These Vegan Cauliflower Wings Are Baked or Fried To Perfection. The Veggie Wings Are Coated In A Delicious Sweet, Lemony Peppery sauce. A Perfect Plant-Based Summer Holiday Or Game Day Appetizer Or Weekend Dinner. They can also be made Gluten-free for everyone in the house to enjoy.
Want To Save This Recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
PIN This Vegan Lemon Pepper Cauliflower Wings recipe to try later!
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. However, you can find important tips/tricks in the post like how to store, reheat and substitutes.
Jump to:
For those of you who may not know, we live in Atlanta, Ga. Home of the lemon pepper wet wing. These Lemon Pepper Cauliflower wing are our meat-free take on the classic Lemon Pepper Wet wings Atlanta is known for.
Because of cauliflower's neutral taste it's perfect to take on a full range of flavors. Its a sponge for soaking up the sour lemon, peppery and sweet flavors of maple syrup for this zesty tangy glaze. The batter is light and fluffy with a slightly crispy crunch to it.
These cauliflower bites have a tangy-sweet heat that will leave you wanting more. These lemon pepper cauliflower wings are beautiful to look at; but more importantly, are a symphony of sweet and sour in your mouth.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cauliflower - one head of cauliflower
- Lemons - we recommend fresh lemon juice for the most flavor but can substitute with bottled
- Oil/ Spray oil (for baking) - we recommend an oil with a high smoke point. We use olive or avocado.
- Liquid Aminos
- Black Pepper - for peppery flavor
- Maple syrup - for sweetness
- Corn Starch and Tapioca Starch - for the breading
- Panko Bread Crumbs - for the breading. We use Japanese style, Panko Breadcrumbs for the perfect crispy crust.
- For a gluten-free option - we use Bob's Red Mill's Coconut Flour for the taste and Gluten-Free Rice Panko Breadcrumbs by Dynasty for the perfect crispy crust.
Detailed ingredients, measurements, and instructions are provided at the end of this post in the printable recipe card below. This recipe has not been tested with substitutions or variations not listed. If you make any changes, please share your results in the comments!
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Turn on oven to 435° degrees.
Step 2: In a medium bowl prepare glaze. Add lemon juice, maple syrup, black pepper, liquid aminos and set aside.
Step 3: In a separate dish make a cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water, set aside.
How To Cut And Core Cauliflower
Step 4: First to create cauliflower nuggets we do not want to cut the cauliflower down the middle.
Start by removing leaves from stem of cauliflower. With a sharp knife cut around the middle of the cauliflower to remove core. Pull florets apart. Rinse cauliflower and set aside.
Preparing Battering Station
Step 5: In a bowl, mix ingredients for wet batter - flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and water. Mix until smooth and thick.
Step 6: In another bowl add the tapioca starch and cornstarch together. Lastly in a separate bowl or cup add the bread crumbs.
Step 7: In a dish with a tight sealing lid add the cauliflower, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Tumble several times to coat the cauliflower.
Step 8: In the same lidded dish add the cornstarch and tapioca starch mix. Tumble again to coat the cauliflower.
Step 9: Begin evenly coating cauliflower florets in the wet batter, taking from lidded dish and dipping them into batter one at a time. You can place the battered cauliflower back into the lidded dish.
Step 10: Once all of the cauliflower nuggets are coated in batter, sprinkle in the panko bread crumbs. Tumble in lidded dish or turn by hand to coat cauliflower.
Baking
Step 11: Add a sheet of parchment paper over a large baking sheet and lightly spray oil onto parchment paper. Add breaded cauliflower to large baking sheet.
Step 12: Bake at 435 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. (15 minutes each side) Use a toothpick to test if done.
Step 13: After 30 minutes remove from oven and let cool slightly. After cool place on a serving tray.
Glazing
Step 14: In a skillet over low-medium heat add the glaze mixture, stirring regularly. When the glaze begins to bubble reduce heat to a simmer and add the cornstarch slurry mixture; stirring it into the glaze thoroughly.
Step 15: Remove pan from heat and spoon glaze over cauliflower pieces, turning them lightly to coat.
Step 16: You can also put glaze in container with lid. And give a gentle couple of turns to coat pieces and then serve.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Frying
Make sure your floret pieces are medium (not large or oversized) to help ensure cauliflower is not undercooked. Using at least a cup and half of oil in frying pan. We recommend a oil with a high heating point - avocado or peanut oil if you do not have an allergy.
Add breaded cauliflower to hot oil, careful not to crowd. (We recommend testing one piece of cauliflower to ensure oil is hot enough.
Fry about 10/11 minutes on medium to medium low heat, turning about three times. Use a toothpick to test if done. Recommended for the extra crunch we all love.
How To Store
These lemon pepper cauliflower wings will be their crispiest fresh from the pan or oven.
Like most vegetables, cauliflower has a high water content. Unfortunately the longer the wings sit the less crispy they will be.
However popping them back in the oven on 400 for 10 minutes will help restore some of that crunch if you need to make the wings a day before.
You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
More Ideas for Vegan Game Day Appetizers
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Lemon Pepper Cauliflower Wings
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Print Recipe Leave A Review Pin RecipeEquipment
- Frying pan
- Tongs
- Baking sheets
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 medium Cauliflower
Wet Batter
- ½ cup Gluten-free flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Water
Breading
- 1 ½ cup Bread crumbs
- ½ cup Coconut flour
Glaze
- ⅓ cup Lemon juice - about 1 ½ lemons
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Liquid Aminos
- ½ tablespoon Cornstarch added to 1 tablespoon water
Oil
- Oil of choice for frying - we recommend an oil with a high smoke point. We use canola, avocado or peanut oil.
Instructions
- In bowl add lemon juice, maple syrup, black pepper, liquid aminos, and cornstarch. Prepare glaze and set aside.
Prepare Cauliflower
- Removing leafs from stem of cauliflower. With a sharp knife cut around the middle of the cauliflower to remove core. Pull florets apart. Rinse cauliflower and set aside
Preparing Battering Station
- In a bowl mix ingredients for wet batter. Mix until smooth and thick.
- In a separate bowl add bread crumbs, coconut flour and mix well.
- In a medium pot, pour in 1 and ½ cups of oil. Heat oil on medium heat setting.
- Begin preparing wings by evenly coating cauliflower florets in the wet batter
- Then coat cauliflower in breadcrumbs mix
Frying
- Add breaded cauliflower to hot oil, careful not to crowd. (We recommend testing one piece of cauliflower to ensure oil is hot enough. To also ensure pieces are not to big, if they are you're cauliflower will still be extra firm and tough to get a toothpick through)
- Cook florets until golden brown (approximately 10 - 12 minutes)
- Set on paper towels to drain excess oil
Baking
- If baking, bake at 425 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on size of florets. Flipping halfway through. Use a toothpick to test if done. Recommended if doubling the recipe and a healthier option with less oil.
Glazing
- With cauliflower now on a serving tray, spoon glaze over pieces.
- You can also put glaze in container with lid. And give a gentle couple of shake to coat pieces and then serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
These nutritional figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe.
Pin For Later!
What questions do you have? Leave us your questions/comments below or on Instagram at #thevgnway.
If you give this gluten free vegan recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag and us on Instagram at #thevgnway.
Live Love and Eat Good Food!
The Vgn Way
Anonymous
The favor in these didn’t disappoint!!!