Get ready to crush your snack game with this vegan bang bang cauliflower! This recipe delivers perfectly crispy, oven-baked cauliflower florets drenched in a tangy, creamy bang bang sauce.
You won’t believe how delicious this bang bang cauliflower is until you try it! We’re talking perfectly crispy, oven-baked cauliflower florets, all dressed up in a tangy, creamy bang bang sauce.
The real magic happens in the combination of textures and flavors—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a sauce that balances spicy and sweet just right. It’s perfect for sharing, but … you might not want to?
Why You’ll Love This Bang Bang Cauliflower Recipe
Ready to fall head over heels for cauliflower? Here’s why this crispy cauliflower will be your new snacking obsession:
- Crispy Perfection: Each cauliflower floret is oven-baked to achieve that supreme crunch, without the need for deep frying.
- Flavor Explosion: The tangy, creamy bang bang sauce brings a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, making every bite irresistibly tasty.
- Vegan-Friendly: This recipe is entirely plant-based, making it a great option for everyone at the table.
- Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and easy steps, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing appetizer ready in no time.
- Versatile: Serve it as a snack, an appetizer, or even a main dish—it fits perfectly onto any table needing a little crunch and kick of spice!
- Healthier Option: Baking instead of frying keeps it light and healthy, without compromising on taste or texture.
Essential Ingredients
These simple, easy-to-find key ingredients come together to create the ultimate bang bang cauliflower dish:
- Cauliflower Florets: The star of the dish, providing a hearty, nutritious base that crisps up beautifully when baked.
- White Rice Flour: This gluten-free flour helps create a light, crispy coating on the cauliflower.
- Ener-G: A vegan egg replacer that binds the ingredients together, ensuring the panko sticks to the florets.
- Panko: Japanese breadcrumbs that add an extra layer of crunch to every bite.
- Vegan Mayo: A creamy base for the bang bang sauce, adding richness without dairy.
- Sweet Chili Sauce: Brings sweetness and a touch of heat, essential for that classic bang bang flavor. Buy it or make your own sweet chili sauce!
- Sriracha: Adds a spicy kick to the sauce, making it wonderfully tangy and hot.
- Lime Juice: Freshens up the sauce with a zesty tang, balancing out the heat and sweetness.
How To Make
Making this recipe is a breeze and it comes together in simple steps. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Preheat Your Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Prepare the Cauliflower: Rinse and chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
- Set Up Your Breading Station: In three separate bowls, place the white rice flour, the Ener-G mixed with water, and the panko breadcrumbs.
- Coat the Cauliflower: First, toss the cauliflower florets in the rice flour, then dip them into the Ener-G mixture, and finally coat them with the panko breadcrumbs.
- Bake the Cauliflower: Arrange the coated cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray with oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the florets, respray, and bake for another 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Make the Bang Bang Sauce: While the cauliflower is baking, mix together the vegan mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl.
- Serve: Once the cauliflower is baked to perfection, drizzle the bang bang sauce over the top. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and finely minced cilantro.
Crunchy Meets Saucy In This Recipe!
These crispy, oven-baked florets are the ultimate flavor bomb, drenched in a tangy, creamy bang bang sauce that’ll have you hooked from the first bite.
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, creating a slightly chewy texture. The sauce ingredients work so well with the succulent cauliflower inside.
The second drizzle floats over the top, giving each bite a creamy and spicy quality. The sliced green onions 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. 🙂
How To Serve
Here are some ideas for serving your bang bang cauliflower :
- Solo Snacking: Enjoy these crispy, spicy bites straight from the baking sheet. They’re perfect for a light snack or party appetizer.
- Over Rice: Spoon the bang bang cauliflower over a fluffy bed of steamed rice or quinoa for a simple, satisfying meal.
- Taco Tuesday: Stuff the cauliflower into soft tortillas with some fresh slaw, avocado slices, and a drizzle of extra bang bang sauce for a flavor-packed taco night.
- Noodle Bowl: Mix the cauliflower with your favorite noodles and stir-fry veggies for an easy, flavorful meal.
