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Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites will be the hit of your party or dinner table! They're low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Follow our easy breading technique to get these in your belly quick.
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Sometimes I think I could start a PR firm just to represent cauliflower! I sing its praises in so many recipes.
Cauliflower Muffins and Cauliflower Grits will make you second guess the need for rice. This amazing vegetable even makes an appearance on pizza night as cauliflower pizza bites or crust. And, these Parmesan Cauliflower Bites will sit proudly alongside traditional wings on any low-carb party table.
This versatile vegetable just needs to be advertised correctly.
For example, this tasty finger food could be called Parmesan Cauliflower Poppers. The florets are lightly coated in butter and then breaded with Parmesan cheese, paprika and roasted until crispy. You'll want to pop one of these "wings" in your mouth as soon as they come out of the oven!
They will literally put a smile on your face, especially if you use our easy breading technique.
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Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these cauliflower bites:
- Melted butter makes the breading stick to the cauliflower.
- Cauliflower Florets - A small head of cauliflower yields about 3-4 cups.
- Breading - In order to keep this recipe low-carb and gluten-free, we did not add any breadcrumbs. It's a simple combination of Parmesan cheese, paprika and black pepper.
Variations:
- Use a different type of hard cheese, like Asiago cheese or Romano cheese.
- Use nutritional yeast and dairy free butter for a vegan version.
- Add whole wheat panko breadcrumbs. We used this breading variation to make Parmesan Chicken Nuggets which will also work here.
How to Bread Cauliflower Bites the Easy Way
Now, for a little rant and a tip...I really do hate to mess up lots of dishes and/or clean up a mess. If you feel that way too, use a "1" big bowl with a tight-fitting lid and let it quickly do all the dirty work. Here's how:
- Melt butter in a small bowl and pour it over the cauliflower florets that are in the big bowl, close the lid and gently shake to coat them with butter. Open the lid and check to see that the butter is distributed evenly. Toss the florets a little more if necessary.
- Tip: Use a silicone pastry brush to fill in any gaps.
- Note: When using this technique, it's important not to have lots of butter "leftover" in the bottom of the bowl when you add the breading.
- Prepare the Parmesan cheese breading in a separate small bowl. Sprinkle the cheese breading mixture over the top of the florets.
- Close the lid and gently toss again.
- Note: These steps can be done in smaller batches if desired.
- Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet (or in an air fryer) and bake until crispy.
Note: Large plastic freezer bags can also be used for this technique.
No fuss, no muss...except please be aware that the paprika makes these crispy cauliflower bites the pretty color that they become...and that color doesn't play well with a white shirt! It's not a bad idea to enjoy them with a fork.
We use the same no-mess breading process for Healthy Chicken Tenders and Broiled Scallops with a Parmesan Crust too. It really works!
Air Fryer Cooking Instructions
You can follow the easy breading instructions above and make cauliflower bites in an air fryer!
- Preheat air fryer to 390 °F for 3 minutes.
- Spray the crisper plate with olive oil and place cauliflower in a single layer. Lightly spray with olive oil to promote crispiness.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until desired tenderness. You can gently turn the pieces over with a rubber-tipped spatula halfway through, but I often don't need to do this.
Aren't they gorgeous?!
Re-heating and Make-Ahead Tips
Reheating: Cauliflower Bites are best eaten fresh, but can be crisped up again in an air fryer or oven at 350 °F for about 5-10 minutes or until hot. We do not recommend using a microwave to reheat because they will be soggy.
Make-Ahead Tips: Prepare cauliflower and breading 2-3 days in advance and then bread just before baking. The florets may also be breaded a day ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container until ready to cook.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Mexican "Street Style" Cauliflower - a low-carb version of elote!
- Roasted Cauliflower Rice - from FROZEN!
- Curried Cauliflower Rice - in minutes!
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Parmesan Cauliflower Bites - Just 5 Ingredients
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets washed and thoroughly dried; about 1 small head of cauliflower
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees °F.
- Toss cauliflower florets with melted butter in a large bowl. Check for pieces that are not coated with butter and toss again or use a silicone pastry brush to fill in those spots.
- Combine Parmesan cheese, paprika and pepper and sprinkle over the butter-coated cauliflower florets that are still in the large bowl.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Gently toss to coat.
- Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on baking sheet sprayed to prevent sticking.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to crisp.
- Enjoy hot from the oven!
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 °F for 3 minutes.
- Spray the crisper plate with olive oil and place cauliflower in a single layer. Lightly spray the florets with olive oil to promote crispiness.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until desired tenderness. You can gently turn the pieces over with a rubber-tipped spatula halfway through, but I don't need to do this.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published 1/31/18. It was updated to improve the reader experience.
Cookie says
These came out delicious! You can even dip them in marinara. I think next time I'll sprinkle a little garlic in there.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Garlic sounds delish!
Karen says
Mine came out limp and tasteless. I ate them because I hate food waste.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so sorry they didn't work out for you. 🙁
Zeinab abdel-Wahab says
Hi, Is this well much faster if we boil the cauliflower pieces five minutes before sprinkling with oil and cheese. I feel if cauliflowers is cooked softer, will be more tasty. Thank you
Kevin says
Have you tried other seasonings, such as, italian, garlic salt, steak seasoning, etc. Would love to hear about variations.
Brenda says
These were great. Mine took 12 minutes in my air fryer. May have to try them with mushrooms next. Thanks for sharing.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Barb says
Can you freeze these and heat from frozen?
Marjory Pilley says
You should be able to prep, but not cook, and then freeze. At that point you can cook from frozen. I have not tried it with this specific recipe though. I'd love to know if you do and how it works out! Thanks for your question.
Brenda Marshall says
Can you use breadcrumbs also?
Marjory Pilley says
Yes you could!
Krista Goben says
I want to try this with some beer battered cod which needs to cook at 475* for 18 mins. Can I cook the cauliflower first and throw it back in to warm back up near the end? I don’t want the cauliflower soggy!
Marjory Pilley says
I think that would work! Enjoy!
Lynda says
Can you prep in advance?
Marjory Pilley says
You can definitely prepare the breading first with no problem at all. You can probably prep, but not cook the cauliflower a day in advance. You might find that some breading starts flecks off before you bake it, so prepare for that. I have not prepped it all the way, so would love to know how it works out!
Kiona says
I wonder if I could do this recipe with mushrooms?
Marjory Pilley says
Sounds like a yummy thing to try!
Sherry Gibbs says
if your on 21 day fix would it just count as a green container
Sherry
Marjory Pilley says
I'm not too familiar with the details of this program. However, nutritional estimates are provided. Although this recipe is predominantly cauliflower, there are other ingredients, such as cheese, which would likely go in another container.
Tami says
Can you make these in an Air fryer?
Marjory Pilley says
Absolutely! I added the instructions to the notes of the recipe card. Enjoy!
Ellie says
Best ever I had👌 Thank you!
Brenda Lee says
Delicious and super easy to make. I used cajin spice in place of paprika
Marjory Pilley says
Thank you so much for coming back with your feedback and tip...great idea to spice it up!
Brianna says
Does this work to make a batch and snack on through the week?
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! They really are best straight out of the oven. I've never tried reheating. If so, you would need to try that in an oven/toaster oven, not a microwave. I think the best bet would be to have the breading all mixed up so it's quick to prep and cook.
Ashley says
Just made this with broccoli and it's amazing! Thanks for such a simple recipe.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!