Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
These cauliflower buffalo wings with vegan ranch dip are the perfect comfort food! They're super easy to make and they're soooo delicious! We simply can't get enough of them!
Course: Appetizer, Entrée, Main Course, Side, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cauliflower buffalo wings, cauliflower wings, vegan cauliflower wings
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:45 mins
Total Time:1 hr
Servings: servings
Calories: 246kcal
Ingredients
For the cauliflower buffalo wings:
1 small head of cauliflower
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (use chickpea flour for a gluten-free version)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika powder
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the vegan ranch dip:
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
Carefully cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, the plant-based milk, the water, the garlic power, the paprika powder, the salt, and the black pepper. Stir until well combined.
Dip the florets into the batter, so they're completely coated.
Roll them in the panko breadcrumbs. Omit this step for a gluten-free version. However, they're way crispier with the panko breadcrumb coating.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet. Don't put them on top of each other. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 °F.
Combine Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings sauce with a tablespoon of olive oil and pour it over the baked cauliflower wings. Evenly coat them from all sides by stirring them a few times.
Put the coated buffalo wings back on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake again for 20 minutes at 350 °F.
For the vegan ranch sauce, combine the vegan mayonnaise with dried dill and parsley and stir until well combined. Serve the freshly baked vegan cauliflower wings with the vegan ranch and enjoy! Also sprinkle some chopped green onions and freshly chopped parsley on top if you want.
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES – RECIPE TIPS
It’s very important to use unsweetened plant-based milk. The recipe doesn’t work with sweetened milk even if it’s only lightly sweetened. You can still taste it!
Add panko breadcrumbs to make the buffalo cauliflower bites extra crispy. They really do the trick! The cauliflower wings don’t get as crispy with regular breadcrumbs.
Pay attention not to put the cauliflower wings on top of each other on the baking sheet. If you’re doubling the recipe, use two baking sheets.
Each oven is a bit different so make sure to check the wings frequently towards the end of the baking time and adjust the time if needed. It’s okay if they have some brown patches, but you don’t want them to get burned!
If you don’t like spicy food, this recipe is not for you! But you might want to try my cauliflower hot wings with BBQ sauce instead. They’re a lot less spicy!
CAULIFLOWER BUFFALO WINGS WITH PANKO
When I first made cauliflower wings, I only used a batter of flour, unsweetened almond milk, and spices to coat my cauliflower wings. However, over time I perfected my recipe and the buffalo wings are so much better when you coat them with panko breadcrumbs. They’re so much crispier this way!
I also tried coating them with regular breadcrumbs, but the results were nowhere as good as with panko breadcrumbs! Learn more about the difference between panko breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs.