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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Tasty Snack Recipes
- Samosa Puff Pastry Braid
- Honey Bourbon Meatballs
- Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread
- Loaded Caramelized Onion Dip
- Avocado Fries
Recipe
Crispy Cauliflower Bites with an Herby Yogurt Dip
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.
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.
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.
I always try to improve my photography and style and like to leave an original photo in updated posts to remind myself.
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
These look absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing!