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Home » Recipes » Dinner » Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets

Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets

By Taesha Butler July 2, 2020 (Updated December 9, 2021) 34 Comments

Servings24 nuggets
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Jump to Recipe
4.94 from 15 votes

These Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets are delicious, easy to make, and kids love them! The perfect blend of rice, cheese and oodles of cauliflower they are naturally gluten-free and the perfect finger food for any meal!

Cheesy cauliflower nuggets on a plate with a cup of ketchup with green onions scattered on top.

I’m pretty sure making anything into a nugget makes it automatically taste better and more exciting to eat.

And as I learned, this includes cauliflower. Especially when you throw cheese into the mix! Cheese makes all veggies a little better in my book.

You see, I am not a big fan of cauliflower. Like, at all. Nor is my family. And while I don’t believe in forcing myself to choke down food I don’t like (I love food too much to hate eating) or glaring at my family over the dinner table until they have eaten what I’ve made, I do know cauliflower is worth our time to TRY and find a way to enjoy…since it is loaded with so much goodness!

It is for reasons like this and veggies such as cauliflower that the veggie-loaded approach was born. To make eating veggies (especially the ones we know are good for us but that we don’t love to eat) exciting, delicious and a joy over something we just have to get through at the dinner table.

So these Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets are my newest way of downing that oh-so-healthy cauli in a way that is delicious, fun and that my family enjoys as much as I do! So much winning with this recipe, TNNers.

Health benefits of cauliflower

Cauliflower is pretty awesome veggie to add to your life and diet.

Why? Because it is high in fiber, is a great source of antioxidants, is high in choline (a nutrient that many people are low in and that is important in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes and brain development (source)), and is rich source of vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and manganese.

These Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets are delicious, easy to make, and kids love them! The perfect blend of rice, cheese and oodles of cauliflower they are naturally gluten-free and the perfect finger food for any meal!

Can these cauliflower nuggets be cooked on the stove top instead of baked?

I tested that and they did not hold together well for me. However, baking was successful and highly suggest sticking with that method for cooking these cauliflower nuggets.

Can these cauliflower nuggets be made vegan?

No. Sorry, friends! Unfortunately These did not hold together well without eggs.

They *might* work with vegan cheese for a dairy-free option. However, in my experience, each brand of plant based “cheese” melts very differently, so it will depend on if you have a vegan cheese that you love that melts well in the oven.

Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets on the baking sheet before baking.

Suggested adapations for making cauliflower nuggets

  • Used 3 1/2 cups cauliflower rice instead of florets. Cook as directed, but be sure to to carefully squeeze out as much water from the cauliflower rice as possible so that your nuggets are not mushy.
  • Replace 1/2 or all of the cauliflower with broccoli.
  • Use brown rice instead of white.
  • Adjust seasoning to fit your personal taste. Add more. Leave some out. Add something different! Make them your own!
  • Make them extra cheesy! I reheated these in a skillet one day and threw some extra cheese on them to make these cauliflower nuggets extra intriguing to my cauliflower-iffy daughter. She loved that little extra topping and gobbled these up. So after you flip them the second time, add a little bonus cheese on top for the cheese-lovers in your life.

Other cauliflower recipes your family will love.

If cauliflower is something you need to get creative with to help you family get jazzed about eating it, here are some other healthy, cauliflower-loaded recipes that are always winners in our house!

