Treat yourself to more addictive cauliflower wings, like these BBQ Cauliflower Wings, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Sticky Sesame Cauliflower, and Orange Cauliflower. Whether you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer or an exciting dinner, Cauliflower Wings are the right choice! Cauliflower florets are breaded and baked until crispy, then tossed in spicy buffalo sauce and served with vegan ranch dressing on the side. They go fast, so plan on making extras if you want a plate all to yourself!
Why I love these buffalo cauliflower wings
Tender, meaty, and crunchy: Vegan cauliflower wings aren’t pretending to be chicken but their meaty texture and addictive flavor make them irresistible! Baked, not fried: Baking is a hands-off method that yields crispy-on-the-outside, meaty-on-the-inside wings every time. No messy or heavy deep fryer oil needed. If you want to make deep fried cauliflower wings, try this recipe: Buffalo Fried Cauliflower. A snack you’ll look forward to: Buffalo cauliflower wings are completely delicious. Snack on them with the easy vegan ranch dip during the big game, add them to Buddha bowls for a punch of spice, or enjoy them as a fun topping on mac and cheese.
How to make cauliflower wings
Whisk the water, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl and toss to coat. One by one, tap the excess batter off of the florets and lay them on a baking sheet. Spray the tops with cooking spray so they get super crispy. Pro tip: Leave about 1 inch of space in between each cauliflower wing on the baking tray. This prevents them from getting stuck together and encourages the breading to crisp up. To make the vegan buffalo sauce, melt the vegan butter in a saucepan, then stir in the hot sauce and maple syrup/agave. Set it aside until the cauliflower is done baking. Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes, then flip the pieces. Continue baking until the breading is golden. Toss the vegan cauliflower bites in the buffalo sauce, then return them to the baking sheet. You can either bake the buffalo sauce-coated wings once more to make them crispy or serve them right away with vegan ranch dressing on the side.
Cauliflower Wings Variations
Extra crunchy wings – After tossing them in the batter, roll the florets in 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add a light and airy crunch to the otherwise tender and flavor-packed bites. Also, consider leaving the buffalo sauce on the side for dipping. The less sauce that’s on the breaded cauliflower, the crispier they’ll become. Instead of buffalo sauce – Toss the florets in another wing sauce you like, such as teriyaki, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, bang bang sauce, or sesame sauce. Gluten free – Make the breading with gluten free all purpose flour or almond flour instead. Frozen cauliflower – You can use frozen cauliflower florets but make sure they’re thawed completely before tossing them in the batter. Also, pat them dry with paper towels after thawing to help the batter stick. Serve with a spread of dipping sauces – You can serve the baked cauliflower bites with the simple vegan ranch dipping sauce included in the recipe card or this cashew based Vegan Ranch, as well as my Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing, Barbecue Sauce, and Chipotle Sauce.
Frequently asked questions
title: “Buffalo Cauliflower Wings” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-09” author: “Lloyd Rich”
4 41 Published Sep 02, 2021, Updated Sep 23, 2024 Some of my favorite game day snacks are chips and guac (my healthy guacamole is the best), cheesy cauliflower nachos, sweet potato skins and black bean dip, but everyone else seems to love wings. I’ve honestly never been a huge fan of chicken wings, but as soon as I saw the idea for buffalo cauliflower “wings” I knew I had to try them. Anything that involves cauliflower? Count me in! They’re just as good as I imagined and way more appealing to me than regular chicken wings. I loved them but had to make a batch for Isaac and his brother to taste test too. Rest assured, the guys ate these without hesitation and gave them a solid two thumbs up!
Are Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Healthy?
Definitely! These cauliflower wings are a healthy vegan alternative to traditional buffalo wings. They’re baked instead of fried, low-carb and there’s no added sugar. To keep them vegan I used a clean buffalo sauce from Primal Kitchen, which is dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free and Whole30 approved. I also have an air fryer buffalo cauliflower recipe if you want to use your air fryer! I hope you love these clean eating buffalo cauliflower wings as much as we do!
Ingredients Needed
cauliflower – a large head of cauliflower cut into small-to-medium sized florets. Think of cutting them into pieces that are half the size of regular chicken wings. I like to buy a whole head of cauliflower and chop it into florets, but you can buy pre-chopped if you’re running short on time. all purpose flour – for the crispy breading. You can also use gluten-free all purpose flour to make these gluten-free. garlic powder, paprika, sea salt and pepper – you’ll combine these seasonings with your flour and water to make a little sauce to coat the cauliflower florets in before baking. This helps to achieve that extra crispy texture! buffalo style wing sauce – I used Primal Kitchen’s Buffalo Sauce, which is vegan, sugar-free and made with super clean ingredients! If you want to try a homemade version, this one is vegan and looks great. If you’re in a pinch, Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce also works and is still vegan, just not as clean. celery – for serving of course! ranch dressing – I’m sharing a recipe for making your own vegan ranch dressing to use as a dip, but you can use store-bought as well. I like Primal Kitchen’s Ranch.
How to Make
If you think these cauliflower buffalo wings look intimidating to make, think again! They only require a few simple steps and are super easy to whip up.
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Besides the actual buffalo cauliflower wings, you have to have a dipping sauce, amiright?! The vegan ranch dressing I’m sharing below is crazy delicious and super simple to throw together! The most important thing is to soak your cashews for at least 3-4 hours or overnight – this ensures a super creamy dressing. Then you just blend with water and dried spices (dill, garlic and onion powder with salt and pepper). Voila! You have the creamiest, most delicious homemade ranch you’ve ever tasted.
How to Serve
These buffalo cauliflower wings can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Here are some ways to serve them:
As an appetizer – Serve them the same way you would serve wings – with celery, carrot and ranch or blue cheese dressing. On a salad – Make my buffalo cauliflower salad! In a wrap – Make a wrap by adding lettuce, any extra veggies, buffalo cauliflower and ranch or blue cheese. Lunch on the go!
How to Store
Leftover buffalo cauliflower stores really well! After cooling completely, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, pop the cauliflower in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes so they crisp back up!
More Healthy Appetizers to Try
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Baked Sweet Potato Chips Lima Bean Hummus Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip Whipped Feta Dip Bacon Wrapped Dates Loaded Nachos
More Cauliflower Recipes
Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Air Fryer Cauliflower Cauliflower Pizza Crust Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos Curry Roasted Cauliflower Cauliflower Brownie Baked Oatmeal Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Be sure to check out all of the cauliflower recipes and the full collection of appetizers on EBF!
