These Parmesan cauliflower bites are crunchy and addicting. They make a yummy snack and are ready in less than 30 minutes.
I’ve become obsessed with roasted cauliflower lately. I’ve made buffalo cauliflower and I wanted to try a crispy version, too. These cauliflower bites are breaded, baked until crispy and then served with a side of marinara sauce. We polished off a giant plate’s worth in no time. Okay, Mr. K was a little mad at first because I didn’t tell him it was cauliflower and he thought it was chicken, but once he got his head around it, he enjoyed them too.
I love how easy these are and I’ve already bought more cauliflower to make them again.
You might like my Cauliflower Waffles, too!
Crunchy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into bite sized florets
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs Kikkoman brand preferred for even baking
- 3/4 cup finely ground Parmesan cheese (see note)
- 2 large eggs whisked
- marinara sauce for dipping
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add panko and cheese to a large bowl and then mix together until thoroughly combined. Dip cauliflower in egg mixture and then shake a few times so that excess egg drips off. You don't want to dampen your breadcrumbs with excess egg because then they won't stick to the cauliflower. Then roll in bread crumb mixture until fully coated and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You may need to press on the coating to help get it to stick to the cauliflower bites. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until coating is a dark golden brown and crunchy. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with marinara sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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For more cauliflower recipes, check out my cauliflower recipe collection here!
Using this recipe is a great way to get vegetables on the appetizer table! Everyone, young and old, loves these. I make a double batch, bring half to the party, keep the other half at home to serve as a side dish with dinner the following night.
So happy to hear that!
Can these be cooked ahead and frozen?
yes!
Also what is the serving size?
it’s half a head of cauliflower, which is approximately 2 cups worth, so about 2 serving sizes
Can I make this with almond meal instead of bread crumbs ?
I have not tried it with almond meal so I don’t know how well they will stick to the cauliflower and if they will crisp up
You mention having to press the coating into the cauliflower, or it will fall off. I think a better way would be the same as breading any other food: dredge the cauliflower first in flour, then the egg and panko. My breading used to fall off until I learned about the flour trick. It adheres perfectly every time.
I agree that will help make breading stay on but the problem is flour adds a lot more carbs, which is why I don’t dip them in flour. it still works out fine. It’s just that as the panko mixture gets wet, it tends to clump and not stick as well,.
I made this for one of our Thanksgiving appetizers, it was a HUGE hit. We had a vegetarian attend and wanted to make sure we had plenty of options but even the kids and my vegetable-averse husband liked them.
They didn’t come out as perfect as yours, I left on some stem and didn’t go to great lengths to get the coating to stick but they were delish! Thank you
i’m glad they were a hit!
This looks yummy and I want to try it! but what I dont understand is: do you boil in water the cauliflower first or you do this with it raw? sorry if this sounds silly, I’ve never eaten cauliflower this way..
not silly at all! you don’t need to boil the cauliflower! You process it raw because it’ll cook later in the oven
I’m on weight watchers and am trying to figure out points. Can you tell me how many people this serves? If I use a whole head of cauliflower should I double all ingredients. Thanks.
yes if you are doubling the cauliflower amount, then you have to double the other ingredients as well
Do you nutrition lists for your recipes? The recipes look so great, I just need to know the nutrition values.
I’ve tried looking them up on different sites but, it takes me forever.
Thanks
I do not. i recommend this site. https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Do you think I could use frozen cauliflower? Defrost them on the counter at room temp and then follow the directions.
i’m not sure as I’ve never tried it with frozen cauliflower.
I made these. It didn’t work for me. It didn’t cook enough inside with the same time it took to get a good coolor.
I will try to blanch first the next time, then do the coating and baking.
It also requires a little salt.
hmm, if you cut the cauliflower small enough, it shouldn’t take too long to cook. perhaps you can try putting it in a lower part of your oven if your crumbs are cooking too fast. also, since i use a dip, I didn’t feel the need to add salt to the bites. of course if you are eating them plain, they may need a little salt.
These look so good. I would never have thought to serve cauliflower with a sauce like this before. Yum.
it’s really yummy!
I have never eaten cauliflower this way but I must say this won’t last even few mins in our house!! Such delicious treat!
they were delicious!
I’m obsessed with cauliflower too. Did you see the cauli florets at Costco? It was like $3.50 already pre washed/cut. I swear a head of cauliflower is sooo expensive at regular markets these days. Where did you get your cauliflower? Do you think it’s possible to omit the panko and use just extra parm as the coating for this recipe?
If you omit the bread crumbs it won’t be crunchy; it’ll just be cheese and egg which I don’t think will be very pleasant. if you just want roasted cauliflower with parmesan flavoring, you could simply lay out the cauliflower and sprinkle on some cheese before roasting. I got my cauliflower at Sprouts. They had it on sale last week for $.99/lb.
What a delicious way to eat cauliflower! These little bites look so cheesey, delicious and crispy… it’s hard to believe that they are baked. Great recipe & pinned!
thanks! I loved the crunch!
I love these!! Gotta make them ASAP!
hope you enjoy!