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 tsp 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
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
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) maple syrup
- 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp cornstarch or 1.5 tsp tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) cold water
Cauliflower:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca or corn starch.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of black pepper and cayenne
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) water
- 2 tsp 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!
Sue says
July 29, 2019 at 3:10 pmYum. Can’t wait to make these! Thanks Richa!
Richa says
July 30, 2019 at 7:41 pmthanks Sue!
RUTH says
July 30, 2019 at 6:13 amAnd to think that I just wasted a head of cauliflower on a roasted veg/lemon/orzo salad! Kidding. But, I now wish I had a head to try this out. Sounds WONDERFUL! I miss the flavors of Gen. Tso’s Chicken – this sounds like it might scratch that itch! Maybe add some seitan….. Thanks!
Richa says
July 30, 2019 at 3:12 pmyes this is close to general tsos
Louis says
July 31, 2019 at 1:05 pmThis was excellent. I added a little cayenne pepper to the dry mixture for the coating and twice the powdered garlic. Nice and spicy.
Richa says
July 31, 2019 at 2:40 pmawesome!
Laura says
August 4, 2019 at 1:09 amWe loved this so much I’ve now made it two nights in a row. Also started experimenting – the second night I added some tomato sauce and a bit more soya sauce. Really excellent stuff!
Richa says
August 4, 2019 at 11:11 amyay!
Logan "Rattleheade" Cadwallader says
August 5, 2019 at 9:42 amWonderful recipe! So very easy to make and enjoyable to eat. I have been looking for something to go along side my various Asian Rice dishes for some time. Now I have one that I will make time after time. Oh by the way my Wife took some to work, then shared with her Co-worker, and then I was asked to share this recipe with her. Definitely a Hit. Thank you so much for this.
Richa says
August 5, 2019 at 9:44 amawesome!
Bel says
August 6, 2019 at 11:39 amMade this for my family and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Richa says
August 6, 2019 at 1:48 pmyay!
Suleika says
August 7, 2019 at 4:19 amThese were sooo good..!! I am certainly gonna make these again!
Richa says
August 7, 2019 at 10:11 amAwesome!
jk says
August 8, 2019 at 8:53 ammade this twice already, came out great!
Richa says
August 8, 2019 at 10:28 amyay!
Astrid says
August 9, 2019 at 11:03 amMade this today and it was a big hit! Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be making this again!
Richa says
August 9, 2019 at 3:06 pmyay!
Mush says
August 11, 2019 at 3:59 pmAmazing delish and better than chicken!
gloria says
August 28, 2019 at 10:33 amWhat can I substitute for rice flour? Small-town living limits the items I can buy at the grocery store.
Richa says
August 28, 2019 at 11:09 amif you are ok with gluten, then use regular all purpose flour
Nic says
September 8, 2019 at 3:17 pmDelicious! Not too sweet, with a spicy kick!! It was great over rice! I will try the lettuce wraps next time. 😋
Bob says
September 11, 2019 at 6:35 pmIt says to add corn starch slurry. What’s corn starch slurry? Was I supposed to mix the corn starch with the water at some point?
Richa says
September 11, 2019 at 7:00 pmYes mix the cornstarch withthe water to combine and then add that. Updated the instructions.
Lena Müller says
September 17, 2019 at 12:16 pmThis is so good! Thank you Richa, I love your recipes.
Richa says
September 17, 2019 at 2:04 pmThanks!
Lorna says
September 20, 2019 at 10:22 amSure it’s amazing and really hoping to try this, but can you sub sesame seed oil for another? Sesame seed allergy but I’m OK with other nuts and seeds if that helps.
Richa says
September 20, 2019 at 10:42 amjust omit it, use neutral oil, add more of the other flavors like garlic, soy etc
Virginia Gross says
September 28, 2019 at 2:15 pmOutstanding flavors and ease of prep. Seriously one of the tastiest treats I’ve made in awhile. Very addicting with its sweet, salty, savory stickiness.
Richa says
September 28, 2019 at 3:32 pmThanks!
Kelly says
September 29, 2019 at 4:18 pmThis was very good, but not one of your Knock-it-out-of-the-park recipes, in my opinion. Still tasty, though! If I make it again, I will double the sticky sauce to give it more flavor. We added some roasted cashews on top and that was yummy.
Richa says
September 29, 2019 at 4:48 pmNo probs! adjust away to personal preference! My florets might have been smaller, also brands of sauces vary in flavor, so that might affect it too.
Susan says
October 2, 2019 at 6:49 amCan this be made without oil?
