Air Fryer Broccoli Cheese Bites

These air-fried broccoli & cheese balls are the best way to eat your broccoli! They are crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. I came up with this recipe to entice the kids to eat their veggies and we all fell in love! These vegan broccoli and cheeseballs are easy to make and much healthier than the fried ones that we get from the pizza delivery. But they have that same fried comfort food vibe with a fraction of the oil! Plus they have protein since I added chickpeas to the recipe!

Ingredients for Air-Fried Broccoli & Cheese Balls

I went all out on making these air-fried broccoli & cheese balls much healthier than their inspiration. I use whole wheat panic breadcrumbs and chickpea flour in place of white breadcrumbs or white flour. You may sub in the white versions if they are easier for you to find. I like Good Planet Foods vegan cheeses the best for these as they have the right combo of flavor and meltability.

• whole wheat panko
• chickpeas
• ground flax
• aquafaba
• broccoli
• vegan cheddar cheese
• vegan parmesan cheese
• nutritional yeast
• salt
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chickpea flour

How to Make Air-Fried Broccoli & Cheese Balls

Obviously according to the title these are air-fried but you will have good luck baking them as well. They won’t stay as round and they will take about double the time but they will still taste delicious. If you don’t have an air fryer but you want one, use my link to purchase one at 15% off this is an affiliate link and I receive commission for my endorsement, thanks for supporting my work

• First blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes until they turn bright green. Remove and run under cold water to halt the cooking process.
• Add the brPrint

  Air Fryer Broccoli Cheese Bites

  Print Recipe

  These air-fried broccoli & cheese balls are crispy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. This is the best way to eat your broccoli.

  • Author: Julia
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: 17 1x
  • Category: Appetizer, dinner, Main Course
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

  Ingredients

  Scale 1x2x3x

  For Balls

  • 1 cup whole wheat panko
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas drain, but reserve the aquafaba, and mash the chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp ground flax
  • 3 tbsp aquafaba
  • 4 cups broccoli blanched and chopped small
  • 1 cup vegan cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder

  For Coating

  • 1 cup whole wheat panko
  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • aquafaba from 1 can of chickpeas

  Instructions

  1. First blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes until they turn bright green. Remove and run under cold water to halt the cooking process.
  2. Add the broccoli to a high speed blender and pulse until the broccoli is pulverized into tiny pieces.
  3. Make flax egg by combining 3 tbsp reserved aquafaba and 1 tbsp ground flax seeds. Set aside to gel.
  4. In a large bowl, combine mashed chickpeas, panko, broccoli, vegan cheddar, vegan parmesan, flax “egg”, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix with hands until all is well combined and you can form balls.
  5. Make balls with the mix and place on a sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
  6. Once set, make a breading station with 3 small bowls. One for chickpea flour, one for aquafaba and one for panko. One by one, dip the balls in each bowl to coat . First the chickpea flour, then the aquafaba, then the panko.
  7. Spray your airfryer grate with avocado or olive oil then fill the basket with broccoli balls. Spray the tops then air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, turning once at the halfway point. Do this in batches until all are crispy and olden on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside.
  8. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

  occoli to a high speed blender and pulse until the broccoli is pulverized into tiny pieces.

• Make flax egg by combining 3 tbsp reserved aquafaba and 1 tbsp ground flax seeds. Set aside to gel.
• In a large bowl, combine mashed chickpeas, panko, broccoli, vegan cheddar, vegan parmesan, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix with hands until all is well combined and you can form balls.
• Make balls with the mix and place on a sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
• Once set, make a breading station with 3 small bowls. One for chickpea flour, one for aquafaba and one for panko. One by one, dip the balls in each bowl to coat . First the chickpea flour, then the aquafaba, then the panko.
• Spray your air fryer grate with avocado or olive oil then fill the basket with broccoli balls. Spray the tops then air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, turning once at the halfway point. Do this in batches until all are crispy and olden on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside.
• Serve with dipping sauce of choice.