Bang Bang Cauliflower is a delicious and healthy twist on the classic bang bang shrimp. Crispy cauliflower baked in the oven then tossed in a creamy sweet and spicy vegan mayo sauce. You can bake it in the oven or cook it in an air fryer!
Get ready to party with what is sure to be the most requested appetizer or snack. Ladies and gentlemen – Bang Bang Cauliflower!
If you love crispy things drenched in the flavor fusion of savory, sweet, and spicy, this recipe will have you begging for more. And because they are baked and not fried, you can enjoy guilt-free!
I LOVE this recipe! Not only is it perfect on your party tray or game day menu right beside these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings but it also makes some killer tacos as well. And, that Bang Bang sauce? Oh, don’t get me started!
People don’t realize just how amazing and versatile cauliflower can be. So make sure to try my Sweet Chili Roasted Cauliflower or Blackened Cauliflower Steaks.
What is Bang Bang Cauliflower?
Bang bang sauce is a delicious and popular condiment by the American restaurant Bonefish Grill and its Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer. The sweet and spicy sauce is usually served with various Asian street foods.
It’s perfect for dipping or drizzling on fried delicacies such as chicken, seafood, and vegetables.
My vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower recipe is a much healthier plant-based alternative inspired by the original recipe. These cauliflower wings are coated in crispy panko and generously tossed in my sweet and spicy bang bang sauce, offering a healthy twist on the classic dish!
In This Post
- What is Bang Bang Cauliflower?
- Bang Bang Cauliflower Ingredients
- What you need to make vegan bang bang sauce!
- How to make vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Can I make these in my air fryer?
- Equipment you’ll need!
- Storage
- Top tips & substitutions
- Serving suggestions
- More cauliflower recipes you have to try!
- Best Bang Bang Cauliflower
- 💬 Community
Bang Bang Cauliflower Ingredients
Discover the wholesome charm of baked Bang Bang Cauliflower! Nutrient-packed cauliflower, an oil-free crunch coating, and a naturally sweetened Bang Bang sauce create this amazing crunchy and flavorful recipe.
- cauliflower
- organic unbleached all-purpose flour
- corn starch
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- chili powder
- paprika
- white pepper
- salt
- sriracha
- vegan buttermilk (non-dairy milk + apple cider vinegar)
- panko breadcrumbs
What you need to make vegan bang bang sauce!
- Vegan Mayonnaise: use my cashew mayo or tofu mayonnaise
- Maple Syrup: sweet chili sauce is typically used in bang bang sauce, but maple syrup is a more natural choice.
- Sriracha: Sriracha is the ideal combination of taste and spiciness. Adjust the quantity to customize the sauce to your preferred level of heat, whether you prefer it spicier or milder.
- Rice Vinegar: Compared to white distilled vinegar, rice vinegar is less acidic with a delicate, mild, and somewhat sweet flavor.
How to make vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower
Crispy cauliflower bites drenched in a tantalizingly spicy and creamy sauce make this Bang Bang Cauliflower the perfect appetizer or side dish. Once the tedious task of cutting the cauliflower is done you’re ready to bake. Let’s do this!
- Prepare the bang bang sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it in the fridge while you make cauliflower.
- Preheat your oven to 450˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- NOTE: If you haven’t prepared the vegan buttermilk do this now so it can sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add all of the dry ingredients, except for the panko breadcrumbs, to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the buttermilk and whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
- OPTIONAL: Stir a little extra sriracha into the batter to add a little kick.
- Place the cauliflower florets into the batter and gently toss stir to coat. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the batter and stir again.
- Set the battered cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer, it’s best if they don’t touch, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Remove from cauliflower from the oven, add to bowl, and cover or drizzle with as much bang bang sauce as you like.
Hint: Once the Bang Bang cauliflower wings are finished baking I like to toss them in a bowl with half the sauce. Then add them back to the baking tray and bake for another 1-2 minutes.
Can I make these in my air fryer?
You can use your air fryer instead of baking! However, it will take a little longer because you have to work in smaller batches, but no biggie. Here’s how you do it:
- Place the battered cauliflower in a single layer on/in the air fryer basket or baking tray and cook at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes then turn them over halfway through.
- Drizzle the sauce on top of the wings and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
NOTE: Even if you don’t make these in your air fryer it’s perfect for reheating the leftovers to bring back that “crunch.”
Equipment you’ll need!
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. The good news is you don’t need expensive kitchen things to make this recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need to make sure your Bang Bang cauliflower lives up to its full potential:
Storage
Bang bang cauliflower is best when eaten right after you make it because of the batter and bread crumbs. However, you can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep in mind the texture won’t be the same.
Top tips & substitutions
- Gluten-free: Replace the flour and panko with gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko.
- Flour: Whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour are great.
- Dairy-free milk: cashew milk, oat milk, and almond milk are all good options.
- Sriracha: I like to stir in a couple of extra tablespoons of sriracha to the batter for a little more kick.
- Tofu: If you don’t have cauliflower tofu is an excellent option. Follow the same instructions.
- Sweetener: Use date syrup can be in place of maple syrup. You can use honey also but is not vegan.
Serving suggestions
- Serve this Bang Bang Cauliflower alongside some steamed white or brown rice with these sweet chili garlic noodles for a delicious takeout meal at home.
- Place it on your party tray with some vegan queso, 7-layer dip, and buffalo tofu wings for an eclectic spread.
- Wrap these delicious bites in a warm corn tortilla with some red cabbage, and chopped green onion, and top with more vegan bang bang sauce. Taco Tuesday will never be the same!
- My favorite to enjoy this recipe is making an incredible sandwich. Place the cauliflower in some crusty whole grain sub roll with some pickled veggies and top with more sauce or sriracha mayo. O…M…G! 🤯
More cauliflower recipes you have to try!
