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Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

[heart_this] · Jan 26, 2015 · 66 Comments

Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

Crispy bite sized pieces of tender cauliflower coated in a panko and parmesan crust seasoned with a creole/cajun spice mix that is so addictive that you will never reach for that bag of microwave popcorn again!

First up for my new snacking recipes for the Big Game (the NFL football playoffs) are these tasty little crispy parmesan cauliflower bites; aka crispy cauliflower popcorn! I had been seeing this recipe all over pinterest for a long time with the source being Damn Delicious and I had just been itching to try it. The recipe is super simple, you just cut the cauliflower into florets, dip them in egg followed by a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and creole seasoning before frying them until golden brown and crispy. Normally I do not do a lot of deep frying but since I was frying a healthy vegetable I figured it would even out, though I am sure that you could also bake them if you wanted to. I have to say that these crispy parmesan cauliflower bites are amazingly good, super addictive, my new favourite snack and perfect for the Big Game!

Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
As you can see by the various different photos I have already made this crispy cauliflower popcorn a few times and I will continue to make it many more times!

Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
Say goodbye microwave popcorn, there is a new king in town!

Parmesan Cauliflower Bites
These crispy parmesan cauliflower bites are amazing all by themselves but you can also dip them in sauces like ranch dressing, etc.

Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

Crispy bite sized pieces of tender cauliflower coated in a panko and parmesan crust seasoned with a creole/cajun spice mix that is so addictive that you will never reach for that bag of microwave popcorn again!

ingredients
  • 1 large cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
  • 1/2 cup flour (gluten-free for gluten-free)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free for gluten-free)
  • 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
  • 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
  • oil for frying
directions
  1. Working in batches dredge the cauliflower florets in the flour, dip into the eggs, and coat in the mixture of the breadcrumbs, parmesan and creole seasoning before frying them in oil heated to medium-high (~350F/180C) until golden brown and setting them aside on paper towels to drain.
  2. Enjoy warm by itself or with your favourite dipping sauce.
Option: Bake them by placing them in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and baking in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 337, Fat 13.8g (Saturated 3.9g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 92mg, Sodium 346mg, Carbs 34g (Fiber 5g, Sugars 4g), Protein 15g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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Appetizer, Cauliflower, Food, Gluten-free, Low-carb, Recipe, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    January 26, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Oh wow!! Definitely my kind of snack food. These little bites sound delicious!

    Reply
  2. brandi says

    January 26, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    woah – these look so good! what a fun and different way to serve veggies at a get together!

    Reply
  3. Aimee Shugarman says

    January 26, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    I've seen these too, and have been wanting to try them!! Looks delicious 🙂

    Reply
  4. Vijay says

    January 26, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Nice to see you back Kevin! We missed you! I would totally keep a whole bowl of these to myself for the Super Bowl!

    Reply
  5. Sam says

    January 26, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    yummy :)) this looks amazing!

    Reply
  6. Emma Coombes says

    January 26, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Wherever have you been? I've been worried about you. Glad to see that you are back. Don't forget your adoring fans. We need you. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Kate @ Babaganosh.org says

    January 26, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Those look so good. I just cooked a cauliflower literally 10 minutes ago and I was going to do something else with it… and now I am sad that I can't make these bites from it because deep frying cooked cauliflower will probably end up with bites that are too mushy. Oh well, next time!

    Reply
  8. Ilona K. says

    January 26, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    If its cauliflower and Parmesan I'm in. I love this combination:)

    Reply
  9. Ashley @ Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine says

    January 26, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    Eee! These look INCREDIBLE! I think perhaps even my cauliflower-hating fiancé might try them 🙂

    Reply
  10. dsintilas says

    January 26, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Yummy!!! love cauliflower and love cheese got to try these, so glad to ge this, you've been gone awhile, hope all's well…

    Reply
  11. Kelly Senyei | Just a Taste says

    January 26, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    These look spectacular, Kevin! I am obsessed with cauliflower and can't wait to try these little bites. Yum!

    Reply
  12. Trish @ Well Worn Fork says

    January 26, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    I could put a serious dent in a bowl full of these!

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    January 26, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    I agree I was worried where you were. I'm sooooo happy that you are back posting your delish recipes again!

