I’ve been on a roll lately with the soups and stews, and actually have a few more of those ready to share. (Along with several desserts!) But for today at least, I’m changing it up with this sticky sesame cauliflower recipe.
We have been making cauliflower wings every week or two since last fall. In fact, I shared a teaser of this same recipe on Instagram a while back. I ended up redoing the pictures because during that passage of time, I got my new macro lens and love the cozier feel that my photographs have now. I’ve made so many different wing flavors that I just now got around to sticky sesame again.
That being said, I’m actually not going to classify this particular recipe as “wings”. The cauliflower and breading become light and tender when mixed with the sticky sesame sauce, making them super delicious but not really viable as finger food unless you want to make a colossal mess. This is great with a side of some steamed vegetables or cauliflower rice. I don’t find that I want or need actual rice with it because there’s already plenty of heartiness from the batter. (If you’re looking for a great, CRISPY, hand-held cauliflower “wings” recipe, check out my Thai peanut cauliflower wings recipe from last year).
I’m a known consumer of gluten, but I specifically prefer to make recipes like this gluten-free. With regular all-purpose wheat flour, you have to be a lot more careful when mixing the batter not to overmix it and allow gluten strands to form, which can make your baked cauliflower tough and dense. With gluten-free flour, that’s much less of a concern, although it’s still good to avoid overmixing. I keep my pantry stocked with my favorite store-bought gluten-free flour blend, which is widely available in stores here and works in a variety of recipes.
Another bonus? This sticky sesame cauliflower recipe is really really easy. I know the batter recipe by heart now – and there’s no added steps of dredging or dipping in breadcrumbs. Just mix together one bowl of batter, dip the florets in it, and you’re done. I often just wing it with the sauce too (sesame or otherwise) until I get something tasty. Of course, I measured the exact quantities for my sauce this time before sharing it with you, but it’s very open for experimentation! As a general rule, add as little liquid as possible to your sauce to get the best textural result with this cauliflower. That’s why you don’t see a cornstarch slurry in my sticky sesame sauce, which many similar non-cauliflower recipes include.
The amount of agave nectar in this recipe is prone to sending me into a food coma, so reduce it if you like, but know that that’s where the “sticky” sesame comes from. I keeping meaning to try this out with brown rice syrup instead, so I’ll update here if I do.
If you make this sticky sesame cauliflower, let me know how you like it in the comments! And/or tag me on Instagram with @yupitsvegan and #yupitsvegan to show me your creations. Bon appetit!
Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the baked cauliflower:
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 small head of cauliflower cut into florets (scant 4 cups of florets)
For the sticky sesame sauce:
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil divided
- 1/2 inch ginger minced or grated
- 2-3 cloves garlic (to taste), minced or grated
- 3 and 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (or less, to taste)
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili paste like sriracha
For the sticky sesame cauliflower:
- battered cauliflower (above)
- sticky sesame sauce (above)
- toasted sesame seeds for serving
- chopped green onions for serving
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
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In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, garlic powder, and salt. Add 1 cup of water and stir. Continue adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until a pancake batter-esque consistency is reached. You want batter that is thick enough to stay on a cauliflower floret but thin enough that you can easily shake off the excess. I usually need another couple of tablespoons of additional water.
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One by one, dip the cauliflower florets into the batter, gently shake off extra batter, and place them onto the baking sheet. Leave plenty of space between florets on the baking sheet so that they can get crispy. You may not be able to quite fit a whole head of cauliflower on two baking sheets.
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Bake the battered cauliflower for 20 minutes, rotate the position of the trays, and then bake for another 5-10 more minutes or until crispy and browned.
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Meanwhile, heat two teaspoons of the sesame oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and ginger and saute over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 60-90 seconds, or until the garlic and ginger are softened and fragrant.
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Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir well. Continue cooking on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and thickened slightly. Turn the heat to low and leave on the burner, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Stir in the remaining sesame oil just before mixing with the cauliflower. (I do this to make sure there's a nice noticeable sesame flavor).
