Bang Bang Cauliflower (2024)

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Jump To Recipe 18 reviews posted Feb 8, 2021 by Jessica Hoffman

Get ready to eat the best-ever cauliflower! This Bang Bang Cauliflower is battered, covered in panko and baked until crispy. It then gets topped off with a sweet and spicy chilli sauce!

What is Bang Bang Cauliflower?

Cauliflower is one of the most versatile veggies. It can be transformed into rice, used in smoothies, to turned into crispy delicious little bites!

Seriously, who knew cauliflower could be such a chameleon. I mean, once it’s prepped and tossed up in the sweet and spicy chilli sauce it’s hard to believe that it’s even cauliflower hidden under there!

Why I love this recipe

Cauliflower has a great dense and meaty texture, so it’s really satiating as far as veggies go.
It also contains tons of vitamins, fibre and antioxidants.=
This bang bang cauliflower can be served up as a main dish over rice or served up as an Asian style appetizer. You could even serve these as a veggie option at a holiday party. Just leave some toothpicks by the bowl and let your guests pick away!

How to make this recipe

Start by prepping the batter. The batter is SUPER easy to make too. 1 part flour to 1 part milk. (I use gluten-free flour and almond milk.) There’s no eggs needed for the batter so this recipe is also vegan-friendly!Toss the cauliflower into a bowl with the batter.

Next Dip each piece of cauliflower into a bowl filled with Panko. Make sure to evenly coat each piece of cauliflower, then place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy.

While the cauliflower bakes, prepare the bang bang sauce. Once the Cauliflower comes out of the oven, Toss it in sauce and serve immediately (if you let it sit too long, it will lose its crispiness!)

Recipe variations & substitions

Make it gluten-free:

Use gluten-free flour for the batter and gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can also skip out on the breadcrumbs all together and just use the batter. They still turn out delicious this way

Make it grain-free

Use almond flour in the batter and skip out on the breadcrumbs.

Make it batter-free

Leave out the batter and breadcrumbs entirely. Toss the cauliflower in 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast it in the oven.

Does it keep?

Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t keep that well and is BEST enjoyed fresh. While you can of course keep any leftovers to enjoy the next day, the cauliflower bites won’t remain crispy.

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

The batter should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower and stick to it, but not too chunky. If your batter is too thin, add another spoon of flour to it. If your batter is too thick, add a touch more almond milk to it.
When coating the cauliflower in Panko, do it one piece at a time. You want to make sure every single piece is evenly coated. If you add many pieces of cauliflower to the bowl of panko at once, they won’t turn out as well.
You want to make sure your oven is nice and hot before baking the cauliflower bites. 425 degrees F is perfect for my oven. Depending on your oven, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly. For me, baking them for 15 minutes on one side, then flipping them and baking them for 10 minutes on the other side works perfectly.
Only coat in the sauce right before serving. Otherwise, they won’t be crispy.
You can also serve this Bang Bang Cauliflower as an appetizer with the bang bang sauce as a dipping sauce on the side.

More Great Recipes to try

Pancakes with Almond Flour
Chia Seed Nutrition
Chia Pudding
Ramen Noodles
Rice Noodles Recipe
Curry Tofu

Buddha Bowl
Vegetable Lo Mein
Is Hummus good for you
Butternut Squash Risotto
Drunken Noodles
Pot Pie Vegetarian

Bang Bang Cauliflower

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 18 reviews

Author: Jessica Hoffman
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Category: Main
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Cauliflower gets battered, baked and then topped off with a sweet and spicy chili sauce!

Ingredients

UnitsScale

Cauliflower

1 cup flour (can sub gluten-free flour)
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups panko
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

Bang bang sauce

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, almond milk, salt and pepper together in a bowl until smooth.
Toss the cauliflower florets into the batter, then dip each piece of cauliflower into a bowl of Panko breadcrumbs, making sure each piece is evenly coated.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Toss the cauliflower and sauce together.
Serve immediately. You can optionally top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds

Notes

The batter should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower and stick to it, but not too chunky. If your batter is too thin, add another spoon of flour to it. If your batter is too thick, add a touch more almond milk to it.

