Forgive the ALL CAPS in my title but it’s necessary. For the longest time trying to achieve a crispy, chicken wing-like, cauliflower wing recipe seemed impossible. Your typical batter was sufficient but sort of ended up soggy no matter what you did to it. Especially if you’re baking instead of frying for the health benefits. Because let’s be real, there’s a time and a place for some freaking fried cauliflower! But I also just don’t love to use a bunch of oil, you have to cook in batches so it takes what seems like forever and i’m not a huge fan of that. But for special occasions, or if you just feel like it, fry up some delicious little cauliflower nuggets and enjoy every bite!

But for the times where you’re just not feeling it…I’ve got a GREAT method for you! These Cauliflower Wings are BAKED. They take about 40 minutes of cooking time and another 15 or so minutes getting them prepared. So it’s not the quickest way to cook them but I promise you it is easy and it is WORTH IT. Again with the caps…I’ll stop, I know.

These cauli wings have just 4 essential ingredients! Flour, Non-dairy Milk, Cauliflower obviously, and IAN’S GLUTEN FREE PANKO BREAD CRUMBS! There I go with the Caps again but this is the key here guys. You cannot just get any brand of gluten-free bread crumbs unfortunately. But the good news is-is that this brand is everywhere. I’ve bought these from Harris Teeter, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Target! I do not have any sort of deal or sponsorship with them I just really love this brand and it has made a huge difference in my beloved cauliflower wings! (I linked the breadcrumbs to Amazon-this is not an affiliate link and I do not get any sort of percentage on sales of this product-I just wanted to show you what they look like so you know what to look for at the store!). I’m not sure why but they are not only crispier than other types of bread crumbs I’ve tried, but they actually hold the batter together and on the cauliflower so well! Because how frustrating is it when you take that first bite and the whole thing falls off and you eat bare cauliflower and all the battered and breaded goodness falls to your plate?! I’m all set with that.

So here ya go, friends! Slather your wings with BBQ sauce or Buffalo sauce, maybe try a sweet chili sauce? Or just eat them as is and add some special seasonings to your batter or crumbs?! Some KFC inspired goodness maybe? There are so many possibilities! ENJOY!

Crispy Baked Cauliflower

Alix | July 2020

prep time: 15 Minutes

cook time: 40 Minutes

total time: About an hour

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 Large Head of Cauliflower or 2 small/medium heads

1 Cup Non-dairy Milk

1 Cup Flour (Note: you can use gluten-free flour but you may need to add more milk as the flour absorbs liquid much more than all purpose or whole wheat flour. The batter should be pancake consistency)

Salt and pepper (you can also add garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, etc. Whatever you like!)

1 Bag Ian's Gluten Free Bread Crumbs-Original
Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

Mix together your batter in a medium bowl. Add your bread crumbs to another bowl. This will operate as an assembly line so make sure you have enough space to lay out your cauliflower, bowls of batter and bread crumbs, and your baking pans.

Cut your cauliflower into larger "wing-like" florets. They hold together much better if they are a little larger.

Coat your cauliflower florets in your batter, drain any excess, and then coat well in your bread crumbs, shaking off any excess. Space apart on your baking sheets about 1 inch to increase the crispyness factor!

Bake your cauliflower UNDRESSED for 30 minutes flipping half-way through.

If you are adding any type of sauce I would recommend coating your cauliflower in batches, about 5-6 florets at a time and tossing them in a large bowl with your buffalo, BBQ, or any other sauce you'd like.

Once your cauliflower is coated, place back on your baking sheet and back in your oven for about 10 minutes more.

Eat as is or serve over a salad, and definitely dip in some vegan ranch!