Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
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These vegan buffalo cauliflower wings are crispy, spicy, and secretly healthy! The soft and tender cauliflower “wings” are baked to perfection then tossed in hot buffalo sauce. Dip them in vegan ranch dressing and serve with celery stalks. It’s a delicious appetizer that could fool vegetarians and meat eaters, alike!
In case you couldn’t already tell, this recipe isn’t your traditional baked cauliflower. It’s brought to you in the best disguise: a crispy breaded coating + spicy buffalo dressing. There’s no need for chicken wings when you can enjoy these instead! It’s a healthy alternative to the real deal.
These buffalo cauliflower wings are:
- Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free
- Crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside
- Packed with spice and heat!
- Secretly healthy / Baked instead of fried
- Easy to make with minimal ingredients
- A sneaky way to get your family to eat more veggies!
- A tasty snack, appetizer, or side dish
- Great for parties, game day, and pot lucks
What ingredients are in cauliflower buffalo wings?
- Cauliflower. We can’t make cauliflower wings without cauliflower, right? Not only is it a healthy alternative to chicken, but it’s also packed with nutrition. There are several benefits of eating cauliflower including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Flour. We’ll use either traditional or gluten-free all-purpose flour for the batter. The choice is yours!
- Almond milk. Almond milk and flour create the crispy cauliflower wing coating. If you have a nut allergy, feel free to use soy milk instead.
- Buffalo sauce. Time to put your favorite buffalo sauce to use! I recommend Frank’s Red Hot sauce. It’s undeniably delicious and pairs perfectly with the baked cauliflower.
- Vegan butter. Just a couple tablespoons of vegan butter is added to the buffalo sauce to get that authentic, buttery, “wing” flavor.
- Spices and seasoning. Specifically, we’ll use garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
How to make vegan buffalo cauliflower wings
For the full recipe, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Also, chop the cauliflower head into small florets.
Next, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together. Then, add almond milk and whisk together once more.
Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, ensuring it is evenly coated. Tap off any excess batter and place cauliflower onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all cauliflower is used. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Meanwhile, microwave the vegan butter for 15-25 seconds to melt. Mix melted vegan butter with buffalo sauce.
Transfer baked cauliflower into a bowl. Toss baked cauliflower in the buffalo sauce; be sure to evenly coat each wing. Transfer cauliflower back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Serve the baked cauliflower buffalo wings alongside ranch dressing, celery stalks, and carrots.
Kaylie’s tips
- If you are following a gluten-free diet, be sure to use gluten-free flour rather than traditional all-purpose flour. The recipe works well either way!
- These vegetarian wings are delicious all on their own, but you can also serve them with ranch dressing dip, celery stalks, and sliced carrots. Additionally, you can add these vegan buffalo cauliflower wings to pizza, tacos, sandwiches, and salads!
- Got leftovers? Store leftovers in the refrigerator. To reheat, bake them at 425 degrees F for 5-8 minutes.
More vegan comfort food recipes:
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Chili Cheese Fries
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Taquitos
- Vegan Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
- Orange Tofu
- Vegan Peanut Noodles
If you try these Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
PrintVegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST vegan buffalo cauliflower wings! They are crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. The soft and tender cauliflower “wings” are baked to perfection then coated in spicy buffalo sauce. It’s a secretly healthy appetizer, snack, and party food that everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1 cup flour (all-purpose or GF all-purpose)
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut cauliflower head into small florets, removing the stem and leaves.
- Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together. Add almond milk and whisk together once more.
- Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, ensuring it is evenly coated. Tap off any excess batter and transfer cauliflower to the baking sheet. Repeat until all cauliflower is used.
- Bake cauliflower wings for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Combine melted butter and buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Toss baked cauliflower wings in the buffalo sauce. Be sure each wing is fully submerged and evenly coated.
- Transfer wings back to the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Remove cauliflower wings from the oven and serve with ranch dressing dip, celery, and carrots.
Notes
*To melt vegan butter, microwave it for 15-20 seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 6g
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My favorite vegan wings! I flip the wings at about 15 minutes then cook the extra 5 while I get sauce ready. The breading seems to stay on better that way. Iโve also used several types of flour without issue. Iโve been pairing with a homemade ranch recipe I found on another site. Delicious!
Thank you, Jen! I am so glad you love these cauliflower wings ๐
If Iโm not on a solely vegan diet, can I use regular 2% milk or will this affect the batter?
Hi, Hillary! I have not tried this recipe with dairy milk. However, I would recommend using low-fat/skim milk for the best results. Plant-based milk is lower in fat than dairy milk, so using a low-fat variety will be better suited!
Could I substitute the flour with almond flour?
Hey, McKenzie! I have not tried this recipe with almond flour. Almond flour has a higher moisture level than all-purpose flour, so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
Hi. I made these tonight for dinner, and they were really good! I did some in buffalo, but my husband also made a homemade honey based sauce (like honey, hot sauce, Sriracha, and seasonings). I have to say the honey version was even better due to the honey carmelizing on the outside. Mmmmm. Thank you for the recipe! It’s a win!
Thank you, Trisha! I’m thrilled to hear you both enjoyed these cauliflower wings ๐ Great idea adding honey for a honey-based sauce. Sounds delicious!
Great recipe! I used Hungarian hot paprika instead of smoked and my mouth is on fire.
Yummy!
Thanks, Ian! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. ๐
Looks delicious! Have you tried making these in an air fryer? Do you think they’d turn out well with whole wheat flour instead?
Hi, Melissa! Thank you! I have not tried it in an air fryer myself, but other readers have reported success with that method ๐ I don’t recommend whole wheat flour for this recipe.
These were really easy to make and super tasty! I should have let them bake for 20 mins for each step for a little extra crisp…but regardless they were really delicious.
Thank you, Charlotte! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed them ๐