Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

The best Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings! This super simple and easy recipe is just 5 ingredients and can be baked or air-fried! They're the perfect spicy, crispy, and tender appetizer or healthy snack for game day! Gluten-free, keto, paleo, and allergy-free, these oil-free vegetarian wings will be a hit at your next party, even with the meat-eaters!

Your favorite game day bite made vegan, 100x healthier, and so full of flavor that even the biggest meat-eating "bros" will devour! The best Buffalo Cauliflower Wings! Crispy, tender, and drenched in spicy buffalo sauce! You won't miss the meat (or the deep-frying!) Serve them up with your favorite vegan ranch or dips as an appetizer or toss them on a big lunch or buddha bowl! They still give you that hearty mouth-feel of chicken but in a 100% plant-based way!

What Is Buffalo Cauliflower?

Big pieces of cauliflower, battered and baked (or air-fried) to crispy perfection, then coated in buffalo sauce! Sometimes trendy foods actually are pretty delicious, and this is one of them! Lighter and made without oil, they're not greasy, completely gluten-free, low-carb, and a perfect way to sneak in some more veggies to your diet!

Are Cauliflower Wings Healthy?

These vegan cauliflower wings are absolutely healthy! Made with only 5 ingredients, lightly battered in dairy-free milk and gluten-free flour and spices, these big hunks of cauliflower are baked right in your oven or made in your air fryer without any oil. Dipped in your favorite buffalo sauce, they're low-calorie, low-carb, and low-fat. Just a spicy and delicious way to have your vegetables! These vegetarian wings are also:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
• Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
• Oil-Free + Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Budget-Friendly, 5 Ingredients
• Easy & Simple Appetizer, Snack, Side Dish, or Main Addition
• Great Game Days, Tailgating, Parties, or Holiday Gatherings

5 Simple Ingredients You Need

• Cauliflower: One big head of raw cauliflower is all you need for this recipe. You can easily make a larger batch (or smaller batch!) by using more and less cauliflower. You just need to give it a quick wash, trim the leaves, and cut it into 1-inch chunks.
• Non-Dairy Milk: Any non-dairy milk will work for this recipe. Just make sure it's plain and unsweetened. Vegan buttermilk is also a great option for a slight tang to your wings! No milk on hand? You can even use water when you're in a pinch!
• Grain-Free Flour: Without the need for starch, a nice thickening grain-free flour is best! I love using cassava flour. You can also use tigernut or coconut to make it keto and still nut-free. Don't care about making them grain-free? You can still use a good gluten-free all-purpose flour!
• Seasonings: You can season the batter however you'd like. I included some onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika! (Smoked paprika would be amazing, even some extra spice with chipotle powder or cayenne.)
• Buffalo Sauce: One of those "accidentally" vegan foods, Frank's Buffalo Sauce! The almighty king of hot sauce makes the best dairy-free buffalo sauce. No need to make your own, just a bottle of the creamy, spicy sauce will do! You can even get their mild sauce for less spice or opt for your personal favorite.

Flavor & Ingredient Variations

• Less Spicy: Use a mild buffalo sauce, use less sauce, or swap in bbq sauce if you don't want buffalo! You can even add some maple syrup or sweetener to lessen the impact of the spice.
• Spicier: Use an extra hot buffalo sauce or crank up the heat by doing a mix of hot sauces or adding dried spices and chili powders to your batter!
• Homemade Buffalo Sauce: If you take a bottle of plain Frank's Red Hot and add some melted vegan butter, you can make a super quick and easy homemade buffalo sauce in a pinch!
• Slightly Cheesy: Adding some nutritional yeast to the sauce will give your cauliflower wings awesome umami, vegan cheesiness!

What Do Cauliflower Wings Taste Like?

Obviously, these won't taste like real chicken, but they are a healthier and lighten-up version of the classic! You'll still get that spicy, buttery flavor and hearty bite with these big crispy and tender hunks of cauliflower. It's a fun way to enjoy plant-based food that everyone will love without the need for meat or processed mock meats!

