Healthy Veggie Nuggets Recipe That Kids LOVE!
This Veggie Nuggets recipe is healthy, kid friendly, and simple to make. Perfect for lunch boxes and snacks.
As a mom, I hold these truths to be self-evident:
- Kids love finger food.
- Kids love dipping.
- Kids love nuggets.
Well, at least my kids do.
This Veggie Nuggets recipe hits that trifeca of kid-friendliness. Because sometimes veggies can be a hard sell with the younger set.
I’m not a fan of “hiding” veggies in other foods as the sole way of serving them–I think fresh veggies should be fixtures on the table too. But I AM a fan of trying all kinds of spins on preparing them.
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How to Make Veggie Nuggets For Kids
Thankfully, you can let your food processor do a lot of the work here (this is the classic Cuisinart food processor I’ve had for years and years).
Place shredded carrots, steamed broccoli, garlic, eggs, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, cheese, onion powder, and black pepper in the food processor and pulse for 15 seconds or until well combined. Mixture should form easily into a ball. If it’s too crumbly, add water one teaspoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
Form the mixture into balls, about a tablespoon each (I use this cookie scoop for so many jobs, including this). You should get about 25 nuggets. Flatten slightly into round discs about 1/2-inch thick.
Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Coat each veggie nuggets with breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat until it sizzles when sprinkled with water droplets. Arrange nuggets in the skillet and cook about 4 minutes each side, or until golden brown and crispy. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your skillet.
Serve these vegetarian nuggets warm or cold with ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, or another favorite dip.
These easy, homemade Veggie Nuggets would be fun for snacks or meals or tucked into lunch boxes.
Are These Veggie Nuggets Healthy?
Yes! Every serving has three grams of fiber and eight grams of protein. They are pan-fried (NOT deep-fried), but the recipe uses very little oil.
Can You Bake These Veggie Nuggets Instead?
Yes! The recipe is adapted from the blog Red Round or Green, and she bakes her nuggets. You can see the original version here.
But keep in mind that while this recipe calls for them being pan-fried, you’re only using one tablespoon of oil for 25 nuggets–that’s not much at all compared to something that is truly “fried”.
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Can You Freeze Veggie Nuggets?
Yes! Let them cool and place in a freezer-safe bag, press out as much air as possible. To, defrost in the fridge then reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until heated through.
Are These Vegan Veggie Nuggets?
These are vegetarian veggie nuggets. To make these vegan veggie nuggets, substitute vegan cheese for the regular cheese and use a flax eggs in place of the eggs.
How to make two flax eggs: Combine two tablespoon ground flaxseed with six tablespoons water, stir, and let it sit for at least five minutes to thicken. Use the mixture in place of the eggs in this recipe.
What Can I Serve With These Veggie Nuggets?
Serve these veggie nuggets with ketchup, bbq sauce, honey-mustard sauce, or any other sauce your kids love to dip.
I hope you and your kids enjoy these Veggie Nuggets!
Veggie Nuggets
These Veggie Nuggets are healthy, kid friendly, and simple to make. Perfect for lunch boxes and snacks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Instructions
- Shred carrots (I use my food processor's shredding attachment).
- Steam broccoli in the microwave for two minutes or until tender.
- Place shredded carrots, steamed broccoli, garlic, eggs, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs, cheese, onion powder, and black pepper in food processor and pulse for 15 seconds or until well combined. Mixture should form easily into a ball. If it's too crumbly, add water one teaspoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Form mixture into balls, about a tablespoon each (I use a cookie scoop). You should get about 25 nuggets. Flatten slightly into round discs about 1/2-inch thick.
- Place remaining 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Coat each veggie nuggets with breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat until it sizzles when sprinkled with water droplets.
- Arrange nuggets in skillet and cook about 4 minutes each side, or until golden brown and crispy. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Serve with honey-mustard sauce, ketchup, or other favorite dip.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 3 nuggetsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g
