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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Vegetarian Appetizers

    Jul 29, 2020 Β· Modified: Jul 14, 2021 by Becca Heyes Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· 8 Comments

    Honey BBQ Cauliflower Wings

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    Total time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    5 from 3 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    These honey BBQ cauliflower wings are sticky, smoky and sweet - dig in with your hands and get sauce all over your fingers! A great party appetiser.

    A honey BBQ cauliflower wing on a fork, being dunked into a creamy dip.

    I've eaten cauliflower wings a few times in various places, and they're always delicious. I can't believe a few years ago I thought I didn't like cauliflower! Once you try it cooked like these honey BBQ cauliflower wings, you'll be a cauli lover for life.

    A bowlful of sticky cauliflower wings with a pot of sour cream dip on the side.

    What are cauliflower wings?

    Cauliflower wings are a bit like chicken wings, except... they're made from cauliflower.

    Now, of course, they don't taste anything like chicken. I'll say it again: they're made from cauliflower. There is nothing remotely chicken-y about these wings.

    I've actually never eaten a chicken wing in my life, but I'm still pretty confident that if you feed these cauliflower wings to a meat-eater, they will not think they're chicken.

    Sticky BBQ cauliflower wings served in a bowl with sour cream dip.

    So why are they called cauliflower wings?

    Despite tasting nothing like chicken wings, these are called cauliflower wings because they do bear some similarities to the chicken version:

    • you can smother them in all the same sauces you'd use on chicken wings
    • you can serve them in the same way you'd serve chicken wings, as a fun party appetiser
    • you can dig in with your fingers, dunk them in a big bowl of creamy dip, and get sticky sauce all over your fingers... just like with chicken wings

    And honestly, considering the major flavour of these wings is the sticky honey BBQ sauce anyway (the cauliflower is really just a way of getting it into your mouth in a slightly more socially acceptable way than just eating sauce straight from a bowl...), these cauliflower wings will definitely scratch the itch if you're craving wings.

    Collage showing the batter needed to make cauliflower wings, with the cauliflower being mixed in.

    Simple batter

    To make these baked cauliflower wings, start by mixing up a simple batter - just flour and milk, plus some seasonings. I used dried herbs, garlic granules, and salt and pepper.

    Dunk in the cauliflower florets, make sure they're all well coated, then place each piece on a baking tray to roast.

    This batter just helps the roasted cauliflower to get extra crispy, as well as imparting all those yummy flavours.

    Collage showing cauliflower wings at different stages of cooking.

    Honey BBQ sauce

    Then, it's time for the second layer of flavour - the honey BBQ sauce! This stuff is incredible. Just BBQ sauce, mixed with a bit of honey to make it extra sweet and sticky - unreal.

    You could make homemade BBQ sauce from scratch if you like, but at this time in my life (two self-employed adults + two tiny kids + no childcare), there was zero chance I was going to do that, so I took the easy route - just shop-bought BBQ sauce with added runny honey. It's quick and easy, which I'm sure is a major plus for most of us!

    Dip each piece of roasted cauliflower into the sauce, and pop them back in the oven.

    Bowlful of cauliflower wings with sour cream dip.

    Sticky honey BBQ cauliflower wings

    After their second bake, the cauliflower wings will be so sticky, smoky and sweet - the flavour is amazing.

    The cauliflower itself is soft, and takes on so much flavour from the honey BBQ sauce. I'm sure smothering your vegetables in a sugary sauce isn't the healthiest way to eat them, but oh my gosh, it tastes amazing.

    A sticky cauliflower wing on a fork, being dipped into sour cream.

    How to serve cauliflower wings

    These cauliflower wings have so much flavour that I personally think they're best served on their own, rather than as a side dish alongside something else - they'd end up overpowering whatever else is on your plate.

    Instead, pile them up in a bowl, add a dip, and dig in. I used a sour cream and chive dip, which worked amazingly.

    I know I photographed these honey BBQ cauliflower wings being daintily dipped with a fork, but it's so much more fun to get your hands right in there, the sticky sauce coating your fingers. Then you get to lick them clean afterwards!

    A BBQ cauliflower wing smeared with sour cream after being dunked.

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    Honey BBQ cauliflower wings

    These honey BBQ cauliflower wings are sticky, smoky and sweet - dig in with your hands and get sauce all over your fingers! A great party appetiser.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 409kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 1 large head cauliflower
    • Spray oil
    • 75 g (~ Β½ cup) plain flour
    • 150 ml (~ β…” cup) milk
    • Β½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
    • Β½ teaspoon garlic granules
    • Β½ teaspoon salt
    • Β½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 125 ml (~ Β½ cup) BBQ sauce
    • 75 ml (~ β…“ cup) runny honey
    • To serve: a creamy dip like sour cream and chive

    Instructions

    • Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and cut the rest into individual florets (1-2 bites each). Spray a baking tray with oil.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, milk, dried herbs, garlic granules, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork until smooth. Throughly toss the cauliflower florets in the batter, then lift up each piece of cauliflower in turn, allow any excess batter to drip off, and place on the baking tray. Don't tip the cauliflower straight onto the baking tray from the bowl, or you'll end up with lots of excess batter on the tray.
    • Roast the cauliflower at 190Β°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375Β°F) for around 20 minutes, until starting to crisp up.
    • While the cauliflower is roasting, add the BBQ sauce and honey to another bowl, and mix well to combine.
    • As before, coat each piece of roasted cauliflower in the honey BBQ sauce, allow the excess to drip off, and return to the baking tray (or use a clean baking tray, if needed). Bake for a further 15 minutes, until the cauliflower wings are hot and sticky. You can baste them with a little more honey BBQ sauce after 10 minutes, if you like.
    • Serve immediately, with a pot of creamy dip.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 409 kcal - Carbohydrates: 91.6 g - Protein: 13.2 g - Fat: 2.1 g - Saturated Fat: 0.9 g - Cholesterol: 5 mg - Sodium: 1271 mg - Potassium: 1468 mg - Fiber: 11.8 g - Sugar: 54.5 g - Calcium: 185 mg - Iron: 4 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    More Vegetarian Appetizers

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    Comments

    1. Abby says

      November 21, 2022 at 10:37 pm

      I did make my own sauce as I didn’t have any in stock and it was dead easy made it while the cauli was roasting and the whole combo was sticky delicious perfection. That’s a definite keeper in the recipe list5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca Heyes says

        November 22, 2022 at 11:52 am

        Thanks Abby!

        Reply
    2. Hannah says

      September 05, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      I've tried to make cauliflower wings so many times and failed - these were delicious, thank you! (had them with some chips, totally a meal right...?) My dad is also co opting this recipe to make a peri peri version...

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        September 09, 2020 at 1:55 pm

        Ahh yay, glad you liked them!! Totally a meal ;)

        Reply
    3. Grace says

      July 31, 2020 at 12:50 am

      OMG these look sooooo good! I'll try to make a vegan version next time I get cauli

      Thinking... Frozen will probably be too soggy won't it? I'll wait till I buy some fresh I think

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        August 03, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Hmm yes I think you might be right about frozen cauliflower!

        Reply
    4. SueJ says

      July 30, 2020 at 10:57 pm

      Oh, my goodness - these sound amazing. Not sure how many would make it from the baking tray to the serving dish though!! πŸ˜‹πŸ€€πŸ˜5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        August 03, 2020 at 11:27 am

        Haha yes it was a struggle :D

        Reply

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