Bang Bang Cauliflower is a sweet and spicy appetizer that is completely irresistible! The cauliflower pieces are easily battered in one bowl, then baked until crispy. Drizzle with bang bang sauce and it’s ready to serve.
If you love cauliflower as much as I do, go make these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, Orange Cauliflower and BBQ Cauliflower.
Are you ready for a snack or meal that’s exploding with flavor? This vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower is out-of-this-world delicious and packs in some serious savory, crunchy, and bold flavors in every bite!
This is one of my favorite recipes to stuff into corn or flour tortillas on Taco Tuesday, but it’s equally as delicious on game day or as an appetizer.
If you love the cauliflower + bang bang sauce combination, make sure to check out my Cauliflower Steaks with Bang Bang Sauce.
What’s in bang bang sauce?
Let’s face it: the signature sauce MAKES this dish. Bang bang sauce is made with a simple mix of mayo, sweet chili sauce, hot sauce, and agave. Just place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
How to make bang bang cauliflower
Combine the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and let it sit for 1 minute. Next, whisk in the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Place the cauliflower in the bowl and stir until each piece is coated.
Pour the breadcrumbs over the cauliflower in the bowl and stir to coat once more.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and golden.
Toss the florets in the bang bang sauce, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. It’s not totally necessary to return it to the oven, but I prefer it to get them a bit crispier and help the sauce soak in.
Pan Fry Instructions
You can pan fry instead if you want. Add about 1/2 inch of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Fry a single layer of breaded cauliflower at a time until golden and crispy. Place on a paper towel lined plate and continue until all the cauliflower is fried. Toss in the sauce and serve.
Air fryer instructions
Air frying bang bang cauliflower will take a little longer since air fryer baskets are on the smaller side. Even if you don’t make this recipe in an air fryer, it’s perfect for reheating leftovers and retaining that crispy crunch!
Place the breaded cauliflower in a single layer (work in batches) in the air fryer basket and cook at 400ºF for about 15 to 25 minutes. Flip the wings halfway through. You can drizzle the sauce on top and cook for another 2 minutes or eat the wings right away.
Tips and substitutions
- Gluten free – Replace the all purpose flour with a quality all purpose gluten free flour and the breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs.
- Agave – You can use maple syrup if you don’t have agave syrup at home.
- Soy milk – You can use almond, cashew, or oat milk instead. Just make sure it’s unsweetened and unflavored.
- Instead of cauliflower – You could try it with broccoli florets if you want! Or make my pan fried or baked tofu and mix with the bang bang sauce.
Serving suggestions
One of my favorite ways to eat bang bang cauliflower is in tacos with extra bang bang sauce, lettuce or red cabbage, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions and fresh chopped cilantro. They make for a simple, easy, and super flavorful dinner next to rice and beans and vegan queso dip.
It doesn’t stop there. Serve bang bang cauliflower next to your favorite copycat takeout recipes (like vegan beef and broccoli), with fried rice or noodles, or as an appetizer with extra dipping sauce. When it’s game day, serve this saucy snack on a platter with french fries, pizza, and vegan wings.
Easy Bang Bang Cauliflower
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower about 5 cups florets
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Bang Bang Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons agave
Instructions
- Preheat oven and chop cauliflower – Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray generously with oil. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Batter the cauliflower – In a large bowl, add the soy milk and vinegar and let sit for 1 minute to curdle. Now add the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the cauliflower to the bowl with the wet batter and toss to combine and coat each piece of cauliflower.
- Add breadcrumbs to coat – Now add the breadcrumbs to the bowl and mix to coat the cauliflower.
- Bake – Place the cauliflower on a large greased baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and golden.
- Make the bang bang sauce – While the cauliflower bakes, prepare bang bang sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until combined.
- Toss with sauce – Once the cauliflower pieces are crispy, remove from the oven and add to a large bowl. Toss in the bang bang sauce to coat. Optional: Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes; this helps the sauce soak in and get a bit crispier.
