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    Home » Appetizer Recipes

    Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch. Vegan Recipe

    Published: Jan 29, 2015 · Modified: Mar 12, 2019 by Richa 53 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    These Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites are easy, crusted with breadcrumbs, spicy sauce and addictive. Serve with celery ranch sauce below or other vegan ranch. vegan soy-free.

    Jump to Recipe   

    Spicy Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch | Vegan richa

    Baked Cauliflower is always in season. Crusted with just salt and pepper, some spices, or battered and crisped up with breadcrumbs. These super spicy breaded cauliflower bites will be on fire at your superbowl party. literally on fire in your mouth too!

    Hot sauce + black pepper + cayenne. All the heat you need! Taste the batter before using. If you don’t need a jug of cold water after tasting, you are good to go. Add more flour + water if too spicy. 

    Serve with a cooling dip like the celery ranch on this post. 

    Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes for the crunchy coating to make gluten-free.


    2 more days to Game day! Go Seahawks!

    Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites | Vegan Richa

    More super bowl apps from the blog

    Sriracha Mango Cauliflower bites, Thai Layered Dip, Buffalo Chickpea Pizza and many more here!. 

    You can also make Spicy Potato wedges with it. Use sliced russet potatoes instead of cauliflower. 

    Spicy Baked potato

    Hot!

    Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites | Vegan Richa
     
     
    Spicy Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch | Vegan richa #glutenfree #veganricha #vegan
    Print Recipe
    4.93 from 14 votes

    Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch

    These Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites are easy, crusted with breadcrumbs, spicy sauce and addictive. Serve with celery ranch sauce below or other vegan ranch. vegan soy-free.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 262kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the batter:

    • 2 to 3 Tbsp (2 to 3 tbsp) hot sauce
    • 1 Tbsp evoo
    • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne/ red chili powder
    • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
    • 1.5 tsp onion powder
    • 1.5 to 2 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt
    • 3 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
    • 1/3 cup (41.67 g) flour
    • 1/2 cup (113 ml) coconut milk canned, preferably full fat
    • 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
    • 3.5 to 4 cups (1160 to 1300 g) cauliflower florets

    Breadcrumb coating:

    • 3/4 cup (81 g) bread crumbs
    • 2 tbsp flour
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cayenne
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) onion powder
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) paprika
    • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt

    Celery Ranch Sauce:

    • 1/2 cup (118.29 g) ground cashew
    • 1/2 to 3/4 cup (125 to 200 ml) almond milk
    • 2 tbsp flour or 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
    • 2/3 tsp (0.67 tsp) salt
    • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast can be omitted
    • a very generous dash of black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder or 2 roasted garlic cloves
    • 1 to 2 tsp ranch seasoning Or use equal amounts of dried parsley, dill, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder.
    • 1 to 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1/2 to 1 tsp (1/2 to 1 tsp) celery seeds (omit to make plain ranch, add some fresh dill for plain ranch)

    Instructions

    Make the Cauliflower bites:

    • In a bowl, mix everything except cauliflower for the batter. if the batter is too thin, add more flour or starch.
    • In another shallow bowl, mix everything under breadcrumb coating.
    • Dip cauliflower in the batter, then coat in breadcrumbs and place on parchment lined sheet.(use gloves or a fork. the batter is spicy)
    • Drizzle any remaining batter on the cauliflower. Spray oil.
    • Bake at pre-heated 425 degrees F / 220ºc for 25 minutes or until a toothpick goes through the cauliflower easily. Serve warm with dip.

    Make the Celery Ranch dip:

    • Blend everything except celery seeds. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add celery seeds and blend for a few seconds. Chill and serve.

    Notes

    Nutritional information calculated for 1 serving

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 262 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 424mg18%
    Potassium 376mg11%
    Carbohydrates 32g11%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 535IU11%
    Vitamin C 31.9mg39%
    Calcium 93mg9%
    Iron 3.5mg19%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Brian

      December 24, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      Do you have any substitute for the cashew nuts in the ranch dressing if someone is allergic?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 26, 2022 at 8:38 pm

        Some people have suggested using tofu, however I have not actually tried this substitution.

        Reply
    2. KS

      April 14, 2022 at 4:01 am

      Hi! about the celery ranch dip- if you add starch or flour wouldn’t the milk need to be boiled? else would be eating raw flour…..? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 14, 2022 at 7:53 pm

        People eat raw cookie dough. You can toast both before using

        Reply
    3. Lu

      May 16, 2021 at 1:45 am

      5 stars
      A resounding success- we had it with guacamole💖

      Reply
    4. Terri

      June 06, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        June 06, 2020 at 8:11 pm

        Thanks Terri!

