Crispy Breaded Cauliflower Wings
Crispy breaded cauliflower wings with a sweet 'n' spicy glaze! 10 ingredients, simple methods, BIG flavor! The perfect plant-based snack or side!
Servings 4 (Servings)
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER
- 1 small-medium head cauliflower (cut into even, bite-size florets)
- 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
EGGS
- 2 large eggs, beaten (organic pasture-raised when possible // see notes for vegan option)
COATING
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews (or sub other nut, such as almonds or almond flour, though we haven’t tested these ourselves)
- 1 ¼ tsp sea salt (plus more to season cauliflower before coating)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (increase for more spice)
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch (or try subbing brown or white rice flour, though we haven’t tried these ourselves)
- 1 spritz avocado oil (optional // from a spray bottle // otherwise omit)
SWEET ’N’ SPICY GLAZE
- 2 Tbsp honey (if vegan, sub maple syrup)
- 3 Tbsp hot sauce or buffalo sauce (we like Yellow Bird Habanero for this recipe)
- 1 pinch red pepper flake (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a cooling rack that is oven safe, you can place that over the parchment paper; it will help the cauliflower crisp up even more. However, we tested it with and without and both work. The primary difference is when not using a cooling rack, the cauliflower undersides can get a little more brown. But the easy workaround is cooking the cauliflower in the upper third of the oven to prevent the bottoms from burning.
- Add cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl and season with a bit of salt and pepper (pepper optional). Toss to combine and set aside. (Reserve large mixing bowl for use later.)
- Crack eggs into a shallow bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Next, prepare cashew coating by adding cashews, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and arrowroot starch (or cornstarch or potato starch) to a food processor. Mix until a semi-fine meal is achieved. A little texture is okay (see photo), but you want it pretty fine so it coats the cauliflower. Transfer coating to a shallow dish (shallow enough to dip the cauliflower in) and set aside.
- Dip a few cauliflower florets at a time in the eggs, ensuring all sides are well coated. Then shake off excess. Transfer the cauliflower to the cashew coating and toss until thoroughly coated, using a spoon or your hands to add more coating to any bare spots.
- Transfer cauliflower to your prepared baking sheet (with or without a cooling rack). Finally, drizzle or spritz with a little avocado oil to help them crisp up (optional).
- Bake for ~20 minutes or until the cauliflower appears golden brown.
- In the meantime, prepare glaze. To a large saucepan, add honey and hot sauce and a pinch of red pepper flake (optional). Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and appears combined. Set aside.
- Transfer cooked cauliflower to the large mixing bowl from earlier and top with the glaze. Gently toss to combine, then serve immediately.
- Best when fresh. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F (176 C) oven until hot for best results. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*For a vegan coating, replace the eggs with a mixture of 1 cup unsweetened plain dairy-free milk (we like cashew milk) and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 servings Calories: 389 Carbohydrates: 34.1 g Protein: 13.8 g Fat: 24.3 g Saturated Fat: 4.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.22 g Monounsaturated Fat: 12.65 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 93.25 mg Sodium: 861 mg Potassium: 616 mg Fiber: 3.5 g Sugar: 13.5 g Vitamin A: 649 IU Vitamin C: 44.35 mg Calcium: 53.3 mg Iron: 4 mg