  • Mashed Instant Pot Potatoes with Cauliflower
  • Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (vegan)
  • Chicken & Cauliflower Meatballs
  • Creamy Cauliflower & Blueberry Smoothie
A child's hand taking a cauliflower nugget and dunking it into a cup of ketchup. More nuggets are on the plate around the cup and a bottle of ketchup is in the background with a strainer of cauliflower.
Print Recipe
4.94 from 15 votes

Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets

These Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets are delicious, easy to make, and kids love them! The perfect blend of rice, cheese and oodles of cauliflower they are naturally gluten-free and the perfect finger food for any meal!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cauliflower recipes, gluten free, healthy nuggets, vegetable recipes for kids
Servings: 24 nuggets
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Taesha Butler

Ingredients 

  • 1 cups cooked rice I used white but brown would work too
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets fresh or frozen (about half m medium head of cauliflower)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
  • Bring a pot with a steamer basket to a boil. Add cauliflower and steam for 5 minutes. When done cooking, transfer to a strainer and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Let cauliflower drain very well and press down on it with the back of a spoon to help draw out extra water.
  • Run cauliflower through your food processor with your “S” blade until finely chop. Alternatively, you can finely chop the cooked cauliflower by hand, pulse it in a blender or mash it with a potato masher. DO NOT OVER PROCESS. The cauliflower should not be pureed but rather still have a bit of texture
  • Place cauliflower in the middle of a clean towel or some paper towels. Wrap it up and press down on the cauliflower to help drain out as much water as possible.
  • Add chopped and drained cauliflower to a large bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well.
  • Using a heaping tablespoon or small cookie scoop, portion the mixture into your hand and form a nugget. The mixture will soft and this is normal, but just luckily they will taste great no matter how they look! Place nuggets onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 7 minute. Flip, and press down gently on each nugget to flatten them a bit. Return to oven a bake for 7 more minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying warm with your favorite dipping sauce or as a side to any meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1nugget | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!

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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten-Free, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: cauliflower

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Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

    Did you make this recipe? So good, right? It would mean the world to me if you left a comment and star rating so that more people can see how delicious veggie-loading can be. Plus, it helps me to see what recipes you are all loving so I can make more like them.

    Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

  1. Lydia

    July 3, 2020 at 2:38 am

    5 stars
    So good! My toddler loved them, which is an accomplishment with vegetables these days 😂

    Reply
  2. Chug

    July 3, 2020 at 11:52 pm

    Can I bake it in a small muffin tins?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      July 4, 2020 at 2:33 am

      I haven’t tried, but if you do, I’d line them or heavily grease it the tin. The egg cheesy combo will stick!

      Reply
  3. Chesley

    July 7, 2020 at 1:31 am

    I tried them and used your recipe to a T. They wouldn’t brown. I increased the temp to 475 F but it still took long to cook and didn’t combine well. Did I do something wrong?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      July 7, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Well thats a bummer to hear! Did you squeeze out the water from the cauliflower?

      Reply
    • Carly

      May 17, 2021 at 8:46 am

      Mine did the same, followed the recipe exactly. They were like mush and even stuck to the baking paper. Super dissapointed.

      Reply
      • Taesha

        May 23, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        I’m so sorry to hear that, Carly. If there were no swaps and you squeezed out the cauliflower, than I truly have no idea what went wrong. The only thing I can think of is perhaps the cauliflower was over processed in the food processor and became mush. I have had that happen with other recipes and not over blending is key! I value the feedback. I know many people have made these with success, but I will revisit it and see if I can troubleshoot.

        Reply
        • Elizabeth

          September 8, 2021 at 7:58 pm

          I just made these and they are amazing! I think the problem for the others was to much water in the cauliflower. I actually used some napkins to squeeze out the additional water and was amazed how much water was still coming out. My 15 month old truly enjoyed!!

          Reply
          • Taesha Butler

            September 8, 2021 at 8:46 pm

            I’m so glad to hear all of that!

        • Jess

          June 4, 2022 at 8:42 am

          5 stars
          I put in some breadcrumbs to take out some moisture as I did accidentally blend the cauliflower too much and it worked perfectly

          Reply
  4. Kim

    July 7, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    Family loved them. Will be making them often.

    Reply
  5. Erica

    July 8, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    4 stars
    These were delicious. I tried to pan fry them and bake them. The baked were better but I liked the crunch of the pan fry! I may broil a bit next time. 2/4 kids loved them but I will try again!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      July 8, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed and that some of the kids enjoyed! I agree that pan frying didn’t work out great with these. I wonder if you give them a little crisping up after baking if that would work out better? Hmmmm. More work but something to try my next round with this recipe!