How To Cut The Cauliflower For Wings

1. Start by washing your whole head of cauliflower and drying it off.
2. Using a sharp knife, remove the bottom stem and outer leaves (Pro Tip: Eliminate food waste and save the stem and leaves! They are delicious sauteed with some olive oil or tossed in a salad raw!)
3. Flip the cauliflower head over and locate the middle. Use a knife to cut the head in half, using the spaces between the florets as a guide.
4. Now, simply cut the bunches of florets off the larger, inner stem. They should easily be able to be broken off without much fuss. One-inch chunks are great, but smaller or slightly larger pieces work as well. Try to keep them similar in size for even baking time!

How To Make Buffalo Cauliflower

1. Whisk together the milk, flour, and seasonings in a bowl.
2. Dip your pieces of cauliflower in the batter to fully coat every nook and cranny. Then tap them on the side of the bowl to remove excess batter.

Pro Tip: If you need more batter, just add more flour and liquid in equal parts to the bowl, adjusting the seasoning as needed too!

1. Place each battered piece of cauliflower on a lined baking sheet.
2. Bake the cauliflower wings in a preheated oven at 450°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3. Remove the tray of cauliflower wings and use tongs to dip each piece in buffalo sauce or use a brush to brush on the sauce.
4. Broil the buffalo cauliflower wings in the oven to crisp them up, about 6-10 minutes. You can also finish them off in the air fryer!

How To Make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings In The Air Fryer

1. Cut your cauliflower into pieces and batter them as instructed above.
2. In small batches, depending on the size of your air fryer, making sure the pieces have ample room and don't touch, air fryer the cauliflower pieces at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, and flipped the pieces over so they don't get stuck or burnt.
3. Either dip your pieces of cauliflower in the buffalo sauce and place them back into the air fryer or use a silicone brush to coat them in the sauce.
4. Air fry the buffalo cauliflower for about 10 extra minutes to finish them off before serving.

Pro Tips & Tricks For Perfect Buffalo Cauliflower

How To Keep Buffalo Cauliflower From Going Soggy:

• When dipping the cauliflower pieces into the batter, make sure you let all excess batter drip off. They should not be sitting in a pool of excess batter when you place them on your baking sheet.
• When baking or air frying your cauliflower bites, make sure they are not crowded together. This will lead the cauliflower to steam instead of crisp.

How To Make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Extra Crispy:

• Want extra crispy cauliflower wings? Roll the battered cauliflower bites in gluten-free panko breadcrumbs before baking or air frying them!
• If using panko coating, you can skip broiling the buffalo cauliflower and instead, brush the pieces with buffalo sauce and enjoy right away, leading to a crispier bite!
• Take it further by not coating the buffalo cauliflower directly in the buffalo sauce, but serving the sauce on the side and dipping them in as you eat them!

How To Store Leftovers

If you end up with leftovers (which you probably won't!), you can store the cooled buffalo cauliflower in a closed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. This recipe is best eaten hot and fresh, so I don't recommend making them in advance unless you plan on using them in cold dishes like salads and cold sandwiches!

How To Reheat Leftover Cauliflower Wings

When you do have leftovers to be eaten, make sure you reheat them the right way to make them crispy again! Layout your cauliflower wings on a baking sheet and broil them in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Alternatively, you can add them to your air fryer and crisp them up at 400ºF for 5-8 minutes! Dip reheated cauliflower in sauce or brush them with more sauce once you've crisped them.

You can add cold buffalo cauliflower bites to salads, lunch bowls, buddha bowls, or wraps and sandwiches!

What To Serve With Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

You can't have buffalo wings without some delicious dipping action! Serve them alongside more buffalo sauce, vegan ranch or sour cream, vegan cheese sauce, even eggless mayo!

They're also fantastic as a snack or side dish on their own, used to top salad and grain bowls for meatless lunches and dinners, as well as a perfectly delicious addition to subs, sandwiches, and wraps! You might even want to try them on some creamy vegan mac and cheese or crunchy nachos!

More Meatless Recipes For Game Day:

• Sheet Pan Vegan Buffalo Chicken Nachos
• Vegan Buffalo Chicken Tacos
•  Gluten-Free Copycat Totino's Pizza Rolls
• Healthy Homemade Vegan Doritos
• Baked Jalapeño Poppers

Print

Spicy or mild, these buffalo cauliflower wings will be a game-day winner! Dip 'em, dunk 'em, eat them leftover (maybe on some pizza?!) You can't go wrong!

So tell me:

+ What's your go-to "wing" flavor? Can't beat the classic buffalo!

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