Crispy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets made with gluten-free ingredients for an easy and delicious side dish to your meal and dip them in any sauces you’d like.

With just a few simple ingredients, these crispy cauliflower nuggets are a healthy homemade finger food for the entire family! Kids, adults, anyone will love these. And even if your kids don’t usually like cauliflower (like mine), I have a feeling they may be into this recipe as mine loved them.

I love using ingredients in ways you least expect like crushed up crackers as breadcrumbs. Combined with the tapioca flour, these get so crispy and since I use a grain-free cracker brand – they happen to be grain-free and gluten-free as well. Plus whenever you have leftover cracker crumbs, save them! No need tot throw them out. Instead just add them to a large ziplock bag and you will have breadcrumbs to use.

We love these nuggets alongside of some protein like stovetop chickenThai Turkey Meatballs or Oven-Baked Paleo Veggie Chicken Nuggets.

Tip: dip these nuggets into your favorite sauce or condiment like ketchup, honey mustard or anything you are craving!

What ingredients are in crispy cauliflower nuggets:

  • Crushed cup crackers – you can use any crackers you love and finely crush them up! I use a food processor or just hit them in a bag
  • Tapioca flour – or sub arrowroot flour if you’d like
  • Parmesan cheese – you can also use another finely shredded cheese too
  • Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika
  • Cauliflower florets – you can buy a head of cauliflower and cut it or just use a bag of florets too!
  • Eggs beaten – I don’t have an egg substitute

How to make crispy cauliflower nuggets in the oven or air fryer:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together crushed up crackers, parmesan cheese and spices until evenly combined
  3. Place beaten eggs into a small bowl then dip the cauliflower florets in the eggs and then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture
  4. Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a baking sheet (I line with cooling rack too so they get extra crispy)
  5. Spray them evenly with cooking oil spray or drizzle oil on top
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy
  7. Serve immediately with a side of your favorite dipping sauce!

Best tips for success making cauliflower nuggets:

  • Use seasoned crackers for the breadcrumbs! This is one of my favorite ways use up leftover cracker crumbs too at the bottom of the bag.
  • You can air fry these or bake them in the oven – either way works well. I like to put them on a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet so they get crispy too. It helps so much (see photo above for example).
  • Feel free to use any seasonings you want in the mixture. You can also make these on the spicer side.
  • These are a great toddler-friendly food as well. My kid’s love these! I just cut them up a bit smaller for Brody but Ezra devours them whole.
  • When you reheat these, I like to crisp on stovetop in a skillet or pop them in the microwave. I also eat them cold too, but you know how much I love cold food!

A few other delicious veggie recipes to make:

My Favorite Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Spicy Breadcrumb Brussels Sprouts

One-Pot Creamy Broccoli Pasta

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Spicy Green Beans (vegan)

Crispy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets made with glute-free ingredients for an easy and delicious side dish to your meal and dip them in any sauces you'd like.

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Crispy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

Crispy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets made with gluten-free ingredients for an easy and delicious side dish to your meal and dip them in any sauces you’d like!

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup crushed cup crackers
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 eggs beaten

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together crushed up crackers, parmesan cheese and spices until evenly combined
  3. Place beaten eggs into a small bowl then dip the cauliflower florets in the eggs and then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture
  4. Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a baking sheet (I line with cooling rack too so they get extra crispy)
  5. Spray them evenly with cooking oil spray or drizzle oil on top
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy
  7. Serve immediately with a side of your favorite dipping sauce!

Notes

*Store leftovers in fridge for 5 days or freeze these for 2 months. I usually warm up from fridge in oven or stovetop to crisp but microwave works too

  • Author: Rachel