Cauliflower appetizers can be served at parties, summer BBQ’s, or before a big family dinner.
You can use cauliflower to create delicious appetizers like cauliflower bites, fritters, breadsticks, crostini’s, nachos, or dips.
Try making one of these savory cauliflower appetizers for your next get together with family or friend’s!
Cauliflower Bites
Cauliflower bites are a savory cauliflower appetizer.
Cauliflower bites are made by chopping up cauliflower, and then adding a spicy, or savory sauce to it and roasting it in the oven (see below for some delicious cauliflower bites recipes).
The cauliflower pieces are cooked until the edges are crispy.
You can serve cauliflower bites with several different types of dipping sauces, including garlic aioli, or avocado cilantro lime sauce.
- Roasted garlic parmesan bites
- Buffalo cauliflower bites
- Korean BBW cauliflower bites
- Honey garlic cauliflower bites
Roasted Cauliflower and Feta Dip
Roasted cauliflower and feta dip is a dip you can serve warm, or chilled.
Cauliflower florets are roasted in the oven with onion powder, garlic powder and olive oil until they are fork tender.
The cauliflower should be cooled for a bit, then you can puree it in a food processor.
Add crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, minced garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice to the food processor and blend together to create a smooth dip.
Top the dip with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped up chives, and a few chili pepper flakes.
Roasted cauliflower and feta dip goes well with pita chips, crostini’s, carrots, or celery for dipping.
Cauliflower and Steak Crostini
Cauliflower and steak crostini is an eye catching crostini with a ton of flavor and texture.
Cauliflower is chopped up roasted in the oven with some olive oil and whole garlic cloves until it’s soft, and can be pureed in a food processor.
The pan you cooked the cauliflower in will have bits stuck to it. Add some coconut milk and red curry paste to deglaze it. Deglazing means to take all of the bits mixed with the liquid you poured into the pan. You can then add your deglazing mixture back to the food processor and blend until smooth.
Steak can be marinated for a couple of hours with red curry paste, fish sauce, and lime juice.
Once you’re ready to cook it, grill it until it’s medium rare, and slice thinly, against the grain.
Assemble the cauliflower appetizer by placing a slice of baguette, a spoonful of cauliflower sauce, and then topping it with a bit of steak.
Garnish with a few green onions.
Cauliflower Nachos
Cauliflower nachos are made by using cauliflower instead of tortilla chips.
Cauliflower is cut into pieces, and then coated with olive oil, and Cajun seasoning, and roasted in the oven.
Once the cauliflower is cooked through, place the cauliflower pieces tightly together. Add a few black beans, chopped up tomatoes, finely chopped red onions, thinly chopped jalapenos, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven until the cheese has melted, and serve warm.
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
Buffalo cauliflower dip is a dip served warm with tortilla chips.
Cauliflower is cut into pieces, and then roasted in the oven coated in olive oil.
The cauliflower should have a crispy edge when it comes out of the oven.
To make the buffalo cauliflower dip, mix together the cauliflower pieces, 1″ cubed cream cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, a bit of hot sauce, Greek yogurt or sour cream, chopped up green onions and a little blue cheese.
Bake the mixture in the oven until the cheeses have completely melted, and the edges of the dip are starting to crisp up.
Serve buffalo cauliflower dip warm with pita chips, tortilla chips, or baguette slices.
Cauliflower Hummus
Cauliflower hummus is made using cauliflower instead of chickpeas.
Cauliflower is cut into pieces, coated with olive oil, and roasted in the oven until it’s cooked through.
The cauliflower should cool to room temperature, and then it can be pureed in a food processor.
Add tahini, olive oil, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, and coriander to spice the cauliflower hummus and blend together until smooth.
Garnish with parsley and sunflower seeds. Serve with pita bread, carrots, or celery sticks for dipping.
Cauliflower Breadsticks
Cauliflower breadsticks are a unique cauliflower appetizer you can make. You can serve cauliflower breadsticks with ranch dip, pizza sauce, or garlic aioli.
Cauliflower breadsticks are made by pureeing small pieces of cauliflower in a food processor, and then cooking it in the microwave for 10 minutes. The water is moved from the cauliflower with a cheesecloth.
To make the breadsticks, mix together eggs, shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
Fold in the cauliflower, and then place the mixture onto 2 baking pans lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the oven until the breadsticks are golden brown. You can sprinkle on a bit more cheese at the end if desired.
Cauliflower Fritters
Cauliflower fritters can be served with garlic aioli, sour cream, or Greek yogurt for dipping.
Cauliflower florets are boiled for a couple of minutes to soften them.
The cauliflower is chopped into fine pieces, and then placed in a bowl with flour, eggs, minced garlic, scallions, a bit of salt and pepper.
The fritters can be shaped, and then cooked in a pan on medium heat with a little olive oil. The edges of the cauliflower fritters will turn golden brown and crisp up when they’re ready to flip.
Cook the fritters on both sides, and then serve them warm as a tasty cauliflower appetizer.