- Sushi Night: Cut the florets a bit smaller for an amazing vegan sushi roll!
- Party Platter: Serve as an appetizer alongside other finger foods like spring rolls, edamame, or vegan skewers for some variety.
- Buddha Bowl: Add to a Buddha bowl with other roasted veggies, grains, avocado, and a drizzle of sauce.
- Get Saucy: The bang bang sauce is perfect for serving with vegan shrimp, breaded tofu, a fried tofu sandwich, crispy air-fried mushrooms, and anything else that’s crispy and breaded!
Craving More Cauliflower? Check Out These Recipe Ideas!
- General Tso’s Cauliflower
- Vegan Gochujang Cauliflower
- Cauliflower and Mushroom Curry
- The Best Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Buffalo Cauliflower Steaks
- Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
- Gobi Manchurian
- Tacos with Smoky Roasted Cauliflower
FAQs
Bang bang cauliflower is a delicious vegan dish featuring crispy, oven-baked cauliflower florets coated in a light panko crust and drizzled with a tangy, creamy bang bang sauce. The sauce, typically made from a combination of vegan mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and lime juice, provides a perfect balance of spicy and sweet flavors.
Ener-G is a vegan egg replacer made from a blend of starches and leavening agents, designed to mimic the binding properties of eggs in recipes. It forms a consistency similar to beaten eggs when mixed with water, ensuring ingredients stick together and maintain structure, which is ideal for recipes like bang bang cauliflower. Brands like Bob’s Red Mill and Follow Your Heart also offer similar egg replacers, available at most grocery or health food stores.
Absolutely! To make this bang bang cauliflower recipe gluten-free, simply substitute the panko breadcrumbs with gluten-free panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs. Additionally, ensure that the white rice flour and other ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to avoid any cross-contamination. This way, you can enjoy the same crispy, flavorful results while adhering to a gluten-free diet.
Bang bang cauliflower pairs perfectly with a variety of dishes. Serve it over rice or quinoa, in tacos with fresh slaw and avocado, or as a topping for salads and noodle bowls. It’s also a great addition to party platters with other appetizers like spring rolls and veggie skewers.
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Crispy Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Get ready to fall in love with this easy bang bang cauliflower recipe! These crispy, oven-baked cauliflower florets are breaded with panko and served with a rich, creamy, and tangy bang bang sauce. Perfect as a vegan appetizer, this dish is ideal for parties, get-togethers, or any time you want to impress your taste buds with something truly delicious and flavorful!
Ingredients
for the cauliflower
- 4 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets, rinsed
- 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 2 tablespoons Ener-G, whisked with 3/4 cup water
- 2 cups panko
- salt and pepper
- spray oil
for the bang bang sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- juice from half a lime
to serve
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- handful of cilantro, finely minced
Instructions
to prep the cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Set up a station with three large bowls. In the first bowl, place the rice flour. In the second, place the Ener-G and water. In the third place the panko mixture.
- 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.
- 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 don’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.)
- Place the cauliflower onto the lined baked sheet in a single layer. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower pieces, 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.
- 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.)
to prep the bang bang sauce
- While your cauliflower is baking, combine all of the bang bang sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
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.
Notes
Store Smart:
Store any leftover Bang Bang Cauliflower in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To maintain crispiness, reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 10-12 minutes or an air fryer for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through.
How To Select Cauliflower:
Choose a fresh head of cauliflower with tightly packed florets, no brown spots, and vibrant green leaves. A firm, heavy head indicates freshness and quality, ensuring the best texture for your bang bang cauliflower.
Balance the Flavors:
To ensure your bang bang sauce has the perfect balance of flavors, taste and adjust before drizzling over the cauliflower. Add more sriracha for extra heat, a bit more lime juice for tanginess, or a touch more sweet chili sauce for sweetness. Customizing the sauce to your preference ensures a flavor-packed dish every time.
Slightly Cool Before Saucing
Let the cauliflower slightly cool before drizzling with the bang bang sauce. This prevents the sauce from making the crispy coating soggy, ensuring each bite retains its amazing crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
