Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites – A spicy, healthy, vegetarian, delicious alternative to chicken wings, these cauliflower buffalo wings have been pinned over 600K times because they’re that good!

Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

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I expected to like this buffalo cauliflower, but I didn’t fully expect it to be as good as it was.

I didn’t even think I liked cooked cauliflower, but I really liked this. I ate it, with nothing else, for dinner. They were that good.

Before I cut out most meat, I used to like boneless chicken wings and wanted to find a vegetarian alternative.

These cauliflower buffalo wings don’t taste like chicken, but the spicy buffalo flavor and crispy texture were pretty close to boneless wings.

What is Buffalo Cauliflower?

Buffalo cauliflower is a vegetarian alternative to chicken wings, made out of cauliflower. You get the same spicy flavor without the meat.

Equipment you’ll need

• Mixing Bowls – You’ll need a large mixing bowl for the batter and a smaller one for the sauce.
• Baking Sheets – A large rimmed baking sheet so the cauliflower florets don’t roll off the pan.
• Whisk – For making the batter & the sauce.
• Pastry Brush – I feel like silicone pastry brushes are so much easier to clean than traditional brushes.

Ingredients

• Cauliflower – One head of cauliflower. Now, sizes vary, so you may need to alter your batter to make more if you have a giant head.
• Flour – I’ve only tested this with all purpose white flour, but a reader said it worked well with almond flour too.
• Hot Sauce – I use Frank’s Wing Sauce or Frank’s Hot Sauce, but use your favorite in the batter. To make the sauce, I recommend Frank’s Wing Sauce.
• Garlic Salt – Garlic powder can be used if you’re watching salt content.
• Dried Onion – Onion powder will also work.
• Butter – I use melted butter for the sauce but if you a vegan option, melted coconut oil will work as well.
• Salt

How to make Buffalo Cauliflower

1. STEP ONE: First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and set aside. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite size pieces, somewhat similar in size. Pat it dry, if necessary.
   
2. STEP TWO: Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, hot sauce, garlic salt, and dried onion.
   
3. STEP THREE: Then, dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter (use tongs to keep your fingers clean!) to fully coat it, let the excess drip off, then lay it onto the baking sheet you prepared. Bake for 15 minutes at 450°F until batter hardens.

4. STEP FOUR: While it’s baking, make the sauce by whisking together the wing sauce, melted butter, and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Once the 15 minutes are up, brush the cauliflower with the sauce, making sure you evenly coat each piece, then put them back in the oven for 5-7 minutes to crisp up.

Let cool slightly and then enjoy!

What to serve with them

Serve the cauliflower buffalo bites with your favorite dipping sauce like homemade ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing and carrot and celery sticks .

I like to serve them alongside other finger foods like baked green bean fries, potato wedges, and loaded zucchini skins.

How to store leftovers

We never really have leftovers but if you do, store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long will buffalo cauliflower last in the fridge?

Up to 5 days when covered in the fridge.

How to reheat it

For best results, I recommend warming leftovers in the air fryer for 5 minutes to crisp it back up.

FAQs

Can you use frozen cauliflower to make buffalo cauliflower?

I have not tried to use frozen cauliflower in this recipe. I have a feeling it might end up mushy. I recommend sticking with fresh cauliflower.

How to make buffalo cauliflower crispy

If you follow the recipe, you’ll see that you bake the cauliflower with the batter on it, then add the sauce and put it back in the oven for 5-7 minutes to crisp it up. I’ve had very good results with this method every time.

Several readers have put them in the broiler for 2-3 minutes for extra crispiness.

Need more cauliflower recipes? Try these:

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower Gnocchi

Loaded Potato & Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Need more spicy buffalo recipes? Try these:

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wrap

Buffalo Chicken Bread

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

Click here for my entire collection of appetizer recipes.

4.67 from 27 votes

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Created by Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

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Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites – A spicy, healthy, vegetarian, delicious alternative to chicken wings, these cauliflower buffalo wings have been pinned over 600K times because they're that good!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 medium head of cauliflower

For the batter

• ▢ ½ cup all purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 1 dash Frank's Wing Sauce or Frank’s Original Hot Sauce
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried onion or onion powder

For the buffalo sauce

• ▢ ¼ cup Frank’s Wing Sauce
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted
• ▢ pinch of salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and spray with non-stick spray (olive oil spray) and set aside.
• Wash the head of cauliflower and cut into similar sized pieces. Pat dry, if necessary
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, wing sauce, garlic salt, and dried onion. It will be fairly thick.
• Use tongs to dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter until fully and evenly coated. Let excess batter drip off. Place onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the batter just hardens.
• While it's baking, In a small bowl, mix together the buffalo sauce ingredients.
• Once the cauliflower is done baking, remove from the oven and brush with the buffalo sauce. Again, fully and evenly coat each piece.
• Put back into the oven and bake for a 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has hardened and the cauliflower is crisp.
• Remove from the oven, let cool, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Heads of cauliflower vary in size. I’ve seen some HUGE cauliflowers. I would say I used a medium size head for this recipe. Make more batter, if necessary.
• I like to use Frank’s WING sauce and not regular hot sauce. Others have reported success with various other barbecue sauces.
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in oven or air fryer.

⭐️ Final Step! Please let me know how you liked this recipe by leaving a review and rating below. Your feedback supports my small business and allows me to continue providing free, high quality recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published April 11, 2013