Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Name: Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 medium head cauliflower (chopped into 1-inch florets); 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp buffalo sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot); 2 tbsp oil (like avocado or refined coconut oil); 1/2 cup almond flour; 1/2 tbsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp sea salt; dipping sauce of choice (I recommend ranch or bleu cheese)

by Hannah Magee, RD on Jan 29, 2020 (updated Feb 14, 2023) 2 comments »

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These Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings will impress vegetarians and meat-eaters alike! They make a great healthy, gluten-free and plant-based appetizer or snack.

These vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings make a great healthy, gluten-free and plant-based appetizer or snack. An easy alternative to chicken wings!

I’ve been a fan of buffalo wings since junior high school. Growing up, my dad owned an Applebee’s franchise so I was first introduced to them there. I loved the spicy buffalo kick paired with the cool ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Oh, and the crunchy celery sticks served with them!

These buffalo cauliflower wings are a great plant-based alternative to traditional buffalo chicken wings. They’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with the same spicy buffalo flavour. The bonus is that you’re eating your veggies when you eat these!

Benefits of Eating Cauliflower:

As a dietitian, of course I have to throw in some nutrition facts!

Cauliflower comes from the cruciferous vegetable family, along with veggies like broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts. It’s a good source of fibre, at 3 grams per cup. It’s also rich in vitamin C (1 cup = 85% Daily Value of vitamin C) and a source of magnesium, iron and calcium.

As we’ve learned in the last year or so, cauliflower is also incredibly versatile! You can process it finely into a “rice”, boil it and blend it into “mash” similar to potatoes, and now you can bake/air fry it, smother it in buffalo sauce and turn it into wings!

How to Make Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings:

Wash and chop a medium head of cauliflower into 1-inch florets. In a mixing bowl, whisk buffalo sauce with 2 tablespoons of oil. Then, in another large mixing bowl, pour the buffalo mixture over the cauliflower and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour and spices. For this recipe, we’ll use garlic powder and salt. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the buffalo-coated cauliflower and toss again to combine.

Now that the cauliflower is prepped and ready to cook, you can either bake it in the oven or fry it in an air fryer.

In the air fryer: In two separate batches, cook cauliflower in an air fryer at 350F for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, remove from fryer to toss. Place bake in the air fryer for another 5-7 minutes at 350F until crispy.

In the oven: Spread the cauliflower evenly onto 1-2 baking sheets (depending on the size). Bake it at 400F for 30 minutes, removing from the oven and tossing halfway through.

Once ready, serve with celery sticks and a ranch or bleu cheese dressing of your choice!

Other Recipes You’ll Love:

Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos

Healthy Kale and Artichoke Dip

Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe! Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram and don’t forget to snap a picture and tag me @hannahmagee_rd if when you make one of my recipes!