    Reply
  14. Suzy @ The Mediterranean Dish says

    January 26, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    These are the perfect little crunchy bites, Kevin! I was so excited to see your e-mail with a new recipe this morning. Welcome back! I wish you well.

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    January 26, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    I'm going to have to weight in too — these look delicious and more importantly — glad to see you back posting recipes. I've been concerned, as well. Thanks for the new post!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    January 27, 2015 at 12:00 am

    I just posted but forgot to ask. If you do bake them instead of frying, what temp & how long? Thanks a bunch.

    Reply
  17. kevin says

    January 27, 2015 at 12:30 am

    Anonymous: Place them in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

    Reply
  18. md says

    January 27, 2015 at 2:26 am

    Ah; this will be happening with the cauliflower I bought yesterday…!

    A few days ago I grinned when I spotted one of your recipes on Pinterest by what I think of as your signature baguette crouton, and here you are back right on schedule!

    Reply
  19. Gaby says

    January 27, 2015 at 2:33 am

    I can't wait to make this, I'm absolutely in love with this recipe!

    Reply
  20. sommer @aspicyperspective says

    January 27, 2015 at 10:08 am

    These cauliflower bites look amazing Kevin! I could probably eat a couple hundred of them!

    Reply
  21. cooksandra says

    January 27, 2015 at 11:34 am

    Wondered where you have been. So happy to see you again. Yummers.

    Reply
  22. Joanne says

    January 27, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I will definitely be making these for the superbowl and for weeks and weeks after! They look so good!

    Reply
  23. Sarah Bleier says

    January 27, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    I agree with being glad to see you back. Hopefully you were too busy with only fun and exciting things like an extended vacation!

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    January 28, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    I'm going to make these using gluten-free flour and g-f panko bread crumbs. Thanks Kevin!

    Reply
  25. Clair says

    January 29, 2015 at 10:55 am

    This is brilliant! I've been looking for a way to make the kids eat more vegetables. I'm sure they'll finish a whole batch of this in no time. Thanks for the idea and recipe.

    Reply
  26. Anonymous says

    January 31, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    these look delicious!
    http://trulyaddia.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  27. Anonymous says

    February 3, 2015 at 12:21 am

    I cooked these with the baking method and they turned out great. It's a good way to sneak veggies into kids because it just tastes like cheese. I couldn't get them coated as nicely as in the photos, but I think that just takes practice.

    Reply
  28. Southern FATTY says

    February 6, 2015 at 5:17 am

    I’ve been trying to include more cauliflower in my meals lately. Perfect way to edge it towards the comfort food that I am used to. Bravo!

    Reply
  29. Jack Yeager says

    February 8, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    tried these using chipotle panko crumbs and couldn't hardly wait for them to cool before popping in my mouth. so delicious. thanks Kevin.

    Reply
  30. Anonymous says

    June 17, 2015 at 3:23 am

    My little sister hates vegetables, but she loves it when I make these.

    Reply
  31. Anonymous says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Looks yummy and easy to make! I am definitely going to try this. I really love cauliflower and I'm looking for other ways of cooking it besides oven roasting it. So thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
    P.S. You might want to edit instruction #1. You mistyped flour as flower 🙂

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    December 27, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Kevin, I have been making these for years, although without the Creole seasoning. My grandmother used to dry them. I bake them and the last 5 minutes spray with olive oil and this gives them that familiar crunch – basically oven baked. Healthy New Year, Peter

    Reply
    • Wynn says

      February 6, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      Thank you for posting a comment regarding the non-creole version! My husband won’t eat spicy foods!

      Reply
  33. Diane Kray says

    February 11, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    How big of a "bite" do you make and how many are in a serving????

    Reply
  34. Arthur in the Garden! says

    August 1, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    Oh!!!!

    Reply
  35. Linda Helman says

    August 28, 2016 at 5:58 pm

    I'm not a big fan of Creole seasoning. Have you made these with any other spice blends? I'll probably try the Greek blend, but does anyone have other suggestions?

    Reply
  36. Nancie says

    August 30, 2016 at 12:56 am

    Good Heavens – these look great! Am frying some shrimp this weekend (so will have the fryer with lots of oil in it ready to go) – sounds like a perfect time to try this recipe as well (cauliflower first, so as not to have it tasting shrimpy). Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  37. kevin says

    August 31, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    Linda Helman: Italian or Greek would be nice I could also go for an Indian style curry powder!

