Dynamite Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites

Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites are a fun meatless appetizer that’s full of spicy bold flavor. They taste great on their own, dipped in ranch sauce, or stuffed in a tortilla for a yummy vegetarian lunch!

Crispy veggie bites in a white serving bowl with celery and dip.

Better For You Party Food

Want to be the star of your next holiday gathering or game day party? Serve something mildly healthy.

People love having lighter options to balance out all the cheese and bacon-wrapped everything. The trick is cooking a dish that tastes better than those other indulgent appetizers.

Enter these tasty Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites. They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with spicy buffalo sauce flavor.

Pair them with some easy roasted sweet potato rounds and irresistible rosemary cashews and you’ll have yourself one heck of a healthy snack platter! 

Three photos showing cauliflower tossed with sauce, breaded, on a sheet pan.

A Messy Situation

Sauce covered wings (veggie or otherwise) bring a high level of sticky-finger-messiness. That’s why we made these bites a little differently.

  • The broccoli and cauliflower florets are dipped into a mix of buffalo sauce and olive oil.
  • Then tossed in bread crumbs and baked (not fried).
  • As they bake the sauce combines with the breading forming a spicy crispy crust.

This way you get to enjoy a “wing” that’s all kinds of Y-U-M but won’t turn everything from your fingers to the sofa bright orange.

{Related: Killer Toaster Oven Appetizers That Are Surprisingly Healthy}

Buffalo veggie bites in a white bowl with blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

3 Quick Tips

  1. Make things easier by using a bag of pre-chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets (so worth the extra $).
  2. The convection setting on your toaster oven will make the crispiest bites (just remember to check on them early).
  3. You can double/triple the recipe for a larger crowd or cut it in half for a spicy party of one.

{Related: 7 Things You Should Know About Convection Toaster Ovens}

Veggie bites in a serving dish and wrapped in a tortilla.

Wrap Them Up

What I love most about these buffalo broccoli and cauliflower bites is that they work for any occasion, not just parties.

They taste really good rolled in a tortilla with a few handfuls of fresh spinach and a drizzle of our Small Batch Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing.

Whether you enjoy them as a game night snack or stuffed in a pita for lunch, I hope you enjoy these spicy veggie bites as much as we do.

Buffalo veggie bites in a white bowl with blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

These spicy breaded veggie bites are a healthier appetizer everyone will enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Bites:

  • 12 ounces Fresh Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets, About 3 cups
  • 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 ounces Buffalo Wing Sauce, about 1/3 cup
  • 3 ounces Dry Bread Crumbs, Plain or seasoned, about 1 cup
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon Smoked Paprika (increase to 1/4 teaspoon for spicer bites)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. If using a toaster oven adjust the cooking rack to the bottom position and select the BAKE setting.
  2. Lightly oil a quarter sheet pan. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and buffalo wing sauce. Add broccoli and cauliflower and toss to coat completely.
  4. In a shallow dish combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and paprika.
  5. A few pieces at a time, shake the excess sauce off the florets and dredge in crumbs until coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet leaving a little space between each piece.
  6. Lightly mist coated vegetables with cooking oil spray just before baking.
  7. Bake until florets are golden brown, crispy and can be pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  8. Serve warm with blue cheese dip (see notes) or your favorite sauce.

Notes

To cook in a Convection Toaster Oven, keep the temperature the same but begin checking for doneness after 15 minutes.

To Make a Lightened-Up Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce whisk together 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon Celery Salt, and 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons Crumbled Blue Cheese or Feta Cheese.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (without dip)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 4.7gSaturated Fat: 0.8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 19.4gFiber: 2.9gSugar: 3.1gProtein: 4.3g

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10 Comments

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Marilyn! And thank you for leaving the panko tip, I’m sure lots of people will really appreciate it!

  1. You kindly converted ounces to cups for the vegetables & the sauce but not for the breadcrumbs. So is 3 oz breadcrumbs 1/3 cup, the way it is for the sauce? One site on google said it was 13,5 tablespoons, which seemed like a strange amount; when I asked how much it was in cups it said .84 cup which I also thought was a strange amount. Is there some reason you didn’t convert the breadcrumbs? Thanks!

    1. Hi Luana!

      The bread crumbs are much lighter than the sauce so the measurement in cups will be different. I just pulled out a can of breadcrumbs and measured out 3 ounces – it’s about 14 tablespoons or a little less than 1 cup. So that .84 cup measurement was almost spot on.

      When developing recipes we use a scale and then physical measuring cups to figure out the different ingredient amounts. I probably just forgot to write down the breadcrumbs one.

      Thanks for the question, I’ve updated the recipe card to include that information. Hope you enjoy them!

  2. I can not believe that I missed this site for so long!
    I shared with the 2 Breville oven groups I’m in, on FB! They are gonna love all the recipes and tips!
    Thank you so much for all the work you put in this!

    1. Wow, Fabricia you totally made our day! THANK YOU so much for sharing the site, you’re the BEST. We’re terrible with social media, lol and had no idea there were Breville oven groups, that’s so cool 🙂

    1. Thanks, Steffi! Glad you enjoyed them and thanks for sharing with your friends. Sounds like a good excuse for a party 🙂