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Home ยป Appetizers ยป Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower

May 17, 2016

Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower

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I loved developing this recipe for vegan bang bang cauliflower. It’s easy to make and delicious! After chopping a head of cauliflower into florets, these are coated in panko then baked, not fried. These cauliflower florets are super crispy and served with a rich and tangy bang bang sauce. The crunch of the breading and the texture of the cauliflower is amazing, creating a perfect little vegan appetizer.

Two hands holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflower against a dark background. this Recipe

How to make this recipe

The magic happens right after these florets emerge crispy from the oven and are drizzled with the bang bang sauce. The first drizzle kind of oozes onto the crispiest parts of the cauliflower. It creates a slightly chewy texture. This works well with the succulent cauliflower inside. The second drizzle floats over the top, giving each bite a creamy and spicy quality. The chopped scallions give it another crisp textural element and the cilantro adds a super clean note. I ate at least eight cups of this stuff in the past couple of days while testing it out! I guess I am kind of a bang bang cauliflower aficionado now. ๐Ÿ˜€

A bowl of bang bang cauliflower, with some bang bang sauce dripping off of the side.

Using a vegan egg replacement in this batter

You may be wondering if you can use Aquafaba in place of Ener-G here, and I did. It did not work as well (it wasn’t quite sticky enough), but worth a try if that’s what you’ve got. There’s even more egg replacer ideas here. You can easily make this crispy, creamy, slightly spicy and succulent one-bite dish to eat by itself. Toss it over some rice or tuck it into a taco.

A hand holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflower, with another hand holding a piece of cauliflower with chopsticks.

How to make the sauce

You can also make your own Sweet Chili sauce with just a few ingredients for an even better, spicier kick. Grab some Follow Your Heart, Just Mayo or Fabanaise brand vegan mayos. They add a super creamy element that is perfect blended with sweet chili sauce.

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Two hands holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflower against a dark background.

Bang Bang Cauliflower


★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

  • Author: erin wysocarski
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This recipe for bang bang cauliflower is delicious and so easy to make. Cauliflower florets are breaded and baked to crispy perfection and served with a rich, creamy and tangy sauce. This vegan appetizer is great for parties and get-togethers!


Ingredients

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER

  • 4 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup white rice flour
  • 2 TB Ener-G, whisked with 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cups panko
  • salt and pepper
  • spray oil

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo (I used Follow Your Heart brand)
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 TB sriracha
  • juice from half a lime

TO SERVE

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • handful of cilantro, finely minced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
  2. Set up a station with three large bowls. In the first bowl, place the rice flour. In the second, place the Ener-G+water. In the third place the panko mixture.
  3. Working in batches, place some of the rinsed-and-still-wet cauliflower florets into the first bowl with the rice flour, and use your hands to toss to coat. Then pick up the cauliflower, shaking off any excess flour and place into the bowl with the vegan egg mixture, and toss to coat. Then place the coated cauliflower into the bowl with the panko and toss well to combine. The pieces donโ€™t need to be completely covered in panko, but If you find you are having some trouble with getting it to stick, moisten with a little of the vegan egg mixture and press the panko onto the florets with your fingers.
  4. Place the cauliflower onto the lined baked sheet in a single layer. Repeat until all of the cauliflower pieces are coated, then spray the tops of each with a little oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden.
  5. Remove, flip the florets and respray the other side with a little more spray oil. Bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden all over. Do keep an eye on them towards the end of the bake time to prevent burning! (The bake time will vary based on the size of your florets.)
  6. To serve, allow the cauliflower to slightly cool, then drizzle with the sauce as desired. Sprinkle with the chopped scallions and cilantro and serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bang bang cauliflower, bang bang sauce recipe, vegan bang bang cauliflower

If you made this recipe …

Please leave a comment and a 5-star rating if you loved the recipe.

It helps more people find my site and helps me to continue creating new content!

A bowl of bang bang cauliflower on a sushi mat with chopsticks and a bottle of sriracha sauce.

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Curried Quinoa Triangles with Cilantro-Ginger Sauce
Tea-Smoked Lychees from Herbivoracious
Gingerade Kombucha Caviar

Filed Under: Appetizers, Small Bites Tagged With: cauliflower, sriracha

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mihl says

    May 18, 2016 at 6:54 am

    Wow, Erin! This looks so good. Now you just have to come over and cook for me ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      May 18, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks Mihl! A trip over to Germany sounds fun! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Erin says

    May 21, 2016 at 4:40 am

    Love love love this recipe. I am hard core drooling over it! I would devour this cauliflower in a second! Pinned! I am defiantly going to try this out! <3

    Reply
  3. Charlotte says

    July 6, 2016 at 4:57 pm

    Addicted to it. Just absolutely love it.