- Serve – Remove from the oven and enjoy immediately, either as a finger food or in tacos with red cabbage, diced tomatoes and cilantro.
Notes
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Pan fry – Add about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Make sure to use an oil safe for high temperatures, such as vegetable or peanut oil. Fry a single layer of cauliflower at a time for about 3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Place cooked florets on a paper towel lined plate while you cook the rest in batches. Drizzle with the bang bang sauce and serve immediately.
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Air fry – Air fry the battered cauliflower in a single row at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then add the sauce (toss in a separate bowl) and return to the air fryer for a few more minutes, if desired.
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Double the sauce if desired to have more for drizzling on or dipping, especially for tacos.
- Leftover bang bang cauliflower will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until crispy again.
- Gluten free? Substitute a gluten free flour mix and gluten free breadcrumbs (or leave them out or use cornflake crumbs instead).
Nutrition
*This recipe was updated April 2024 with improved photos and an easier recipe. The original included making cornflake crumbs instead of panko breadcrumbs, but I found I liked the breadcrumb version better, plus it eliminates a step. I also prefer baking it to pan frying, but the option is still there.
So, so good.. A fast favorite, definitely going into rotation, great for a side or as an app
These are stupendous and very easy to make. Do you think this would work with tofu chunks too? Will the cornflake batter work with tofu? I love the 1 bowl method on this one.
Thank you!
Yes, tofu works quite well in place of the cauliflower! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback and review!
I love making tacos with this recipe! We love every recipe I try from Nora, but this is probably my partner’s favorite. Good with panko breadcrumbs or corn flakes, fried or baked in the oven without oil.
Yum, I like the sound of buffalo cauliflower tacos! Thank you for your wonderful review, Tess!
Clever to make tacos with this! What else goes in the tacos, or is it just this? Yum.
Really stupendous… delicious!!!!!
I substituted frosted cornflakes instead of cornflakes because that’s what I had and almond milk instead of soy milk, it turned out amazing.. 5 stars
Best way to serve cauliflower as a side! Thank you for sharing this inspiration, Nora.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! This really does make a great side dish! I’m glad you love it!
I need to try these ASAP! I never manage to make cauliflower exciting. Thank you so much for this recipe.
You are welcome! Enjoy!
Hi Nora! I’ve made these with the panko breadcrumbs and were fantastic! My husband and I really loved this recipe!! I wanted to try with the cornflakes but I’m having a hard time finding vegan cornflakes, do you mind sharing what brand you used? Thank you so much!
I didn’t have corn flakes, so I put stuffing mix in a blender and used that. It works great as breading. I also cooked for longer than the recipe stated. Great recipe. I think this would taste great with any sauce, even marinara.
Nora, this was so good! My whole family agrees. I think I have loved every recipe I’ve tried from your site. My family, who wouldn’t choose vegan meals on their own, loves them, too. Thank you for making it so much easier and more enjoyable to choose vegan food.
I’m so happy to hear that Sarah! Thank you!
made these and they were absolutely delicious. I cant wait to make some more. This will be one of my go to recipes for a quick bite to eat.
Could you air fry them instead of frying them in the oil?
Yes you can! The instructions for air frying are included in the cooking instructions!
Can you sub other milks on this? Thank you for the excellent recipes!
Hi Angela. Yes, you can sub other plant based milk.
Hi Nora!
I made these a few weeks ago as a main dish and they were absolutely delicious!
I’m about to make them again and, on reading the ingredients list, I realize that I forgot the cornflakes!
However, as they turned out so awesome even without them, I will leave them out again, lol!
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hi Maria! I’m so glad you loved the cauliflower, and that it turned out awesome for you! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
Holy crap!!!! This is amazing!!! Love this technique of all in one bowl instead of 3 of them!!!! Making this for the game Sunday!!!! Can’t stop eating these 🙂
OMG!! These are incredibly delicious. I couldn’t stop eating them. Thank you for the recipe….every one of your recipes that i’ve tried was wonderful!!
Hi Connie! I’m thrilled that you are loving my recipes! Thank you for taking time to share your comments!