• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Piper Cooks
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Game Day & Party Food

    Crispy Cauliflower Bites (a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings)

    Published Feb 10, 2022 · Modified: Feb 21, 2022 · by Jacqueline Piper · 1 Comment · This post may contain affiliate links

    420 shares
    Jump to Recipe Rate this recipe
    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab with a text overlay for pinterest.
    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab with a text overlay for pinterest.

    Crispy Cauliflower Bites - Lightly breaded and crispy baked cauliflower bites, also known as cauliflower wings, are an easy-to-make appetizer for game day or as a main for dinner, served with a side of whole grains and a side salad for a complete balanced meal. Make the basic crispy cauliflower recipe or toss them in butter and hot sauce for spicy buffalo cauliflower bites.

    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab.

    Let's make your weekend full of delicious vegetable vibes. These breaded cauliflower bites are everything I love in an appetizer - easy to make, crispy, and spicy.

    Whether its game day or you're looking for something fun and different for dinner, these breaded cauliflower bites are great. Breaded cauliflower tastes great on its own, dipped in a sauce like ranch dressing or the herby yogurt dip in the recipe card at the bottom of this post and they're fantastic in tacos.

    Use the table of contents below to jump to any section of this blog post, including information about the ingredients, substitutions you can make, how to store this recipe, step-by-step photos, and a printable recipe card. You can also use the jump to recipe link above to get right to the card.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • More Tasty Snack Recipes
    • Recipe
    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab.

    Ingredients

    About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card for exact amounts.

    • cauliflower - I use a medium head of cauliflower.
    • eggs - 2 large eggs is enough to coat the whole head of cauliflower
    • hot sauce - You can use whichever one you prefer, like Frank's. I use Sriracha usually. This gives the cauliflower bites a base layer of flavor along with some heat.
    • bread crumbs - I prefer Panko bread crumbs for this recipe but regular bread crumbs work also. I find the panko gives crispier bites while regular bread crumbs give a heavier coated bite.
    • butter + hot sauce - to make a buffalo sauce combine a hot sauce (such as Frank's hot sauce) with butter in a 2 to 1 ratio. I make mine spicier by using Scorpion Hot Sauce by Canadian company Heartbeat Hot Sauce.
    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab.

    Instructions

    Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the cauliflower doesn't stick.

    Trim the leaves and stem off of the head of cauliflower. See the video at the top of the post.

    Break florets off of the cauliflower head. Cut any larger ones in half. This helps the cauliflower cook evenly in the oven and also gives more surface area for bread crumbs and hot sauce. Nothing wrong with that.

    Put the florets in a large bowl. See photo 1.

    In a smaller bowl mix the two eggs with the hot sauce. See photo 2. I use sriracha, but you can use any hot sauce, like Franks or whatever you prefer.

    4 photo collage of covering cauliflower pieces in an egg mixture.

    Pour the eggs over the cauliflower pieces and mix them so each floret is coated. See photo 3. I use my hands for this. You could try a spatula or tongs if you don't want to use your hands. See photo 4.

    TIP: To add flavor to the bread crumbs you can add spices or dried herbs if you like, such as Italian seasoning, paprika, oregano, curry powder or your favorite spice.

    Pour about a cup of Panko bread crumbs into a small bowl.

    Dip each cauliflower floret into the bread crumbs, coating it completely. See photos 5 & 6.

    TIP: This is easier if you use one hand as a wet hand that coats the pieces with the egg and drops the cauliflower into the bread crumbs, and one hand as the dry hand that coats the cauliflower in bread crumbs. This helps you avoid getting your hand clumpy with wet breading.

    4 photo collage of breading cauliflower pieces.

    Place the breaded cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. See photo 7. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip the cauliflower pieces over. See photo 8. Bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

    To make buffalo cauliflower bites, mix together hot sauce and melted butter together in a 2 to 1 ratio. See photo 10. This will make the classic buffalo sauce, commonly made with Frank's red hot sauce.

    We like ours spicier and use this Scorpion Hot Sauce by Canadian company Heartbeat Hot Sauce. See photo 9.

    4 photo collage of covering breaded cauliflower pieces in hot sauce.

    Add the baked cauliflower bites to a large bowl and pour the hot sauce butter mix over top. See photo 11. Toss to coat and then bake for another 5 minutes or so. See photo 12.

    Substitutions

    > Substitute the Panko bread crumbs for regular bread crumbs. The Panko bread crumbs make the cauliflower crispier but the regular bread crumbs coat the cauliflower more.

