Low-carb cauliflower bacon popcorn – say what????
Perfect for snacking on in front of the TV or game night. Especially if you love garlic and bacon.
Such a tasty sneaky way to get your kids to eat their veggies – a yummy healthy veggie snack.
Cauliflower bacon is also the perfect healthy snack for those who are Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, wheat-free, and for vegetarians, simply omit the bacon pieces – voila!
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Carbs in cauliflower
Cauliflower is a wonderful low carb vegetable with only 2.8 g net carbs per 100g. It is high in fiber and provides 80% of your daily vitamin C requirements.
It is a wonderfully versatile vegetable that is used in so many low-carb and keto recipes. It’s used in appetizers, main meals, and snacks.
Cauliflower nutrition per 100g: 25 calories, 0.3g fat, 5g total carbohydrate (2.8g net carbs), 2.2g fiber, 1.8g sugar, protein 1.9g, potassium 298mg, 80% of your vitamin C.
Nutritional values from cronometer.com
What is cauliflower popcorn?
Cauliflower popcorn is such an amazing nutritious alternative to regular popcorn.
What’s wrong with regular popcorn? Most people regard popcorn as a low-calorie snack. But when you realize popcorn is a high-starch grain, you’ll think twice next time you reach for a bowl.
3 tbsp (40g) of uncooked kernels = 7 cups (approx) cooked popcorn = 29g total carbs (23g net carbs)
Is microwave popcorn bad?
Microwave popcorn is filled with unhealthy vegetable oils (hydrogenated soybean oil, canola oil, palm oil for example), additives, preservatives, and flavorings (hint, that’s not real butter in those plastic microwaveable bags).
If you’re unsure of which oils are healthy, and which ones to avoid, read my Ultimate Guide To Healthy Oils.
Cauliflower popcorn recipe
Bacon cauliflower popcorn recipe isn’t crunchy, but man – it’s super tasty. if you’re trying to encourage your children to eat more vegetables, then cauliflower popcorn is a fun way to do it. My kids absolutely devoured cauliflower bacon popcorn by the handful!
And what makes cauliflower taste even better? Sprinkle some grated/shredded parmesan cheese over the top for that extra WOW factor.
Now you have discovered how unhealthy traditional popcorn actually is, you now have a great healthy snack for them AND it helps them eat their veggies.
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Keep mixing and turning the cauliflower pieces over until they are all completely coated with the oil and spices.
- Place the coated cauliflower pieces onto a large baking sheet.
- Bake at 180C/350F for 15 minutes, or until cooked.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with grated/shredded parmesan before baking for some added crunch! (this would stop it from being Paleo or dairy free).
Air fryer
To cook cauliflower popcorn in the air fryer you need a small heatproof dish or pie dish that is small enough to fit inside your air fryer. There must be at least 1 inch on all sides to allow the heat to circulate evenly.
- Preheat to 180C/350F.
- Gently lower your baking dish onto the wire rack. Ensure there at least 1 inch space between the pie dish and the side of the basket.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your air fryer and the size of your quiche. Shake/turn once during cooking.
Serving
Cauliflower popcorn, especially when it is loaded with bacon and tasty parmesan cheese (optional) is a tasty treat to enjoy watching a movie at home, as a snack with friends, or as part of a tasty deli platter.
You can vary the flavor or serve with a quick dip with sour cream, tangy sugar-free BBQ sauce, thousand island mayonnaise and chopped chives.
Low-carb cauliflower bacon popcorn
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone baking sheets
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 500 g cauliflower cut into small pieces
- 2 slices bacon diced finely
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 70 g coconut oil melted
- 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Keep mixing and turning the cauliflower pieces over until they are all completely coated with the oil and spices.
- Place the coated cauliflower pieces onto a large baking sheet.
- Bake at 180C/350F for 15 minutes, or until cooked.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with grated/shredded parmesan before baking for some added crunch! (this would stop it from being Paleo or dairy free).
Nutrition
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Hi, sorry for the silly question, but do you have to make them in balls before putting into the oven?
You don’t 😉 Simply chop up the cauliflower into little pieces (florets) and mix with the oily spice rub and bacon – yum yum!
Hi,
I just checked the net carbs in Carb Manager and it states that this recipe as 1 serving is 14 carbs. I did converted the ingredients to US. Is it possible that it’s not 1 lb of cauliflower and 1/2 cup of coconut oil?
Thanks
There are only 5g total carbs per 100g cauliflower (each serving is 125g), are you sure you didn’t calculate the entire recipe, and not per serving? It’s impossible for this to have 14g per serve – thank goodness! 🙂
I find I have to roast my cauliflower for at least twice that long or it’s still crunchy and not really cooked. The photo you show looks like what I’m after, and that doesn’t happen (the carmelizing) in just 15 min. Are you going for crunchy? Thanks!
You need to make sure you cut the cauliflower pieces small enough so they cook in 15 minutes. But a little bit of crunchiness is nice too.
Has anyone tried this in an air fryer? If so, how long? Thank you! This recipe sounds awesome.
I’m super excited to try this recipe! Is the bacon supposed to cooked before adding to recipe or raw?
You add the bacon raw, it cooks in the oven alongside the cauliflower and the bacon fat that renders, adds a beautiful smokey flavour to the cauliflower popcorn. Yummo!
Can you ise butter vs oil? I love the buttery taste of popcorn.
YES!!!!! Butter is life! 😉
How do you store this if it’s not finished in one setting?
What??? Not finished??? I’m only kidding, we hardly ever have food leftover in a house with 2 teenage boys. But if I did, I would store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Pop it in the frying pan for a quick heat and crisp.
You’re kidding me right? My kids actually ate their cauliflower for the first time EVER with this recipe. I never thought I’d see the day. Thank you for this delicious and fun recipe.