Y’all, I have FINALLY hopped on the cauliflower wing bandwagon. They seem to have really taken off over the past few years and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why…until now. These Spicy Cauliflower Wings are SO GOOD! And the maple glaze? Icing on the cake!
How to Make Baked Vegan Cauliflower Wings:
Making these spicy cauliflower wings was super easy! You’ll start by dicing up your cauliflower into florets. I really enjoyed the medium sized pieces because they had a good breading-cauliflower ratio. The smaller ones were good too.
To bread these cauliflower wings you’ll need two bowls. The first bowl will consist of flour, almond milk, liquid smoke plus salt and pepper. The next bowl will include the panko breadcrumbs and additional seasonings that will help bring out the spiciness. Feel free to adjust to your preference. If following the recipe, I’d say that on a scale from 1-10 they were about a 5.5. With the glaze (as is) they increase to about an 8/8.5.
Before you begin dipping, be sure to have a baking pan lined with foil on it ready so that you can place the cauliflower that’s been breaded on it. Once you have your two bowls set up, you can toss a handful of the cauliflower pieces in bowl one, then transfer them to bowl two. Once each piece has been coated with the panko mixture from bowl two, add them to a foil lined baking pan that has been sprayed with oil to avoid sticking. You’ll bake them for about 22 minutes.
While the cauliflower wings are baking, you can begin mixing together the glaze. This will really kick those wings up a notch! The heat provided in this sauce is courtesy of the crushed red pepper flakes. Trust me, a little goes a LONG WAY. Just a tiny bit will do the trick. As an alternative, you can omit the glaze all together or simply not add any crushed red pepper. It’s up to you!
How to Make Cauliflower Wings Crispy:
I knew that if I was going to make these cauliflower wings, they HAD to be crispy. I’m a sucker for crispy foods! To ensure this, you’ll notice that I use panko breadcrumbs. They definitely did the trick! It’s important to space them properly on the pan so that they’re not too close together. If they’re too close the steam generated could make them soft. Which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid!
What Goes With Cauliflower Wings?
These cauliflower wings would go great with some of your favorite sides! Not sure what to pair them with? Here are some ideas:
- Instant Pot Garlic Herb Potatoes
- Coconut Turmeric Rice
- Easy Baked Vegan Mac + Cheese
- Easy Vegan Collard Greens
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
I know you’ll love these Spicy Cauliflower Wings + Maple Glaze! They’re easy to make, crispy and spicyyyyy! Plus, they can easily be reheated in your air fryer or on a traditional oven. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.
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Spicy Cauliflower Wings + Maple Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of fresh cauliflower cut into pieces
- chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Bowl #1
- ยพ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
Bowl #2
- 1ยฝ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ยฝ tsp onion powder
- ยฝ tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Maple Glaze
- ยฝ cup maple syrup
- 1ยฝ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- ยฝ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch + 2-3 tsp water (mix together separately in a small container)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ยฐ
- In one medium-sized bowl, whisk together the ingredients for Bowl #1. Set aside.ยพ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, salt and pepper, 1 tsp liquid smoke
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the ingredients for Bowl #2. Set aside.1ยฝ cup panko bread crumbs, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, ยฝ tsp onion powder, ยฝ tsp paprika, salt and pepper to taste
- Grab 6-8 pieces of fresh cauliflower and toss them into Bowl #1. Use a spoon (or your fingers) to coat each piece.1 medium head of fresh cauliflower
- Transfer each piece into the breading mixture, then move to a foil-lined baking pan sprayed with oil to avoid sticking.
- Repeat until all cauliflower has been coated, lightly spray the breaded cauliflower with oil, then transfer to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking heat all of the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over low medium heat (except for cornstarch mixture).ยฝ cup maple syrup, 1ยฝ tsp liquid smoke, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, ยฝ tsp garlic powder
- Add in desired amount of the cornstarch mixture to thicken to your liking. Stir frequently. Let sit over very low heat to keep warm.2 tsp cornstarch + 2-3 tsp water
- Once the cauliflower is finished cooking, remove them from the oven and drizzle with the maple glaze or use as dipping sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!chopped parsley for garnish
Just made these for a quick yummy lunch and both me and my husband were very satisfied! The panko bread crumbs did ensure they were crispy and not soft, and the sauce was *mwah* delicious! Will definitely be making this again (in a larger batch because we LOVED them) very soon!
Thanks Schaelaur!! So glad y’all enjoyed these!
Omg so delicious!! The sauce was the perfect sweet/spicy combo. The cauliflower were crunchy and delicious! I canโt wait to try the other recipes!