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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.
Helen says
Great recipe!
Susanne says
I was looking for something different yet quick and easy! This was perfect!
Kath Harris says
newly diagnosed diabetic..low carb.. perfect, sounds heavenly,easy,& fun to make..here i come...
Jen says
Easy and delicious! Even for a non cauliflower eater!
Melissa Besaw says
was excellent
Kathy says
No salt???? blah
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so sorry you didn't enjoy it! Parmesan is pretty salty, so I don't add any. But you can always add salt before or after you make them.
Kat says
Why are you rude. obviously you are unknowable to ingredients. Parmesan is salty.
Lisa says
Can you use frozen cauliflower ?
Irene says
Delicious and quick to make!!
Catherine says
I just made them and will definitely make them again. The recipe was quick and easy to prepare with a very tasty result. I really like your approach of keeping the dirty dishes to a minimum. Keeping the ingredients simple is also a plus.
Louise Mowery says
Is this recipe kidney friendly?
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! I'm not able to offer any medical or nutrition advice. You would need to look at the ingredients and estimates for nutritional values. I hope that helps.
Kim says
I enjoyed this dish. Seasoned just right.
Remy says
I replaced the butter with veetable oil and used parmo cheese flaps. Still tasted amazing.
Debbie says
Made this for dinner tonight, it was really really good. We will have this for dinner more often.
Sophia says
These were really really good. I added some real bacon bits to the pan and added shredded cheddar and sour cream and it tasted like a potato skin. Thank you for the recipe.
Sophia says
The shredded cheddar and sour cream was added on my plate.
Larissa says
Thanks to share the cheddar cheese and sour cream extras!👍😊
Gina Tallariti says
Hello😁
I just started on South Beach Diet
yesterday.
Today is end of day 2
I am going to bed so happy and satisfied.
Why is everything so good right now?
I made this recipe for my last meal today and I gotta tell ya, I am just not that good in the kitchen. Some people may even say that I should just stay out of the kitchen all together.
Well after making this roasted cauliflower, parmesan yummy appetizer, I have proved them all wrong! I am an amazing cook!
This dish was absolutely delish!
Thank you so much for this easy to make and and tastes so great recipe. THANK YOU 🙏