    > Use the hot sauce you prefer.

    ✔ This recipe is vegetarian.

    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab.

    More Tasty Snack Recipes

    • Samosa Puff Pastry Braid
    • Honey Bourbon Meatballs
    • Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread
    • Loaded Caramelized Onion Dip
    • Avocado Fries

    Recipe

    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab.

    Crispy Cauliflower Bites with an Herby Yogurt Dip

    Jacqueline Piper
    5 from 2 votes
    Lightly breaded and baked cauliflower bites, a.k.a. cauliflower wings, with a Herby Yogurt Dip, great for the next big game day or an extra vegetable side dish.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Baking Sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    For the Cauliflower Bites

    • 1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into florets)
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (of your choice)
    • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
    • salt and pepper (to taste)

    For the Buffalo Sauce

    • ½ cup hot sauce (your preference)
    • ¼ cup butter (melted)

    For the Herby Yogurt Dip

    • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
    • ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    • ½ teaspoon dried dill
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • squeeze fresh lime juice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    For the Cauliflower Bites

    • Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place a wire baking rack on top of a cookie sheet. (If you don't have a baking rack, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.)
    • In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce.
    • In another small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper.
    • With each piece of cauliflower, cover it first in egg and then in the bread crumbs. Use one hand as a wet hand for the egg and one hand as a dry hand for the bread crumbs.
    • Place the breaded cauliflower on the baking rack covered cookie sheet.
    • Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and then bake another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
    • Optional: If using the buffalo sauce, once the caulilflower is done cooking toss together in a bowl with the buffalo sauce. Bake again for about 5 minutes.
    • Serve with the herby yogurt dip, if desired.

    For the Buffalo Sauce

    • Mix together the melted butter and hot sauce.

    For the Herby Yogurt Dip

    • Mix all ingredients together and then refrigerate until needed.

    Notes

    Notes – If you don't like it spicy, omit the hot sauce in the egg dip, and skip coating the cauliflower in hot sauce.
    Substitutions – You can use regular bread crumbs instead of Panko bread crumbs. Try adding spices to the Panko if you like - you can try oregano, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, curry powder, or any other spice you enjoy.
    Storage – Cauliflower bites don't crispy up that great on a second bake but you can store them in the fridge for a day and reheat them by baking at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 7gFat: 3gFiber: 4gSugar: 4g

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

    Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
    Keyword vegetable main dish
    Have you tried a recipe? Tag @pipercooksblog or tag #pipercooksblog!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

    This post was originally posted on February 2, 2018. Updated February 10, 2022, to provide clearer recipe information and nutritional information.

    How long do you bake breaded cauliflower?

    Breaded cauliflower takes between 20-30 minutes to cook at 425°F (220°C) depending on the size of the cauliflower florets.

    Save this image to your appetizer board on Pinterest.

    breaded cauliflower pieces on a marble slab with a text overlay for pinterest.

    I always try to improve my photography and style and like to leave an original photo in updated posts to remind myself.

    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by Pipercooks
    Baked Cauliflower Bites, a.k.a. Cauliflower Wings Recipe by PiperCooks

    More Game Day & Party Food

    • Elote Fries
    • Buffalo Chicken Fries
    • Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce without Dill
    • Greek Style Fries with Tzatziki Sauce and Feta
    420 shares

    Enter your Email address to Subscribe to my Newsletter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook

      February 05, 2018 at 1:16 am

      These look absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jacqueline Piper.

    Hi, I’m Jacqueline Piper and I’m all about the homemade because I love to make things. From 15 minute meals for your weeknight dinner to more effort for special dinners and desserts on the weekend, I’ll show you how to cook from scratch. We’ll do healthy and we’ll do delicious, everything from kale to chocolate with beautiful, fresh ingredients. Search my recipes for your cravings, because we can make it!

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Cinnamon Bun Overnight Oats
    • Iced Coffee with Instant Coffee
    • Strawberry Lemonade Vodka Cocktail
    • Quinoa Ground Turkey Skillet - One Pan Dinner
    • Quick & Light Brioche Buns
    • Creamy Dill Chicken

    All photography and recipes on this site are Copyright © 2022 Jacqueline Piper + © PiperCooks except where stated and may not be used without permission.

    Featured on:

    Reader's Digest, Half Your Plate, NOOM, Parade.com, and Yogi Approved

    Footer

    as featured on

    ↑ back to top | Home  | About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Web Stories | How to Blog | Sign Up! for email updates | Copyright © 2023 Piper Cooks

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.