Try these simple cauliflower bites for an easy vegan snack or meal! Using cauliflower in recipes is quite trendy right now, and these barbecue cauliflower bites don’t disappoint. Coated in a tasty batter and tossed in barbecue sauce, this vegan cauliflower recipe is bursting with flavour. It’s baked rather than fried which offers a lower-fat option; however, they are just as tasty when fried. Cauliflower bites are also a great low-carb choice. Try dipping them in my vegan sour cream or Caesar salad dressing!
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Baked Vegan Cauliflower Recipe
Cauliflower has become a popular option to use in cooking and baking. It’s amazing how cauliflower can be used to make recipes including pizza crust, grilled cheese, fried rice, gnocchi, and cauliflower steaks. But some of these recipes can be a little complicated; if you’re looking for a tasty and easy cauliflower recipe, these cauliflower bites are for you.
I’m not posting a cauliflower steak recipe on my blog, as cauliflower tends to crumble apart quite easily. I tried to make barbecue cauliflower steak quite a few times; I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong or if the cauliflower I’m buying is not large enough, but I’m lucky to get one or two good steaks from a cauliflower. Making barbecue bites like this recipe is a fail-safe option instead!
Barbecue cauliflower bites can be fried, which will be just as tasty, but unless you own a deep fryer then this is likely a more difficult approach. If you bake the cauliflower bites you won’t need to worry about working with hot oil or monitoring the temperature. In addition, baking is a healthier cooking method than frying.
Is Low-Carb Healthier?
Cauliflower has become a trendy low-carb option in many recipes. While substituting cauliflower for higher-carb foods can be a great way to get your veggies in, if you already consume enough vegetables then feel free to enjoy the full-carb option of different recipes!
Carbohydrates are an important nutrient and the body’s main source of energy. Carbs often get a bad reputation since many low-nutrient baked goods are high in carbohydrates. The type of carbs rather than the amount often dictates the amount of nutrients we get from a food item. Instead of focusing on low-carb, try focusing on nutrient-dense carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables which are dense in vitamins and minerals.
Now that you’ve learned a bit more about cooking with cauliflower and low-carb options, go ahead and whip up these tasty and easy cauliflower bites! Barbecue cauliflower bites are a simple way to add some veggies to your diet and are great for sharing with friends. Jam-packed with flavour, you’ll want to keep this vegan cauliflower recipe in your recipe book.
Baked Barbecue Cauliflower Bites (Vegan)
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Baking tray
- Silicone baking mat
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower about 8 C florets
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ C plant-based milk
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp seasoning salt I prefer Old Bay
- ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 C barbecue sauce (store bought or homemade)
- 1/4 C vegan butter (or margarine)
Instructions
- Prepare a batch of homemade vegan barbecue sauce (link above) or use store bought sauce. Once the sauce is done, melt in the ¼ C of vegan butter and add hot sauce to taste.
- Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Mix the 1 C whole wheat flour with the spices (1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp seasoning salt, ¼ tsp salt, black pepper to taste).
- Stir in 1 ¼ C plant-based milk. The batter should be fairly thick but not chunky.
- Toss the cauliflower pieces into the batter and mix until the cauliflower is evenly coated.
- Place the cauliflower onto parchment lined baking trays (or use a silicone baking mat).
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the cauliflower over and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Take the cauliflower out of the oven and brush a layer of barbecue sauce over each piece. Place back into the oven for 10 minutes. Take the cauliflower bites out, flip them over, brush barbecue sauce on the other side, and put back into the oven for a final 8 minutes.
- Take the cauliflower bites out of the oven and serve with a creamy dip! You can try vegan sour cream or Caesar salad dressing.
Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins Recipe (Eggless)
This recipe was absolutely amazing!! My boyfriend (who is not vegan) and I were fighting for the last one. So good.
I’m so happy you liked them!