This recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are a great vegetarian/vegan-version of Buffalo chicken wings. The cauliflower gets baked up into crispy bites and coated with a delicious buffalo sauce for the perfect appetizer, side, or snack!

buffalo cauliflower wings in a bowl with celery on the side

Easy Buffalo Cauliflower

Cauliflower has quickly gained popularity for being a food that can disguise itself in many creative dishes. From Thai Peanut Cauliflower Wings to Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, cauliflower can be used in so many delicious ways.

Hands down one of the tastiest ways to enjoy cauliflower is as delicious crispy wings!

This recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower wings is easy to make, vegan and gluten-free. This recipe also keeps things pretty healthy, with the wings baked and lightly coated in batter.

The Buffalo sauce is homemade with just a touch of vegan butter and maple syrup to make it sweet and tangy and creamy.

Cauliflower Wings vs. Chicken Wings

Cauliflower wings are a vegetarian and vegan-friendly version of buffalo chicken wings. The texture of cauliflower stands up well to the batter and seasoning to give the wings a heartiness that you would find in chicken wings. Cauliflower wings also give you a serving of vegetables and taste delicious!

Why You’ll Love Cauliflower Wings

  • Buffalo sauce goes SO well with the cauliflower. It’s a perfect match and can be enjoyed alone or as a side.
  • The cauliflower is coated in a light batter and baked so each piece gets a nice crispy coating.
  • These wings make the perfect appetizer and are great to serve at a SuperBowl party!

Ingredients in Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

  • Cauliflower: The star ingredient! You want to make sure to cut the cauliflower into florets (bite-sized pieces) and remove most of the stem. You can make larger bites or smaller bites, whichever you prefer.
  • Batter: Make from a mix of almond milk, flour and spices. You can use any type of flour and milk you like. For this recipe, I use a gluten-free flour blend.
  • Buffalo sauce: You could buy a pre-made buffalo sauce, but it’s much healthier to make one at home (and really easy too!)

How to cut Cauliflower into “wings” (or florets)

The best way to cut cauliflower into wings is to start by cutting the entire cauliflower into quarters and then cutting out the core. (the stem.) From here you should be able to easily break apart the florets with your hands.

Can you use frozen cauliflower in this recipe?

Yes! If you want to use frozen cauliflower just thaw the frozen cauliflower florets on the counter and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Then you can proceed with the recipe just as you would with fresh cauliflower.

How To Make Cauliflower Wings

Cut the cauliflower into florets, then dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter. Let any excess batter drip off before placing on a baking sheet. Bake the wings at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through.

  • cauliflower florets in a clear mixing bowl
  • bang bang cauliflower

Mix the buffalo sauce ingredients together then brush onto the baked cauliflower wings. Place the wings back in the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes.

  • a clear mixing bowl with buffalo cauliflower wings
  • a measuring cup pouring buffalo sauce into a bowl of buffalo cauliflower wings

Serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce!

buffalo cauliflower wings in a bowl with a side of ranch sauce and chopped parsley

FAQs of Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

How to get Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

To get crispy cauliflower wings make sure to remove any excess batter from the cauliflower after dipping, otherwise, this can make the cauliflower soggy. If you want extra crispy wings after dipping the cauliflower in the batter, you can dip each piece of cauliflower into some panko breadcrumbs. This will make each cauliflower wing extra crispy after baking in the oven.

Can this recipe be made using an air fryer?

While you can make buffalo cauliflower in an air fryer, unfortunately, you can’t use this exact recipe in an air fryer.

How to store leftover Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the cauliflower wings are best enjoyed fresh and won’t be as crispy after sitting in the fridge.

How to reheat Buffalo Cauliflower WIngs

Cauliflower wings are best enjoyed fresh, but if you’d like to reheat any leftovers you can spread them evenly onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

I don’t recommend reheating Buffalo Cauliflower Wings in a microwave since it will make them really soft and soggy.

What to serve with Buffalo Cauliflower

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are great served with the same foods you’d serve regular buffalo wings with!

These are great served up with a side of ranch or blue cheese dip, (You can make a vegan ranch dip if needed.) and some carrot and celery sticks.

Is buffalo sauce vegan?

Buffalo sauce is traditionally made with butter. To make a vegan buffalo sauce you can use vegan butter or olive oil instead.

Tips for making the perfect Cauliflower Wings

  • The batter should be thick enough to coat each piece of cauliflower, but not too thick where the excess batter doesn’t drip off. Depending on the type of flour and liquid you use you may need to adjust your batter to get the right texture.
  • Cook these wings at a high temperature. If your oven isn’t hot enough. they won’t crisp up and the batter will become soggy.
  • If serving these for an appetizer or a Superbowl party, they are best served fresh out of the oven.

More cauliflower recipes to try

a bowl of buffalo cauliflower topped with parsly and a side of cut up celery sticks

If you tried these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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buffalo cauliflower wings in a bowl with celery on the side

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

These Buffalo Cauliflower Wings make the perfect spicy and tangy appetizer, side or snack. They’re easy to make, vegan and gluten-free!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup gluten-free flour
  • 1 1/4 cups almond milk (can sub any milk)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix the flour, almond milk, salt, paprika and garlic powder together in a bowl until smooth.
  3. Dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter, let any excess batter drip off then place the cauliflower bites on the baking pan.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping halway through.
  5. While the wings are baking, mix the hot sauce, vegan butter and maple syrup together in a bowl.
  6. When the wings are cooked, remove from the oven and brush with the buffalo sauce. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees F. 
  7. Serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce.

Notes

The batter should be thick enough to coat each piece of cauliflower, but not too thick where the excess batter doesn’t drip off. Depending on the type of flour and liquid you use you may need to adjust your batter to get the right texture.

Cook these wings at a high temperature. If your oven isn’t hot enough. they won’t crisp up and the batter will become soggy.

If serving these for an appetizer or dinner party, they are best served fresh out of the oven.

Feel free to skip the batter entirely to make this reicpe into plain buffalo cauliflower. Just toss your cauliflower florets with 1 tbsp olive oil and seasoning and bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, then toss in the buffao sauce and serve. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
  • Calories: 88
  • Sugar: 1.5g
  • Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 14g
  • Fiber: 1.5g
  • Protein: 2.5g