    Reply
  4. Gayle says

    December 16, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    Can you elaborate on what EnRG is? I’m dying to try this and the Brocollie Tots. I found your feed in Instagram and really enjoy your recipes. Thanks @foodieatinbetween

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      December 16, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Gayle, Ener-G is an egg replacer made from mainly from potato starch and tapioca flour.

      https://www.ener-g.com/products/egg-replacer

      If you can’t find it or want to try other options, just google “vegan egg replacer” … there are lots to experiment with, good luck!

      Reply
  5. Bri says

    January 9, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Made this last night, SOOO delicious! Only problem is, I tried to bring it for lunch today, and it’s definitely not a day 2 item – be prepared to eat all this cauliflower in one sitting! Yum!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 9, 2017 at 9:57 am

      Bri, thanks for your feedback, so happy you liked! Yeah, bummer about the reheat, but a good excuse to eat it all in one sitting! ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
    • Elaine says

      June 9, 2020 at 10:13 pm

      You can always add leftovers cauliflower to mashed potatoes. I think the sauce might make yummy potatoes!

      Reply
  6. Jekka Roder says

    February 28, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    This was delicious! EVERYONE in my household – including two toddlers – loved this.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      March 1, 2017 at 6:29 am

      Jekka, thanks for your kind feedback! I am so happy that both the adults and the little ones liked it! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. Kayleigh says

    April 11, 2017 at 7:43 am

    I’ve just made this and scoffed the lot, it’s delicious! Will definitely be making this when friends come over at the weekend ๐Ÿ˜€

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 11, 2017 at 7:49 am

      So happy you enjoyed, Kayleigh … thanks too for sharing it with friends! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  8. michelle correia says

    April 19, 2017 at 4:28 am

    made these yesterday and were delish!! Even my omni family enjoyed. must say your website is in my top 3.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Diane Balcer says

    December 16, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    Will be making these lovely bites tonight! Canโ€™t wait and thanks for the recipe?

    Reply
  10. Courtney says

    March 18, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    My husband and I can’t get enough of these. Tonight when he asked me what I was making for dinner, I said the Bang Bang Cauliflower, and he did “victory” arms with a huge smile. ๐Ÿ™‚

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      March 19, 2018 at 6:46 am

      Courtney,

      Ha! I love that. Thanks for your feedback, and so happy you like the recipe!! <3

      Reply
  11. Sara says

    March 25, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    This was literally one of the best dishes Iโ€™ve ever made! Guests were raving. Will absolutely make again.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      March 26, 2018 at 3:26 pm

      Sara, thanks for your very kind feedback and so happy that it was a hit!

      Reply
  12. Sharon says

    May 28, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    Could you substitute avocado for vegan mayo? I live in a small farm town and donโ€™t have access to a lot of specialty foods?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      May 29, 2018 at 6:50 am

      You can always give it a try! You can also make your own vegan mayo with the brine from a can of chickpeas. I have a version here, but a quick google search will show a lot of variations/methods: https://olivesfordinner.com/2017/12/aquafaba-mayo.html … good luck!

      Reply
  13. Piotr says

    November 25, 2018 at 10:45 am

    Perfect! Cool.
    I did not bake in the oven but in oil, about half a minute. Instead of coriander, which I do not like, I added chives.
    Overall perfect.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Christine says

    April 4, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    Made this as part of Chinese Banquet dinner – it was outstandingly delicious and everyone raved about it. Was never a cauliflower fan until I became vegan and discovered all the wondrous things one can do with it. Could have eaten it all by myself. Love that it crisps so beautifully in the oven – I try to keep away for deep frying / frying – finger licking delicious.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 5, 2019 at 6:47 am

      Christine, I love this so much!

      Reply
  15. Claudia says

    April 29, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    Made this over the weekend for a get together dinner with family. We all loved it and said it needs to be a frequent โ€˜makeโ€™ dish!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 29, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      Claudia, that’s so great to hear … so happy it was enjoyed! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  16. Brendan says

    February 6, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    This was incredible!

    Day two, I warmed up the leftovers in an air fryer at 400 for 6 minutes. Perfectly crisp and as delicious as day one!

    Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      February 6, 2021 at 3:10 pm

      So happy you enjoyed, Brendan!

      Reply
  17. Kristen says

    April 27, 2021 at 10:04 pm

    This was soooooo freaking good! We put the cauliflower in tortillas with cabbage (as suggested in the beer batter bang bang recipe) and they made RV e best tacos ever. I canโ€™t believe the cauliflower stayed so crispy without the use of any oil. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 28, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Kristen, so happy you enjoyed!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Erin Wysocarski. Glad you’re here.

I create vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat. My husband Jeff photographs them. We live in Boston with our rescue dog, Harper. More about Erin ยป

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