Perfect Cauliflower Wings (Crispy Baked Buffalo Style, Ready in 55 Minutes)
These cauliflower wings are the meatless snack that disappears off the platter fast. Each knobby floret wears a crisp batter shell and a glossy coat of buffalo sauce. You get the sticky, spicy bite of buffalo wings with a tender center in place of bones. Make a double batch if a crowd is coming, because they go quickly.
This buffalo cauliflower wings recipe takes 55 minutes: 15 minutes of prep and 40 minutes in the oven. Dip large florets in a smooth batter of flour, milk, and water seasoned with paprika and garlic powder. Bake until lightly golden, then toss them in buffalo sauce. Finally, bake them again until the edges turn crisp.The finished veggie wings are served with ranch, blue cheese, or sour cream for dipping.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crispy without a fryer. The batter sets into a crisp shell in the oven, so these oven baked cauliflower wings need no hot oil and no pan to babysit.
- A vegetarian buffalo recipe that satisfies. Buffalo sauce and a cool dip bring the flavor people expect from wing recipes. That makes these vegetarian cauliflower wings an easy choice for work potlucks or crowds with mixed diets.
- Simple pantry batter. Flour, milk, water, paprika, and garlic powder whisk together in one bowl, so this easy cauliflower wings recipe needs no special shopping.
- Easy to eat by hand. Each piece dunks straight into the dip, which puts these crispy cauliflower wings among the easiest cauliflower appetizer recipes for snack tables, parties, and casual dinners.
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Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower wings work best with large florets, because big pieces hold the batter and stay tender inside while the outside crisps. Small bits dry out before the coating browns.
- Flour, milk, and water: These make a smooth batter that clings in one even coat. Whisk until no lumps remain so the coating bakes up evenly.
- Paprika and garlic powder: The seasoning lives in the batter, so every floret is flavored before the sauce arrives. Salt and pepper go in generously, because cauliflower is mild and the batter dilutes the seasoning.
- Buffalo sauce: The sauce sets the heat, so pick a bottle at the spice level you want. A cayenne-based sauce such as Frank's gives classic flavor, and a hotter bottle turns the batch into spicy cauliflower wings. Picking the sauce is also the whole answer to how to make cauliflower hot wings at home.
How to Make Cauliflower Wings
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Whisk the batter. Whisk the flour, paprika, garlic powder, milk, and water in a medium bowl until a smooth batter forms, then season generously with salt and pepper.
Dunk the florets. Dip each floret into the batter, let the excess drip off, and set it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all of the florets.
Bake until golden. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the florets are lightly golden.
- Toss in buffalo sauce. Remove the florets from the oven and toss them with the buffalo sauce until coated.
- Bake again. Return the florets to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until they are nicely golden and crispy around the edges.
Serve. Serve with ranch, blue cheese, or sour cream for dipping.
Air Fryer Method
To air fry cauliflower wings, plan on about 25 minutes at 400° F and cook the cauliflower in batches. Air fried buffalo cauliflower uses the same batter and sauce as the oven version. However, these times follow common recipes for air fried cauliflower wings rather than this exact recipe. Air fryers also vary by model, so check the first batch early.
- Heat the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400° F and lightly grease the basket so the batter does not stick.
- Batter the florets. Make the batter and dip the florets as in the oven method, letting the excess drip off well, since loose batter drips through the basket.
- Air fry in batches. Arrange the florets in a single layer with space between them and air fry for about 20 minutes, turning halfway, until lightly golden. A crowded basket steams the coating instead of crisping it.
- Sauce and finish. Toss the florets with the buffalo sauce, return them to the basket, and air fry for about 5 minutes more, until the edges crisp.
That last round in the basket sets the sauce, which is the difference between soft florets and crispy air fryer cauliflower wings. Cut the florets smaller and check them sooner to make air fried cauliflower bites. Similarly, the same trick in the oven gives you baked buffalo cauliflower bites.
