These sweet and sticky orange cauliflower bites have Chinese takeout vibes—but they swap the chicken with cauliflower and they’re baked, not fried! 

Overhead view of crispy orange cauliflower with bowl of scallions

Not to pat myself on the back too much, but my cauliflower recipes have kind of been a big deal! These Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Wings were named one of the recipes that “won 2016” and declared “better than the real thing.” To say I’m proud is an understatement, and even all these years later, I still adore recipes like this orange cauliflower—not to mention Mango Habanero Cauliflower Wings and Cauliflower Steaks… the list goes on!

Why This Orange Cauliflower Recipe Will Be Your New Fave

You’re going to flip for this orange cauliflower! Here’s why I love it so much:

  • Food court flavour. And I mean that in a good way! Who doesn’t love the flavour of orange chicken that most of us grew up sampling on toothpicks in mall food courts!? It’s sticky, sweet, kind of tangy, and citrusy. This orange cauliflower delivers that flavour in a healthier way.
  • Crispy coating. As amazing as the sauce is, the batter also contributes to the popularity of my cauliflower wings and bites—it bakes up deliciously crisp and gives it that “chicken-like” breading texture.
  • No frying needed. There’s a time and a place for frying (like when you’re making Crispy Homemade Falafel!), but for orange cauliflower, you don’t need it. You can achieve crispy cauliflower perfection in the oven!
Overhead view of orange cauliflower ingredients with labels

Notes on Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this flavourful plant-based twist on the classic orange chicken recipe! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Cauliflower Bites:

  • Cauliflower – Use a medium head of cauliflower.
  • Gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour – Or regular all-purpose flour if you’re not on a gluten-free diet.
  • Unsweetened almond milk – You can substitute with any plant-based milk as long as it’s unflavoured and unsweetened. 
  • Seasonings – Sea salt and ground black pepper, garlic powder for savoury depth, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Gluten-free panko bread crumbs – Or regular panko if you prefer.  
  • Sesame seeds and chopped scallions – For garnish.

Orange Sauce:

  • Water
  • Orange juice – Although you can use bottled, I think freshly squeezed orange juice has a better flavour.
  • Maple syrup – For natural sweetness. If you’d like, you can swap in vegan honey or date syrup. 
  • Ground ginger and garlic powder – For a combination of warmth and savoury flavour in the sauce.
  • Liquid aminos – Or a low-sodium soy sauce.   
  • Rice wine vinegar – Balances the sweet flavour with acidity. Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which is unsweetened.
  • Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce.

How to Make Orange Cauliflower

This simple step-by-step guide will show you how to make crispy, flavourful orange cauliflower at home!

Overhead view of cauliflower cut into florets on wooden board with knife
Cut the cauliflower into florets.
Overhead view of batter in bowl with whisk
Make the batter.
  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or greased foil. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
  • Make the batter. Whisk the flour, almond milk, and seasonings in a bowl. Set the panko in another bowl.
Overhead view of cauliflower being dredged in batter and panko
Dredge the cauliflower.
Overhead view of roasted cauliflower coated in panko and batter
Bake.
  • Dredge the cauliflower. Dip the cauliflower in the batter, shake off any excess, then coat in the panko and place on the baking sheet. 
  • Bake. Cook the cauliflower in the oven for 22 minutes, or until crispy and golden.
Overhead view of orange sauce in pan with whisk
Make the orange sauce.
Overhead view of orange cauliflower on parchment-lined sheet pan
Coat the cauliflower and finish baking.
  • Make the sauce. While the cauliflower bakes, heat all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch slurry in a pan over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, let it cook for 1 minute, then reduce to medium-low and whisk in the slurry. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
  • Toss the cauliflower in the sauce. Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Stir the florets into the sauce, return them to the pan, then bake for 5 minutes more.  
  • Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve.
Crispy orange cauliflower closeup

