These Crispy Baked Cauliflower Bites are roasted, not fried, so they're lighter and healthier than classic cauliflower wings, but their coating is just as crispy. They're tossed in delicious BBQ (or Buffalo) sauce, and you can have them ready in less than an hour! They make a great appetizer or a side. Serve them with jalapeno mayo or ranch dip!
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Why You'll Love These Cauliflower Bites
Oven-baked, not fried - These cauliflower bites are baked in the oven, which makes them much lighter since you'll need only a fraction of the oil you'd normally use for frying, but they're still just as crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Lots of flavor and versatile - I coated the cauliflower with classic barbecue sauce which brings in all the favor but you could always do Buffalo instead if you prefer or do half and half! The crispy cauliflower is very simple in flavor on its own so I definitely recommend tossing it in your favorite sauce!
Appetizer, side, or a main - There are lots of ways you can serve these, but my favorite is as an appetizer with this Jalapeno Mayo. The creamy sauce goes perfectly with the smokiness of the cauliflower! You can also serve it with any chicken, steak, pork, beef, or fish. If you want to keep it vegetarian, serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, tofu, or salads. It's so versatile and so good!
Ingredients
- Cauliflower - Choose a small to medium-sized cauliflower. You want to give it enough space in the oven to crisp up, so if you have a lot of cauliflower florets, you may have to bake them in two batches.
- Breadcrumbs - I went with classic breadcrumbs over panko here because they're finer and I found they stick to the cauliflower better, but both are great options! Regular breadcrumbs create a more even layer coating, similar to fried wings. They do absorb more moisture than panko, so they don't stay crispy as long. You can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- All-purpose flour - I went with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour because that's what I always have, but if you don't mind the gluten, you can use regular all-purpose flour here.
- Eggs - Whisked eggs create a coating on the cauliflower that helps the breadcrumbs stick. I haven't tested any vegan substitutes.
- Spices - You'll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika powder, black pepper, and fine sea salt.
- Barbeque sauce - The star of the show that the cauliflower wings get tossed with (missing from the picture below). Use your favorite BBQ sauce! The roasted cauliflower by itself is very bland, so it's really only as good as the sauce.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different sauce - Use buffalo sauce instead of BBQ if you want a different flavor, or do half and half!
- Panko breadcrumbs - Panko will give you a crisper coating, so if you want these extra crispy, use Panko! I used regular because I always have them on hand and they might be easier to buy.
- More spices - If you want to add more flavor to the coating instead of just relying on the sauce, you can double up on the spices or add other ones like cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, or smoked paprika to the flour. I recommend adding any coarse spices like chili flakes, dried oregano, or dried thyme to the breadcrumbs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare three low bowls.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and set them aside on a paper towel to make sure they’re dry.
- Into the first low bowl, add all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika, and whisk to mix.
- Add eggs to the second bowl and whisk.
- Add breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
- Dip each cauliflower floret first in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and lastly in the breadcrumbs. Use two forks in each bowl to help you cover each floret with each coating well.
- Lay out the coated florets on your prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving some space between each one.
- Spray them evenly with cooking spray.
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- Bake them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the coating is golden brown.
- Toss them with BBQ sauce, covering each piece as well as you can.
- Bake for another 5 minutes just to warm up and caramelize the sauce.
- Serve warm with jalapeno mayo, ranch, or a similar sauce. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Use forks to coat the cauliflower - Don't use your hands, or it will create a big mess. It's so much easier to toss the pieces from one bowl to the next one with two forks and use them also to cover each piece with flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs evenly.
Serving Suggestions
- Appetizer - A great way to serve these little bites is as an appetizer for game nights or any family get-togethers. They're amazing with this Jalapeno Mayo served on the side, highly recommended!
- Side dish - Serve the cauliflower as a side along with chicken, steak, pork, beef, or even fish. Add these Whipped Mashed Potatoes to really tie it together, or a simple salad like this Arugula and Spinach Salad.
- Main dish - You can also serve it as a vegetarian main with some Rosemary Mashed Potatoes or Herb and Garlic Rice. It would also be delicious served on the side of something like this Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad, this Tortellini Caprese Salad, or even this Caesar Pasta Salad!
Storing
The cauliflower will lose its crispiness after sitting in the sauce for a while, especially once you store it in the refrigerator. It crisps back up once reheated, but it will have the best texture while freshly made.
That being said, you can definitely still store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you store the roasted cauliflower without the sauce, it may crisp up better when reheated. I don't recommend freezing it.
Reheating
Reheat the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a preheated oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the florets and how many you're reheating. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but I recommend the oven because it helps it crisp up again a little bit.
FAQs
Yes, just use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs! I like using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour, but any blend will work. I do use regular breadcrumbs, but gluten-free ones will work just as well.
No, I don't recommend skipping the egg layer. There are definitely vegan versions of crispy cauliflower out there, though, so I would try those!
More Cauliflower Recipes
If you have more cauliflower to use up or just want to try new recipes that use it, check out the three below! Or, if you're just looking for more small bites, head over to my appetizer recipes!
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Have you tried these Crispy Baked Cauliflower Bites? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Cauliflower Bites
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Crispy Baked Cauliflower Bites are roasted, not fried, so they're lighter than classic cauliflower wings, but their coating is just as crispy. They're tossed in delicious BBQ (or Buffalo) sauce, and you can have them ready in less than an hour! They make a great appetizer or a side. Serve them with jalapeno mayo or ranch dip!
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium cauliflower, cut into florets (5 cups florets)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 3 large eggs
- 1-1 ½ cup classic breadcrumbs (or panko)
- Cooking spray or 2-3 tablespoon cooking oil (I use avocado oil cooking spray)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (or more as needed)
- Jalapeno Mayo for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare three low bowls.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and set them aside on a paper towel to make sure they’re dry.
- Into the first low bowl, add all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika, and whisk to mix.
- Add eggs to the second bowl and whisk.
- Add breadcrumbs to the third bowl.
- Dip each cauliflower floret first in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and lastly in the breadcrumbs. Use two forks in each bowl to help you cover each floret with each coating well.
- Lay out the coated florets on your prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each one.
- Spray them evenly with cooking spray.
- Bake them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the coating is golden brown.
- Toss them with BBQ sauce, covering each piece as well as you can.
- Bake for another 5 minutes just to warm up and caramelize the sauce.
- Serve warm with jalapeno mayo, ranch, or a similar sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that once you toss the cauliflower in the BBQ sauce, it loses its crispiness quite quickly, especially as it sits in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing the cauliflower.
Reheating: Reheat the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a preheated oven at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Servings: The cauliflower serves 4 people when served as a main with a side, or 6 if served as an appetizer.
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Veronika Sykorova says
These are crispy without frying and so delicious! If you try them, please comment below to let me know how it went! :)