If you love your heat with a side of sweet, these mango habanero cauliflower wings will blow your tastebuds away! Coated in a sweet and sticky sauce, they are unbelievably delicious and perfect for game day snacking! 

Mango habanero cauliflower wings in large serving bowl

I’m always so excited when it’s time to share another cauliflower wings recipe. This time: mango habanero cauliflower wings! My first vegan cauliflower wings completely blew up and went viral, but if you like your wings spicy and sweet, these are the cauliflower wings for you. They’re battered and baked, then tossed in the sauce until it coats them deliciously. They’re magical, crave-worthy, and delicious for lunch, snacks, and dinner! 

What Makes These Mango Habanero Cauliflower Wings a Hit

These mango habanero cauliflower wings have the perfect balance of sweet and fiery flavours! Here’s what makes them impossible to resist:

  • Versatile. Cauliflower wings make the perfect finger food for football games and parties, but you can also make them into a meal.
  • Super dippable. The best part about cauliflower wings is that you can dress them up and dip them into many different sauces for endless variety! 
  • Lightened up. These wings are baked instead of deep-fried, making them a lighter option that still packs in some serious crispy goodness.
  • Packed with flavour. Mango brings the tropical sweetness and habanero has a fantastic kick!
Overhead view of ingredients for mango habanero cauliflower wings with labels

Notes on Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make mango habanero cauliflower wings. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Cauliflower Wings:

  • Cauliflower – Use a small head of cauliflower for this recipe.
  • All-purpose gluten-free flour – Or regular flour if you’re not gluten-free.
  • Unsweetened almond milk – Another unflavoured, unsweetened plant milk will work too.
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper 
  • Garlic powder 
  • Crispy gluten-free breadcrumbs – Or regular breadcrumbs.

For the Sauce:

  • Mango chunks – Be sure the mango is ripe and sweet! When fresh mangos aren’t in season, you can use frozen.
  • Habanero peppers – You can use a milder pepper if you like (although then you won’t be making mango habanero cauliflower wings!). 
  • Brown sugar – Or replace with agave nectar, maple syrup, date syrup, or vegan honey.  
  • Garlic powder  
  • Sea salt 
  • Apple cider vinegar and lime juice – Provide acidity and tanginess to balance the sauce.
  • Water or vinegar – Used to adjust the consistency of the sauce if needed.

How to Make Mango Habanero Cauliflower Wings

Making these wings is pretty straight forward. Here’s what you’ll need to do!

  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450℉ and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or greased foil. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
  • Make the batter. Whisk the flour, almond milk, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl and place the breadcrumbs in a second bowl.  
  • Dredge the cauliflower. Dip the cauliflower in the batter, coat in the breadcrumbs, and place on the baking sheet. 
  • Bake. Cook the cauliflower wings in the oven for 22 minutes.
  • Make the sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients in a blender, then heat on the stove over low heat for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency and flavour by adding water and/or vinegar.
  • Sauce the wings. Toss the cauliflower wings in the mango habanero sauce, then return them to the baking sheet. Bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.
Overhead view of large platter of mango habanero cauliflower wings with bowl of sauce

Tips and Variations

  • Cut the cauliflower into even sizes. They’ll all finish cooking at the same time when they’re cut to the same size.
  • Try another fruit. Being from Jamaica, I adore the mango in this recipe, but peaches or apricots would be fantastic too, as would pineapple. 
  • Wear gloves while prepping the habanero. If you decide to scoop the seeds and ribs out of the habanero to make your sauce a touch milder, be sure to wear gloves. The oils from the pepper can really burn your skin if you’re not careful!

Serving Suggestions

While you can serve these mango habanero chicken wings on their own, I like them best with a cool and creamy sauce like Vegan Ranch Dressing. You can also make them a meal by serving them with rice or quinoa in a meal bowl. Try making them into tacos or wrapping them into burritos too!

Closeup of mango habanero cauliflower wings

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Store any leftover mango habanero cauliflower wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
  • To reheat: For maximum crispiness, reheat the cauliflower on a parchment-lined pan in a 400ºF oven or air fryer. You can also reheat it in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet, but it won’t be as crispy.

Enjoy friends! If you make this mango habanero cauliflower wings recipe, 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!

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Mango habanero cauliflower wings in large serving bowl

Mango Habanero Cauliflower Wings 

If you love your heat with a side of sweet, these mango habanero cauliflower wings will blow your tastebuds away. An easy crowd-pleaser!
5 (from 10 ratings)

Ingredients

Cauliflower Wings

  • 1 small head cauliflower, if using a large head, you may need to double the batter and sauce quantities
  • ½ cup all purpose gluten free flour mix, 60 grams
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk, 120 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1.5 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 0.5 grams
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1.5 grams
  • 1 cup crispy gluten free breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper OR toast your breadcrumbs slightly before using, 50 grams

Sauce

  • 2 cups soft mango chunks, from 2 very ripe mangoes, about 340 grams each with seeds in the middle
  • 2 to 4 habanero peppers, orange or red (green will change the colour of your sauce )or 2 tablespoons ¼ cup red hot sauce (if you want it super spicy, add up to 4 habanero peppers – I personally used 2 habaneros).
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, depending on how sweet your mangoes are – start with 2 tablespoons, add as much as you need. You can also use agave nectar or maple syrup or a honey alternative, 50 grams
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 6 grams
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, 5 grams
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or regular white vinegar, 30 grams
  • ¼ cup lime juice, 60 grams
  • extra water or vinegar, to slightly thin out sauce if needed

Instructions 

Cauliflower Wings

  • Preheat oven to 450℉/230℃.
  • Prepare a baking sheet by lining it 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). Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces to resemble the size of wings.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten free flour, almond milk, salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl to make the batter. In a separate bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl.
  • Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture one at a time, shaking off excess batter. Do not soak. Then, dip the cauliflower into the breadcrumbs to coat completely, then place onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the wings are coated.
  • Bake for 22 minutes. Please ensure your oven is completely preheated and hot.
  • While baking, make the sauce.
  • Remove from oven. Toss the wings in the sauce (I like to use a spatula to move them around to get properly coated) then using tongs, remove and place back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
  • Remove from oven and eat immediately – enjoy!

Sauce

  • While the wings are baking, blend your mango, habanero peppers brown sugar, garlic powder, sea salt, apple cider vinegar and lime juice in a blender until pureed. Taste test and add more sugar, vinegar or heat based on your preferences.
  • In a small pot over low heat, stir all the sauce ingredients. Heat for about 5 minutes until ingredients are all cooked through. Add up to 2 tablespoons water OR apple cider vinegar (don't add more vinegar if your sauce is already a good balance of brine) to thin out the sauce slightly if desired.
  • Remove from heat and let cool completely. Taste a little bit to decide if you need more sugar or acid (vinegar) to balance out the heat; if so, add a tablespoon at a time until your desired heat. Please note that especially depending on the amount of habaneros or hot sauce you use, these wings are hot so take caution!

Notes

  • Refrigerator: Store any leftover mango habanero cauliflower wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
  • To reheat: For maximum crispiness, reheat the cauliflower on a parchment-lined pan in a 400ºF oven or air fryer. You can also reheat it in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet, but it won’t be as crispy.
Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 889mg, Potassium: 490mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 158IU, Vitamin C: 81mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 2mg

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.