Historically I’m more of a fry girl, but tater tots have become a recent favorite of mine. I love that they’re a little more of a satisfying mouthful. They’re a great side dish and also can be a great stand-alone snack. Kids usually love them. Adults usually love them. And I’ve even found some ways to make them a little extra nutritious. 

Sure it’s easy to drive by Sonic and pick them up (and no shame on the nights when you need to!), but a homemade sweet potato tot recipe gives you the freedom to customize what goes in them! And bonus points- they’re surprisingly simple.

Here is my sweet potato tater tots recipe that you can easily make at home!

Sweet Potato Tater Tots Recipe for Kids

Before we launch into the recipe, you might be wondering how a dietitian is recommending french fries and tater tots. Well, first of all, if you know me, you know that I always say that all foods can fit into a healthy diet. Yes, that even includes foods that are less nutrient dense (or what I usually call “sometimes foods” instead of “all the time” foods). 

But, stay with me! These sweet potato tater tots- when made at home (read also: baked not fried)- are actually a wonderful option from a nutritional standpoint!

One thing that adds to the “sometimes-ness” of fast food sides like french fries and tater tots is that they’re deep fried in oil. Those high fat, fried foods are the type of foods we like to try to limit in the diet. But these tater tots aren’t fried! They’re an oven baked sweet potato tot!

What Are Tater Tots?

Tater tots are a classic burger side dish made from….potatoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love regular potatoes and there’s nothing wrong with tater tots (or other potato products) made with classic white potatoes.

However, in this recipe, I chose to use sweet potatoes instead of regular white potatoes. Because of their orange color, they’re loaded with the antioxidant beta carotene- which is a precursor to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps promote healthy vision! (You remember the whole, “carrots are good for your eyesight” thing? They’re not wrong!)

Sweet potatoes are also a little bit more fibrous than regular potatoes, and since most of us don’t meet fiber intake recommendations, I love to choose the more fibrous option when possible.

Are Sweet Potato Tater Tots Healthy?

Yep, these sweet potato tater tots are healthy! They’re a great choice for carbs, fiber, and a good dose of certain vitamins and minerals. Plus, my recipe uses an egg and some cheese to add a little bit of fat and protein into them, too.

Overall, these sweet potato tater tots are a side dish that I feel great about serving to my family. When we make these, they pretty much all get eaten in one sitting because us adults love them just as much as the kids do! 

How To Make Sweet Potato Tater Tots For Kids

These sweet potato tater tots are actually so simple. A little bit of prep gets you a big batch!

Ingredients

• 2 medium or 3 small sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil for baking
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg beaten
• ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ⅛ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Step 2: Poke holes all around your sweet potatoes with a fork and coat with tsp of olive oil.

I use about ½ tsp of olive oil or less for each potato.  

Step 3: Cook the sweet potatoes in the oven for about 40 minutes or until they are fork tender. Let them cool down to room temperature.

Step 4: Peel your cooled potatoes, add them to a large mixing bowl, and rough mash them.

You want them to be slightly chunky and not pureed! 

Step 5: Add 1 beaten egg, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup shredded cheddar, and spices and mix together. 

Step 6: Form your mixture into tot shape and place on parchment lined baking sheets.

Step 7: Bake at 400 F for 30-35 minutes, flipping them about 15 minutes into cooking. Serve warm! 

Why I Love This Recipe

Whenever I serve a low-veggie meal like burgers or hot dogs, I love having a veggie side dish that adds some fiber and micronutrients. Plus, my kids love potato, so I get a little kick out of turning classic potato dishes into more nutritious forms! 

Picky Eater Tips for Success

If you have a condiment-lover, these sweet potato tater tots are the perfect dipper. My kids love these with True Made ketchup or Primal Kitchen Tad Sweet ketchup– both are staples in my house! Don’t feel bad if your child needs to douse a food with sauce to want to eat it. That’s a great step in the right direction, and the nutrition from the food doesn’t disappear just because they dunked it in ketchup. (Plus, my favorite ketchups are low-sugar anyway!)

Sweet Potatoes FTW!

Not only is this sweet potato tater tots recipe a huge win for my family, I also have several other tried and true sweet potato recipes in our rotation. These whole wheat sweet potato pancakes are a fall favorite. And if I don’t want to whip up the tater tots, I make these roasted diced sweet potatoes in the oven at least twice a month.