        Reply
    5. Andrea

      October 05, 2019 at 10:30 am

      Hi Richa…I LOVE your recipes. I have joined a vegan group, and am enjoying more and more vegan food. Everything I have made from your books and online have been wonderful! I have a question about this Spicy Baked Cauliflower recipe though… when you say “hot sauce” what do you mean. There are a lots of hot sauces out there, and some are super HOT. Sriracha? The Asian one? or another kind. Sometimes I tone down the heat a little, but most of the time I go for it! Thanks so much for your books and this website.

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 05, 2019 at 11:53 am

        its franks hot sauce or you can use any hot sauce that is mainly cayenne and vinegar like tabasco or other. Sriracha has garlic and is thicker.

        Reply
        • Andrea

          October 06, 2019 at 6:27 am

          5 stars
          Thanks so much…I tried it yesterday with Sriracha and used a little less…they were fantastic. They even warmed up well in the microwave later in the day…still crispy…great recipe!

          Reply
          • Richa

            October 06, 2019 at 11:28 am

            awesome!

            Reply
    6. Deanna

      May 27, 2019 at 4:15 pm

      Hi! These look great, and I have a guest who is vegan coming to my son’s graduation. I’m thinking they might be too spicy for some of the guests. Is there something I might use instead of the hot sauce for liquid that would be tasty but not as spicy? Thanks for help! Was thinking to serve them as an appetizer and use toothpicks to eat them. Will that work with how they come out?

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 27, 2019 at 9:01 pm

        You can use 1 tbsp vinegar and the rest hot sauce. Also dont use the remaining batter on the breaded cauliflower(step 4). Just bake and serve with the batter sauce mix on the side. The cauliflower will be more crunchy and people can dip as much as they like.

        Reply
    7. Kara Western

      July 29, 2018 at 11:29 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I’ve made these twice now and they are so so good. I made them for a party and everyone loved them, carnivore and vegan alike! Thanks so much for your amazing recipes, Richa!!

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 30, 2018 at 10:23 am

        thats awesome!

        Reply
    8. susana

      March 23, 2017 at 7:08 pm

      Hi Richa

      can you clarify how I would grind the cashews for the ranch sauce please? As well, do the cashews need to be soaked before hand?

      thank you for your help!

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 02, 2017 at 8:12 pm

        no they are dry. You put them in a blender 1 tbsp of starch and blend until they become a fine meal and use.

        Reply
        • Susana

          April 02, 2017 at 8:42 pm

          Thank you kindly Richa,

          very much appreciate you responding back!

          Susana

          Reply
    9. Zlata

      February 18, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      Is it OK that the Ranch sauce is not cooked – ie using the flour ???
      THANKS – would love to know this!!!

      LOVE LOVE LOVE your ecipes Richa’XXXX

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 18, 2017 at 2:18 pm

        yes, it is ok. people eat raw cookie dough with all flour uncooked. you can omit the flour and add a tbsp more cashews.

        Reply
    10. Vasudha

      February 12, 2017 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for my co-op of 56 people along with your Turmeric Lemon Rice and the recipe for BBQ Tofu that you shared. This dish packed a little too much heat for my housemates, but the batter was extremely tasty otherwise. Pairing the cauliflower bites with ranch eased some of the kick. The BBQ tofu and lemon rice were consumed within minutes.

      Everyone in the house loves your recipes, and I’ll be using them weekly! It’s my agenda to gradually convince everyone that the grass is greener on the vegan side 😉

      Love and thanks from Berkeley <3

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 13, 2017 at 10:12 am

        Thats awesome! Yes these can get hot for some. Adjust the cayenne and black pepper and paprika. Paprika can be mild to hot.

        Reply
    11. Gina

      January 15, 2017 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      So good! I could barely wait until they cooled off!

      Reply
    12. Malene

      December 06, 2016 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      5 stars!!

      Reply
    13. Malene

      December 06, 2016 at 9:40 pm

      Thank you for this recipe. They were the most amazing bites I have had for a long time. We had friends for dinner and everyone loved these and the dip. None of us could really comprehend how good they were. Brough smiles and joy! Have a lovely day Richa!

      Reply
    14. Ann Mahon

      February 26, 2016 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      Eager to try the cauliflower bites …..can find all spices but what is Evoo.?Also what type of shop would stock it in U K ?
      U

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 26, 2016 at 6:52 pm

        extra virgin olive oil. You can use any other oil.

        Reply
    15. Fausto

      January 24, 2016 at 6:21 pm

      I made this today and it came out amazing!! ???? Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 24, 2016 at 6:21 pm

        Awesome . thanks!

        Reply
    16. Michelle

      January 01, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      I would like to make these this weekend. They look great! Did you use panko breadcrumbs?

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 01, 2016 at 4:55 pm

        yes panko.

