These sticky cauliflower wings from Alessandro Vitale’s cookbook Low Waste Kitchen make a great plant-based dinner. They’re crispy on the outside, tender inside, and coated in a sweet, sticky sauce with a little kick. There’s no chicken here — just cauliflower, battered, baked, and tossed in flavor.

They’re great for sharing at parties, serving as a starter, or enjoying as a quick dinner. You can bake or pan-fry them, depending on your mood. The sticky sauce made from soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, and sesame seeds adds bold flavor without much effort.

The recipe is fully vegan and easy to follow. You’ll use simple pantry ingredients like flour, plant-based milk, and panko breadcrumbs. Garnish with spring onions and extra sesame seeds, and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser. They’re best served hot, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for a day or two and reheat them later. These wings are a great plant-based comfort food that’s easy and seriously delicious.

Read more: Leek, Cavolo Nero, And Sweet Potato Tart

Sticky cauliflower wings

These vegan sticky cauliflower wings are a great way to utilize lots of cauliflower. The crispy, sticky wings can be eaten alone or with sides.

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Duration50

Cook Time20

Prep Time30

Servings

Ingredients

1 cauliflower
90 g plain flour
120 ml plant-based milk
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Panko breadcrumbs to coat
Spring onions sliced, to garnish

For the sticky sauce

4 tbsp dark soy sauce
160 ml maple syrup
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp sesame seeds plus extra to serve
Pinch of ground ginger

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/350°F/Gas 4).

Prepare the wings

Separate the leaves from the cauliflower and save to use in another recipe. Separate out the cauliflower florets, breaking them off into “wing”-like shapes.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, milk, garlic powder, salt and black pepper and stir to form a smooth batter.

Coat and bake

Scatter the panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Dip the cauliflower pieces into the batter, then toss in the breadcrumbs to coat. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 20–30 minutes, depending on desired crunchiness.

Prepare the sticky sauce

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan over a low heat, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, cornflour, sesame seeds and ginger with 120ml (1⁄2 cup) water. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened.
Coat the wings When the baked cauliflower wings are ready, pour over the sauce and toss to coat evenly.