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Once the cauliflower is done baking, use a spatula to gently mix it together with the sauce in a bowl or the saucepan if large enough. Spread it back out on the baking sheets, and return it to the oven for just 2-4 minutes, to thicken the sauce onto the cauliflower. Watch it carefully, as the sticky sesame sauce can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if desired.
Recipe Notes
The final result of this recipe will NOT be super crispy, but rather, sturdy yet tender after the sauce is added. I don't recommend eating it by hand.
Other Asian-inspired recipes from the blog:
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Sara says
I love this recipe! It’s part of my regular dinner rotation because its an easy vegan meal and it pleases my meat-loving fiancé. So good! I like to use regular flour and I add to the sauce some liquid smoke to give it a little extra secret something.
Jen R says
For anyone else who is lazy like me, I skip the batter part altogether. I oil the cauliflower and bake in oven as directed, then pour sauce over it to finish. Still delicious!
Robert C. says
Shannon, what would be your thoughts on using Balsamic Vinegar in place of the Rice Vinegar? Or possibly a Red Wine Vinegar?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar would probably be better substitutes if possible.
JMarie says
This was delicious. Sauce was so yummy. Thank you!
Ariana says
This recipe came out even better than I expected! I used rice flour in place of the gluten-free flour and it worked great. I also used honey in place of the agave nectar and cut the amount to just under two tablespoons along with omitting the tomato paste (as I didn’t have any on hand).
Heather says
So much yummy protein! I’ve had baked and battered Brussel sprouts, but these look delicious too. Thanks for the inspo!!
Vicky says
Thank you! This is an amazing recipe. My husband who is a big meat eater loved it! Ive tried a lot of recipes since going vegan but I think this one was his favourite by far. So quick and easy. Wasn’t sure what flour to use but made this with buckwheat flour in the end (which I worried would taste to strong), it was great, it worked really well! Will definitely be using this recipe again!
Kathleen says
This was delicious! I doubled the sauce recipe and served over tempeh and rice noodles!
Madison says
Hello! This looks delicious! Would this recipe work with GF buckwheat flour?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Madison, I think straight buckwheat flour would be too strong of a flavor. (Texture wise I”m not sure what it would do). I think you would be best serve to combine the buckwheat flour with a starch (tapioca, arrowroot, potato, or cornstarch) to lighten it up. Maybe 2/3 buckwheat 1/3 starch. I haven’t tested this, but I would start there.
Ridge says
I made this with fried quinoa as a side and absolutely loved the recipe. You have a new subscriber!
Kyle Chambers says
I made the mistake of using coconut flour, and just as you’ve called out in the comments, it was a dry, crumbly disaster 😥 newbie cook here, learning the hard way.
Joan Baum says
My sister in law made this tonight as an entree served over a bed of rice. It was outstanding! Very flavorful and definitely deserves an encore! The cauliflower had a crunchy coating coupled with the tasty sauce. Anxious to see what she’ll whip up tomorrow!
Donna says
I just made this with all purpose wheat flour since I didn’t have GF. Used 1/2 head of a large cauliflower (still 4 cups). Omitted chili sauce. Instead of coating in sauce, I left on tray as another suggested which left one crispy side. I spooned sauce on to each piece and baked for another 5 minutes. Delicious! Had with a side of rice since it was already meal prepped in the fridge, but steamed veggies or something lighter like an Asian salad would have been better. It was enough food for two with a tiny bit leftover. Enjoy!
Bill says
Great sounding recipe. Soy sauce however contains gluten. I think liquid aminos and a certain brand of white soy are gluten free tho.
Kellie says
Omgosh… this was so incredibly yummy and so filling. I paired it up with mixed broccoli and carrots sautéed coated with a tangy sweet and sour sauce. My daughter and I fully enjoyed the two entrees together. Thank you so much for sharing. My daughter could not believe it was cauliflower. Our new fav dish for sure!!
Kellie
kara says
Outstanding recipe! Made it ‘as is’ and it turned out great.
