Description
Crunchy Baked Hot Honey Cauliflower is a flavorful and crispy vegetarian appetizer featuring cauliflower florets coated in a spicy cornflake and parmesan crust, then baked to golden perfection. Drizzled with a sweet and spicy hot honey sauce and served alongside a creamy wing sauce, this dish combines textures and bold flavors that make it an irresistible snack or side.
Ingredients
Scale
Cauliflower and Coating
- 4-5 cups cauliflower florets
- 6 cups cornflakes (gluten free, if needed)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tbsp hot sauce
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Hot Honey Sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 2-3 tbsp hot sauce
- 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
- ¾ tsp chipotle chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Pinch of salt
Creamy Wing Sauce
- ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese or grated parmesan
Garnish
- Fresh thyme, cilantro, or parsley (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Make the coating crumbs: Place the cornflakes, parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely crushed into crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the cornflakes inside their package or a ziplock bag by stepping on them. Transfer the crumbs into a shallow bowl.
- Prepare the cauliflower: Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the hot sauce, and mix well. Add the cauliflower florets to the egg mixture and toss thoroughly so each piece is coated.
- Coat the cauliflower: Dredge each egg-coated cauliflower floret in the cornflake crumb mixture, pressing lightly to cover completely. Arrange the coated florets on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the florets with extra virgin olive oil to encourage browning and crispiness.
- Bake the cauliflower: Bake the florets in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Carefully flip each floret and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until they are crispy and golden all around.
- Make the hot honey sauce: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Warm gently, stirring often, until fully blended and heated through. Remove from heat.
- Prepare the creamy wing sauce: In a glass jar or bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, olive oil mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chopped fresh chives, crumbled blue cheese (or parmesan), kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Thin with a little milk or water if necessary to desired consistency.
- Assemble and serve: Drizzle the warm hot honey sauce over the baked cauliflower florets. Sprinkle fresh thyme, cilantro, or parsley for garnish. If the honey sauce thickens before serving, warm it briefly for about 5 seconds in the microwave. Serve immediately with the creamy wing sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Use gluten-free cornflakes if you require a gluten-free recipe.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne and hot sauce to control the heat level in the hot honey sauce.
- Ensure the cauliflower florets are as dry as possible before coating to help the crumbs stick better.
- The creamy wing sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- For extra crunch, you can double coat the florets by dipping back into the egg mixture and crumbs before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approx. 85g)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
