These crispy cauliflower bites are going to become a favorite at all your sporting events. Lighter, healthier and just as delicious as chicken wings, these are going to change the way you think about veggies.
They have this super, crispy exterior thanks to the panko breadcrumbs and this super soft interior thanks to the baking. There is no frying and no oil. I like to think of these as my crispy cauliflower wings or crispy buffalo cauliflower wings.
First, you are going to make a batter of flour, milk and spices. I like the batter pretty thick so it coats the cauliflower. I use skim milk to lighten it up and Wondra flour because it doesn’t clump up. You can use all purpose flour… Wondra is just my flour of choice since it is so finely ground. The seasonings for this recipe are straight forward BUT you could play with them depending on what sauce you are serving them with. See my notes for an Italian version.
Use more seasoning or different seasonings that you like. There are no rules.
Then, you are going to dip the cauliflower into the batter and then into the crispy panko crumbs. I season them well with salt and pepper and make sure they are coating the batter completely.
But there are a couple of tips that keep these super crispy. First, make sure you are baking these at a high temperature so they cook quickly. Placing the bites on a rack sitting on a baking sheet allows the air to circulate around the cauliflower bites and get them crispy.
Making the sauce in this recipe is easy. I found a great sugar-free barbecue sauce and mixed it with hot sauce. These crispy cauliflower bites are so versatile that you can serve them with almost anything. But take note of the following.
When I first made them, I immediately tossed them in the spicy bbq/buffalo sauce I made. That was fine and if you were eating them right away it worked great. But, if you were putting them out on a platter for people to pick on, and they sat out for awhile, that made the crust soggy and it lost all that crunch.
The solution, was to not toss the cauliflower bites in the sauce but rather, serve the BBQ sauce on the side along with the blue cheese dressing and any other sauce you might be serving. This was an easy solution and one that keeps everything hot and crispy. Your guests can decide what they want on their bites. It also gives you the options of adding all kinds of dipping sauces on the side.
Some others might include:
. A regular BBQ sauce
. A really spicy buffalo sauce
. A ranch dressing
. Salsa
. Greek yogurt
Another favorite way to make and serve these is my Italian style bites. I’ll add dried basil and oregano to the batter then serve these sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served with warm marinara sauce. Yum!
Crispy Cauliflower Bites
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Cup Wondra flour
- 1 Cup Skim milk
- 1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/2 Tsp. Onion powder
- 1+ Tsp. Kosher Salt
- 20+ Grinds freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Cup Panko
- 1 Cup Lite Blue Cheese dressing
- 1 Cup Sugar free BBQ sauce
- 1+ Tsp. Hot pepper Sauce
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and top with a rack. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
- Add the BBQ sauce of your choice and the hot sauce into a small saucepan and heat over a low heat. You’ll pour that into a small bowl and put the blue cheese dressing in a separate bowl for serving when the cauliflower bites are ready.
- Mix the flour, milk garlic powder, onion power, teaspoon of salt and 20 grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the panko with a large pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.
- Dip a cauliflower floret into the batter to coat. Let the excess drip off. Then roll in the panko to completely coat. Place on the prepared rack. Continue until all the cauliflower florets are coated and on the rack.
- Spray the breaded cauliflower with cooking spray and place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until starting to brown. Finish under the broiler for two minutes until golden brown.
- Serve on a platter with the dipping sauces and enjoy.
