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With the big game coming up, I am seeing so many snack and appetizer recipes trending across social media! I have to be honest… I’ve never been a big football fan so likely (read: definitely) won’t be watching the Super Bowl except for maybe the halftime show.
What I will be doing though is making and eating a bunch of yummy snacks for an at-home spread! These cajun cauliflower poppers are the perfect addition to your menu. They’re obviously veggie based but don’t let that scare you. These cajun cauliflower poppers are flavored with a zesty spice blend and then roasted to perfection. Yes, the serving size is listed as four but consider yourself warned: C and I can easily down a batch of these on our own.
Here’s What You Need
- cauliflower
- olive oil
- seasonings and spices: paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, sea salt and cayenne pepper.
What is Cajun Seasoning?
As you may have guessed, the spices are what make these cauliflower poppers Cajun spiced! Cajun seasoning originated in Louisiana which is where Cajun cuisine began. From what I’ve seen on the internet, everyone creates their own rendition but in general, it’s a spicy blend! I love the blend I created – it’s the perfect amount of heat and flavor that goes so well with cauliflower!
How to Make Cajun Cauliflower Poppers
STEP 1: Remove the leaves from the head of cauliflower and chop florets into bite sized pieces. Place cauliflower in a large bowl and sprinkle with olive oil until all pieces are coated.
STEP 2: Combine all of the spices in a separate, smaller bowl.
STEP 3: Pour the spices on top of the cauliflower and mix until pieces are well coated.
STEP 4: Place seasoned cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip cauliflower pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.
STEP 5: Place the cauliflower on a serving plate and put a toothpick into each piece. Serve with a dipping sauce of choice or as a side dish.
Cauliflower Popper Dipping Sauce Ideas
If you’re like me, it’s allll about the dip. I love these cauliflower poppers with a variety of sauces! Here are some ideas:
- Honey mustard – my personal favorite!
- Ranch – can’t go wrong with this creamy classic. There are a lot of great dairy-free recipes and store-bought ranches if you need.
- Buffalo – want spice on spice? Dip in buffalo sauce or another hot sauce of your choice!
Cajun Cauliflower Poppers
Cajun Cauliflower Poppers – a lightened-up appetizer recipe with tons of flavour. Just roast up and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Cajun
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place chopped cauliflower in a large bowl and sprinkle with olive oil until all pieces are coated.
- In a separate bowl combine all spices.
- Pour spices on top of cauliflower and mix until pieces are well coated.
- Place cauliflower on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 mins.
- Remove from oven and flip and bake for another 15 mins.
- Place cauliflower on a plate and put a toothpick into each piece. Serve with dipping sauce of choice (I like honey mustard) OR serve as a side dish.
More appetizer recipes to try:
You’re bringing back all these memories.
Legit the second line you said to C when he came from work was ‘did you eat my chicken and cauliflower? That was supposed to be my lunch. I had to have a grilled cheese!’
you totally ate all of this yourself then nursed a fiber baby.
hahahahahah I will never forgive him for that. Remind me to tell you about the time I lost it on him over the banana. He got in a lot of trouble…
My friend made cauliflower “wings” for the game and that were AWESOME! Now I’m inspired to try more cauliflower dishes 😉 it’s so versatile!
My boyfriend jokes that I cook for an army when there’s only two of us. One week I told him I was only going to make enough for 4 portions so we had leftovers at least once. He complained there wasn’t enough food so I went back to cooking for an army haha! I love all things cajun so these cauliflower poppers are my new favorite addicting snack!
Too funny! The biggest thing I have learned is women usually need more variety. Men needs more food but can eat the same foods all the time!
Tell me about it…the BOY always steels my leftovers. I know serve dinner and pack up the next day’s lunch at the same time to at least have one day of food : ) Living with guys is all about patience! These look amazing! I am getting into cauliflower…I hate it raw but enjoy it roasted so I think this would be a great gateway into becoming a cauliflower eater!
These look good – plus talk about guilt free snacking!!!
Hahaha this is so true. I don’t even live with JZ yet but I already know that we are going to need to have a huge grocery budget when we do live together. I mean, I thought that I eat a lot, but JZ can easily put away 2-3x as much as me. This is why I want to be an RD for a grocery store – so I can get food discounts lol!
Haha! Same boat. I enforce quality and he enforces quantity, especially when it comes to meat. Our grocery bill sucks! Looks like we’re both kickin’ it with the cauliflower for the superbowl – I did a whole nacho-like thing 🙂 Great recipe! Love the spice mix.
The boys ar CrossFit order 2-3 course per person in a restaurant on a reguilar basis (appetizer AND main course) – totally normal. We always need an additional table for all the plates. I fear that one day a waiter faints and plants his face in our food. They are always so shocked.
These cauliflower poppers look so cute and I love that they are a little burnt. Best ever.
You would learn that I sometimes walk from room to room without having a clue what I just wanted to do/find/arrange there.
Just take his appetite as a compliment. Obviously, your food is DEEEE-lish!