Ellen says
Hi..I don’t understand your nutrition information box as I don’t see where you are getting protein from.
Ellen says
Nevermind..I didn’t realize cauliflower had so much protein
Katy says
Could this be done with coconut aminos in the sauce rather than soy sauce and perhaps the agave (or will the aminos lack he needed stickiness) ? What simple vegan main dish would you suggest pairing with this? I’m trying to introduce more vegan meals to my meat eating children without them really noticing. Thankfully they have a varied palette and love vegetables.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Katy, if you like the flavor of coconut aminos you can go ahead and substitute it for the soy sauce. (You might add another little pinch of salt as well). The agave is there to provide both sweetness and stickiness. Omitting it would probably put the flavors fairly out of balance. I know that coconut aminos is a tiny bit sweeter than soy sauce but it’s still unsweetened. You could try using maple syrup or date syrup for another sweetener option.
As for higher-protein ingredients to combine with this, the sky’s the limit, perhaps some nice grilled tofu, noodles with peanut sauce, or fresh edamame!
Natalie says
Just made this and Not only was the bettered cauliflower delicious without the sauce, the sauce was a complete explosion of flavor in my mouth. Wow what a fantastic sauce. I ate it with some yellow rice and mixed veggies on the side. Excelent dinner.
Tina says
My family is not vegan, but i do make a variety of meals. THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!!! When I made it the first time, my kids asked me when I was making again only after their first bites! This meal goes on my ‘regulars’ list ❤
Tamar Noel says
This tastes just like general Tao’s chicken! It was so good. I would only change how strong the taste is. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but when I make it again I’ll maybe cut the sauce ingredients in half. This was the last meal in my Daniel fast and it was one of the best. Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa says
This recipe is AMAZING! We are always looking for new and inventive vegan recipes and this did not disappoint! The directions were perfect, and I wouldn’t change a single thing. Outstanding, full of flavor, cauliflower stayed crunchy. And we ate the whole thing! Served with seasoned sushi rice, and mixed greens with ginger dressing.
It totally satisfied the Chinese take-out craving, and it was stupid-easy to fix. 10/10, 5 stars, two thumbs up, and a golden globe 🙂
Megan says
Is this spicy? I have kiddos that spaz if my cooking is too spicy. They love cauliflower though and I would love to use this recipe to jazz it up a bit. How would you rate the heat?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Good Q! This just has a little kick from the 1 tsp of sriracha. I think the fermented chili flavor does complement the other ones. WIth the caveat that I don’t cook for kids often, I’d suggest maybe reducing that to 1/2 tsp, and then the adults can drizzle a little more sriracha on theirs tableside if they desire?
Joanne Latimer says
This is delicious! Toast your sesame seeds first, to keep things calm at the end of the preparation.
Kate says
My husband, son and I loved this tonight! Takes a little time but very easy and worth it! Saving this as a new family favorite.
Lucy says
My boyfriend and I found this recipe while looking for a way to use a cauliflower that had originally been bought for a curry. Luckily, we also had all of the other ingredients or suitable substitutes. Amazing dish – we both loved it and it has been added to our list of recipes we love. We had it with white rice.
Will definitely be checking out your other recipes.
rose says
I’m confused I put the garlic and the ginger when I made the sauce and now I see farther down the recipe you say to sautee it did I miss a step
Julie Evered says
I just made this recipe for my family. They all loved it.
Amy A. says
I was looking for vegan recipe for potluck Sunday for our pastor’s final Sunday. This looks great! I’ve made pizzas using cauliflower before but this looks more, “filling”! After I prep do you think I could transfer to crockpot? Wish me luck 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Amy, I do not think this will work well in the crockpot. The batter will get soggy and not stick to the cauliflower. You may be able to make some kind of modified crock pot version that isn’t battered, but I haven’t tested this. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Ben says
It came out just like the picture which never happens for me. Everyone loved it. I made extra batter and sauce and did a can of green jack fruit along with the cauliflower. Definitely making this again, thanks.