This Sticky Sesame Cauliflower is a crowd pleaser! Cauliflower is battered and baked , then coated in sticky spicy sesame sauce and baked again. Serve as is or with rice or in lettuce cups. Vegan Gluten-free Nut-free Refined sugar free Recipe Jump to Recipe
When you need some sticky sweet tangy delicious sauced something, cauliflower fits right in. Cauliflower florets are tossed in a rice flour and starch batter and baked to crisp. The sticky sesame sauce uses sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy/tamari, vinegar, maple syrup and some sriracha for heat for a addictive flavor profile. Brush this sticky sauce on the baked cauliflower and serve, or bake again for more sticky crispy cauliflower!
Serve it over rice, by itself or in lettuce wraps! I use sesame oil in the batter and the sauce for extra sesame flavor profile. For additional protein, add in some firm tofu, seitan or soycurls with the cauliflower. Lets make this!
Ingredients for Sticky Sesame Cauliflower and substitution options
- The Sticky Sesame Sauce has sesame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari/soy sauce, maple syrup for sweet, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and starch to thicken.
- You can use coconut aminos to make this soy-free
- Maple syrup can be subbed with sugar or other sweetener
- Omit the Sriracha for lower heat.
- The batter for the crispy cauliflower has –
- rice flour, that makes the batter crisp and non doughy on baking. You can use a mix of half all purpose flour and half starch as a substitute.
- corn or tapioca starch to add lighter and crisp texture
- sesame oil for more sesame profile
- black pepper, salt and garlic for flavor
- garnished of lightly toasted white sesame and black sesame seeds and scallions.
How to make Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
Transfer to the parchment lined baking sheet or dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, assemble the sauce ingredients. Saute the ginger and garlic in sesame oil for a minute, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha and maple syrup and bring to a boil.
Add cornstarch slurry and cook to thicken.
Brush the sticky thick sauce on the cauliflower florets or add the florets to the sauce and mix gently. Then bake again.
Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve over rice.
Tips to make Crispy Sticky Sesame Cauliflower
- For a nicely crispy result, bake the cauliflower on a baking sheet.
- Bake the sauce coated cauliflower for longer.
- Use smaller size cauliflower florets
If you plan to serve the sauced cauliflower without baking, you can add another teaspoon starch for extra thick sauce that will glaze the cauliflower.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Taco Spice roasted Cauliflower
- Spicy Pepper Cauliflower Bites
- Mango Sriracha Cauliflower
- Aloo Gobi – Baked
- Nashville Cauliflower Bites
- Kung Pao Cauliflower
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Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Recipe (Gluten free Vegan)
Ingredients
Sesame Soy Sauce:
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic , minced
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (78.86 ml) maple syrup
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp cornstarch or 1.5 teaspoon tapioca starch
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) cold water
Cauliflower:
- ½ cup rice flour
- 3 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- dash of black pepper and cayenne
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) water
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 (265 g) small head of cauliflower , chopped into equal size florets
- Garnish: sesame seeds and scallions
Instructions
- Sticky Sesame Sauce: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Cook the garlic ginger for a minute. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple and bring to boil. Mix cornstarch in the water and add this cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil to thicken, Take off heat.
- Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 deg F ( 220 C). Line a baking sheet or dish with parchment. In a large bowl add the dry ingredients for the batter and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients and min until smooth.
- Add the cauliflower and mix to coat. This batter keeps thickening as it sits, so mix and toss quickly.
- Transfer to the the lined baking sheet. and bake for 30 mins. Make the sticky sauce in the meanwhile if you havent yet.
- Once baked, you can do one of the following: 1. Brush the sauce over the cauliflower florets and bake for additional 10 to 15 mins (time depends on how crisp and sticky you want the sauce)2. Wait for a few mins then transfer the florets to the sauce. Mix gently to coat. Serve immediately or transfer to the baking sheet to bake for 10 to 15 mins.
- Sprinkle black and white sesame seeds and chopped scallions and serve as is, or over rice or in lettuce wraps!
Singing Vegan
This is one of the best things to ever happen to cauliflower.
I usually make some kind of modification to recipes, but this on is perfect as is.
Vegan Richa Support
So good to hear! Thank you.
Kelli Guider
Great recipe with stuff I usually have. I added some hand torn tofu and made it like the cauliflower. Really delicious!
Vegan Richa Support
Sounds so good! Thank you for sharing.
Charuta Apte
A really nice recipe. Will take it over Trader Joes frozen stuff any day.
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!
Mathilde
The best cauliflower recipe ever. My husband hates cauliflower but loves this. Thanks Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
That’s great!
Cindy R
This was super tasty! Definitely a keeper. Do you think I could substitute tofu for the cauliflower?
Vegan Richa Support
Yes tofu will work.
Fifi
Utterly delicious, served with Asian Slaw, will be making again and again.
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!! Thank you for commenting.
Kayla
Can agave be subbed?
Vegan Richa Support
Yes
Becca
Mmmm! I made this for our Super Bowl party and they were a hit. I subbed oat flour for rice flour because I didn’t have it on hand-it still worked out. My hubby practically licked the bowl clean after all the cauliflower was gone.
Vegan Richa Support
Hahahaha thats’s great!
Jam
This is great! Made it twice now. First time with cauliflower and tofu. Second time cauliflower and broccoli! First time baked after sauce was on, second time did not. Both were fantastic! This is on the regular menu now. Great way to get in some veggies
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Nancy
How do you get the batter to stick to the cauliflower? It tasted fine but I could have roasted the cauliflower without the batter because it was all in a sheet under the vegetables. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Richa
Make a thicker batter the nut doesn’t slip off, see video. That’s why I use rice flour. Did you change anything? If using all purpose flour you’ll need a tad bit more to get a thick batter
Mary
Turned out great! Easier and better tasting than other similar recipes I’ve tried in the past.
Vegan Richa Support
Good to know!
Katrina
This recipe came out sooooooo good, I actually made the comment to my boyfriend that I could serve it in a restaurant lol. I’m making it a new part of my regular go-to meals for sure, it really hit the spot!!
Vegan Richa Support
Happy to hear!
Jean Simmons
Made this last night – super tasty. I added cubes of tofu to the cauli mix to up the protein which worked well. Will definitely make again.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Pam
Made this tonight! So glad I did. It was a 15 out of 10! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you for making my recipes!
Julia
Absolutely amazing! Just made this and it absolutely rivals the expensive version at a local boutique restaurant that I’m sure is full of fat, sugar and everything else.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
Cindy
This is the first recipe of yours I have made. Incredible! I will definitely be adding this to our favorite recipe list! Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
Welcome Cindy!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Lulu
Hi from France!
I discovered your website belatedly, but now, after I bought your first book, I keep going back and doing recipes daily. Your Instagram page is such an inspiration. I went to an Asian shop to buy the spices and herbs I did not own (not too many, but still).
This one is for today, for a family of 5 including two teens, so I more than doubled.
Thank you so much for your flavourful ideas, I think you are our favorite chef so far!
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Liz
Looks delicious!! Can you substitute a different type of flour if you don’t have rice flour?
Vegan Richa Support
Yes, you can use all purpose flour, but will need a little bit more to get the batter thick enough.
Kater
Amazing; it was a hit, worth the long baking time.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!