Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bites {4-ingredients, Grain-Free}

Vegan cauliflower cheese bites, made in a mini muffin tin with only 4 ingredients, including chickpea flour and nutritional yeast for cheese-y flavor. Perfect for snacks and appetizers!

Let’s get right to it.

Snacks. I need snacks, you need snacks, we all need snacks.

Vegetable snacks? I am all for it. But it’s hard to cozy up to a plate of baby carrots and celery sticks on a cold, dark, February day.

So I’m offering these instead: my 4-Ingredient Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bites.

Talk about yum. And ease. And all-around appeal! They are:

*Vegan
*Grain-free
*Gluten-free
*Ready in under 30 minutes
*Frugal

Despite their heartiness, each mini has a mere 22 calories, so you can munch a bunch (which you will want to do). Take that, crudité. :).

Here’s what you need to get these in the oven: (1) about half of a head of cauliflower (8 ounces/227 g), chopped somewhat finely, (2) 1/2 cup chickpea flour, (3) 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (it’s what gives the bites their cheese-y flavor), and (4) a tablespoon of olive oil (or your favorite oil). You’ll need a bit of water, salt & pepper, too.

Simply whisk everything, except the cauliflower in a large bowl, until blended and smooth.

You can add any and all kinds of additional flavors here, if you want to jazz things up. For example, herbs (chopped fresh or dried; rosemary or Italian seasoning are always good choices), a smidge of mustard (to add a subtle sharpness to the cheese flavor), or spices (e.g., chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin, curry powder).

Add the cauliflower and toss to combine. The batter will just coat the cauliflower, with a bit of extra in the bottom of the bowl.

Divide the mixture between 18 well-greased or sprayed mini muffin cups. These will definitely stick if you do not coat the cups (been there, done that). Alternatively, line the cups with paper or foil liners. Be sure to scoop any remaining batter at the bottom of the bowl over the portions in the cup.

That’s it! Now pop in a preheated 400F (200C) degree oven for about 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Here’s the snack-worthy result!

These little snacks can be made with broccoli, too. It is also an excellent way to use up cauliflower or broccoli stems. Just be sure to finely chop the stems (a bit more so than the florets) before adding to the batter.

These keep well–refrigerator or freezer–and are tasty warm (you can re-warm in the microwave for a few seconds), room temperature, or cold. Happy eating!

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Yield: 18 minis

Cauliflower Cheese Bites {4-ingredients, Vegan, Grain-Free}

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4-ingredient cauliflower minis, made in a mini muffin tin with chickpea flour, plus nutritional yeast for cheese-y flavor. Perfect for snacks and appetizers and only 22 calories each.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (60 g) chickpea flour
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) water
• 2 tablespoons (7.5 g)nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower florets (8 oz/ 227g)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Grease or spray 18 cups of a miniature muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, water, yeast, oil, salt and pepper until blended and smooth. Add the cauliflower, stirring until combined.
3. Divide the cauliflower mixture (including all of the batter) evenly between the prepared mini muffin cups.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack and run a knife around the edges to loosen. Cool 5 minutes and then remove from pan.
5. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled mini bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tip: No nutritional yeast? No problem. You can leave it out. You can stick with salt and pepper as your seasonings, or add some herbs or spices instead.

Tip: This recipe will not work with other flours (e.g., coconut flour or almond flour).

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

1 mini
Amount Per Serving Calories 22Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0.1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 37.7mgCarbohydrates 2.4gFiber 0.7gSugar 0.5gProtein 1.2g

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