Sticky Sesame Baked Cauliflower Bites
Who loves the aroma of sizzling soy sauce? These Sticky Sesame Baked Cauliflower Bites are dressed with sweet and savory Sticky Sesame Sauce over a crispy baked shell! Breaded cauliflower florets tossed with sweet-and-savory sauce and baked to perfection are irresistible, making this recipe an amazing game-day snack or a healthy dinner! Enjoy as is or dip generously into Tahini Lemon sauce.
This recipe is sponsored by Heinen’s. I truly appreciate the support that makes Yoko’s kitchen possible.
How to make breaded cauliflower
Breading cauliflower is the key step for this recipe. Breading absorbs the sweet and savory sauce and gives a neutral-testing cauliflower flavor and crispy texture. The breading of this recipe consists of 2 layers.
First breading: for binding and seasoning
- Whole wheat flour: I always use whole wheat over all-purpose flour. If you want to use all-purpose flour instead, add less almond milk as all-purpose flour absorbs less liquid.
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt: I like to use sea salt.
- Black pepper
- Almond milk: any plant milk like oat, cashew, walnuts, or soy milk works as well.
- tamari: adding umami to the cauli! Use tamari or regular soy sauce.
Thoroughly combine dry ingredients and gradually pour milk over it, starting with a small splash. Use a whisk to mix well until all the milk is stirred in. Add cauliflower florets into the mixture and toss with your hands to coat cauliflower with the breading mixture. Rub the breading mixture into the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower florets.
Second breading: for the crunch
After the first breading, cauliflower florets should be pretty sticky. Spread the breadcrumbs on a clean plate or tray, and coat each floret generously with them.
When you bake them, try not to overcrowd the breaded florets on a baking tray to give them space to breathe so that they can crisp up.
Tahini Lemon Dipping Sauce
If you like ranch dressing but you’re out of it? Or maybe you want something light and healthy, or even vegan and gluten-free? This is an easy yet rich dressing you can whip up so easily with a handful of ingredients you might already have in your kitchen. combination of tahini and lemon makes this recipe so creamy and tangy like cheese-based dressing while keeping this recipe dairy-free.
Here is what you need to make this sauce:
- Tahini
- Fresh chive: you can add other herbs like basil and cilantro.
- Lemon
- Maple syrup
- Water
- Sea salt
Use this sauce as a dipping sauce or drizzle over a simple green salad as a dressing!
Need More Dinner Ideas? Try This!
Sweet Potato Peanut Stew with Cauliflower and Kale
One-Pan Ginger Tofu and Broccoli Bake
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Sticky Sesame Baked Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
For the breaded cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Dash black pepper
- ¾ cup almond milk
- 1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
For the Sticky Sesame Sauce
- 6 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 6 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoons chili pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 Tablespoons water divided
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot starch or corn starch
For Tahini Lemon Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chive plus more for garnish
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons water
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the Breaded Cauliflower: In a large bowl, whisk together, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually add almond milk and tamari and whisk to combine. Add cauliflower and toss to coat. On another plate, place breadcrumbs and coat each floret. Arrange the breaded florets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Make the Sticky Sesame Sauce: In the small saucepan over medium heat, combine tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic powder, ginger powder, chili pepper flakes, sesame seeds, oil, and 2 Tbsp water, and bring the mixture to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together arrowroot starch and the remaining 1 Tbsp water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the boiling sauce mixture and cook until thickens, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and carefully transfer to a large bowl. Add ⅔ of the Sticky Sesame Sauce, reserving the rest, to the bowl and toss to coat the cauliflower fully. Transfer back to the baking sheet and bake another 10 minutes to crisp up.
- Make the Tahini Lemon Dipping Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Season with salt to taste.
- Transfer the baked cauliflower to a serving plate and top with chives. Serve with Tahini Lemon Dipping Sauce and reserved Sticky Sesame Sauce.
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