Bang Bang Cauliflower (Vegan)
These Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower Wings are crispy, sweet & spicy and tossed in a creamy spicy mayo sauce! It’s pretty easy to make, and tastes phenomenal! P.S. you can also make it in the air fryer or without!
Without a doubt, I’m in love with cauliflower. If you’re feeling deja vu – ish yes, we’ve had this conversation before! After being introduced to cauliflower wings and cauliflower soup, I’ve gone out of my way to seek out all the ways to master cauliflower. Here I am again, but this time with bang bang cauliflower!
What is bang bang cauliflower?
Bang bang cauliflower is essentially cauliflower wings in a bang bang sauce. Surprise! Another cauliflower wings recipe! But bang bang is a special sauce made up of a Chili paste (or really any thick spicy sauce like sriracha), mayo and a sweetener and it tastes sooo divine. After making bang bang broccoli, I knew I wanted to make a cauliflower version. They are similar, but different in flavour and cooking times so I wanted to do a separate version.
Can you make cauliflower wings in the air fryer?
I also get asked all the time “can I make cauliflower wings in the air fryer?” So I wanted to address that in this post! Long story short – yes, you can make cauliflower wings in your air fryer!
I’ll include the bake time below and I will also include a bake time for making this in the oven. To me, they come out basically the same, it’s just a matter of preference.
This bang bang cauliflower is honestly a dream come true. As if I didn’t already love spicy cauliflower wings (hello buffalo cauliflower wings) this bang bang sauce rode into my life like a knight in shining armour. Crispy crunchy cauliflower combined with a sweet and creamy sauce = perfection.
How to make bang bang cauliflower
First, you batter and bread the cauliflower similar to in my cauliflower wings recipes. The difference here is the batter. It’s more of a tempura batter, and comes out nice and light. It really adheres well to the cauliflower.
Next, you toss the cauliflower in the sauce. I eat this two ways. Sometimes I toss the sauce in it and eat It immediately. Or, if you’re like me normally and need to find a show to watch while eating (which let’s be real, take a while sometimes), I toss it in the sauce then stick it back in the air fryer or oven for another minute or two. The sauce really seeps in and the cauliflower stays extra crunchy.
Needless to say; these cauliflower bites are supreme. Like, top-notch foods. I highly recommend them, and love that they actually do taste great the next day too! Be sure to give it a try and happy eating friends!
What to Serve/Eat Bang Bang Cauliflower with
This goes so well with so many things.
- Noodles, fried rice, in lettuce wraps or with dumplings! It’s totally up to you!
- Batter up other veggies you may have and treat it the same. It’s a great way to use leftovers and tastes amazing!
Enjoy friends! If you make this Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much! P.S. – do you know that we have an entire blog dedicated to low carb recipes named Low Carb Vegan Recipes?! Be sure to check it out!
Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sambal oelek or any other chili paste (including sriracha)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
Bang Bang Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour gluten-free or regular
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or any chili paste
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or any nut milk + two teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup crispy Panko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt pepper, onion powder & garlic powder
Instructions
BANG BANG SAUCE
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. It should be liquid-y. Set aside.
BANG BANG CAULIFLOWER
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or greased foil. Using a knife, remove florets from the cauliflower (aka cut off the leaves and don't use the stems).
- In a bowl, mix the flour, chilli paste, cornstarch, nut milk, ACV, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir to combine - the batter should be like a sticky tempura batter. If the batter is too thick, feel free to thin it out with some more milk and vice versa.
- In a separate bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl. Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture (you can add them all at once), using a spatula or spoon to coat them all.
- Then, transfer them to the panko breadcrumbs (you can do this in two or three batches) to coat completely, then place onto the baking sheet, giving each floret enough space.
- Bake for 22 minutes. Please ensure your oven is completely preheated and hot.
- Remove from oven. Toss the battered baked cauliflower in the sauce (I like to use a spatula to move them around to get properly coated) then using tongs or a spoon, remove and place back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 1-2 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
- Remove from oven, top with sesame seeds, eat immediately and enjoy!
AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS
- IF using an air fryer, preheat to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C.
- Repeat all the steps and then place in your air fryer in a single row, so that all the cauliflower has a little bit of space around each piece. Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, then continuing to cook. After you add the sauce, bake for another 1 to 2 minutes in the air fryer!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
These were absolutely amazing. I bit more time intensive than anticipated but so worth the wait! I double the bang bang sauce ingredients and used gochujang chili paste. One question I do have is if I could substitute Greek yogurt for vegan mayo (non vegan here) and still get the same tasty results.
Delicious!!! I am not a cauliflower person at all but couldn’t believe I was eating cauliflower. Definitely worth it.
You have to try it with broccoli. I don’t like broccoli, but it doesn’t taste like it. I made it for company. I tried it. ‘WOW’
This was so delicious and super easy to make!
Stellar recipe; had the bang bang cauliflower in a bowl with basmati rice and pan fried noodles with vegetables! I followed the recipe exactly, using the oven method, it was spot on, thank you!
I made these tonight as a New year’s Eve appie and they were fantastic! Thank you and Happy New Year.
Do you think this work to toss in Buffalo sauce instead of the bang bang sauce?? Thanks!
Yes it would!
I have never in my life left a review on any recipe. This was absolutely phenomenal! Recently went vegetarian and this was the first recipe I’ve tried from your site and made it again for the second time in a week! Did double the sauce for the second time because I had a large amount of cauliflower. Was never a cauliflower fan until now!! Even my 12 year old raved about it!! Can’t wait to check out and try your other recipes! Thanks TikTok for showing you on my feed!!
I have to tell you ‘WOW’. I have used this recipe for about a year. Last night we had company. I tried broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and cauliflower. I never cared for broccoli. I cooked this in the air fryer. OUT OF THIS WORLD. It doesn’t taste like broccoli. The cauliflower has always been beyond wonderful. The company loved the mushrooms and carrots. I’m going to try some bell peppers, beets and zucuuchini next time. Any other suggestions for veggies?
Josi.
Please try IT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE CHICKEN recipe Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Tofu.
Forget the tofu for this recipe.
The sauce is to die for. On the BANG BANG CAULIFLOWER, it makes me smile. Unreal!
We had company tonight. Everyone raved about the cauliflower. They had it plain and with the sauce.
The sauce takes 5 minutes!
I know you probably can’t publish this. It is really good. I have a sensitive tongue. I only use 1 tbls. of Sriracha.
I loved this recipe. I’m new on SOS free and was craving something crunchy. I did mine in the air fryer and then just dipped them in the sauce instead of tossing in sauce and reheating. It was yummy!