These Loaded Potato Tater Tot Cups are the ultimate game day snack: crispy tater tot cups filled with melty cheese, crispy bacon, fresh chives, and a creamy homemade onion-dip-inspired sour cream. They’re easy to make in a muffin tin, completely handheld, and packed with all the flavors of a loaded baked potato!

Loaded Potato Tater Tot Bites

If you know me, you know I am not a football fan. Or, really, an organized-sports fan in general. But snacks? Now that is a sport I can get behind! I consider myself a certified snack queen, so when game day rolls around, I take the food spread very seriously.

These Loaded Potato Tater Tot Cups are exactly the kind of game day appetizer I want to eat: crispy tater tots baked into little handheld cups, filled with melty cheese, crispy bacon, fresh chives, and plenty of onion-dip inspired sour cream.

This recipe is part of my Game Day Snack Series, and it also happens to be a little bit of a throwback. I first shared my loaded tater tot cups (aka my Cheeseburger Tater Tot Bites) back in 2020. Since then, I’ve made so many variations using my trusty muffin tin. If you’ve been here for awhile, then you’ll know how much I LOVE turning muffin-tin recipes into handheld snacks! These Chili Cheese Tater Tot Bites, Meatball Sub Bites, and Taco Cups are just a few of the other versions I’ve made.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They’re completely handheld: No plates or forks required!
• Crispy tater tots become edible cups: It’s a fun way to transform everyone’s favorite frozen potato snack!
• All the flavors of a loaded baked potato: Cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream all make an appearance.
• They’re made in a muffin tin: One of my favorite ways to make party-ready, bite-sized snacks!
• They’re great for parties: Individual portions make them easy for guests to grab and eat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Form the Tater Tot Cups:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a muffin tin and arrange 5 tater tots in each cup. Bake 10 minutes, then press the center of each to create a well.

2. Prepare the Sour Cream Filling:

While the tater tots bake, mix sour cream, onion flakes, granulated onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and chill until needed.

3. Add Cheese:

Fill each cup with 1 tablespoon vegan cheese shreds, cover loosely with foil, and bake 7 to 10 minutes until melted.

4. Crisp the Edges:

Remove foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp around the edges. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing.

5. Garnish, Serve and Enjoy!

Top with chilled sour cream mixture, vegan bacon bits, chives, and extra cheese if desired.

Tips and FAQs

• Press while warm: Form the tater tot cups immediately after the initial 10-minute bake, the tots are softest then and hold their shape better.
• Don’t skip the foil tent: Covering with foil during the cheese melt stage prevents over-browning while the cheese is melting.
• Chill the filling first: Cold sour cream mixture firms up and sits cleanly on top without sliding into the cup.
• Piping bag hack: Snip a corner off a zip-top bag for mess-free filling distribution.
• Mini muffin tin adjustment: If using a mini muffin tin, reduce to 3 tater tots per cup instead of 5. Bake times may need slight reduction, so check after 8 minutes for the initial bake and monitor cheese melting closely.

Do I need a muffin tin for this recipe?

Yes, a standard muffin tin is essential for forming the cups properly. I haven’t tested this without one and wouldn’t recommend attempting it. The shape and structural integrity come from pressing the tots into the muffin cups, and alternative methods won’t yield the same results. Silicone muffin liners or mini muffin tins are acceptable alternatives if you have them.

How do I store leftovers?

Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best texture, store the sour cream mixture, bacon bits, and chives separately. Reheat the cups in the oven or air fryer to restore crispness, then add fresh sour cream before serving.

Can I freeze these?

Freeze after cooling without toppings. Store for up to 2 months. Keep the sour cream mixture separate, it won’t reheat well and may separate. Reheat from frozen at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, then top with cold sour cream and fresh garnishes.

Pass the Tater Tot Bites

Whether you’re actually watching the game or, like me, you’re primarily there for the snacks, these Loaded Potato Tater Tot Cups are made for sharing. They’re crispy, cheesy, bacon-y, creamy, and completely handheld! Basically everything you want in a party appetizer in one delicious little bite. And don’t forget the oniony sour cream! It might seem like a small detail, but that extra savory flavor is what takes these from simple loaded tater tot cups to something you’ll want to keep on rotation!

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to see! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or Facebook, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes! xx!

Loaded Potato Tater Tot Bites

Ashley

These Loaded Potato Tater Tot Cups are the ultimate game day snack: crispy tater tot cups filled with melty cheese, crispy bacon, fresh chives, and a creamy homemade onion-dip-inspired sour cream. They’re easy to make in a muffin tin, completely handheld, and packed with all the flavors of a loaded baked potato!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack, Starter

Servings 12 Tater Tot Bites

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 60 frozen tater tots
• ¾ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds, plus more for garnish, optional
• ¾ cup vegan sour cream
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, to taste
• ¼ cup vegan bacon bits
• Fresh chives, thinly sliced

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Grease a cupcake pan some cooking spray and place 5 tater tots in each cup. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
• While the tater tots are in the oven, prepare your sour cream filling.
• Place the sour cream, onion flakes, granulated onion and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, if necessary. Place the mixture in the fridge until ready to use. Optional: I like to transfer the sour cream mixture to a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off for easier distribution.
• After 10 minutes in the oven, remove the cupcake pan, but leave the oven on. Using a pestle, tamper, or the bottom of a small cup, press the tater tots down in the center, forming a tater tot “cup”.
• Fill each tater to cup with 1 tablespoon of cheese shreds, cover loosely with foil, and bake until the cheese melts, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the foil and place back into the oven until the tater tots are golden-brown and slightly crisp around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the cupcake pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then carefully remove each “cup” and transfer them to a plate.
• Fill each cup with the sour cream mixture, followed by a sprinkle of the bacon bits, chives, and more cheese (optional). Enjoy!

Video

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