Crispy Air Fryer Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan Bites

I took the methods for this easy air fryer recipe using gluten-free batter, from my oil-free air fryer cauliflower wings recipe, with added crispy breadcrumbs used for spicy Buffalo tofu and borrowed seasoning ideas from my favorite hemp parmesan recipe.

The result is crunchy, lemony cauliflower bites ready for marinara dipping sauce, cool cashew ranch dressing, or vegan honey mustard dressing.

• Capture the flavor of parmesan cheese without adding nuts, oils, commercial vegan cheese, or making your own.
• 7 simple seasonings and ingredients you can find at the grocery store.
• Great as an appetizer, a delicious side dish, or a main dish with pasta and flavorful homemade tomato sauce.

Cauliflower. This is a job for a fresh cauliflower head. Pre-cooked or frozen cauliflower ends up too mushy after air frying. It also tends to be too wet to hold the batter.

Chickpea flour. Also known as besan or gram flour, chickpea flour is thick and clingy when mixed with water. It’s also gluten-free and has a nutty, not ‘bready’ flavor. If you use another flour, I recommend strong wheat flour.

Italian seasoning. A good catch-all Italian seasoning blend, including oregano, basil, black pepper, onion powder, and thyme.

White miso paste. My secret ingredient for making baked vegan parmesan cheese. White miso has a mellow flavor, and it’s readily available. You can also find soy-free miso paste.

Panko. The crunch of panko draws you right in, but unfortunately, it can be challenging to find whole wheat panko. For this reason, you can also use whole-wheat breadcrumbs.

Lemon juice. Another of our parmesan secrets is the zesty flavor of lemon juice. Use a fresh lemon or ¼ a cup of the bottled stuff.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Easily modify this recipe using a block of tofu cut into cubes. Tofu parmesan!

Step 1: Make the batter. Whisk to make it smooth.

Step 2: Preheat the air fryer. When it's hot, dip cauliflower florets into the batter and shake off the excess.

Step 3: Roll each piece in panko. Place pieces in an air fryer basket in a single layer.

Step 4: Air fry for 12-15 minutes. Flip halfway through.

Baking Instructions

Place cauliflower parmesan bites, separated, in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 F. in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Once the tops have started browning, gently turn the cauliflower over. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until they are crispy on all sides.

• The batter may thicken as it sits. Add a little water if this happens.
• You should end up with 24-25 pieces of crispy parmesan cauliflower. This depends on how small the florets are and what amount you are aiming for.
• If using a whole head of cauliflower, there might be some left. Toss it in a bag and keep it in the fridge to make another cauliflower recipe, like cauliflower quinoa pilaf, or add it to a batch of fiery cauliflower vindaloo.

Denise's best pro tip: Preheat the air fryer or oven before dipping and rolling the cauliflower.

In addition to being the best appetizer, air fryer cauliflower bites make delicious vegan meatballs with your favorite red pasta sauce, oil-free pesto Rosso, or creamy cauliflower white sauce.

Many recipes call for soaking cauliflower in salt water or parboiling before baking or air frying it; however, if left too long, it can make it mushy after cooking. This also makes it more difficult to dip and hold its shape while cooking. Al dente cauliflower is far better than mush. In addition to the extra time, you lose valuable nutrients.

Those brown spots on cauliflower result from oxidation (think cut apples). The longer you store cauliflower, the more oxidation happens. But guess what? It’s perfectly safe. And seriously, who will know once you dip it in batter and roll it in panko?

If you need a crunchy substitute for panko, the best whole-grain alternative is to toast slices of whole-grain bread and then use a food processor to make breadcrumbs. You can use gluten-free bread for this purpose or consider crushing puffed rice or rolled oats. Crushed crackers can also make a crunchy panko substitute.

Store leftover cauliflower parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. I don’t suggest freezing because the moisture content will be too high to make it crisp after reheating.

Reheat cauliflower in the air fryer or oven. Wrap it in foil or cover it in the oven for the first few minutes so it doesn’t get too brown. Flip it for quick reheating.

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