Richa says
October 2, 2019 at 11:00 amyes, omit it from the sauce and from the batter.
Maneesha says
October 8, 2019 at 11:09 amAbsolutely delicious! I added sriracha to the sauce, turned out so divine! Thank you, Richa!
Richa says
October 8, 2019 at 2:53 pmawesome!
Laura Gray says
November 12, 2019 at 1:03 pmThis was amazing! I didn’t have fresh cauliflower so I used a bag of frozen that I cooked for 4 minutes in the microwave. Then I drained and followed the rest of the directions. It didn’t brown when I baked it but once that delicious sauce was on it — who cares! I also made it without oil so that brought the calories down significantly. Thanks for this great recipe!
Richa says
November 12, 2019 at 5:16 pmgreat!
Lisa McLean says
November 21, 2019 at 12:48 amOh myyyyy goodness this is delicious!!!!
Thank you Richa x
Lia says
December 17, 2019 at 6:44 pmWOW! This is absolutely delicious. I’m eating as I type – we can’t stop saying how good this is. Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the second recipe of yours that I made this week – the first was the PB&J baked oatmeal and that was SO good, too!
Richa says
December 18, 2019 at 12:04 pmThanks!
Blue says
January 6, 2020 at 5:04 pmThis was INCREDIBLE! I am a Chinese food junkie and this was the perfect replacement for some of my faves! Because the recipe came from YOU, I already knew it was going to be amazing, so I doubled it. The only thing I did differently was to throw some of the golden cauli nuggets into the air fryer after the 30 minute bake time to really crisp them up before adding the delectable sauce- WOWSA! Thank you so much for what you do. You have no idea how impactful you have been to my plant-based transition and journey!
Richa says
January 6, 2020 at 7:20 pmawesome!
Spencer W says
January 22, 2020 at 11:04 amBoth the floury batter and the sticky glaze melted off onto the tray for me. I used the exact ingredient quantities. How thick do they need to be?
Richa says
January 22, 2020 at 1:01 pmhmm maybe something happened in the measuring or mixing? add a bit more flour to the batter. And a bit more starch to the glaze for thickening, or alternatively, bake the battered cauliflower longer until crisp andjust toss in the glaze pan to serve
Spencer W says
January 23, 2020 at 12:10 amOK thanks. It could have been I just didn’t know how long to let it thicken or how thick it was supposed to be but it was very tasty so I’ll definitely try it again 🙂
Bri says
January 30, 2020 at 5:31 pmSo tasty! My non vegan mom loved it.
Richa says
January 30, 2020 at 8:31 pmyay
Sandi says
February 16, 2020 at 8:35 pmVery nice crispy texture to the cauliflower; the sauce was so tasty and easy to make. We ate much of the baked cauliflower before I could coat it with the sauce, so I added the remaining sauce to firm tofu. All amazing! Thank you!
Richa says
February 16, 2020 at 8:39 pmawesome
Pam says
February 20, 2020 at 4:37 pmThis was so good. I subbed cassava for rice flour since what I had and was still really yummy. Definitely making this again.
Laura says
March 21, 2020 at 1:48 pmUnfortunately I tried this last night, and had a bit of a fail. The flavor was DELICIOUS, but the cauliflower was extremely soggy. The first hiccup I had was that the batter to coat the cauliflower did largely end up pooling under the cauliflower during baking. (Is there a way to make it stick better to the cauliflower?) After the first bake, I had to pick up each floret by hand and tear the excess, rubbery pools of cornstarch blend away. The cauliflower was downright soggy, and I had used slightly smaller florets than you show in your pictures. After glazing and baking for the additional 10 min, they were still so soggy that I attempted to bake them for another 10 min, which resulted in many pieces catching and having blackened tips.
I’m determined to keep trying until I get this right and hoping you can help guide me. In the substitutions area, you mention substituting rice flour for half all-purpose flour and half starch. I used 1/4c flour and 1/4c cornstarch. Then still put the 3 additional tbsp cornstarch in as well. Did I misinterpret your substitution advice and overdo the cornstarch? I don’t know what else I could have done wrong. Please help!
Richa says
March 21, 2020 at 2:16 pmoh no! the batter works really welel with rice flour for thick batter that bakes crispy. With all purpose flour, you might need to add enough tomake a batter that doesnt flow off. flour can sometimes be too fluffed up so measuring might actually give you less flour. in any case, add more flour until the batter is thick and that should help. once baked, you can keep the baked florets and sauce separate until ready to serve for less soggy result