      Reply
  6. ปั้มไลค์

    July 9, 2020 at 10:51 am

    5 stars
    Like!! Really great

    Reply
  7. Andrea

    July 20, 2020 at 2:43 am

    Delicious! The mix of cheese and cauliflower was perfect.

    Reply
    • Andrea

      July 20, 2020 at 2:44 am

      5 stars
      The stars didn’t post the first time

      Reply
      • Taesha

        July 20, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        💚

        Reply
    • Taesha

      July 20, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed them! There is something magical about that combo!

      Reply
  8. Lena

    August 7, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    These are so delicious!! Found the recipe yesterday and since I had some cauliflower in the fridge (and not a lot of time to prepare lunch today…), I thought I’d give it a try. Really loved the result, and it was so easy and quick! I’m not the biggest fan of garlic and onion, so I used curry powder and cumin for it, which gave it kind of an Indian flavour 🙂 Also great as fingerfood, my 11mo loved it!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      August 7, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      What a great idea! I will totally try it with curry and cumin next! My husband is a huge fan of those flavors!

      Reply
  9. Katia

    December 27, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    Do you cook rice before mixing?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      December 27, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      Yes. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Jala Wagiaalla

    December 30, 2020 at 10:40 am

    I’m going to try it. Any suggestions on how to make a batch and store them? I like to have preped meals for my toddler.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      December 30, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      Are you looking to freeze or just have them available for the week? They store great in the fridge and reheat easily in a toaster oven. If you need to freeze them, freeze in a single layer and then when solid, transfer to a container for easier storage.

      Reply
  11. Brittany

    February 2, 2021 at 3:07 am

    5 stars
    These were a hit with my 3- and 6-year-old! Also with my husband and I. 🙂 Thanks so much for the fun recipe!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 2, 2021 at 4:11 am

      I’m so happy to hear that, Brittany! Family approved is always my goal!

      Reply
  12. Claire

    March 26, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    So yummy. My 19 month old ate 4 without pausing! Can you freeze leftover nuggets?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      March 26, 2021 at 2:00 pm

      Well THAT is a success! You can but they might be a bit crumbly after defrosting.

      Reply
  13. Jess

    June 4, 2022 at 10:00 am

    5 stars
    I put in some breadcrumbs to take out some moisture as I did accidentally blend the cauliflower too much and it worked perfectly

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      June 5, 2022 at 11:51 am

      Oh that is so good to know! Thank you for sharing, Jess.

      Reply
  14. Amy Fan

    September 13, 2022 at 12:19 pm

    the flavor was great, but I used riced cauliflower (steamed for 5mins per directions) and my mixture wasn’t able to form a nugget at all. It ended up being like baked cauliflower rice. with riced cauliflower, do I still need to blend/process it?

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      September 13, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      Hi Amy! When you say it couldn’t for nuggets, was it because the mixture was too wet? If that is the case, I’m thinking you needed to squeeze the water out of the cooked cauliflower rice a bit more before adding to the rest of the ingredients. And I am also wondering if your riced cauliflower wasn’t as processed as small as my cauliflower was going through the food processor. I’ve seen some cauliflower rice that has nice small bits and other brands that are chunkier…which can impact the texture of these.

      Reply
  15. Michelle

    February 5, 2023 at 11:23 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! My toddler gobbled these up, even cold. The only thing I did differently was use a nut bag to squeeze out the water from the cauliflower. Worked great!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      February 6, 2023 at 1:07 pm

      That is so awesome to hear, Michelle! Yay for kid-approved veggie-loaded recipes!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Taesha! I help busy people fall in love with healthy eating with my simple, family-friendly, veggie-loaded recipes. I believe vegetables can and SHOULD be delicious. Here, let me show you how!

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