Baked Breaded Cauliflower

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Step 2

Chop the cauliflower into medium-sized florets and set aside.

Step 3

In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, spices, salt and pepper. Stir in plant milk. Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need an extra tablespoon or so of milk to reach the right consistency. The batter should be completely smooth and just slightly thinner than pancake batter.

Step 4

Add cauliflower florets into the batter and toss in batter to coat. A flexible spatula works best for this, or use your hands if you don’t mind getting a little messy! The cauliflower doesn’t need to be 100% coated, but we want to distribute the batter evenly so all the florets have batter on them.

Step 5

Add panko crumbs to a shallow dish and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. You might not need the entire 2 cups depending on the size of your cauliflower; I usually start with 1 cup and then add more to the dish as needed.

Step 6

Working a few pieces at a time, dip battered cauliflower florets into breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Transfer to a lined baking tray and repeat until all the cauliflower is breaded. Optionally, spray lightly with oil to encourage more even browning.

Step 7

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Give the cauliflower a flip with a spatula at around the 15 minute point.

Step 8

Serve immediately with your favorite sauce on the side, or toss in sauce and return to oven for another 3-5 minutes to bake the sauce into the cauliflower. Leftovers can be refrigerated and re-crisped in the oven (at 350°F for about 10 minutes) or in an air fryer.

Step 9

Toss with buffalo sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Step 10

Combine 1/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup sriracha and toss cauliflower in sauce.