Bang Bang Cauliflower

This seriously might just be the only way cauliflower should be eaten from now on. This baked vegan bang bang cauliflower is a healthier spin-off of the ever so popular bang bang shrimp. It's crispy, spicy yet sweet, and so easy to make!

This vegan bang bang cauliflower is the perfect appetizer for a get-together! You could also turn these bites into a meal by adding them to some soba noodles or lettuce tacos.

Jump to:

• Key Ingredients
• How to Make this Recipe
• Recipe Variations
• Tips to make the best vegan bang bang cauliflower
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

These are a slightly healthier alternative to bang bang shrimp, as the cauliflower is baked instead of fried (PS you can totally make these in an air fryer!!). Also, this sauce doesn't call for mayonnaise or honey, but we're still able to achieve a creamy and spicy, yet sweet, bang bang sauce!

Key Ingredients

• Cauliflower: Cauliflower has a great dense and meaty texture, so it's super satisfying. Also, it's great at absorbing whatever seasonings you add to it!
• Batter: This is a super simple batter, 1 part non-dairy milk (whichever you prefer), 1 part flour, and some pantry-staple spices. The batter acts as the binder between the cauliflower and the breadcrumbs.
• Breadcrumbs: I used seasoned panko breadcrumbs for this recipe. I always use my grocery store's generic brand because for some silly reason, big brand names like Progresso or 4C use milk and eggs in their breadcrumbs?! Anyway, the panko breadcrumbs give us that crispy outside layer and crunch we're after.
• Bang Bang Sauce: The star of the show! This sauce is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and has the perfect consistency. Typical bang bang sauce calls for mayonnaise, but we do not use a vegan alternative here. Instead, we use a combination of a Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and sriracha! It's perfection (if I do say so myself).

How to Make this Recipe

One of my favorite things about this recipe, other than the taste, is how easy and quick it is to make!

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and spices.
2. Create the batter by adding non-dairy milk to the flour/spice mixture. In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.
3. Dunk each piece of cauliflower in the batter, get it evenly coated, then toss it in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Place coated cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the cauliflower has been coated.
4. Bake the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. I like to switch my oven to broil for the last two minutes to ensure the cauliflower is nice and crispy!
5. While the cauliflower is baking, whisk together Bang Bang sauce ingredients.
6. Toss baked cauliflower in the Bang Bang sauce and enjoy immediately!

Recipe Variations

• Make it gluten-free: You can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs at a 1:1 ratio. They will still be super crispy and delicious!
• Make it healthier: You can make this recipe healthier by totally removing the batter and breadcrumbs. Instead, just toss the cauliflower in 1-2 tablespoon(s) of olive oil and the same spices used in the batter, roast for the same amount of time, and then toss in the bang bang sauce!
• Make it grain-free: Use almond or coconut flour in the batter and skip the bread crumbs.
• Switch your vegetable: This recipe also works great with broccoli! Follow the recipe as is, just swap out the cauliflower for broccoli to create bang bang broccoli!
• Make the sauce creamier: Feel free to add ¼ cup of your favorite vegan mayonnaise to the bang bang sauce to make it thicker.

Tips to make the best vegan bang bang cauliflower

• Make sure your batter is thick enough to coat and stick to the cauliflower, but not too chunky. The batter should not be excessively dripping/running off the cauliflower when you pull it out of the bowl.
  • If your batter is too thin, add an additional tablespoon of flour at a time until desired consistency is reached. Similarly, if the batter is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.
• If you're cooking these in the oven, switch it to broil for the last minute or two of cooking. This will ensure the cauliflower gets super crispy AND they'll stay crispy for a longer amount of time even after adding the sauce. Don't worry, since you're only broiling them for a minute or two, they won't burn (just don't forget them in there)!
• Only toss the baked cauliflower in the bang bang sauce right before serving. This ensures that they'll be crispy when you're eating them!
• Eat these immediately! They longer they sit in the sauce, the softer (& colder) they will get.

FAQ

If you make this vegan bang bang cauliflower recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram. If you have any questions or feedback at all, send me an e-mail or leave a comment below! I hope you love them as much as we do!

Print

📖 Recipe