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 chicken, Thai 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:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together crushed up crackers, flour, parmesan cheese and spices until evenly combined
- Place beaten eggs into a small bowl then dip the cauliflower florets in the eggs and then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture
- Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a baking sheet (I line with cooling rack too so they get extra crispy)
- Spray them evenly with cooking oil spray or drizzle oil on top
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy
- 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
Copycat P.F. Chang’s Spicy Green Beans (vegan)
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
- 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
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together crushed up crackers, flour, parmesan cheese and spices until evenly combined
- Place beaten eggs into a small bowl then dip the cauliflower florets in the eggs and then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture
- Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a baking sheet (I line with cooling rack too so they get extra crispy)
- Spray them evenly with cooking oil spray or drizzle oil on top
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or air fry for 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy
- 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
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Stephanie M Rome
Where does the tapioca fit in? In the breadcrumb mixture? Or before the egg wash?
Rachel
step 2! 🙂