These Vegan Mango Habanero Cauliflower Bites are an awesome balance between sweet and spicy, which work perfectly together! At first glance, these bites truly remind you of boneless chicken (and trust me, they taste just as good, if not better!), however, they aren’t! Just know that your taste buds won’t be able to tell the difference either! These cauliflower bites are the perfect appetizer, snack, or addition to any entrée. Vegan and Gluten-free.
I remember making these bites and thinking to myself—-oh my oh my! These are so GOOD!
These cauliflower bites are truly something else, believe me! And the sauce is something truly unique and amazing! Much like these Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, I thoroughly enjoyed the spiciness from the Habanero flavor.
So, if you’re into spicy flavors like I am, then you’ll truly enjoy this recipe. Plus, it’s completely dairy-free and vegan so yay! Now, can we talk about my inspiration for this sauce? Firstly, I often get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, which has a ton of food recipes and other pins. More importantly, I chose to use the mango flavor because I find it to be one of the most unusual flavors. Let’s take a look at these Mango Cheesecake + Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust. Unlike the traditional cheesecake, these bites are the perfect spin on flavor meets bite-sized goodness! Oh how delicious these are! Bursting with tropical flavor and topped with a mango glaze and fresh strawberries for a nice balance of fruitiness and tartness; and made atop a sweet and crisp chocolate-y crust.
Then of course, there was the time that I made this Avocado Basil Mango Sauce, which went atop these delicious Black Bean Tacos that I made previously.
However, I recently made this Vegan Chickpea + Quinoa ‘Meatballs’ + Polenta dish and it is super good! Loaded with savory, spicy and sweet flavors, these ‘meatballs’ made from veggies are moist, silky, and tender. This dish is the perfect meal for dinner for the family on any given day.
Now, let’s dig right into this recipe, shall we?
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried parsley, sea salt, black pepper, and whisk together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the almond milk. Set aside.
In a third bowl, add the bread crumbs (gluten-free) and set aside also.
Now dip each cauliflower into flour-starch mixture (shaking off any excess), then almond milk, and lastly toss it into bread crumbs. Now, lay each cauliflower side by side onto the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat steps until all cauliflower are coated and prepped.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and “crunchy” looking. **NOTE: Be sure to flip each cauliflower on opposite side half way through baking time**.
To Make Mango Habanero Sauce:
Add the Mango chunks, peppers, shredded carrots, green onions, and garlic cloves to a food processor, pulsing until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan, stirring in the lemon juice, rice vinegar, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Keep heat on medium-high until sauce begins to boil, then reduce heat to allow sauce to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Once creamy, but thick, remove from heat and let cool until ready to use. Store remaining sauce (See Notes).
Once cauliflowers are crisp, brush the Mango Habanero sauce onto cauliflower bites and bake them for another 8-10 minutes, until sauce is ‘glazed’ onto the bites. Remove from oven.
Let bites cool for 2-3 minutes and enjoy!
Bon Appetite!
Vegan Mango Habanero Cauliflower Bites
These Vegan Mango Habanero Cauliflower Bites are an awesome balance between sweet and spicy, which work perfectly together! At first glance, these bites truly remind you of boneless chicken (and trust me, they taste just as good, if not better!), however, they aren’t! Just know that your taste buds won’t be able to tell the difference either! These cauliflower bites are the perfect appetizer, snack, or addition to any entrée. Vegan and gluten-free.
Must-Haves:
Mango Habanero Sauce:
- 2 cups mango chunks, fresh or frozen
- 4 scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 green onion leaves, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 Tbsps rice vinegar (See Notes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Cauliflower Bites:
- 1 head cauliflower, large stalks removed, cut, torn into small bites
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (See Notes)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large baking sheet, lining it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, arrowroot starch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried parsley, sea salt, black pepper, and whisk together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the almond milk. Set aside.
In a third bowl, add the bread crumbs (gluten-free) and set aside also.
Now dip each cauliflower into flour-starch mixture (shaking off any excess), then almond milk, and lastly toss it into bread crumbs. Now, lay each cauliflower side by side onto the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat steps until all cauliflower are coated and prepped.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and "crunchy" looking. **NOTE: Be sure to flip each cauliflower onto opposite side half way through baking time**.
To Make Mango Habanero Sauce:
Add the Mango chunks, peppers, shredded carrots, green onions, and garlic cloves to a food processor, pulsing until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan, stirring in the lemon juice, rice vinegar, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Keep heat on medium-high until sauce begins to boil, then reduce heat to allow sauce to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Once creamy, but thick, remove from heat and let cool until ready to use. Store remaining sauce (See Notes).
Once cauliflowers are crisp, brush the Mango Habanero sauce onto cauliflower bites and bake them for another 8-10 minutes, until sauce is 'glazed' onto the bites. Remove from oven.
Let cool for 2-3 minutes and enjoy!
Bon Appetite!
FYI:
**To substitute Rice Vinegar, simply use the same amount of apple cider vinegar that the recipe calls for.
**If you don't have GF breadcrumbs, simply add a few slices of Gluten-Free bread to the oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit and toast for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and grind toasted bread into crumbs, using a food processor.
**To store Mango Habanero Sauce: keep in an air-tight container or bottle and refrigerate. Stays fresh for 2-3 weeks.
Vegan Mango Habanero Cauliflower Bites.
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