Cauliflower is super versatile and makes some amazing plant-based dishes:
Best Bang Bang Cauliflower
Bang Bang Cauliflower is a delicious and healthy twist on the classic bang bang shrimp. Crispy cauliflower baked in the oven then tossed in a creamy sweet and spicy vegan mayo sauce. You can bake it in the oven or cook it in an air fryer!
- Total Time45 minutes
- Yield5 servings 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
Bang Bang Sauce
- ½ cup cashew vegan mayo or tofu mayonnaise
- ¼ cup of pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
Cauliflower
- 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into small florets (about 5 cups)
- ¾ cup of organic unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup of cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 cup of vegan buttermilk
- Optional: 3 tablespoons of sriracha sauce
- ⅓ cup of panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Prepare the Bang Bang sauce
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Place the bang bang sauce in the fridge while you make the cauliflower.
Make the cauliflower
- Preheat your oven to 450˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- NOTE: If you haven’t prepared the vegan buttermilk do this now so it can sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add all of the dry ingredients, except for the panko breadcrumbs, to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the buttermilk and whisk until it forms a smooth batter.
- OPTIONAL: Stir a little extra sriracha into the batter to add a little kick.
- Place the cauliflower florets into the batter and gently toss until they are all evenly coated. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the batter and stir again.
- Set the battered cauliflower on the baking sheet in a single layer, it’s best if they don’t touch, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.
- OPTIONAL: Once the Bang Bang cauliflower has finished baking toss it in a bowl with half of the Bang Bang sauce. Place the florets back on the baking tray and bake for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from cauliflower from the oven, add to a bowl, and cover or drizzle with as much bang bang sauce as you like.
Notes
- Nutrition info is calculated using cashew mayo.
- Once the Bang Bang cauliflower wings are finished baking I like to toss them in a bowl with half the sauce. Then add them back to the baking tray and bake for another 1-2 minutes.
- Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizers and Snacks
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 308
- Sugar: 14.2 g
- Sodium: 301 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 6.3 g
- Protein: 9.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Wow! I was hesitant to try a “from scratch” recipe on a work night, but this wasn’t that complex. The flavor IS complex though! And amazing! I will be taking some to work with me tomorrow to share with my coworkers, and I am sure they will be just was amazed! This is definitely going on the regular rotation! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Thank you so much, Carla!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was FABULOUS! I used store bought vegan mayo because I had it and was in a hurry and date syrup (only used an 1/8 c.) and it was still delicious! This will be made regularly in our house! Thank you for the recipe!
Wow, that’s so awesome! Thank you for reaching out and sharing this with me. It means more than you know. Peace.
OMG, SHANE!!
I made this for supper along with some rice.
It was not difficult. I LOVE THE BANG BANG SAUCE!!
I used 2 baking sheets and I am glad as it kept the pieces of cauliflower separate and they got golden and crispy as promised.
I am so in love with this. Extra bennie is I have some vegan mayo left for my bean burger tomorrow.
Thank you for this decadent meal!
These were fabulous! I used Tofu as you recommended, and cut them in 1″ squares. They came out crispy and the extra sauce in the pan that dried up was a treat. The only recommendation I would do next time is mix the tofu up in the sauce breading mixture in small batches. When I put it all the tofu in at once the mixture came off the tofu on some areas. Delicious just the same. Can’t wait to try it on cauliflower!
Not only was this delicious but I have tried lots of battered cauliflower recipes and this is by far the best technique I’ve found. The batter stays on the cauliflower while it’s baking and gets into all the little cauliflower creases. Easy, great flavors, a bit hit in our house! Thank you, Shane!
Awesome!!! Thank you so much.
LOVED this- how can it be adapted to make with tofu to taste like chicken nuggets??
Cut up some extra firm tofu into 1″ squares and follow the same directions. Should turn out just fine:)
Oh my gosh, made this last night and it was a huge hit! I loved how crispy the cauliflower got and the sauce… amazing. I am wondering how this might be tweaked with the same batter and tofu to taste like fried chicken??? Any thoughts Shane??? As always LOVE YOUR RECIPES! Kathy
You could drain the tofu, freeze it, then thaw, and pull it apart into pieces then just follow the same instructions. Let me know how it turns out!
Delicious! Brilliant recipe! I love adding the panko at the end. It’s so much easier and I don’t end up with dough mittens from dipping and coating and three separate bowls! I used cauliflower and carrots. Love the bang bang sauce!
Thank you Shane for converting another unhealthy favorite into WFPB!
Hi, Jodi! Thanks so much for the response and so pumped you enjoyed it. It has quickly become a family favorite here at the Martin house.
This looks amazing. Do you think this would work with broccoli?
Never tried, but anything is worth trying at least once:)
Bang Bang Cauliflower is a delicious and healthy twist on the classic bang bang shrimp. Crispy cauliflower baked in the oven then tossed in a creamy sweet and spicy vegan mayo sauce. You can bake it in the oven or cook it in an air fryer!
Delicious, but I can’t quite figure out the 9.8 grams of protein per cup 🤷♀️ What am I missing? I’d like to share this recipe with a “protein doubter”, lol
Less than 1/2 cup of cauliflower alone is about 2 grams of protein. The cashew mayo or tofu contain contain another 2 grams of protein. Panko bread crumbs contain about 4 grams of protein per serving and the flour contains about 4 grams of protein per serving. I’m using amounts in the recipe over the normal serving so when they are all added with the size of the portion you get rougly 9 grams of protein per serving. All calculation are done with a nutrition calculator so yes, they are considered an “estimate” but the info is taken directly from manufacturers and other sources.