A sweet and tangy orange cauliflower recipe that's just like your favorite Chinese takeout! It's coated and baked in the oven and covered in a sweet sauce. It's gluten free, vegan and amazing with a bowl of rice or more veggies. Get ready for meatless Monday!
Ever feel like you need to get some more veggies in your diet but you just aren't feeling a big bowl of steamed veggies? You want more flavor or excitement? I get that way a lot. And this orange cauliflower recipe was made for days like that.
You may not even realize you're eating all your veggies when you dig into this yummy meal. This breaded and baked then coated with a healthy, sweet sauce you're going to drool over. You get all your veggies in one big, yummy bowl!
Ingredients you'll need:
Here are the main ingredients that make up this orange cauliflower. The list is a little long, but I promise it's worth it!
- Cauliflower obviously! Get a bag of chopped florets already or you can get a head of cauliflower and cut it yourself. It's cheaper to get an organic head and cut it yourself!
- Almond flour and tapioca flour make up the bulk of the breading. It's naturally gluten free and so yummy!
- For the sauce, you'll need things like fresh oranges, honey, ginger and soy sauce. All the great asian flavors!
How to make orange cauliflower:
- Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk gently. Add the dairy free milk and whisk until combined, creating a batter consistency.
- Next, dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, turning until it’s completely coated then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, remove and turn gently then bake for another 15 minutes until batter is cooked and golden brown.
- While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sesame orange sauce. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic, chopped ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and tapioca starch or arrowroot powder. Whisk until warmed and starting to thicken.
- Finally, when the cauliflower wings are done, stir gently to coat each wing with sauce then dump back onto the same baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes to absorb all the sauce.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you!
More cauliflower recipes:
Sweet and sticky orange cauliflower
Ingredients
For the cauliflower:
- 3-4 cups cauliflower (1 medium head)
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot starch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups dairy free milk (almond, coconut, cashew etc.)
- sesame seeds, green onion, orange zest to garnish
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1-2 medium oranges)
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 teaspoon tapioca starch or arrowroot powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with silpat mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca flour, garlic powder and salt and whisk gently. Add the dairy free milk and whisk until combined, creating a batter consistency.
- Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, turning until it’s completely coated then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, remove and turn gently then bake for another 15 minutes until batter is cooked and golden brown.
- While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the sesame orange sauce. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, orange zest, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic, chopped ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce. Whisk to combine. Whisk the the tapioca starch or arrowroot powder in 1 tablespoon of water in a separate small bowl then whisk into the sauce. Bring sauce to a boil and allow to thicken. Remove from heat until the cauliflower is done.
- When the cauliflower wings are done, stir gently to coat each wing with sauce, being careful not to remove the breading from the wings. Dump back onto the same baking sheet and spread out evenly then bake for another 15 minutes to absorb all the sauce. Serve with sesame seeds, orange zest and green onion if desired.
Nutrition
Heather says
Can I use frozen cauliflower, and if so, should I let it thaw before starting, or is it ok to use from frozen?
Also, after it's been cooked, can it be frozen again for easy meal prep and does it thaw/reheat well?
Thanks!
Abbie says
Second time making this recipe. Always turns out so well and fixes my Chinese cravings without all of the grease. Thank you much! 😇