Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
These buffalo cauliflower wings are a healthy vegetarian alternative to traditional buffalo wings. The cauliflower is baked until crispy, then coated with a savory buffalo sauce. They make a perfect appetizer, side, or snack!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ¼- 1 ½ cups water more as needed
- 1-2 cups panko Italian breadcrumbs more as needed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ¼ cup buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Wash and cut cauliflower head into bite size pieces/florets (not too small because you want to be able to pick it up.)
- In a large bowl mix together the flour, water and seasonings until well combined. You want this batter to be thick to lightly coat the cauliflower but pourable, so add more water as needed. Add panko breadcrumbs to a separate dish.
- Working in batches, dip the cauliflower into the batter and shake off any excess batter before rolling it into the breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess and lay the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes, until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- When the cauliflower is close to being done, prepare your buffalo wing sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Take off the heat and mix in the buffalo sauce until well combined.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle half the sauce over the cauliflower and stir to evenly coat. Continue to add the sauce and stir until all the pieces are evenly coated. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes. Cook until desired crispness is reached.
- Serve with ranch, blue cheese or your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
per 8 servings
116 Calories, 2 gram fat, 5 gram protein, 21 gram total carbohydrate, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams sugar, 761 mg sodium
Notes
The batter should be thick enough to coat each piece of cauliflower, but not too thick where the excess batter doesn’t drip off. You may need to add more liquid to achieve desired consistency. I started with 1 ¼ and added a little more. I don’t like too thick of a coating on the buffalo sauce with the flour mixture.
Use a fork to lift the cauliflower out of the batter and let the excess drip back into the bowl.
Ideally serve these straight out of the oven, as the coating will soften as it sits. If you have leftovers, reheat them in the oven for 10-15 minutes to get them crispy again.
You can skip the panko breadcrumbs, but I think it adds a nice crunch to the exterior. Skip if you’re gluten free. If you’re vegan use dairy free milk and dairy free butter or coconut oil.