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Crispy Coconut Cauliflower with Spicy Chili-Mango Sauce | Vegan, Gluten-Free
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4.25 from 4 votes

Crispy Coconut Cauliflower with Chili-Mango Sauce

This crispy vegan and gluten-free cauliflower is warm and tender on the inside with a crisp, coconutty exterior. It's delicious all on its own yet its flavors come to life when dipped in a naturally sweetened, subtly spicy chile-mango sauce.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Light Bites, Snack
Servings: 4 to 6
Author: Ashley

Ingredients

Crispy Coconut Cauliflower

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower (6" to 7" in diameter), outer leaves removed and cored
  • ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
  • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ¼ cups Unsweetened Silk Original Cashewmilk or Almondmilk
  • ¾ cup brown rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Small handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Chile-Mango Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups diced fresh mango (about 1 large mango peeled and diced)
  • 1 tablespoons to 2 filtered water, only if absolutely needed
  • 2 tablespoons chile-garlic sauce or Sriracha, more or less to taste*
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari

Instructions

To Make the Crispy Coconut Cauliflower

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets and set aside.
  • Add the rolled oats to a food processor. Process for 20 seconds or until a coarse meal forms. You don't want the oats to be a fine flour, but rather a texture similar to panko bread crumbs. Then, add 1 cup of the shredded coconut, coconut sugar, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper. Pulse 10 to 15 times to roughly chop the coconut and incorporate the spices. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl or baking dish and stir in the remaining ½ cup shredded coconut.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the the almond milk, brown rice flour, and lime juice until smooth.
  • Create an assembly line by lining up the cauliflower florets, almond milk mixture, coconut-oat mixture, and lined baking pans.
  • Place about a small handful of cauliflower florets into the almond milk batter and toss to coat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the florets, shaking off excess batter, and transfer to the coconut-oat mixture. Toss to thoroughly coat and transfer to the lined baking sheets. Repeat with all remaining cauliflower, evenly dividing between the two pans.
  • Bake the cauliflower for 26 to 32 minutes, or until crispy and golden, tossing at the 15-minute mark.
  • Remove from oven and cool slightly.

For the Chile-Mango Dipping Sauce

  • Prepare the sauce while the cauliflower bakes. Add the mango to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. It should blend on its own without any problem but if absolutely needed, add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to encourage blending. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the chile-garlic sauce, lime juice, and tamari. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

To Serve

  • If desired, sprinkle the cauliflower with cilantro. Serve warm from the oven alongside the sauce.**

Notes

*I use 2 tablespoons of chile-garlic sauce for a nice, slow-burning kick of heat. Feel free to use more or less to suit your tastes.
**The cauliflower is best served fresh from the oven.