Crispy baked cauliflower pieces with sweet and spicy sauce make this bang bang cauliflower a winner. Vegan and gluten-free thanks to rice crisp cereal!
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan
Keyword bang bang cauliflower, crispy cauliflower, vegan Bonefish grill
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (Optional) lightly spray them with oil spray.
Crush the rice crisp cereal into crumbs (but not completely to dust!) by either pulsing it in your food processor, or putting in a plastic bag and crushing it with a rolling pin or the side or bottom of a bottle. Add the crushed cereal to a small bowl and mix with the garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
Add the rice flour to a second small bowl. Slowly add the water a couple of tablespoons at a time, while stirring it together with the rice flour, until smooth. It should be thinner than pancake batter, but not totally liquid. Stir in the oil well if using.
One by one, take a cauliflower floret, dip it into the rice flour mixture, shake off excess, and then dip it into the cereal crumb mixture to coat it. Place it on the baking sheet, leaving space between each piece. Continue until all of the cauliflower is used. (Optional) lightly spray the battered florets with oil spray.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the coating is crisped and lightly browned.
Make the sauce by whisking together all of the ingredients. Add more sweet chili sauce and/or sriracha to taste. Serve the crispy baked cauliflower with the bang bang sauce.
Notes
OIL-FREE: Skip the oil in the batter and don't use oil spray on the parchment paper or cauliflower. I have tested this version and it tastes almost exactly the same but does not brown very much and gets just slightly less crispy. Use my homemade oil-free mayo (linked in the ingredients list) or another oil-free alternative.RICE CRISP CEREAL: Feel free to use approximately 2.5 cups of panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free or regular) in place of the crushed rice crisp cereal. Crushed cornflakes are also a good substitute!RICE FLOUR: Instead of the rice flour you can also use white rice flour, all-purpose flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, etc. Just adjust the water as needed to get a thin batter that lightly coats the cauliflower when dipped.Nutrition facts will vary depending on the exact cereal, flour, and amount of dipping sauce consumed, as well as use of the optional oil.