Carrot and Cheddar Bites

These cheesy little carrot and cheddar bites are the perfect finger food for a vegetarian party buffet – or just a mid-afternoon snack!

Sometimes it’s nice to cook something fancy, to make you feel super grown up and posh. Other times… party food is where it’s at. Eating like a toddler at a birthday party can be so satisfying – a few of these carrot and cheddar bites dipped in ketchup makes the best snack.

Bonus points if you serve them on a cocktail stick with a stripy paper napkin.

Cheesy carrot bites

These carrot and cheddar bites are brilliant. Little bites that are crispy on the outside, and soft and cheesy in the middle – the perfect combination.

The carrot gives them a slight sweetness, and having a veggie in there makes you feel a little better about eating party food – but they still remain a fun, cheesy treat.

They’re easy to make, utterly delicious, and very toddler-friendly!

Simple recipe

As always, the recipe for these cheesy bites is incredibly straightforward. Just mix some breadcrumbs, grated carrot, and grated cheese in a large bowl.

You can add whatever additional flavourings you fancy. I added a bit of my beloved smoked paprika (I will post a recipe without it one day, I promise), but you could use whatever ground spices you like – a bit of chilli powder if you’d like some heat, some garam masala to add an Indian vibe, dried herbs… whatever you fancy.

Then, just crack in a couple of eggs to help hold everything together.

Baked carrot bites

Form the cheesy carrot mixture into little balls, and lay them out on a baking tray.

The balls are baked in the oven, so that’s the entirety of the hands-on work done. They really are quick to prepare – grating the cheese and carrot is the job that takes the longest, and even that only takes a couple of minutes!

Just pop the carrot balls in the oven until they’re golden brown and crispy, and you’re all done!

How should I serve these carrot and cheddar bites?

These carrot and cheddar bites would be perfect served up as finger food at a party – either for kids, or grown ups (just like a good outfit, you can dress them up or down!).

Alternatively, if you don’t have any parties coming up, they’re great nibbled on their own as a snack. I think they’re best eaten warm, but they’re totally yummy eaten cold too.

We actually had ours for dinner, served on top of a big salad (and I don’t just mean a pile of lettuce – I’m talking lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onions, feta cheese, creamy Caesar dressing… the works). I just plonked a few carrot bites right on top of each bowl – they were just the thing to turn a simple salad into a really irresistible dinner.

Other vegetarian party food ideas

One item on a buffet table isn’t much of a party, so here are a few more vegetarian party food ideas to serve alongside your carrot and cheese bites:

• vegetable sticks and some kind of vegetarian dip or hummus
• vegetarian samosas
• coleslaw
• beetroot nuggets or any other kind of breaded veggie
• lentil sausage rolls
• bruschetta or crostini
• slices of vegetarian tart or quiche
• veggie-based salads
• pasta salad / potato salad
• bowls of crisps (chips)
• bowls of spicy nuts
• crackers or breadsticks

Stick all of that on a table next to your cheesy carrot bites, and you’ve got yourself an amazing vegetarian buffet!

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Carrot and cheddar bites

These cheesy little carrot and cheddar bites are the perfect finger food for a vegetarian party buffet – or just a mid-afternoon snack!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Snack

Servings: 15 balls

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 100 g bread (~ 2 medium slices)
• 1 large carrot, grated (~ 185g / ~ 6 1/2 oz)
• 100 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 eggs
• Oil, for greasing the tray

Instructions

• Use a food processor to blitz the bread into breadcrumbs (or just crumble it finely if you don’t have a food processor).
• Add the breadcrumbs to a mixing bowl, along with the grated carrot and grated cheese. Mix to combine.
• Add the remaining ingredients (apart from the oil), and mix thoroughly.
• Use clean hands to shape the mixture into balls – I ended up with 15 balls in total. Place them on a well oiled baking tray, and bake at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 30 minutes, or until crispy and slightly browned.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 3 carrot balls.

Catering for a party? A vegetarian mezze platter is the perfect solution!