Simple Sweet Potato Tots For Baby

Sweet potato tots for baby is my latest baby-led weaning recipe. 

We received a lot of sweet potatoes as a gift from my mom this year so I had to come up with creative recipes to use them up.

One recipe I tried that my toddlers really loved was sweet potato tater tots.

It was so easy for me to make. All I had to do was mix all the ingredients together and bake it in the oven.

Read on to learn how to make this sweet potato tot.

You may also like – 10+ Sweet Potato Recipes For Baby-led Weaning

Important Recipe Notes on BLW Sweet Potato Tots 

There’s an egg in this recipe 

I know that some babies have an egg allergy so I just wanted to let you know that this recipe uses eggs. 

Eggs act as a binding agent that’s why I use it. You can try using other egg substitutes as well. See the table below for some egg substitutes.

Although I must say, I’ve never personally used an egg substitute for BLW sweet potato tots.

Egg Substitutes	Number of “eggs” Made
3 tbsp peanut butter	1 egg
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (whisk until gelatinous)
1/2 mashed banana	1 egg
1 tbsp mashed sweet potato	1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce	1 egg
1 tbsp chia seed + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (stir & rest it for 15-30 min)
1 tbsp soy protein + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (mix & use immediately)

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. For more info please see the disclaimer

This recipe has cheese

If your baby has lactose intolerance or a milk allergy then you’ll need to adjust for that. 

Cheese acts as a binding agent to help the bread crumbs stick to the sweet potato. 

You could probably skip the cheese in the recipe but I’ve never tried to. I always use cheese in mine.

If you do skip the cheese, please let me know in the comment how it turned out.

You can use any type of cheese you prefer 

You can use any cheese you prefer for this recipe.

Just make sure the cheese you use is of the hard variety. 

Soft cheeses like mozzarella may not work. 

I prefer using Parmesan cheese for most of my recipes. I like the way it tastes, and my kids prefer it too.

But I also use cheddar cheese as my second choice when I don’t have Parmesan available.

Love Sweet Potatoes? Try These Other Recipes!

Why Sweet Potatoes Are Good For Babies and Toddlers

Sweet Potatoes contain tons of nutrients that babies need to grow. They are a good source of vitamin A which helps with proper vision development in babies. They are also rich in fiber. Fiber helps promote regular bowel movements (source)

What To Serve With Sweet Potato Tater Tots For Baby

Serve it with some protein 

You can serve some protein along with your baby’s sweet potato tater tots.

My favorite protein to serve with this recipe is shredded chicken or shredded pork.

You can add plant protein like beans, string beans, peas, and chickpeas.

Serve it with fruits

Fruits make a great side dish for sweet potato tots for babies.

The sweetness of the fruits will complement the sweetness of the potatoes very well.

How To Serve Sweet Potato Tots For Baby-led Weaning

6-9 Months old

Serve sweet potato tots to babies whole when they’re between 6-9 months old.

This will allow your baby to easily pick it up and feed themselves. The larger the food, the easier it is to eat.

9-12 months old

Babies between the ages of 9 and 12 months can be served sweet potato tater tots in small chunks. They’ll be able to pick it up and self-feed at this age.

12- 24 months and older

Around 12-24 months, toddlers can be served sweet potato tots however they want.

Tips for Picky Eaters

Don’t pressure

Give your baby or toddler a chance to say no. It’s okay if they don’t like what we serve them. Keep trying. 

It takes at least 30 exposures for a baby to begin liking a food, so don’t give up.

Make it into a game

Sometimes I create games around the food I serve to get my kids interested in eating. 

A game we’ve played in the past is called “Here comes the airplane… open the garage”. This encourages them to open their mouth as I bring the food in like an airplane.

Sometimes my kids will try new foods this way.

Ingredients For BLW Sweet Potato Tater Tots 

Sweet potatoes – You need to bake the sweet potatoes before you use them to make sweet potato tater tots. Boiling the potatoes will make them absorb too much water. This will result in very mushy sweet potato tots.

To bake sweet potatoes, wash and dry the sweet potatoes with a paper towel. Then use a fork to poke the sweet potatoes all around.

Set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven for 30-40 mins in the oven.

You will know that the sweet potatoes are done when you can easily poke it with a fork. They start hissing. They may also look rinkled. Note that the amount of baking time depends on how large your sweet potatoes are.

Breadcrumbs – I used panko breadcrumbs for this recipe but you can also use plain breadcrumbs. I like Panko because its preseasoned.

Cheddar cheese – I used cheddar cheese for this recipe because I love the taste. You can choose to use other types of cheese like Parmasan or any other hard cheese.

Egg – egg is used in this recipe as a binding agent. So it’s important not to skip it. If you need a egg substitute, scroll up to the table I posted above.

Cooking Directions For Sweet Potato Tots for Baby

• Set oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Mash the baked sweet potatoes in a bowl
• Add the breadcrumbs, cheese, and egg.
• Combine all ingredients together thoroughly.
• Mold into tot shape with your hands and place on a greased baking sheet
• Bake for 15 minutes on each side.

Mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl

Add the breadcrumbs

Add the cheese and egg

Mold into tot shapes and place on a greased baking sheet

Serve and enjoy

FAQs About Sweet Potato Tots for Baby

Can I use any kind of cheese?

You can use any type of cheese for BLW sweet potato tots. It’s best to use hard cheeses like cheddar or Parmesan.

Sweet Potato Tots For Baby Storage Tips

Can I refrigerate sweet potato tots for baby?

Yes, you can refrigerate sweet potato tots for baby for up to a week. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container. This will help preserve its freshness.

Can I freeze sweet potato tots for baby-led weaning?

Yes, you can. I often make a huge batch of sweet potato tots for my baby and then freeze the leftovers. They will last for a long time in the freezer 

Reheating BLW sweet potato tots For Baby

In the oven

To reheat these BLW sweet potato tater tots, place them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes. This should allow them to crisp back up.

In the microwave 

You can also reheat sweet potato tots in the microwave 

To do so, place some sweet potato tots in a microwave-safe plate. 

Cover it and microwave on high for 2 minutes on one side. Flip the sweet potato tots over and microwave again for 30 seconds on the other side.

Then place it in front of a fan or just air it out to cool down before serving. This will allow the tots to crisp up again.

Did you make this baby-led weaning lunch recipe? 

Let me know in the comments how it turned out!