Cheesy Beer Battered Cauliflower Nuggets

These cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets are oven-baked to crispy perfection. With a beer and chickpea flour batter and a pecorino and pumpkin seed coating, they are served with a barbecue tahini sauce for the perfect game day snack or appetizer.

I told you that I’m trying to up my appetizer game, and I wasn’t kidding! 

These cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets are one of our new favourite recipes! Cauliflower florets are coated in a beer and chickpea flour batter that’s seasoned with smoked paprika and cayenne, then tossed through coarsely ground pumpkin seeds and pecorino cheese before being baked to crispy perfection! In the final few minutes of baking, add some shredded gouda cheese, which melts into the cauliflower and makes for the best pull-apart eating situation.

The dipping sauce is the likes of which you have probably never tasted; it’s tahini and Greek yogurt infused with some barbecue sauce for sweet spiciness and lime juice and apple cider vinegar for tanginess. 

All in all, these cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets make the best game day snack that you won’t be able to stop eating! Truly, this is one of my favourite cauliflower preparations yet. 

ingredients you’ll need

For the cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets, you’ll need cauliflower, beer (ale or lager), chickpea flour, baking soda, sea salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, pepitas, pecorino, dried oregano, and gouda. 

For the barbecue tahini sauce, you’ll need tahini, barbecue sauce, Greek yogurt, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. 

the method

Preheat the oven to 450 F and line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the beer, chickpea flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. 

Add the cauliflower to the batter and stir to coat. 

In a second large bowl, stir together the ground pepitas, pecorino, and oregano. Transfer the battered cauliflower florets into this bowl and toss well to coat. (If there is excess batter, discard or save for another batch.)

Divide the cauliflower between the two prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle any pepita/pecorino mixture that stayed in the bowl over top.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. In the final five minutes, sprinkle the shredded gouda over top.

Meanwhile, make the tahini barbecue sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, barbecue sauce, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Serve the cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets with cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and the dipping sauce, and enjoy! 

more cauliflower recipes

• Creamy Moroccan Cauliflower, Squash, and Goat Cheese Soup
• Loaded Shawarma Fries with Chickpeas, Cauliflower + Halloumi
• Vegan Cauliflower Parmesan Bites
• Spicy BBQ Cauliflower Wings (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

I hope that you love these cheesy beer battered cauliflower bites! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made. 

Enjoy! 

Cheesy Beer Battered Cauliflower Nuggets

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Allison

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Description

These cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets are oven-baked to crispy perfection. With a beer and chickpea flour batter and a pecorino and pumpkin seed coating, they are served with a barbecue tahini sauce for the perfect game day snack or appetizer.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cauliflower Nuggets

• 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into medium florets
• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup chickpea flour (or sub all-purpose flour)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup pepitas, ground into a coarse meal in a food processor
• 110 grams pecorino cheese, finely shredded
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 90 grams gouda cheese, shredded

Tahini Barbecue Sauce

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup barbecue sauce
• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnishes

• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapeños

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the beer, chickpea flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne.
3. Add the cauliflower to the batter and stir to coat.
4. In a second large bowl, stir together the ground pepitas, pecorino, and oregano. Transfer the battered cauliflower florets into this bowl and toss well to coat. (If there is excess batter, discard or save for another batch.)
5. Divide the cauliflower between the two prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle any pepita/pecorino mixture that stayed in the bowl over top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. In the final five minutes, sprinkle the shredded gouda over top.
7. Meanwhile, make the tahini barbecue sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, barbecue sauce, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.
8. Serve the cheesy beer battered cauliflower nuggets with cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and the dipping sauce, and enjoy!