When coating the cauliflower in Panko, do it one piece at a time. You want to make sure every single piece is evenly coated. If you add many pieces of cauliflower to the bowl of panko at once, they won’t turn out as well.

You want to make sure your oven is nice and hot before baking the cauliflower bites. 425 degrees F is perfect for my oven. Depending on your oven, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly. For me, baking them for 15 minutes on one side, then flipping them and baking them for 10 minutes on the other side works perfectly.

Only coat in the sauce right before serving. Otherwise, they won’t be crispy.

You can also serve this Bang Bang Cauliflower as an appetizer with the bang bang sauce as a dipping sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
Calories: 154
Sugar: 8g
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g

If you tried thisBang Bang Caulifloweror any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along onPinterest,InstagramandFacebookfor even more deliciousness!

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. I only recommend products that I know, trust and love!

Fall Gluten Free Recipes Spring Summer Vegan Vegetarian Winter

posted by Jessica Hoffman on February 8, 2021 (updated February 26, 2024)

88 Comments Leave a Comment »

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88 comments on “Bang Bang Cauliflower”

Keto wife — July 31, 2023 @ 8:24 pm Reply

Loved this recipe
Used olive oil to coat
Used air fryer to cook
- Jessica Hoffman — August 8, 2023 @ 12:40 pm Reply
  
  Happy you loved it!
AlyssaEcho — May 17, 2023 @ 3:05 pm Reply

Cane out delicious! Followed the recipe i just used regular milk and was really happy with the outcome! Definitely recommend coating them as you eat them cause the linger they sit the soggier they get
- Jessica Hoffman — May 22, 2023 @ 2:06 pm Reply
  
  Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Monica — October 7, 2022 @ 3:56 pm Reply

Absolutely love this recipe. So good and even the kids enjoyed it.
- Jessica Hoffman — October 11, 2022 @ 9:10 am Reply
  
  So happy you loved the recipe Monica!
Kathleen Oliver — January 9, 2022 @ 5:32 pm Reply

The flavor is amazing so giving it five stars because I’m thinking I may have had some user error going on. When I tossed the cauliflower in the sauce after it had baked, all the breading fell off so I was left with baked cauliflower and a bunch of tasty breading on the side. So I just ate it with a spoon. 🤣
- Jessica Hoffman — January 9, 2022 @ 6:00 pm Reply
  
  Hi Kathleen, so sorry you had some issues getting your sauce to stick! Did you make sure to press the cauliflower into the panko? (as opposed to tossing the cauliflower in a bowl of panko). This is important to make the panko stick to each piece of cauliflower. Then once its baked the breadcrumb should definitely stick to each piece of cauliflower 🙂
adele anderson — September 29, 2021 @ 5:01 pm Reply

Have made it a couple of times as a snack, absolutely love it. The kids loved it too and they didn’t even realise they were eating a vegetable . I will definitely be making it again 😋
- Jessica Hoffman — October 4, 2021 @ 3:11 pm Reply
  
  Glad you and you’re family are enjoying the recipe Adele! 🙂
JayKayDoubleYou — September 29, 2021 @ 3:46 pm Reply

Yum – just tried this in a smaller portion – using just the 50/50 mix of flour and milk and was quite worried.
However, instead of making a sauce I used Wagamama’s fire cracker sauce with a tiny drop of hoisin and some soy and a little MSG.
Absolutely great result – crispy but saucey
Thanks
JayKayDoubleYou

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- Jessica Hoffman — October 4, 2021 @ 3:13 pm Reply
  
  happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Victoria — September 14, 2021 @ 7:35 am Reply

Can I freeze the bang bang cauliflower?
Sounds delicious thank you for Sharing.
Kind regards
Victoria
- Jessica Hoffman — September 15, 2021 @ 4:55 pm Reply
  
  Hi Victoria! Unfortunately this recipe doesn’t freeze well.
Virginia — April 8, 2021 @ 9:10 pm Reply

