Baked Cauliflower Bites

If you love healthy, low carb recipes then these Cheesy Cauliflower Bites are just what you need! They’re highly addictive and a tasty way to sneak extra veg into your kids’ day.

Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside these Cauliflower Bites are impossible to pass up! They’re a close relative to the regular tater tots and you can enjoy them with marinara sauce, honey mustard, or ranch sauce.

How to Make Cauliflower Bites

Instead of breading and baking the cauliflower florets whole, these bites are made with mashed cauliflower. Texture wise they taste a lot like the beloved tater tot, just crispier on the outside.

First, you’ll want to steam the cauliflower until fall apart tender, about 15 minutes. You can make this recipe faster by using frozen cauliflower which is already pre-steamed and cooks much faster.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, everything gets mashed Cheddar and Parmesan cheese and shaped into tater tot sized bites. Give them a quick roll in seasoned Panko bread crumbs and bake until they reach golden brown perfection.

Now, would be a good time to mention the necessity of doubling the batch, because hot, cheesy, bite-size foods don’t last long with kids around.

Are Cauliflower Bites Gluten Free?

Thanks to gluten-free panko breadcrumbs these Cauliflower Bites are gluten-free and we still get that irresistible crispy, crunchy coating. If gluten isn’t a problem for your family and you keep regular Panko bread crumbs on hand, go ahead and use them. The cauliflower bites may be a little less crunchy, but no less delicious.

Also, regular bread crumbs will not work the same as Panko. The bites will come out soft with no crisp at all, so make sure you have enough for this batch. If you don’t use Panko that often, no worries I’ve got many kid-favorite recipes like Salmon Nuggets and some epic fish tacos that will convert you to Panko.

Kid-Friendly Cauliflower Recipe

This recipe is excellent served as an appetizer for parties or side dish and kid’s love them for their crispy, cheesy goodness. That’s another reason we LOVE cauliflower around here! It gives kid-favorite recipes an extra boost of nutrition while keeping everything low carb for us adults.

It’s also a total lifesaver in the Family Kickstart, our real food meal plan for families. Kickstart has a ton of kid-approved recipes that are 100% grain free, low carb, and tasty. Sounds a little too good to be true? Get your free sample guide to Family Kickstart here!

Easy Cauliflower Recipes

We couldn’t make those family-favorite recipes like Shrimp Fried Rice or Burrito Bowls, Kickstart approved without cauliflower.

Due to its versatility, you can use cauliflower rice for regular rice in your favorite stir fry recipe or roast/mash it instead of regular potatoes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use cauliflower:

• Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bites 
• Low carb Pizza Crusts
• Egg Roll in a Bowl

Best Seasonings for Cauliflower Bites

When it comes to seasoning these bites, I like to leave that up to you. Here’s a list of things I’ve already tried or plan to try in future batches:

• Italian seasoning
• Cajun/Creole seasoning- if you like spice
• Taco Seasoning- For all my taco fanatics
• Any combo you enjoy- garlic & oregano, lemon pepper & dill, you fill in the blank ________.

What are some of your favorite recipes with cauliflower? Are there any other recipes you’d like to see made low carb?

Cheesy Cauliflower Bites

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

The perfect way to get more veggies into your day! Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, these cauliflower bites are so delish!

• Author: MOMables
• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 18 bites 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 head cauliflower, cleaned and diced into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon favorite all-purpose seasoning, divided
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (either Cheddar or mozzarella will work)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup gluten-free panko bread crumbs (plain will work, but panko is recommended)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax meal (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepot over medium high-heat steam, the cauliflower in the water until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the water and allow the cauliflower cool down to room temperature.
3. Before mashing, drain any excess moisture from the saucepan. Add the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the seasoning.
4. Using a potato masher, begin mashing the florets until smooth.
5. Add the Cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower and stir to combine.
6. In a separate, medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, flax meal (if using), remaining 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
7. Using your hands, begin forming balls with the cauliflower mixture, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
8. Roll each ball in the bread crumb mixture, then place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cauliflower mixture and breadcrumb coating.
9. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Equipment

LunchBots

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Glass Lunch Containers

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Notes

Note:

• When forming the cauliflower bites, give each ball a squeeze between your hands to remove excess moisture. This will prevent them from falling apart.
• My go-to all-purpose seasonings for this recipe are Garlic and Herb seasoning, Creole Seasoning, and Italian Seasoning.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 3 bites
• Calories: 51
• Sugar: 1.1g
• Sodium: 184.8mg
• Fat: 2.3g
• Carbohydrates: 5.2g
• Fiber: 1.5g
• Protein: 3.1g