Cauliflower Poppers are a healthy gameday snack! Easily made gluten free, these bite sized appetizers are sure to fly off the plate!
Move over crusty chicken poppers! There is a new game in town. These Mouthwatering Cauliflower Poppers will rival the bagged chicken poppers this Super Bowl Sunday!
You guys know what I am talking about when I say ‘crusty chicken poppers.’ You know the kind that are full of a carbalicious coating with minimal, if any, chicken inside. The kind that are ‘good for dipping’ because the dip is where the taste comes from. Okay, I will stop hating on the bagged chicken poppers now. You get my drift.
If you are looking to impress guests and serve up a side of nutrition this Super Bowl Sunday, these Cauliflower Poppers are for you! Fresh cauliflower is coated with flour (can use gluten free flour), Old Bay, dried parsley and Rice Chex cereal. Then, they are baked to crispy perfection and tossed with a sweet and spicy wing sauce. Finally, they are broiled in the oven to really bake the sauce into the little nuggets.
I have included a super simple recipe for a ‘Lightened Up’ Ranch Dip that is perfect for dunking the cauliflower in! This is a handheld bite that even the dudes at the party will love!
Cauliflower Poppers…Tell Me More!
Level of difficulty: Intermediate yet simple! I say intermediate because the cauliflower poppers are a 3 step process. You first have to bake the cauliflower, then make the sauce and, finally, broil the cauliflower. And, if you want to go a step further, make the ‘Lightened Up’ Ranch Dip. This only requires mixing! Don’t worry! These are simple steps!
Time: These cauliflower poppers will take around 30 minutes to make once your cauliflower is chopped and ready to go!
Flavor: Full of buffalo wing flavor with a little sweet kick!
Cauliflower Popper Ingredients & Substitutes
Medium head of cauliflower – chopped
Eggs
Rice Chex Mix- you could substitute Corn Flakes or Corn Chex here.
Flour- swap in gluten free flour if needed!
Old Bay seasoning
Parsley
Olive Oil spray
Wing Sauce- do not use hot sauce.
Butter
Honey- you could substitute agave nectar.
Let’s Get to Cookin’!
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs. In a shallow bowl, combine crushed Rice Chex cereal, flour, Old Bay seasoning and dried parsley.
Dip cauliflower pieces into egg. Shake off excess egg. Dredge through dry ingredients to coat. Place on baking sheet. Continue until all cauliflower pieces are covered with coating.
Bake cauliflower for 20 minutes flipping halfway through.
While the cauliflower bakes, make the sauce. In a medium pot at medium heat, add butter, honey and wing sauce. Bring to a simmer and stir ingredients together. Once simmering, turn heat down and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Remove cauliflower from oven and dip into sauce. Place cauliflower back on the baking sheet. Repeat for all cauliflower bites.
Turn oven broiler on low. Place baking sheet back on the lower third oven rack. Broil for 5 minutes until the sauce is baked into the cauliflower. Keep a watchful eye on the cauliflower to avoid burning. Easy peasy, right?!
Let’s Get Dippin’!
I am not a huge fan of dips and sauces. Truthfully, these cauliflower poppers stand on their own. But, I know football games SCREAM dips so I have included an EASY and light ranch dip! Another option would be to serve with your favorite blue cheese dressing.
Lightened Up Ranch Dip Ingredients
Plain Greek Yogurt
Dried Ranch Seasoning
Dried Parsley
Lemon Juice
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.
More Game Day Ideas!
I hope these Cauliflower Poppers WIN BIG at your Superbowl Party this year! Please leave a comment or tag @delmarvaliciousdishes in your creation!
Mouthwatering Cauliflower Poppers
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Rice Chex Cereal- crushed
- 1/2 cup Flour (All Purpose or Gluten Free)
- 1 tsp Old Bay
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1 Cauliflower Head, chopped into bite size pieces
- Olive Oil Spray
- 1/2 cup Wing Sauce (not hot sauce)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup Honey
'Lightened Up' Ranch Dip
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 4 tbsp Dried Ranch Seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together Chex Mix, flour, Old Bay and dried parsley.
- Submerge cauliflower into eggs. Shake off any drippings. Dredge cauliflower through dry mix. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated and placed on pan.
- Bake cauliflower for 20 minutes flipping half way through.
- While cauliflower is baking, make the sauce. Add wing sauce, butter and honey to a medium pot. Turn heat to medium until sauce begins to simmer. Once simmering, cut heat back to low. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow sauce to thicken.
- Toss cauliflower bites directly in sauce. Place back on baking pan. Broil on low for 5 minutes until sauce is baked into nuggets and cauliflower is crispy.
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