September 28, 2024
Vegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites
These loaded vegan chili cheese tater tot bites are everything you love about chili cheese fries, but bite-sized! Crispy tater tots are formed into cups and filled with hearty chili and melty cheddar cheese, then baked to crispy perfection! Top with your favorite garnishes for a fun and delicious crowd-pleasing snack!
Table of Contents
why you’ll love this recipe ingredients jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsVegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites
These Vegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites are a crowd-pleasing snack packed with flavor and texture. Imagine the cheesy goodness of chili cheese fries, but in bite-sized, crispy tater tot cups—perfect for parties, game days, or even as a fun family dinner! Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bite-Sized Perfection: These tater tot bites are small enough for snacking, but big on flavor.
- Easy to Make: With just a few ingredients, you can whip up this recipe in under 30 minutes.
- Customizable: Garnish them with your favorite toppings like vegan sour cream, jalapeños, or minced red onion.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for any event, from game nights to family gatherings, these bites will have everyone coming back for seconds!
- Kid-Friendly: A fun and tasty snack that kids will enjoy making and eating.
- Minimal Ingredients: Requires just a handful of simple ingredients, making it budget-friendly.
Ingredients for Vegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites
- Tater Tots: The crispy base for your bites! You’ll need about 60 frozen tater tots if you’re using a cupcake tray with 12 slots.
- Vegan Chili: While I highly suggest making my smoky chili, you can certainly opt for store-bought chili to really streamline this recipe! Some brands I enjoy are Amy’s Spicy Chili and Gardein Plant-Based Chili.
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese Shreds: For that melty, cheesy topping.
- Optional Garnishes: Vegan sour cream, fresh minced chives, thinly sliced jalapeños, and minced red onion for added flavor and presentation.
How to Make Vegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites
1. Preheat Your Oven & Prepare the Tots:
Set your oven to 425°F (218°C) and grease a cupcake pan. Place 5 tater tots into each cup of the cupcake pan and bake for 10 minutes.
2. Form the Tater Tot Cups:
After baking, remove the pan from the oven and press the tater tots down in the center using a tamper or the bottom of a small glass, creating a cup shape.
3. Fill with Chili and Cheese:
Add about 2 tablespoons of vegan chili to each tater tot cup, then top with vegan cheddar cheese shreds.
4. Bake Again:
Place the pan back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the tater tots are crispy.
5. Garnish, Serve and Enjoy!
Let the bites cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan. Garnish with vegan sour cream, chives, jalapeños, and red onion if desired. Serve immediately!
Tips and FAQs
- Chili Consistency: Make sure your chili is thick and hearty so it stays neatly in the tater tot cups.
- Best Tool for Smashing Tater Tots: While a pestle or tamper works great, you can also use the bottom of a small glass or even a measuring cup. Just make sure to press firmly and evenly to create a well-defined cup shape.
- Preventing Tater Tot Cups from Falling Apart: If your tater tot cups crumble when you try to remove them, let them cool in the pan for an extra 5-10 minutes before removing. You can also try pressing the tots a bit firmer when forming the cups for better stability.
- Getting Extra Crispy Tater Tots: If you like your tots extra crispy, bake them for an additional 2-3 minutes before pressing them into cups. This will give them a sturdier and crunchier texture.
- Freezer-Friendly: You can freeze these tater tot bites after baking! Let them cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container. To reheat, bake them at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes until warmed through.
Can I make these vegan chili cheese tater tot bites ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare the tater tot cups and fill them with chili in advance. When ready to serve, top them with cheese and bake for the final 20 minutes.
Can I use different toppings?
Absolutely … that’s the best part about this recipe! Feel free to get creative. Try adding vegan bacon bits, diced tomatoes, or even a drizzle of vegan nacho cheese sauce for an extra indulgent treat!
What type of chili works best for this recipe?
A thicker, chunkier chili works best for this recipe. You can use your favorite vegan chili recipe or a store-bought version for convenience.
What should I do if my vegan chili cheese tater tot bites are falling apart when I try to remove them from the cupcake tin?
Let them cool for a bit longer in the cupcake tin to firm up. You can cover the cupcake tray with foil (to prevent the tops from burning), and bake them an additional 5 to 10 minutes to get them extra crispier, and therefore more sturdy. Make sure to let them cool for at least 10 minutes when you remove them from the oven.
Perfect for Parties, Game Days, and More!
These Vegan Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites are the ultimate crowd-pleaser for any occasion. Whether you’re hosting a party, looking for a fun family snack, or need a quick and easy game-day appetizer, these bites will disappear as quickly as you serve them! Customize them with your favorite toppings and enjoy the comfort of chili cheese fries in a convenient, bite-sized form. If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigsand #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites
Ingredients
- 60 frozen tater tots
- 1½ cup vegan chili, homemade or store-bought
- ¾ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds
- Vegan sour cream, for garnish, optional
- Fresh minced chives, for garnish, optional
- Thinly sliced jalapeno, for garnish, optional
- Minced red onion, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C)
- Grease a cupcake pan and place 5 tater tots in each cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes in the oven, remove cupcake pan, but leave the oven on. Using a pestle, tamper or the bottom of a small glass, press the tater tots down in the center, forming a tater tot “cup”.
- Fill each tater to cup with about 1-2 tablespoons of chili. Sprinkle some cheese shreds on top and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the tater tots are crisp around the edges and the cheese has melted.
- Remove cupcake pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove each tater tot bite from the tin and garnish with sour cream, chives, jalapeno and red onion.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
