BBQ Cauliflower Bites a.k.a. Vegan BBQ Cauliflower WINGS!

These BBQ cauliflower bites are fuel-filled and finger-lickin’ good! All of the luscious, barbecue-y goodness of chicken wings, packed into wholesome veggies. Coated in this sauce, cauliflower florets eerily resemble chicken wings—making for a fun, healthy eating experience! Plus, these BBQ cauliflower bites are completely VEGAN! Woohoo! Perfect for #meatlessmonday.

You may have seen buffalo cauliflower floating around the interweb—or maybe even my own recipe on YouTube or in my eBooks. Now, this is really where using cauliflower as “chicken wings” began. But there’s no reason for it to end there. After all, I’m not even a huge fan of the zesty Buffalo flavor… Hence, the creation of these savory-sweet BBQ cauliflower bites!

For more cauliflower goodness, download my FREE Cauliflower 10 Ways eBook!

Keeping your BBQ Cauliflower Bites Low in Sugar & Full of Flavor 

Barbecue sauce doesn’t have to be terrible for you—the problem is usually in added sugars. So, do your best to read the label and find one that’s lower in sugar. It’ll be just as delicious and keep your BBQ cauliflower bites dish on the healthier side. To start, aim to find a variety with 4-5g sugar per serving. You can always make your own, too!

With just a few simple ingredients and very few steps, you’ll go from raw, boring cauliflower, to soft, flavorful BBQ cauliflower bites! But, I encourage you to get creative here. You could totally sub out the barbecue for other sauces your family loves! I’d be excited to try a teriyaki version, honey mustard, chipotle, or even something as simple as ranch dressing!

Vegetable Versatility!

Honestly, cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. It’s less-bad tasting because it’s more neutral, which also makes it great as a substitute in various dishes. I’ve done cauliflower Alfredo sauce, substituted potatoes for cauliflower in mashes, used cauliflower rice in place of actual rice, turned cauliflower into hummus, veggie patties, and more! And, of course, we can’t forget the famous cauliflower pizza crust! Seriously, the options are endless with this diverse vegetable.

And, cauliflower is also nutritionally prime—being low in calories, high in fiber, and high in vitamins in minerals! It’s also a sneaky superfood that’s rich in antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and fend of chronic diseases. So, these BBQ cauliflower bites aren’t just a tasty vegan snack? They’re also a disease-fighting super-snack?! Folks, dreams DO come true.

To Cauliflower, or To Broccoli?

Often, people ask: “can this be done with broccoli?” The answer: totally!

But, to be honest, these BBQ cauliflower bites are just plain better as cauliflower bites. The texture of broccoli just doesn’t roast up the same! And, it really still tastes more like a vegetable than not. Granted, the alliteration of BBQ broccoli bites has a bit of a better ring to it than BBQ Cauliflower bites… Ultimately, the choice is yours!

BBQ Cauliflower Bites

BBQ Cauliflower Bites

These BBQ cauliflower bites are fuel-filled and finger-lickin’ good! All of the luscious, barbecue-y goodness of chicken wings, packed into wholesome veggies.
5 stars (1 rating)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 145g brown rice flour
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • pepper, to taste
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 1 cup 235 mL almond milk, or milk of choice
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 5 cups, or 500g)
  • ½ cup 120g BBQ sauce (low-sugar)
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
  • In a large bowl, whisk together brown rice flour and seasonings. Whisk in milk until incorporated and you have a thin batter.
  • Add cauliflower florets and toss to coat. Remove florets from bowl, allow excess batter to drip off, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet, lined with parchment and sprayed.
  • Bake until batter begins to set (about 15 minutes), flipping once.
  • When done, mix BBQ sauce and melted coconut oil. Use a pastry brush to completely coat the florets with the sauce. Bake again, until florets are crispy and sauce is absorbed (about 10 minutes).
  • Serve with veggie sticks and/or blue cheese dressing on the side.
  • Enjoy! Best served same day. Lasts 2-3 days in the fridge.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 193kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 5g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g
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