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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Serve this buffalo cauliflower recipe on game day with spinach & artichoke dip and fudge marble cookies for dessert.
So I’m well into my Mexico trip now. Hopefully I’m on the beach with a drink in my hand, but, I actually wrote up a few posts before I left so you’ll have something to read in my absence.
I expected to like this buffalo cauliflower, but I didn’t fully expect it to be as good as it was.
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 flavor and crispy texture were pretty close to boneless wings.
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES 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
- Dried Onion
- Butter – I use melted butter for the sauce but if you want to keep it vegan, coconut oil will work as well.
- Salt
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.
HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
First, line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat, spray with non-stick spray, and set aside.
Then, wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite size pieces, somewhat similar in size. Pat it dry, if necessary.
Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, hot sauce, garlic salt, and dried onion.
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 degrees until batter hardens.
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.
Finally, remove from the oven, let cool slightly, then enjoy!
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.
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 and would stick with fresh cauliflower.
WHAT TO EAT WITH BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
I like to dip my buffalo cauliflower in homemade ranch dressing. They’re also great with baked green bean fries.
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.
HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER WINGS
TIPS & TRICKS
- 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.
TOOLS TO HELP:
- Mixing Bowls – You’ll need two for the batter & sauce.
- Baking Sheets – With lips are helpful so no cauliflower rolls 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.
NEED MORE CAULIFLOWER IDEAS? TRY THESE:
- Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
- Cauliflower Gnocchi
- Loaded Potato & Cauliflower Soup
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
NEED MORE BUFFALO RECIPES IN YOUR LIFE? TRY THESE:
- Buffalo Ranch Chicken Wrap
- Buffalo Chicken Bread
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings
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Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
For the batter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 dash Frank's Wing Sauce or Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried onion
For the buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup Frank's Wing Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat and spray with non-stick spray (I always use olive oil spray) and set aside.
- Wash your head of cauliflower and cut into somewhat even pieces. Pat dry, if necessary
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the batter ingredients. It will be fairly thick.
- 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 about 15 minutes until the batter just hardens.
- In a small bowl, mix together the buffalo sauce ingredients.
- Once the cauliflower are done, 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 few more minutes (5-7 minutes was my range), until the sauce has hardened and the cauliflower is crisp.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, then enjoy! We dipped ours in Ranch dressing.
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.
Nutrition
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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I like the sound of this but I’ve no idea what buffalo sauce is supposed to taste like so it will be touch and go…You mention Frank’s Hot Sauce which of course I can’t get here in Italy. Could I substitute with Tabasco or Worcester?
Hi Josephine! I wouldn’t use Worcestershire. Frank’s has more flavor while Tabasco mostly just adds heat (to me) so I’m really not sure how it would work. I’m sorry I’m not more help but let me know if you try!
Amazing. I mean–utterly amazing. The batter is perfect. The bake time, the ingredients. Nothing needed to be altered. Dipping in blue cheese right now and hoping my husband makes it home in time to try one. Before I eat them all.
That makes me so happy! & I did the same thing to my husband the first time I made it =) Thanks for letting me know!
Can you make these and reheat them? Would it be worth it? I want to bring them to a work function, but not sure if they will still be good? Any suggestions? Thanks!
I’ve never had them last long enough to need reheating 😉 I’ve had others ask but no one has reported back to say how it went. I think they’d still be good room temp or even cold but I haven’t tried it. Sorry I’m not more help.
Are these good reheated in the microwave? I want to bring these into work for a cook off and I am not sure what the best way is to go about it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!
Hi Michelle,
This is a common question lately but unfortunately, I don’t have an answer. I’ve never had them last long enough to need reheating =) I think they’d be best fresh out of the oven, but I’ve had them room temp & they were fine. Sorry I’m not more help! If you do try, please let me know.
I tweeted the recipe slightly. I used an 1/8 cup rice vinegar and 1/4 cup of water. Substituted almond flour for the reg flour. Let the batter mixture sit for 10 mins to thicken. Used original Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce from the Dollar Store. (My favorite). One batter recipe was not enough for the one head of cauliflower. I had to make two. Baked for 30 mins at 450. This was not crispy enough for us. Next time we will turn the broil on for a few mins to crisp. Otherwise very good and tasty! Ummm. Will make again.Thanks for the recipe!
My son and I just made these, we both love cauliflower and just about anything buffalo. I a, not sure what we did wrong, but they never got crispy. I tried cooking them longer but they just never crisped up.
They’ll never get crispy like they would if you fried them, but the coating with harden & they’ll be slightly crispy, like a roasted vegetable.
I just made these and they are so good! I made a couple of minor changes–used Red’s original sauce, no dried onion, subbed in garlic powder instead of salt, and used 1 tbsp of butter instead of 3 to cut back calories. I only got about half of my large head of cauliflower to fit on the baking sheet with a tiny bit of batter left over. I didn’t use foil or parchment paper so I definitely recommend it as the bottoms got very brown–almost burnt but not quite. My boyfriend can’t wait for me to make it again.
Yay thanks for letting me know! =) The size of cauliflower varies so much, it’s crazy. & yes, definitely line your pan!
Hi Melissa, I just started following you and love your recipes. Have a question for you about Baked Green Bean Fries. I grow A LOT of green beans and can them, so I was wondering if these could be baked, frozen and then reheated? Ever tried that? I always second guess myself so thought I’d check with you. Thanks
(I’ll put this here, too =) )
Hi Joann – welcome =) I have never tried it, unfortunately. It’s possible, I’m sure (I think I’ve seen Baked Green Bean Fries in the freezer section), I’m just not sure of technique. I’d love to hear how it works out if you try!
Needed to use a head of cauliflower and immediately thought of this! I didn’t have flour so I used 1/4 cup of corn starch and 1/4 cup of bisquick. We loved this!! Cannot wait to make it again when I pick up some flour. Great recipe too. Quick and easy to follow. Thanks!
Yay – thanks for letting me know! =)
Very good
I make these all the time! A family favorite!
My family gave a resounding ‘meh’ to these…were ok, not great. The “breading” tends to stay a bit…not crisp…you can sort of taste the flour. If I were to do this again, I might attempt to bake for the 15 minutes, then somehow turn the cauliflower and bake another 5 or so before putting the sauce on.
Thanks for the recipe! Tasted great! For whatever reason, my batter was way too thick so I added extra water. I doubled the amount of time cooking and broiled for extra crisp at the end. After trying another buffalo cauliflower recipe on Pinterest, I was very hesitant to try this out but it was great! Good meatless option too.
Yay, thanks for the feedback – I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
My 14 year old daughter made this last night for dinner. Quite tangy and spicy.. in a good way. Made for a nice side dish along with mild fettuccine Alfredo.
Oooh that does sound like a good pairing!
We have made this recipe a LOT–easy and delicious! I wear disposable gloves when coating the cauliflower. We have eaten them at room temp (not cold) and they still disappear. Thanks for sharing this!
Best buffalo cauli bites EVER!!! My bites actually look like your photo and taste ahmaaaazing. Looking forward to trying nutritional yeast in the batter next time, for some cheesy flavour. Thanks for this recipe!!!
Happy to hear that, thank you for reporting back! Let me know how the nutritional yeast works out.