This seemed like an easy to make recipe however, I found when dipping the cauliflower into the panko, the panko started clumping from the flour/milk mixture. Not sure how else to get around that other than putting the cauliflower into the pan and then sprinkling the panko on. The dipping sauce was tasty.
- Jessica Hoffman — April 11, 2021 @ 2:49 pm Reply
  
  Hi Virginia, it’s likely that your flour mixture was a bit too thick. The panko definitely shouldn’t get clumpy and should be easy to dip!
Ash — April 3, 2021 @ 11:32 am Reply

This turned out epic!! My family loved it!
This is going to be our cauliflower dish forever!!
- Jessica Hoffman — April 11, 2021 @ 2:51 pm Reply
  
  Happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Alex — March 26, 2021 @ 8:49 am Reply

Hallo, this is your first recipe that I made and it was fantastic, reminded me of one similar dish I had in Bali, but could never get it as crunchy as with your recipe! I managed to nail it from the third time, thanks to you:-) Thanks!
- Jessica Hoffman — March 26, 2021 @ 11:43 am Reply
  
  Happy you enjoyed it Alex!
Andrea F — March 7, 2021 @ 2:42 pm Reply

Insane that I can say I know how to make this dish that I pay good money for at restaurants / for delivery! Thank you!
- Jessica Hoffman — March 7, 2021 @ 7:34 pm Reply
  
  You’re welcome Andrea! Happy you like it 🙂
Julie-Anne — February 12, 2021 @ 7:35 pm Reply

SO GOOD and super easy to make 🙂
- Jessica Hoffman — February 14, 2021 @ 10:52 am Reply
  
  Thanks Julie-Anne! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Louise Scoble — July 3, 2020 @ 1:13 am Reply

Could you use almond flour instead?
- Jessica Hoffman — July 3, 2020 @ 2:27 pm Reply
  
  Hi Louise, I haven’t tested this recipe with almond flour, but i think it would turn out ok!
TheMenuGuide — May 7, 2020 @ 7:56 pm Reply

I made this dish and it was so easy and quick to make! The guide was super useful; as well as the video and I love the taste!
- Jessica Hoffman — May 7, 2020 @ 9:08 pm Reply
  
  Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Chelsea — April 5, 2020 @ 11:33 am Reply

Can this be made with frozen cauliflower?
- Jessica Hoffman — April 6, 2020 @ 1:17 am Reply
  
  Hi Chelsea, I haven’t tested it out but I imagine it should work, though it may end up with a slightly softer and possibly soggier texture if the cauliflower defrosts and has moisture in it!
Jess Brown — April 2, 2020 @ 9:39 am Reply

This is amazing, thank you! Not vegan-friendly due to milk, but works well with vegan milk alternatives. Thanks for posting!
- Jess Brown — April 2, 2020 @ 9:41 am Reply
  
  Doh. Just realised you suggested almond milk. I’m an idiot. It’s still amazing! Thanks.
Kristine Rotella — March 21, 2020 @ 9:44 pm Reply

Made this exactly as directed with one exception- I used cornflake crumbs instead of flour for the topping- added extra crisp! Delicious!!!
- Jessica Hoffman — March 22, 2020 @ 6:04 pm Reply
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  Thanks for the review Kristine, glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Netta — March 2, 2020 @ 1:45 am Reply

We made the fried version with regular milk in the batter and it’s really delicious!!!
- Jessica Hoffman — March 3, 2020 @ 1:19 pm Reply
  
  Thanks for the review Netta, glad you enjoyed!
Debra — November 9, 2019 @ 4:03 pm Reply

Has anyone tried this recipe in an air fryer?
- Charlotte — May 27, 2020 @ 5:33 pm Reply
  
  Yes it works perrfectly!
Suzanne — August 17, 2019 @ 12:41 am Reply

This looks nothing short of delicious! Thanks for sharing!
- Jess — August 19, 2019 @ 11:42 am Reply
  
  Thanks Suzanne, enjoy!
Gsanto — April 28, 2019 @ 11:31 pm Reply

Can this be made ahead of time?
I would like to cook the cauliflower ahead of time and then heat up and add the sauce?
- Jess — April 28, 2019 @ 11:58 pm Reply
  
