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Made with hot sauce, olive oil, almond milk, and spices, this easy buffalo cauliflower recipe offers a vegetarian (and vegan) friendly alternative to traditional buffalo chicken wings.
Why Make This Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe?
Buffalo cauliflower (and buffalo cauliflower pizza) is my favorite way to enjoy the saucy, spicy elements of traditional buffalo chicken wings, without the meat.
This easy buffalo cauliflower recipe transforms raw cauliflower florets into crispy, flavorful wing-style bites which make a great veggie appetizer option for your Super Bowl or tailgate party. Buffalo cauliflower offers a healthier alternative to traditional fried chicken wings, and it satisfies the same craving. (In fact, I’ve found that meat lovers love these “wings”, too!) Whether you’re hosting a party, gathering for the big game, searching for ways to add more plant-based dishes to your diet, or simply love a bit of spice, this buffalo cauliflower recipe is a must-try.
Ingredients for Making Buffalo Cauliflower
To make this vegetarian buffalo cauliflower recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Hot Sauce – I recommend using Frank’s Red Hot, or Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce:
- Olive Oil – Choose a good-tasting, extra virgin olive oil for making the sauce.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice adds just the right amount of acid.
- Spices – You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, kosher salt, chipotle chili flakes (or regular chili flakes) and ground black pepper to make spicy and flavorful buffalo cauliflower wings.
- Cauliflower – Of course! This recipe calls for 700 grams of florets, which works out to about one large head cauliflower, with the stem and leaves removed. If using very small heads of cauliflower, you might need two. And be sure to use fresh cauliflower for this recipe, rather than frozen. The latter contains too much water.
- Almond Milk – Choose plain, unsweetened almond milk, not sweetened or flavored. You can also use another plant milk, like oat or soy, if desired.
- All-Purpose Flour – You’ll combine the spices with all-purpose flour to make the batter for coating the florets.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower
In this buffalo cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower acts as a stand-in for traditional chicken wings.
To make buffalo cauliflower, I start by mixing ground spices, all-purpose flour, and almond milk, then dredge the raw cauliflower florets in this spicy batter. Then, I arrange the battered florets on a parchment-lined tray and pop in the oven to bake. After baking partway, I brush the veg with a spicy sauce made from lemon juice, buffalo hot sauce and olive oil:
Bake again, and continue baking and brushing, turning periodically, until the cauliflower is crispy, tender, and impossible for anyone (even meat lovers!) to resist.
Serving Buffalo Cauliflower
Like chicken wings, these buffalo cauliflower “wings” pair perfectly with a variety of sauces for dipping and dunking. Some of my favorite accompaniments include:
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Greek Yogurt Dip
- Spicy Sriracha Dip
- Sriracha Mayonnaise
- Honey, or Hot Honey
And, just like the real thing, I recommend garnishing with chopped chives or thinly sliced spring onions, and serving your homemade buffalo cauliflower with celery sticks (or other sliced vegetables!) on the side.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
I prefer to enjoy this buffalo cauliflower piping hot, straight from the oven. However, the leftovers are stilly pretty tasty. Store leftover buffalo cauliflower florets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Gently rewarm in a 350° F (176° C) oven or on medium-high power in the microwave until heated through.
Other savory vegetarian recipes you might enjoy:
Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza
Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup
Baked Veggie Nuggets
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
Description
Made with hot sauce, olive oil, almond milk, and spices, these buffalo cauliflower “wings” offer a meatless alternative to traditional chicken wings.
Ingredients
125 milliliters hot sauce or buffalo sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot (1/2 cup)
50 milliliters olive oil (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
700 grams cauliflower florets (1 large head cauliflower, stem and leaves removed)
170 milliliters plain unsweetened almond milk (3/4 cup)
95 grams flour (3/4 cup)
Blue cheese dressing or homemade yogurt dip, for serving
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Preheat oven to 400° F / 205° C.
In a small bowl, whisk hot sauce, olive oil, and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
Add flour and almond milk and whisk until well combined.
Add cauliflower florets to the flour mixture. With your hands, toss until florets are completely coated in the flour mixture, with no dry pieces remaining.
Arrange coated florets on prepared tray.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Toss with a flat spatula, then bake 10 minutes more.
With a pastry brush, brush florets with half of the sauce mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Toss florets with a spatula, brush with remaining sauce, and bake for 10 minutes more, or until cauliflower is fork-tender.
Serve immediately, accompanied by blue cheese dressing, homemade Greek yogurt dip, or other condiment of choice.
Store leftover buffalo cauliflower florets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Eat cold, or gently rewarm in the oven at 350° F (176° C) for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Oven
