Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe
Apr 27, 2020 • Updated Oct 17, 2023
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Healthy Cauliflower Buffalo wings make the perfect for a snack or side! This delicious buffalo cauliflower recipe features homemade buffalo sauce and simple swaps to make them vegan and gluten-free! Easy to make, tons of flavor, the best!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recently, I made the best-ever healthy vegan buffalo sauce, so naturally, I had to make these Cauliflower Buffalo Wings! This vegan take on buffalo wings is bursting with flavour and made with whole plant ingredients that nourish you!
They’re tender in the center, coated in a gluten-free crust, and doused with buffalo sauce. Enjoy them as a snack, on top of a salad, or make a big batch and turn it into a meal–I won’t judge 😉
These cauliflower wings are vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, oil-free, and nut-free. They’re baked, not fried, and are seriously addictive! You’ve been warned!
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower florets → Obviously, an essential ingredient here, but you could also experiment with tofu or another veggie of choice if you really wanted!
- Gluten-free flour → I used a mix of brown rice and quinoa flour, and found that rice flour tends to work best to provide a crispy coating. I used this instead of your standard all-purpose flour.
- Plant milk → To mix with our gluten-free flour to create a coating. Use your favorite plant milk, like almond milk or oat milk. Just try to avoid using one that contains sweetener or vanilla flavour. Trust me!
- Spices → We’re adding a little garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to season our breading.
- Healthy vegan buffalo sauce → The finishing touch! We’ll dunk our baked cauliflower in this hot sauce before it goes back into the oven for its final bake.
- Salt and pepper → To taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F while you prepare your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and spices until combined, and then add plant milk and whisk until smooth. The mixture should be thick but still pourable.
- Coat each floret of cauliflower in your batter mixture and space out on your baking mat. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Coat each floret in buffalo sauce and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. The cauliflower buffalo wings are ready when lightly crisp on the edges.
Secrets to Success
- I highly recommend using a non-stick baking mat on your baking sheet for best results. Since we’re baking in the oven, you want to ensure your wings are easy to remove from the baking tray. Alternatively, parchment paper works as well!
Serving Tips
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce and a side of carrot sticks and celery sticks (as is custom with traditional buffalo chicken wings!).
- I recommend a vegan ranch dressing for dipping. The creaminess of the ranch balances the hot buffalo sauce super well. You can also look for a vegan blue cheese dressing.
- This is the perfect appetizer for large groups. Double the batch for a large gathering or game day snack.
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or in your air fryer basket to return them to their crispy texture.
Recipe FAQs
Cauliflower buffalo wings or “buffalo cauliflower bites” are lower in calories and fat and vegetable-based, making them a healthier alternative to standard chicken wings, which are higher in saturated fat and calories.
More Vegan Appetizers!
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower chopped into florets
- 1/3 cup gluten free flour of choice
- 1 cup plant milk more as needed
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of salt and pepper
- healthy vegan buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F while you prepare your ingredients.
- Whisk together flour and spices until combined, and then add plant milk and whisk until smooth. Mixture should be thick, but still pourable.
- Coat each floret of cauliflower in your batter mixture and space out on your baking mat. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Coat each floret in buffalo sauce and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cauliflower is ready when lightly crisp on the edges.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- I highly recommend using a non-stick baking mat on your baking sheet for best results. Since we’re baking in the oven, you want to ensure your wings are easy to remove from the baking tray. Alternatively, parchment paper works as well!
Serving Tips
- Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce and a side of carrot sticks and celery sticks (as is custom with traditional buffalo chicken wings!).
- I recommend a vegan ranch dressing for dipping. The creaminess of the ranch balances the hot buffalo sauce super well. You can also look for a vegan blue cheese dressing.
- This is the perfect appetizer for large groups. Double the batch for a large gathering or game day snack.
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or in your air fryer basket to return them to their crispy texture.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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