Crispy Vegan Sesame Cauliflower Wings

 

These Vegan Sesame Cauliflower Wings are a perfect dish for your holiday party, or while you watch the game with friends, but also easy and healthy enough for any weeknight dinner!

I’ve tried A LOT of different ways to make Cauliflower wings, and more often than not, I was left with mushy unsatisfying wings. I’m confident, that using this recipe, you’ll come out with crispy decadent wings every time!

 

About the Cauliflower-

-To make these cauliflower wings, you’ll need a medium to large size head of cauliflower. Any color will do- I used purple here because my farmers market had the most beautiful in season purple heads this week.

-You want to cut the head into bite size pieces. The smaller they are the quicker they cook. I usually try to go with moderate bit size pieces, not too bit and not too small. Cauliflower can be confusing to chop. Here’s a great tutorial if you’ve never done it before.

How do I make the batter for these Vegan Sesame Cauliflower Wings?

For the batter, you want the consistency to be similar to pancake batter. It should to thick enough that it coats the cauliflower easily, but not so thick that you can’t shake off the excess. I’ve included in the recipe that you should start with equal parts flour and plant milk, and then add additional plant milk 1 tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Baking tips-

Trust me when I say, you want to use parchment paper to line your baking sheet. I have used non-stick mats in the past to disastrous results, so save yourself the hassle, and go with the parchment paper. They will be easy to flip and you’ll be left with a much easier cleanup.

When you remove the wings from the oven after they have been flipped once, they should be firm and have a slight browning.

 

 

How to get the crispiest Cauliflower wings-

Many recipes will tell you at this point in the process to transfer the wings to a bowl in order to coat with the sauce before returning to the oven. Don’t do this! In my experience, more often than not, this has led to mushy wings, that are not crispy.

For best results, leave the wings on the tray and spoon over the sauce. Then stir the wings as best you can to coat them in the sauce. It doesn’t have to be perfect!

This method applies to any type of Cauliflower wings you make, like Buffalo for example. So if you’ve been making vegan wings and they’ve been coming out mushy, give this technique a go!

How do I know when my Cauliflower Wings are done?

Once the wings have been returned to the oven, after about 10-15  minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs, they will develop a crispy coating. You want to see definite browning and even some areas of blackness, but not too much black! The black areas are where the sugar from the maple syrup is crystalizing and getting crisp.

After removing from the oven, you can brush them with the remaining sauce that you had left over and finish them with your favorite toppings. Here I used toasted sesame seeds and slice green onions. Other options would be fresh cilantro, more sriracha or even a side of kimchi.

 

 

Are these Gluten Free?

I’ve given lots of options here in the recipe for ingredients since this dish is pretty flexible. If you substitute the soy sauce for Tamari, use a gluten free egg replacer (I like Bob’s Red Mill) or sub for baking powder, and use your choice of gluten free flour, these are totally gluten free.  The type of flour used to create the batter is pretty versatile, so don’t overthink it. I’ve made with chickpea flour and also Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and both have turned out great.

What do I eat with these sticky delicious wings?

We like to serve these with a side of short grain rice and steamed greens, such as bok choy, kale or Chinese broccoli. You can even add in some tofu on the side for added protein.

I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we do! They are just indulgent enough to feel like your treating yourself, but still healthy, and one of our favorites!