  Hi there! You can make it in advance however I recommend that making it right before eating it since if you prepare it in advance it may get a bit more soggy. One thing you can do is skip out on the batter all together and just roast the cauliflower as is and then top it with the sauce in advance!
- Marta — February 12, 2020 @ 6:04 pm Reply
  
  I’ve been using this recipe and putting the bites on a rack to drip and then freezing them on parchment paper before putting them in freezer bags to make in the fryer! It works great and they are so delicious!
  - Jessica Hoffman — February 12, 2020 @ 6:57 pm Reply
    
    Sounds like a great idea Marta! Glad you enjoy the recipe )
Hannah brown — April 18, 2019 @ 12:20 am Reply

Best cauliflower recipe I’ve ever had!!! And so easy to make. I’m obsessed
- Jess — April 18, 2019 @ 12:25 am Reply
  
  Thank you so much for the review Hannah! SO happy you liked the recipe and this is my favourite way to eat cauliflower too! 🙂
Lindsey — April 16, 2019 @ 5:41 pm Reply

Can this be done with frozen cauliflower?
- Jess — April 16, 2019 @ 6:23 pm Reply
  
  Hi Lindsey, I haven’t tried it with frozen cauliflower so I can’t say if the texture will come out the same once the cauliflower is defrosted
Neepa — March 30, 2019 @ 3:16 pm Reply

Can I use this recipe and method but in the air fryer instead of oven???
- Jess — March 30, 2019 @ 5:14 pm Reply
  
  Hi Neepa, I’ve never used an air fryer before so I couldn’t say!
D Clark — March 19, 2019 @ 3:02 am Reply

I have to watch my sodium too. I found Chinatown Soy Sauce (Dark), 145mg per 1 tbsp. It is very good.
Paul — March 11, 2019 @ 2:00 pm Reply

Any idea how much sodium?. Important to my husband’s health so I need to be careful. Looks and sounds delicious.
- Jess — March 11, 2019 @ 2:07 pm Reply
  
  Hi there! there is approximately 4150mg of sodium per serving. You can omit the salt from the cauliflower batter and go for a low-sodium soy sauce if you’d like to control the sodium in the recipe!
Ben — February 16, 2019 @ 3:01 am Reply

Favourite way to eat cauliflower!!
- Jess — February 16, 2019 @ 5:35 pm Reply
  
  Thank you! Glad to hear you liked the recipe!
Jenn — February 8, 2019 @ 4:03 pm Reply

This looks great! But word of warning: traditional soy sauce is NOT gluten free! This recipe would not work for a gf diet unless substituting a gf soy sauce like tamari, Bragg’s liquid aminos, or coconut aminos.
- Jess — February 10, 2019 @ 1:56 am Reply
  
  Hi Jenn, that is correct if you are strictly gluten-free you want to make sure to get a gluten-free soy sauce.
Arielle — January 29, 2019 @ 1:39 am Reply

Great idea for an appetizer at a potluck.
- Jess — January 29, 2019 @ 11:16 pm Reply
  
  Thank you Arielle! 🙂
Julia — January 24, 2019 @ 8:48 pm Reply

This was SUCH a great dish to make for dinner – it’s fast, uses relatively cheap ingredients, and is SUPER delicious! Highly recommend trying it out 🙂
- Jess — January 25, 2019 @ 3:04 pm Reply
  
  Thank you Julia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Zoila — January 18, 2019 @ 3:44 am Reply

Can I substitute almond or coconut flour?
- Jess — January 18, 2019 @ 1:02 pm Reply
  
  Hi Zoila, I haven’t tested this recipe with almond or coconut flour so I can’t say if the batter would come out with the same consistency. If you are looking for a gluten-free option I think a gluten-free blend would work best! Otherwise any whole wheat flour works well too (I’ve made this with whole grain spelt flour..works great!)
- A — December 14, 2019 @ 4:30 am Reply
  
  I make a similar recipe and use cassava flour with a touch of arrowroot.
  - Anna Oppermann — December 16, 2019 @ 6:35 pm Reply
    
