These roasted cauliflower nuggets are gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan.  They’re delicious, easy to make, and kids love them! Covered in a crispy coating made of cheesy nutritional yeast, crunchy cornmeal, and healthy turmeric, these little cauliflower bites will please the whole family! 

A plate with a bed of lettuce and roasted cauliflower nuggets on top.

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âť” Why should I roast cauliflower?

Roasted vegetables are delicious!  Even veggies that my kids claim to hate are soon devoured when I roast them with a little oil and a sprinkle of salt.  They devour my balsamic roasted veggies, roasted root vegetables, or roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes every time I make them.

I never had much luck getting my kids excited about cauliflower until I started playing around with some seasonings, and added cornmeal for some crunch.  Now my kids ask me to make these roasted cauliflower nuggets all of the time.

They can be served as a side dish or work as an appetizer.  However, many times they don’t even make it off the cookie sheet before my kids descend on them. 

Drizzle them with vegan buffalo sauce for a healthy vegan buffalo cauliflower or orange sauce to make orange cauliflower.

A cookie sheet filled with baked cauliflower bites.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Cauliflower – one large head of cauliflower or about 4 cups of florets.
  • Olive Oil – or any neutral-flavored oil will work.  This will help the breading stick to the cauliflower and help it crisp up and not stick to the cookie sheet.
  • Cornmeal – as a gluten-free breading that will give the cauliflower a nice crispy texture.
  • Nutritional Yeast – for a cheesy flavor, golden color, and extra nutrition. (optional) 
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor.
  • Paprika – for flavor.
  • Turmeric – for color.

🥄 How to make cauliflower nuggets

Step 1 – Start by preheating your oven to 425° F (218° C)

Step 2 – Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and put them into a bowl.

Step 3 – Drizzle them with oil and stir to coat the pieces.

Step 4 – In a separate container, mix the cornmeal and spices.

Step 5 – Sprinkle about Âľ of the mixture over the cauliflower and stir well to coat.

A series of 4 pictures showing the process steps for making the breading, putting oil on the cauliflower and sprinkling the cauliflower with the coating.

Step 6 – Pour cauliflower onto a baking sheet and put it into the oven.

Step 7 – After about 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining mixture. Mix well to coat the cauliflower. (The cauliflower will now be moist and more of the mixture will stick to it.)

Step 8 – Bake again for about 15 more minutes. Take out of the oven and stir well again.

Step 9 – Bake for another 15 minutes, totaling about 45 minutes of baking. (They should be cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside).

Step 10 – Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Two images of the roasted cauliflower before and after baking.

✨ Dipping sauces for cauliflower

Check out all of my homemade vegan dipping sauces! These are a few of my family’s favorites for cauliflower…

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • Be sure to bake the cauliflower at a high temperature to make sure that it cooks thoroughly and gets crispy on the outside.
  • Cut the pieces of cauliflower into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
  • The size of the pieces will determine the cooking time. Larger pieces will need about 5 more minutes of baking time. Small pieces will need about 5 minutes less of bake time.
A white plate with a bed of lettuce and roasted cauliflower nuggets.

🥡 Storage and reheating

Baked cauliflower nuggets are best served hot and fresh. I recommend only making as much as you can eat in 1 sitting. If you have extras, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but they will not be as crisp and fresh. You can bake them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400° F for 5-7 minutes to reheat them.

âž• More cauliflower recipes

✨ More vegan finger foods

đź“Ś Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

đź“‹ Roasted cauliflower nuggets recipe

A plate of baked cauliflower nuggets with a crunchy coating on a bed of lettuce.
4.72 from 7 rating

Roasted Vegan Cauliflower Nuggets

Yield: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Vegan cauliflower nuggets coated in a crunchy, flavorful, gluten-free coating and roasted in the oven. 
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Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, (large head)
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil , or any other oil of choice
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • Âľ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
  • Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and put them into a bowl.
  • Drizzle with oil and stir to coat the pieces.
  • In a separate container, mix all remaining ingredients.
  • Sprinkle about Âľ of the mixture over the cauliflower and stir well to coat.
  • Pour cauliflower onto a baking sheet and put it into the oven.
  • After about 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and sprinkle the remaining mixture. Mix well to coat the cauliflower. (The cauliflower will now be moist and more of the mixture will stick to it.)
  • Bake again for about 15 more minutes. Take out of the oven and stir well again.
  • Bake for another 15 minutes, totaling about 45 minutes of baking. (They should be cooked through and slightly crispy on the outside).
  • Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 479mg, Potassium: 584mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 35IU, Vitamin C: 69.3mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1.3mg
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