Crispy cauliflower bites have quickly become my new way to eat cauliflower! They're gluten free, easy, crunchy, and SO flavorful. You only need 5 ingredients, 10 minutes, and an air fryer to make these absolutely irresistible crunchy cauliflower bites.
Jump to:
- WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- INGREDIENTS FOR CRISPY CAULIFLOWER BITES
- HOW TO AIR FRY CRISPY CAULIFLOWER BITES
- HOMEMADE CAJUN SEASONING
- MORE SEASONING IDEAS
- SAUCE SUGGESTIONS
- EXPERT TIPS FOR THE CRISPIEST CAULIFLOWER BITES
- STORING AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS
- FAQs
- Epic Crispy Cauliflower Bites
- CHECK OUT LATEST RECIPES
Cauliflower has always been one of my favorite vegetables . I love it raw, air fried, as a pizza crust, riced, basically any way you can eat it, I enjoy it. But now, these crispy cauliflower bites may just be my absolute FAVORITE way to eat it. (like, I basically ate the entire head) The recipe is simple, made with minimal ingredients, and tastes incredible, which is just the way I like recipes.
Crispy breaded cauliflower makes a perfect appetizer, healthy afternoon snack, or even a fun side to a rotisserie chicken or pork roast. This easy recipe is gluten free, cooks in just 10 minutes, only needs 5 ingredients, and makes eating vegetables fun! I mean, who doesn't love a little bite of crispy, crunchy goodness? So next time you're looking for a healthy, easy vegetable that the whole family will enjoy, whip up a batch of crispy cauliflower bites and watch them completely disappear.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- A great way to get your family to eat vegetables
- Makes a perfect appetizer, side dish, or snack
- Super flavorful, gluten free, crispy coating
- Cooks in just 10 minutes
- Only 5 ingredients needed
INGREDIENTS FOR CRISPY CAULIFLOWER BITES
- Cauliflower: You can buy a whole head and cut it into florets or buy the pre-cut cauliflower
- Tapioca starch: This acts as the binder so the crispy coating sticks to the cauliflower. Arrowroot or cornstarch will also work
- Panko: I use gluten free panko bread crumbs but you can use regular Panko if you need to
- Parmesan cheese: Make sure it's grated parmesan, shredded is too big
- Cajun seasoning: You can use store-bought or make your own
HOW TO AIR FRY CRISPY CAULIFLOWER BITES
- Cut the cauliflower head into small florets (about 1 inch)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set up your breading station.
- In a small bowl, whisk together tapioca starch and water. Set that aside, and in another small bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and Cajun seasoning
- Dip the cauliflower florets one at a time into the tapioca/ water mixture, coat in the panko mixture, (make sure they're fully coated), then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat the breading process with the remaining florets
- Next, you're going to place the first batch of coated cauliflower in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Spray them generously with olive oil spray and cook at 400 degrees f for 8-10 minutes. They should look golden brown and feel crispy when touched.
- Use tongs to a flat rubber spatula to remove the first batch, and repeat the cooking process with the second batch of cauliflower.
- Once all the bites are cooked, serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
HOMEMADE CAJUN SEASONING
You only need a few ingredients to make homemade Cajun seasoning! It's quick, easy, and can be more cost effective in the long run. Here's what you need:
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Oregano
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
Get the full recipe here!
MORE SEASONING IDEAS
If you're not into Cajun seasoning, you can replace it with an equal amount of one of these.
- Italian seasonings
- Chili lime
- Elote seasoning
- Taco seasoning
- Or just do ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and toss when cooked in one of your favorite sauces
SAUCE SUGGESTIONS
- Buffalo sauce (buffalo cauliflower bites are top tier)
- Avocado ranch dip
- Ranch dressing
- Blue cheese dressing
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Lemon garlic tahini
EXPERT TIPS FOR THE CRISPIEST CAULIFLOWER BITES
- Read the entire recipe first
- Cut the cauliflower into equal size pieces
- Make sure the pieces of cauliflower are fully coated in the tapioca mixture so the panko crumbs stick
- When in the air fryer, liberally spray each bite with cooking spray so that they get super crispy
- Air fry until they turn golden brown and feel crunchy when touched
STORING AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS
You can store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you're ready to eat it again, just place in the air fryer basket, coat with a light amount of olive oil cooking spray, and reheat at 380 degrees f for 3-4 minutes.
FAQs
If it's not crispy, my best guess would be that you didn't spray the pieces with enough oil. You may think with an air fryer that you don't need a lot of oil, and while it is A LOT less than deep frying, the breading still needs a good amount in the air fryer so it gets golden brown and not just dry.
I would say yes, because you're getting a veggie in, and there's a lot less oil needed because they're made in the air fryer.
Yes, just exchange the parmesan cheese with vegan parmesan.
Any basket style air fryer will work. I use a Cosori 5.8.
Did you make these easy crispy cauliflower bites? If you did, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, you can follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make any of my healthy recipes.
PrintEpic Crispy Cauliflower Bites
These crispy cauliflower bites are completely irresistible. Golden brown, gluten free, and so so crunchy. This easy recipe makes a perfect appetizer, side dish, or healthy snack.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 Large head of cauliflower (about 4 cups)
- ¼ cup Tapioca starch
- 3 Tablespoons Cold water
- 3 Tablespoons Gluten free Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Tablespoons Grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- On a cutting board, cut the cauliflower head into small florets (about 1 inch) with a sharp knife
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set up your breading station
- In a small bowl, whisk together tapioca starch and water. Set that aside, and in another small bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and Cajun seasoning
- Dip the cauliflower florets one at a time into the tapioca/water mixture, then coat in the panko blend, (make sure they're fully coated), and finally, place each piece on prepared baking sheet
- Repeat the breading process with the remaining florets
- Once all the pieces are coated, place half of the pieces in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Spray them generously with olive oil spray and cook at 400 degrees f for 8-10 minutes. They should look golden brown and feel crispy when touched.
- Use tongs or a flat rubber spatula to remove the first batch, and repeat the cooking process with the other half of cauliflower
- Once all the bites are cooked, serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Cut the cauliflower into equal size pieces
- Make sure the pieces of cauliflower are fully coated in the tapioca mixture so the panko crumbs stick
- When in the air fryer, liberally spray each bite with cooking spray so that they get super crispy
- Air fry until they turn golden brown and feel crunchy when touched
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days
- Reheat in the air fryer at 380 F for 3-4 minutes
Keywords: cauliflower bites, crispy cauliflower, cauliflower appetizers
Lauren says
I couldn’t believe how truly EPIC these cauli bites were! Actually really easy! I went ahead and whipped up a Cajun seasoning, and these came along really quickly. It was hard not to eat the whole head! I served mine with salsa as one of Nicole’s suggestions. Definitely adding to my side dish rotation!
★★★★★
Lauren says
These cauli bites really WERE epic! I went ahead and whipped up a Cajun seasoning, and these came along really quickly. It was hard not to eat the whole head! I served mine with salsa as one of Nicole’s suggestions. Definitely adding to my side dish rotation!
★★★★★