        Reply
    17. Kayla

      November 10, 2015 at 9:10 am

      These are in the oven, I can’t wait!

      Reply
      • Richa

        November 10, 2015 at 11:12 am

        yay!

        Reply
    18. Jessica Redmond

      September 28, 2015 at 7:59 am

      5 stars
      Hi. I made these yesterday and wow, just wow! These are incredibly delicious. Can’t wait to try more. I plan on buying your book very soon!! Thanks for being so creative and inspiring people like me to cook more!

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 28, 2015 at 10:35 am

        yay! so glad you loved them!

        Reply
    19. Digiridee

      July 13, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      Very tasty. I was craving something junky and these hit the spot. Made half with cauliflower and the other half with zucchini. Delish. I was only making them for me so I baked half and froze the other breaded but uncooked half. My plan for “fast food” on another night.

      Reply
    20. Kristina

      June 23, 2015 at 9:02 pm

      4 stars
      Hi! I just made these, and they turned out well. They were a little salty for my taste (I think because of salty hot sauce+ adding salt) and needed extra bake time to crisp up but totally delish. 😀 Thanks for another recipe!

      Reply
    21. Kelly L

      June 19, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      Do you think this would be ok if I used frozen cauliflower and let it thaw out first?

      Thank you.

      Kelly

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 19, 2015 at 4:41 pm

        sure. check earlier during baking if its done.

        Reply
    22. Charity

      April 18, 2015 at 1:07 am

      5 stars
      We had these tonight for dinner, and everyone thought they were amazing! My younger son (who declared beforehand that he didn’t like cauliflower) gave them 5 stars, deciding that he likes cauliflower after all… as long as he gets to eat it prepared like this. My husband called them “something truly special,” thanking me for a great dinner, and my teenage son went back for seconds. We didn’t have coconut milk on hand, so I substituted soy milk, and I used tofu instead of cashews in the ranch. So good! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.

      Reply
      • Wendy Tran

        January 11, 2019 at 11:21 am

        Charity, my niece is alleryto cashew nuts, what kind of tofu did you use to substitute for the cashew nuts? Thanks

        Reply
    23. Ness

      March 10, 2015 at 12:21 am

      5 stars
      All I can say is that we made these last Bites night and they were amazing – the marinade batter was so tasty – we made sure ours was just a little spicy – but overall the flavour combination with the cauliflower is perfect – we poured the extra batter over the cauliflower pieces and it went all crunchy in the oven – like a crisp – and you could taste the coconut milk. The vegan ranch dressing – so good – I live in Croatia where they love to eat that horrible shop bought mayonnaise from a jar – they put it on everything and I cannot eat it – you could use this ranch dressing on your sandwich as a mayonnaise substitute it is that good!! I cant wait to read your new cookbook!!

      Reply
    24. Shirley

      February 11, 2015 at 5:15 am

      Looks great, and we loved the mango ones. If you need gluten-free, would you substitute chickpea powder or something like ground almonds? Any advice is appreciated.

      Reply
      • Richa

        February 11, 2015 at 6:04 pm

        chickpea flour + a little starch would work. or rice flour + starch.

        Reply
    25. Carolyn

      February 04, 2015 at 5:00 pm

      What kind of breadcrumbs did you use? Panko? I just want to make sure they come out as crispy as yours look. I’ve tried this a couple times, using other recipes, but they came out soggy. These look great!

      Reply
    26. The Vegan 8

      February 02, 2015 at 11:08 am

      These cauliflower bites look amazing Richa! I don’t normally like cauliflower but I imagine them dipped in all of this sauce would be incredible! YUM. The spicy potato wedges look insane too…just beautiful.

      Reply
    27. Eileen

      January 30, 2015 at 11:27 am

      These crispy cauliflower bites sound so delicious! I definitely need more tasty vegetable bites with creamy dip in my life. 🙂

      Reply
    28. Caitlin

      January 30, 2015 at 7:56 am

      you’re right, lady, roasted cauliflower is always in season. this looks freakin amazing.

      Reply
    29. Shannon

      January 30, 2015 at 6:27 am

      Richa, you are KILLING me with these. That crust on the cauliflower looks amaaaaazing. This will officially be the second year in a row that I make multiple of your recipes on game day. I might even make 2+ kinds of cauli wings. It’s pretty much a tradition at this point!

      Reply
    30. Ann

      January 29, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      when you say coconut milk do you mean the kind in the can, or carton?

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 29, 2015 at 5:07 pm

        canned. full fat is better.

        Reply
    31. June Burns

      January 29, 2015 at 4:14 pm

      OMG staaaahp now I have to make this too! Now I can’t decide, those spicy mango wings, or the baked ones?? Anyway, these look great 🙂

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 29, 2015 at 5:07 pm

        make them all 😉

        Reply

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