    That’s a great alternative!
    - Reid — January 14, 2020 @ 2:03 pm Reply
      
      Looks like such a great recipe! Do you know if this will get Trump out of the White House? My girlfriend is allergic to bigotry so we’ve spent 3 years on Benadryl.
Robin — January 14, 2019 @ 2:21 am Reply

Really good! Thanks for the yummy unique recipe. I didn’t have parchment paper so substituted wax paper and the batter stuck to it. I just pulled them off the best I could and turned them over directly onto the pan and cooked for another 12 minutes and they still turned out great. The cilantro and sesame seeds are a nice finishing touch and give it a flavor boost. Will definitely be making this again without the wax paper!!
- Jess — January 15, 2019 @ 2:51 pm Reply
  
  Thank you Robin! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Elle — January 13, 2019 @ 12:53 am Reply

Unfortunately, these aren’t turning out at all. The batter stuck to the parchment when I tried to turn them over and the cauliflower broke apart. The temp also seemed too high as I almost smoked out my main floor (not great having to open doors and windows during a Canadian winter). Eek! Hoping when they finally come out I can salvage them with the sauce. I used quinoa flour and almond milk. Did those two ingredients stuff this up? Willing to give it another try. It looks sooo good! Help.
- Jess — January 14, 2019 @ 1:03 am Reply
  
  Hi Elle, so sorry to hear this didn’t turn out for you! It’s likely due to the fact that you used quinoa flour which is made from ground quinoa. The cauliflower should not stick at all to your parchment and the baking temperature should be fine at around 400-425 degrees, unless your oven runs quite hot! I’d recommend trying with regular flour (or whole wheat if you prefer) this should solve your problem! Good luck hope this helps!
Laurel — January 8, 2019 @ 2:58 am Reply

This Bang Bang Cauliflower looks amazing! Love how well that sweet and spicy glaze clings to the crispy cauliflower!
- Jess — January 9, 2019 @ 1:55 pm Reply
  
  Thank you so much Laurel!
Karly — January 6, 2019 @ 3:41 pm Reply

This dish looks amazing! Pinning!
- Jess — January 6, 2019 @ 8:51 pm Reply
  
  Thank you Karly! Hope you enjoy!
J — January 5, 2019 @ 5:57 pm Reply

Can you replace almond milk with soy milk?
- Jess — January 5, 2019 @ 8:38 pm Reply
  
  Absolutely! Any type of plant-based milk (or regular milk) will work just fine.
Shawna — January 2, 2019 @ 4:33 pm Reply

I loved this recipe! I also made it to use in tacos!
- Jess — January 2, 2019 @ 7:57 pm Reply
  
  Thank you, Shawna! I’m sure it’s DELICIOUS in Tacos!
Maria Koutsogiannis — December 27, 2018 @ 8:05 pm Reply

They were perfect!! Thanks for this amazing recipe Jess!
- Jess — December 30, 2018 @ 3:56 pm Reply
  
  Thank you! So happy you enjoyed!
Rea — December 24, 2018 @ 2:26 pm Reply

I made this recipe the other day and it was gorgeous! It’s super-easy and the taste is amazing!
- Jess — December 26, 2018 @ 5:16 pm Reply
  
  Thank you Rea! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Cassie Autumn Tran — December 23, 2018 @ 6:24 am Reply

Battered cauliflower truly can’t be beaten! I’ve always wanted to try orange “chicken” cauliflower but I definitely need to make it at home so it’s much healthier. Your recipe definitely looks like it’s one of a kind!
- Jess — December 24, 2018 @ 2:01 am Reply
  
  Totaly agree cassie!
Brooke — December 23, 2018 @ 1:46 am Reply

Omg! Amazing!
- Jess — December 24, 2018 @ 2:02 am Reply
  
  Thank you Brooke!
Ela — December 22, 2018 @ 2:04 am Reply

This recipe looks amazing, Jess! I love cauliflower so I would definitely love this dish. 🙂
- Jess — December 24, 2018 @ 2:05 am Reply
  
  Thank you so much Ela! xo