I’m lucky enough to live within 30 minutes of a Veggie Grill (an all vegan fast food type place if you aren’t familiar, though you can also get amazing salads). My family eats there way too often, and one of my favorite things on the menu is the crispy cauliflower appetizer. You can get it with buffalo sauce or a sesame sauce. I always choose the sesame sauce. This recipe reminds me so much of that dish, except it’s not deep fried. Instead, I batter the cauliflower and bake it until crispy, then mix it with a delicious sticky sesame sauce. If you prefer, you can also keep the sauce separate for dipping. This will keep the cauliflower crispier. I was also inspired by the popular Chinese dish, Sesame Chicken. Cauliflower is a great stand in for chicken if you ask me! Serve over a bed of rice for a wonderful meal.
How to make Sesame Cauliflower
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a large sheet pan or two with oil. Wash and cut the cauliflower into florets. In a bowl, mix the batter: flour, cornstarch, salt and water. (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW TO PRINT AND FOR FULL AMOUNTS) Dip the cauliflower in, shake off any excess batter and place on the baking sheet, not touching each other.
Spray the cauliflower with oil (this makes them extra crispy) and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sauce on the stovetop. In a large pan or pot, add the sauce ingredients – low sodium soy sauce, agave, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, Sriracha and powdered ginger. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add cornstarch + water slurry and stir until thickened.
Once the cauliflower is done baking, add it to the pan and stir to coat. OR serve sauce and cauliflower separately to keep it crispier. That’s it! Serve with rice, sesame seeds and chopped green onions, if desired.
Tips for success
It’s best to use two large sheet pans for baking the cauliflower. If you try to crowd them all on one pan, they won’t get as crispy. I love these big pans. Gluten free: To make it gluten free, replace the regular flour with a gluten free mix and use tamari instead of soy sauce. Mixing the baked cauliflower with the sauce does immediately make it a bit less crispy, which I don’t mind, but you might want to keep it separate and serve as a dip. Either way is fine! If you want a lot of extra sauce, double the sauce part. There really is just enough to coat the cauliflower.
I think you are going to LOVE these Sticky Sesame Cauliflower. They are:
Sticky and sweet Spicy Crispy Kid approved & SO flavorful!
Want more delicious cauliflower recipes?
Orange Cauliflower Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings BBQ Cauliflower Wings Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas Vegan Cauliflower Soup
*This recipe was originally posted June 2018 and has been updated with an easier recipe and new photos.
