Crunchy Baked Hot Honey Cauliflower (Printable Version)

Crispy cauliflower bites glazed with sweet-hot honey—perfect as an appetizer or snack for any occasion.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cauliflower

01 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 tablespoons water

→ For the Hot Honey Glaze

10 - ⅓ cup honey
11 - 2 tablespoons hot sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
13 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
14 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wire rack.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat eggs with water until well combined.
04 - Pour panko breadcrumbs into a third bowl.
05 - Working in batches, coat each cauliflower floret in seasoned flour, dip into egg mixture, then coat with panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres.
06 - Place coated florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping florets halfway through, until golden and crispy.
08 - While cauliflower bakes, combine honey, hot sauce, butter, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter melts and sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.
09 - Transfer baked cauliflower to a large bowl. Drizzle hot honey glaze over florets and toss gently to coat evenly.
10 - Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately, garnished with additional red pepper flakes or fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The panko crust gets so crispy in the oven you'll forget these aren't fried.
  • Hot honey glaze hits that perfect balance between sweet warmth and real heat.
  • It disappears faster than any chicken wing platter I've ever served.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the baking sheet or the florets will steam instead of crisp up.
  • Flip them halfway through baking or the bottoms stay pale and soft.
  • Toss with the glaze right before serving, if it sits too long the coating gets soggy.
03 -
  • Press the panko onto each floret with your palms, it sticks way better than just rolling it around.
  • Make a double batch of the glaze, people will want to dip everything in it once they taste it.
  • If the coating falls off in spots, it usually means the florets were too wet, pat them dry before you start breading.
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