    Reply
  38. Condoleeza says

    September 12, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    These were awesome. A bit labor-intensive but worth the effort. I made some modifications. Instead of creole seasoning I used some a Mediterranean herb mix I had and also added lots of garlic powder to the flour. I used Tzatsiki sauce that I had in the fridge and it was a perfect accompaniment. I used grapeseed oil to fry them which is a great oil to use for higher heat. I kept them warm in the oven while I finished frying up the whole batch. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  39. kevin says

    September 13, 2016 at 2:22 pm

    Condoleeza: Love the Greek take on these! Yum!

    Reply
  40. elemengee says

    December 26, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    KEVIN,I love that you are willing to try almost any ethnic recipe that comes your way, but as a Middle-Easterner, I must correct you in your spelling and probably pronunciation of a dish that has become universal: babaghanouj and not babaghanoush as you refer to it. You obviously do not have any Middle Eastern friends to correct you so consider me one of your new friends.

    Reply
  41. Judy Goldin says

    July 30, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Hello again. How long would it take to bake them and on what centigrade degree. Thank you.

    Reply
  42. kevin says

    July 31, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Judy Goldin: Place them in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

    Reply
  43. WWCook says

    January 2, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Greetings from Greece! Happy New Year. Thanks for this delicious & healthy recipe!
    Baked these addictive morsels for Christmas Eve "meze" Didn't make the sauce but served them with your Htipit dip/sauce. Cause we're only 3 I halved the recipe. Wish I made the whole recipe as we enjoyed them so very much.

    Reply
  44. Gus says

    December 29, 2018 at 3:45 pm

    Hi, Going to make these tonight. Does the cauliflower cook enough in the short time it takes to get the panko golden brown? I mean, I don’t want it mushy but I also do’t want it raw.

    I’m guessing 5-6 minutes to brown the panko, right?

    Reply
    • Gus Rivera says

      December 29, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      Took a chance 6 minutes in the fryer came out perfect

      Reply
  45. Noreen Gamble says

    September 6, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Kevin,
    Do you think this would work in my air fryer?? Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      September 7, 2019 at 9:04 am

      Yes you can!

      Reply
  46. Irene says

    September 6, 2019 at 9:37 pm

    Do you think you could do these in the air fryer? What temp and how long? Thanks!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      September 7, 2019 at 9:04 am

      You can make these in an air fryer! I would say around 400F for 8-10 minutes.

      Reply
  47. Molly says

    September 12, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    I must say I love all your recipes and have used most of them.
    This one I am going to try to bake as I want to avoid the deep frying.
    Will let you know!

    Reply
  48. Kelly Dowdy says

    September 12, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    I would love to see more Keto friendly recipes, kinda like this. I will need to tweak it a bit but these sound delicious!!!!

    Reply
  49. Joy L says

    January 28, 2020 at 9:56 pm

    Do you think you can make this recipe in an air fryer?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 3, 2020 at 11:52 am

      This is great in an air fryer!

      Reply
  50. Angela says

    February 17, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    I just made these in my new air fryer. LOVE LOVE LOVE! They were perfect and totally addictive. I had to walk away from the plate. Lol

    Reply
  51. J Silcox says

    June 12, 2020 at 4:09 pm

    Made the oven version with a Sriracha. Mayo dipping sauce.. very good recipe I must say,

    Reply
  52. Cristina Kadonsky says

    August 8, 2022 at 10:44 pm

    What keto flour would work? These look amazing!!!

    Reply
  53. Brenda says

    August 16, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    how do the eggs cook or are you eating them raw

    Reply
    • kevin says

      August 29, 2022 at 8:48 am

      The egg is used as a coating on the cauliflower to help the breadcrumbs stick. The egg will be cooked as the bites are cooked.

      Reply
  54. Brenda says

    August 16, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    sorry I meant in the roasted cauliflower and mushroom pasta

    Reply
    • kevin says

      August 29, 2022 at 8:56 am

      In the roasted cauliflower and mushroom carbonara, the eggs are ‘cooked’ in the residual heat in the pan, on the pasta and the cauliflower. You want to make sure that you time it so that you are adding everything to the pan just as you turn the heat off. Yo also want to avoid using direct heat as the eggs will ‘scramble’ rather than making a nice and creamy sauce. Enjoy!

      Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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