Tips for Success

  • Use a high smoke point oil. Don’t use olive oil to grease the baking sheet; it will burn the bottoms of your bites. If you’re using a silicone mat, you don’t need to grease it at all, but otherwise, you will need a high smoke point oil like canola, peanut, or vegetable oil.
  • Make sure the cauliflower is dry. The batter will only adhere to the cauliflower if the florets are completely dry, so pat the cauliflower dry after washing to make sure there are no water droplets clinging to the florets.
  • Adjust the recipe to use frozen cauliflower. Fresh cauliflower is best, but if you have frozen on hand, you can use that too. Bake the cauliflower for 15 minutes in a 425ºF oven. Remove and drain off the excess liquid in a strainer. Toss the cauliflower with a few tablespoons of flour, coating lightly to soak up any liquid. Then, proceed with the recipe as written.
Overhead view of crispy orange cauliflower on platter with bowl of scallions

Serving Suggestions

You can serve orange cauliflower as a party appetizer with toothpicks, or pile them onto a bowl of fluffy Instant Pot Jasmine Rice. They’d also be divine paired with Vegan Fried Rice, which is another lighter version of a takeout favourite!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Although they’re best right out of the oven, you can store orange cauliflower in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
  • To reheat: Preheat oven to 375°F, place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until heated through.
Overhead view of orange cauliflower in bowl with rice

More Vegan Cauliflower Recipes

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Overhead view of crispy orange cauliflower with bowl of scallions

Orange Cauliflower

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
These sweet and sticky orange cauliflower bites have Chinese takeout vibes—but they swap the chicken with cauliflower and they’re baked, not fried! 
5 (from 14 ratings)
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Ingredients

Cauliflower Bites

  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, 60g
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk, 120g
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1.5g
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1g
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1.5g
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ½ if you want it very spicy, leave out if you don't like spice, 0.5g
  • 1 cup crispy gluten free panko bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper OR brown rice cereal puffs crushed and seasoned*, 50g
  • sesame seeds and chopped scallions, to garnish

Orange Sauce

  • ½ cup water, 120g
  • ½ cup orange juice, 120g
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 40g
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 0.5g
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 0.75g
  • 2 tablespoons liquid aminos/low sodium soy sauce, 30g
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 30g
  • 1 tablespoons cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water, stirred together until cornstarch is dissolved, 8g cornstarch + 15g water

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking sheet or greased foil.
  • Remove florets from the cauliflower (aka don’t use the stem). Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces to resemble the size of bites.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten free flour, almond milk, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl to make the batter.
  • In another 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 bites are coated.
  • Bake for 22 minutes. Please ensure your oven is completely preheated and hot. While baking, prepare the ingredients for the sauce (see below).
  • Remove from oven. Toss the bites in the sauce then using tongs or even just a large spoon, coating completely. Remove from pot and place back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the bites.
  • Remove from oven and serve immediately with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Enjoy!

Orange Sauce

  • While the bites are baking and have about 5 minutes left, in a pot over high heat, mix all the sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry.
  • Bring to a boil and boil for about 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium low. Add in the cornstarch slurry and whisk vigorously until dissolved into the sauce. Let it cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Taste a little bit to decide if you need more sweetener or more soy sauce.

Notes

Notes
If you want to see how this is made in general, check out my YouTube video:
About the bites:
1) Don’t use olive oil to grease the baking sheet since it will burn the bottom of your bites. If using a silicone mat, you don’t need to grease it at all.
2) The batter will only adhere to the cauliflower bites dry. So, if for any reason you wet your cauliflower, it has to be 100% dry for the batter to stick.
3) If you want to substitute soy sauce, PLEASE taste the sauce before it goes on the bites first. Some soy sauces can make this too salty. I recommend a reduced sodium soy sauce.
HOW TO STORE CAULIFLOWER BITES
You can store these Cauliflower Wings in airtight tupperware container in your fridge for up to 4 days, and reheat them in an oven until warmed. They taste best fresh. I wouldn’t recommend freezing these as the batter may get soggy.
HOW TO USE FROZEN CAULIFLOWER
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the cauliflower for 15 minutes in the oven. Remove and drain off the excess liquid in a strainer. Toss the cauliflower lightly with a few tablespoons of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour , coating lightly to soak up any liquid. Now, proceed with the recipe!
* I used brown rice cereal puffs this time around they added a delightful crunch.
Calories: 308kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 683mg, Potassium: 557mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 85mg, Calcium: 99mg, Iron: 1mg

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.

Cuisine: Asian
Course: Appetizer, Dinner
Author: Jessica Hylton