Owl pellets. Sounds super appealing right?! That’s what my husband calls these. My culinary works of art are dubbed as owl poop. Sweet. But they don’t taste like owl poop, I PROMISE. Actually my toddler promises. Because these are his fav. And you know what, I like ’em too. Totally pop-in-your-mouth, snack-on-the-go, nutrient-dense, finger-food superfood. THESE are sweet potato and spinach tots.
Phf, owls WISH they could eat these fun, cinnamon-y tots. They are soft, sweet, and loaded with good stuff like vitamins A, C, K, and B6. Stuff mommas can feel good about feeding their littles (because sometimes the ‘much-needed-TV-babysitter’ makes us feel guilty enough).
I started making these tots (PS does anyone immediately think of Napoleon Dynamite when the word ‘tot’ comes to mind?) when my son was 6 months old and we started baby led weaning (BLW). BLW skips rice cereal and purees and immediately introduces ‘normal adult’ food, in order for baby to get used to texture and taste. These spinach sweet potato tots were a perfect intro food, since they are soft and chewy (look mom, no teeth required!)
Even now that we BOTH have teeth, we share these cute little tots during lunchtime. He likes to grab them with his little hands (sometimes smushing them between his fingers which is really flipping annoying), and I like to eat them along a juicy turkey burger or as a side to my morning eggs. They are paleo, vegan, and Whole30 compliant.
This recipe makes quite the batch, so freeze what you don’t use. I do this all the time, hence why my freezer is a mismatch of containers and plastic bags covered in sharpie descriptions. You can also sub spinach for thinly diced kale or chard too. Get creative because you can’t go wrong with these paleo and vegan pleasers. Momma bear, you got this!
To start, poke an extra-large or two small/medium sweet potatoes with small spears and microwave on high, 4-6 minutes or until soft inside. Let the sweet potato(es) cool then scoop out the inside into a large bowl and discard the skin. Add the coconut flour, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, drained and thawed frozen spinach (make sure to squeeze out as much water as you can), and almond milk (you could also use coconut milk).
Mix well until a thick dough forms.
Take a small portion of the sweet potato ‘dough’ (about 1-2 tablespoons) and roll into an oval ball to make the tots. Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Serve ’em warm, serve ’em cold, serve them to your kids, yourself, or your pet owls. Because no human or creepy-bird like thing can resist!
Have you tried sweet potato tots? What’s your favorite snack to share with your kiddos?
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (1 extra large or 2 small/medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ drained frozen spinach, or any finely chopped greens
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Thoroughly wash sweet potato(es). Using a sharp knife, poke small cuts into the sweet potato(es)
- Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft
- Let cool then cut into the potato(es). Scoop out the insides into a large bowl. Mash with a fork
- Add the ground flaxseed, coconut flour, spinach, milk, and cinnamon. Mix well until a thick "dough" forms
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a heaping mixture of the sweet potato dough (about 1 - 2 tablespoons) and gently roll into an oval to make the traditional 'tot' shape
- Once all the dough is formed into tots, place into the oven for 25-30 minutes
- Let cool and serve immediately. Or refrigerate. You can also freeze these for later
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