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

Pile of cheesy carrot and cheddar bites on a plate with a pot of ketchup.

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.

Pile of carrot and cheddar bites on a plate with ketchup.

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!

Grated carrot, grated cheese and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

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.

Grated carrot mixture in a mixing bowl.

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!

Carrot and cheddar bites on a baking tray before and after baking.

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.

Pile of carrot and cheddar bites on a plate with a pot of ketchup.

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:

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

A pile of vegetarian party nibbles on a plate with ketchup.
Print

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 Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Servings: 15 balls

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 190ยฐC (Gas Mark 5 / 375ยฐF) for around 30 minutes, or until crispy and slightly browned.
Course: Snack
Keyword: carrot balls, carrot bites, cheese balls, cheese bites, vegetarian party food
Author: Becca Heyes
Nutrition Facts
Carrot and cheddar bites
Amount Per Serving (3 balls)
Calories 166 Calories from Fat 82
% Daily Value*
Fat 9.1g14%
Saturated Fat 4.9g25%
Cholesterol 86mg29%
Sodium 326mg14%
Potassium 119mg3%
Carbohydrates 12.2g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1.9g2%
Protein 8.9g18%
Calcium 189mg19%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

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