These pecan-crusted poppers can be prepped ahead of time and then served hot and fresh out of the oven when your holiday guests arrive.

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Cauliflower Pecan Poppers

Adapted from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, via the American Pecan Council
Servings: 10 People

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup raw pecan pieces
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour or almond flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In a food processor, pulse pecans into a flour-like consistency, but not so long that they turn into pecan butter.
  • Mix pecan “flour,” brown rice flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, paprika, garlic powder, and chile powder in a large bowl. Add water and mix into a batter-like consistency.
  • Add cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat in batter until no batter remains. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, stir the florets, and bake an additional 10 minutes, until golden.
  • Serve as is or with a side of hot sauce or ranch, or a mixture of both.
  • Note: Serve poppers hot from the oven—if they sit too long they will get soggy.

Notes

You will want to serve these hot and fresh, so to make for easy execution, prepare cauliflower and batter the day before, and then bread just before baking.