Sweet Chilli Heat Cauliflower Bites

This Sweet Chilli Heat Cauliflower Bites recipe is inspired by the superior, and only vegan Doritos flavour, sweet chilli heat! By combining a sweet, fruity base with savory and spicy sauces, this sweet chilli heat cauliflower recipe is the perfect appetizer. Especially paired with sweet chilli heat nacho chips! Or fried rice if you’re feelin’ extra healthy.

Before You Begin

Ingredients

Cauliflower Bites

1 Cauliflower (large head)
¼ cup Almond Milk
¼ cup Flour
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Seasoning
1 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Parsley Flakes

Sweet Chilli Heat Sauce

⅔ cup Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Apriocot Jam (or orange)*
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
¼ cup Pineapple Juice
2 tbsp Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Seasoning
2 tsp Sriracha**
2 tsp Cornstarch***

Instructions

Cauliflower Bites

Preheat oven to 375.
Chop cauliflower into small bite sized pieces. Put cauliflower in a large bowl.
Pour almond milk over cauliflower florets, toss to coat evenly.
In a small bowl, combine flour, bread crumbs, red pepper & garlic seasoning, onion powder, and parsley flakes.
Sprinkle flour mixture over cauliflower florets and toss to coat evenly.
Spread cauliflower onto a non-stick baking sheet in a thin even layer. Try not to crowd them too much.
Bake at 375 for approximately 30 minutes, turning halfway. Poke cauliflower with a fork, if it is tender and easy to break, they are done. If there is still some resistance, put them back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
Make the sweet chilli heat sauce (directions below) while the cauliflower cooks.

Sweet Chilli Heat Sauce

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
Combine soy sauce, apricot jam, pineapple juice, sesame oil, red pepper & garlic seasoning, and sriracha. Whisk until fully combined.
Whisk in cornstarch. Start with 1 tsp, add more as required. Be patient! It might take a minute or two to fully combine and thicken!
In a large bowl, combine cooked cauliflower bites with sauce. Pour the sauce in a bit at a time, while tossing.
Optional: if you want a saucey and sticky cauliflower bite, serve immediately. If you want a more dry texture (like ours shown in the pictures) put sauced cauliflower bites back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Notes

*I used Bonne Maman Apricot Jam, you can sub for a similar flavour such as orange if you prefer. The apricot is sweet but not too strong / offensive in flavour so it works perfectly in this sauce.
**Try using more sriracha for a spicier sauce. I can’t handle much heat so I don’t use very much!
***Use more or less cornstarch depending on how thick you like your sauce. Try adding 1 tsp for a thicker sauce. You can thin the sauce out by adding a bit (1/4 cup) of water.
I tossed the cooked cauliflower in sauce, then baked them in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to get a crispier (vs. saucey) texture. You can omit the last step and serve it sticky and saucey!
This flavour was inspired by the best Doritos flavour ever, Sweet Chili Heat!

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Cauliflower

Gallery

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Author

Alex

Hi I’m Alex, and I’m a potato addict. I’m one half of Chickpea Express, a vegan couple on the East Coast of Canada. We create vegan comfort food and junk food recipes with a healthy, plant-based twist. Oh, and did I mention we love bread and potatoes?