Flavor Variations
Like most buffalo cauliflower recipes, this one keeps the batter and double bake the same whatever sauce you choose, so one batch can go in several directions. Sweeter sauces brown faster than buffalo sauce, so check them a few minutes early during the second bake.
- BBQ cauliflower wings: Toss the baked florets in barbecue sauce instead of buffalo, or use a honey barbecue sauce for honey BBQ cauliflower wings with a stickier finish.
- Honey garlic cauliflower wings: A honey garlic sauce bakes into sticky cauliflower with a sweet, savory glaze.
- Sweet chili cauliflower wings: Bottled sweet chili sauce brings gentle heat with a tangy, sweet edge.
- Buffalo ranch cauliflower: Stir a little dry ranch seasoning into the buffalo sauce before tossing for a tangy, herby kick.
- Harissa cauliflower wings: A harissa-based sauce trades the cayenne tang for smoky, chile-forward heat.
- Buffalo and BBQ cauliflower bites: Split the batch and toss half in each sauce for a two-flavor platter.
Dips and Sides to Serve
Ranch is the classic partner for cauliflower wings with ranch dip, while blue cheese adds a sharper tang and sour cream keeps the heat of cauliflower hot wings in check. To mix your own, the Greek yogurt ranch in these yogurt-based marinades and dressings makes a ranch-style sauce for dipping, and a few more party dips and snack spreads let guests choose their own.
Celery and carrot sticks turn the platter into classic cauliflower wings with celery and dip. Because they eat well by hand, the wings also fit a table of game day appetizers and other vegetarian appetizers, including these Super Bowl food ideas. They also slot into a rotation of easy snack recipes and vegetarian snacks for movie nights.
With a mild sauce, this easy buffalo cauliflower is one of the friendlier cauliflower recipes for kids, and any leftovers make a quick buffalo cauliflower dinner tucked into a wrap or piled over greens.
Cauliflower Wings FAQs
Not as written, since the batter uses all-purpose flour. For gluten free cauliflower wings, a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose blend is the usual swap in a batter like this, though the coating can bake up slightly different. Check that the buffalo sauce is labeled gluten free too.
Not as written, because the batter is made with all-purpose flour. Low carb cauliflower wings and keto buffalo cauliflower usually skip the flour batter in favor of an almond flour coating, which bakes up with a different texture.
Not exactly. Cauliflower buffalo wings share the buffalo sauce, the crisp coating, and the cool dip that make classic wings appealing, with a mild, tender center in place of meat, which is why they work so well as vegetarian wings for mixed crowds.
It is not a copycat recipe, but it covers the same craving as Buffalo Wild Wings cauliflower wings: buffalo-sauced florets with ranch or blue cheese on the side. Making them at home means you choose the sauce and the heat level.
Fresh florets work best here, since frozen cauliflower releases water that keeps the batter from crisping. If frozen buffalo cauliflower is the plan, thaw the florets completely and pat them very dry before dipping.
The names overlap, but cauliflower wings are tossed in sauce and served with a dip, while cauliflower bites are often breaded and eaten with a sauce on the side. For a cornmeal-crusted cauliflower bites recipe, try these crispy cauliflower bites. If you are wondering what to make with cauliflower next, the teriyaki take in this collection of cauliflower recipes follows the same wing idea.
Baked cauliflower wings are crispest straight from the oven, so bake them shortly before serving. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them on a baking sheet in a 400° F oven until hot, because a microwave softens the coating. Freezing is not recommended, since the batter turns soft after thawing.
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Perfect Cauliflower "Wings"
Equipment
- 1 Rimmed baking sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head broken into large florets
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Dipping sauces of choice such as ranch blue cheese or sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, paprika, garlic powder, milk, and water until a smooth batter forms. Generously season the batter with salt and pepper.
- Dunk each cauliflower floret into the batter, allow the excess batter to drip, then transfer onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with all of the florets and then transfer to the preheated oven to bake until lightly golden, approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven and toss with the buffalo sauce. Return into the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower wings are nicely golden and crispy around the edges.
- Serve with dipping sauces of your choice.
- Enjoy!
