Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are the PERFECT game day appetizer, made with cauliflower florets coated in a seasoned batter and baked until crispy, then tossed with buffalo sauce.
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are a big crowd pleaser, made with cauliflower florets tossed in a gluten free batter and roasted, then coated in spicy buffalo sauce. I use one large head cauliflower, but you can also buy the pre-cut cauliflower from the store to save time. This is a great way to enjoy big flavors with less calories, less prep time, and the same amount of cook time as traditional wings.
I like to use my homemade buffalo sauce for this baked cauliflower wings recipe, which beats store-bought every time! I also like to serve these with some extra veggies like fresh celery, fresh carrots, or with butter lettuce for buffalo lettuce wraps.
If you loved this recipe, you may also love my Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip, or these Easy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wings!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy Recipe! This recipe is really easy to make! Just whisk the batter together, dip the cauliflower in, roast on a sheet pan, and drizzle with extra sauce. If you can do that, you can make cauliflower buffalo wings!
Gluten Free. We’re making this at home, so there’s no question that it’s gluten free!
Vegetarian. Cauliflower is the main ingredient here, making this perfect if you’re on a plant-based diet! It’s a delicious snack for game day, and just as flavorful as regular chicken wings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Cauliflower. Break a large head of cauliflower into florets. I use either one large cauliflower head, or two small ones, which will give you about 2 pounds of cauliflower florets.
Try to break them into similar bite-sized florets or larger, so they all finish cooking at about the same time.
Gluten Free Flour. I use a regular gluten free cup-for-cup all purpose flour. This will thicken the batter and get the florets to crisp in the oven.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use regular all-purpose flour.
Cornstarch. This is one of the key ingredients to help the cauliflower get crispy in the oven, because it prevents things from getting soggy.
Sugar. I like to use brown sugar, because it adds a better depth of flavor to the batter. This also helps balance out some of the savory notes in the dish. If you don’t have brown sugar, regular granulated sugar will also work.
Eggs. This helps hold everything together, adds flavor, and also makes the batter lighter and more airy. We’re only going to be using the egg yolks.
Milk. This helps add moisture and flavor to the batter.
If you’re dairy free or need a vegan alternative, you can use a plant-based milk, like canned coconut milk or almond milk, instead of regular milk.
Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. I like to add some breadcrumbs to help the cauliflower get nice and crispy. Gluten free panko breadcrumbs are my go-to. I like to use plain breadcrumbs, so I can control the seasoning myself.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use regular breadcrumbs.
Spices. We’re using some basic spices that you probably have in your pantry, that will give this an amazing flavor. Just a teaspoon garlic powder, teaspoon onion powder, teaspoon paprika, and black pepper to taste. Depending on the hot sauce, you might not even need salt.
You can also add cayenne pepper for an added kick of spice, but you’re already getting this with the hot sauce.
Buffalo Sauce. This is basically a mix of hot sauce and melted butter, which gives it a more creamy texture.
If you want to make this from scratch, check out my Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce. This is my favorite sauce to make for weeknight recipes! If you’re vegan, you can use vegan butter and leave out the Worcestershire sauce.
Kitchen Tools
For this baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings recipe, you’ll need a medium mixing bowl and a sheet pan.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Time needed: 1 hour
- Prepare the cauliflower.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, spices, and brown sugar. Add the milk and egg yolks and whisk until well combined (the batter consistency should be thick).
Toss the cauliflower pieces in the batter until completely coated. Sprinkle in half of the breadcrumbs and stir together, then add the rest and stir a final time. Pour cauliflower onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast the cauliflower.
Roast the batter-coated cauliflower in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. When the time is up, drizzle the buffalo sauce over the cauliflower. Use a spatula to stir the cauliflower pieces, then bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
Serve with additional buffalo sauce on the side. You can also add carrot and celery sticks with some ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Add more cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to increase the heat.
- Turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes at the very end for the crispiest texture, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Try serving these wings with Ranch Dressing for a creamy dipping sauce, or adding my Ranch Seasoning for extra flavor!
- You can also make air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings! Place the battered cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a bit of space between each one. Air fry for 15 minutes at 400°F. Shake the basket halfway through, then coat with buffalo sauce and serve. Use an air fryer liner, or lightly spray the basket with cooking spray first.
Recipe Tip! Use fresh cauliflower for this recipe, not frozen. Frozen cauliflower will release water while it cooks, resulting in soggy cauliflower wings.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely make this ahead of time, but I think these are best when they’re right out of the oven. If you are tight on time, you can batter and bake these the morning of, or the night before, and refrigerate them. When you’re ready to serve, toss the cauliflower wings in the buffalo sauce and bake them for 15-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Recipe Tip! The batter is supposed to be thick, similar to pancake batter. That’s how it coats the cauliflower and stays in place while it’s baking. If it’s too thick to coat the cauliflower properly, whisk in a small amount of milk until it thins out.
More Game Day Appetizer Recipes
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Spinach Balls
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
Storage
Refrigerate buffalo cauliflower wings in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
I like to reheat these in the toaster oven, or by air frying them for a few minutes to help bring back some of the just-cooked texture.
Freeze leftover cauliflower for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
If you freeze the cauliflower bites on a baking sheet before adding to a freezer-safe bag, it will help prevent the pieces from getting stuck together in the freezer.
Cooking Tips
- The batter will be thick, but you should be able to easily stir the cauliflower to coat it. You can whisk in some extra milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- This recipe will give you one sheet pan’s worth of buffalo cauliflower bites. If you need a larger batch, you will need two baking trays.
- If there’s a lot of excess batter, you can lift a piece of cauliflower up with a fork and gently tap the side of the bowl to remove some of the batter before putting it on the baking sheet.
- Place the baking tray on the middle oven rack for the most evenly roasted cauliflower.
- If you don’t have parchment paper, you can just spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. A prepared baking sheet will keep the florets from sticking when it’s time to flip them, or toss with the sauce.
- You can also make these in a baking dish instead of on a sheet pan, but the baking dish won’t give you a crispy texture.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head, about 2 pounds, broken into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour, 1:1
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup buffalo sauce, gluten free
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan
- 1 Mixing bowl medium to large sized
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, spices, and brown sugar. Add the milk and egg yolks, and whisk until well combined (the batter consistency should be thick). Toss the cauliflower pieces in the batter until completely coated.
- Sprinkle in half of the breadcrumbs and stir together, then add the rest and stir a final time. Pour cauliflower onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. When the time is up, drizzle the buffalo sauce over the cauliflower. Use a spatula to stir the cauliflower pieces, then bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Serve with additional buffalo sauce on the side. You can also add carrots and celery sticks with some ranch dressing as dipping sauce.
Notes
- The batter will be thick like pancake batter, but you should be able to easily stir the cauliflower to coat it. You can whisk in some extra milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Use fresh cauliflower for this recipe, not frozen. Frozen cauliflower will release water while it cooks, resulting in soggy cauliflower wings.
- Turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes at the very end for the crispiest texture, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
Nutrition
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
