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Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (Baked or Air Fried) 

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

March 20, 2025

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5 from 20 votes

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Buffalo cauliflower bites pinterest image.
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Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are crispy, spicy & amazingly delicious! Enjoy these healthy vegetarian buffalo wings with homemade blue cheese dressing or ranch dip.

Buffalo cauliflower bites on plate with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing.

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Buffalo cauliflower bite dipping into blue cheese dressing.

I’m of the firm belief that anything buffalo flavored makes a perfect party snack or game day treat. I’m also of the belief that I can eat buffalo sauce any day, everyday. That’s why I’m always on the hunt for healthier ways to incorporate buffalo wings into my diet. Like these Buffalo Tofu Bites or this Buffalo Chicken Chili. 

I’d definitely consider myself a Buffalo wing purist (more on that here). And while these cauliflower wings would never (ahem) fly in Western NY, today cauliflower is the star of the show. 

Table of Contents

  • Ingredient notes
  • How to make them
  • Recipe tips
  • How to make them more or less spicy
  • How to make vegan buffalo cauliflower bites
  • What to serve with buffalo cauliflower
  • Full Recipe

Why you’ll love this recipe

These buffalo cauliflower bites are crispy and delicious and they can be made in the oven or air fryer. Plus, you can make these buffalo “wings” mild, medium or hot depending on your personal preference. You can also make vegan buffalo cauliflower bites (see directions below).

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for buffalo cauliflower bites labeled on counter.
  • Cauliflower – Cut into florets that are bite sized. For the best results, aim to make all your pieces uniform in size.
  • Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – This is my go-to for authentic tasting buffalo wing flavor.
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Spices – Paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
  • Butter
  • Worcestershire Sauce – This is optional.
  • Tabasco Sauce – Adds a little extra heat. This is optional. See more tips below on how to make your cauliflower wings more or less spicy.
  • Blue Cheese Dressing – For serving. I love this homemade version. Or, swap it for some homemade ranch dressing or jalapeno ranch.

How to make them

Step 1: Make the batter. Combine flour, milk, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stir until combined. If you want your wings extra hot, feel free to add in a pinch of cayenne too. 

Cauliflower florets in bowl.
Ingredients for buffalo cauliflower bites on counter.
Batter for cauliflower bites in bowl.

Step 2: Coat the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl of batter and toss them well to coat. 

Step 3: Bake the cauliflower. Bake at 450-degrees F for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy.

Battered cauliflower bites on baking sheet before baking.
Battered cauliflower bites on baking sheet after baking.

Step 4: Make the buffalo sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove pan from the heat to prevent the sauce from breaking. Whisk in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, Worcestershire and Tabasco until smooth and well combined. 

Step 5: Drizzle with sauce. Drizzle cooked cauliflower with buffalo sauce and toss gently to coat. 

Close up of cauliflower bites on baking sheet coated in buffalo sauce.

Oven method

  • Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Air fryer method

  •  Air fry for 20 minutes at 390 degrees, flipping halfway through.

Recipe tips

  • Cut the florets into large, similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate. If your pieces are too small, they may become mushy. 
  • DO NOT crowd the baking sheet or air fryer basket. If you crowd it, the cauliflower bites steam themselves instead of crisping up. They need room for the air to circulate around them. 
  • If the bites aren’t crispy enough, try placing them under the broiler for a couple minutes. 
  • These are best served straight out of the oven. The longer they sit, the more soggy they will become. 
Baked buffalo cauliflower bites on baking sheet drizzled with blue cheese.
cropped-pin-buffalo-cauliflower-bites-2.jpg

How to make them more or less spicy

  • Mild: Use 4-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 4 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
  • Medium: Use 6-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 3 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
  • Hot: Use 7-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

How to make vegan buffalo cauliflower bites

  • To make these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites vegan, replace the butter with a vegan butter substitute and replace the Worcestershire sauce with a vegan Worcestershire sauce (Annie’s makes a good one). For the batter, replace the milk with a plant based milk or use water. 

What to serve with buffalo cauliflower

  • I like to serve these healthy buffalo bites the same way I would serve wings – alongside some carrot & celery sticks and blue cheese or homemade ranch dressing, or healthy ranch dip. 
  • MORE → 35+ BEST sides for buffalo wings.
Buffalo cauliflower bite dipping into blue cheese dressing.

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Buffalo cauliflower bites on plate with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing.

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Buffalo cauliflower bites on plate with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Full Recipe

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are crispy, spicy & amazingly delicious! Enjoy these healthy vegetarian buffalo wings with homemade blue cheese or ranch dip. With directions for the oven or air fryer.
5 from 20 votes
Print Pin
Serves 4 people
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup flour
  • ¾ cup milk (or water for vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large head cauliflower (cut into florets)
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter (use dairy free butter for vegan)
  • ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • Dash Worcestershire Sauce (optional – omit for vegan)
  • Dash Tabasco Sauce (optional)
  • Blue cheese dressing (for serving)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, milk, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stir until combined.
  • Place the cauliflower pieces in the batter and toss well to coat. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Oven Method

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (or microwave in a small bowl). Remove pan from heat to prevent sauce from separating. Whisk in Frank's, Worcestershire and Tabasco until smooth and well combined.
  • Remove cauliflower from oven and toss with buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Return to baking sheet and bake 5 minutes longer. Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch.

Air Fryer Method

  • Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees.
  • Cook in a single layer (you will need to work in batches) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (or microwave in a small bowl). Remove pan from heat to prevent sauce from separating. Whisk in Frank's, Worcestershire and Tabasco until smooth and well combined.
  • Remove cauliflower from air fryer and toss with buffalo sauce in a large bowl. Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch.

Notes

Recipe tips
  • Cut the florets into large, similar sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate. If your pieces are too small, they may become mushy. 
  • DO NOT crowd the baking sheet or air fryer basket. If you crowd it, the cauliflower bites steam themselves instead of crisping up. They need room for the air to circulate around them. 
  • If the bites aren’t crispy enough, try placing them under the broiler for a couple minutes. 
  • These are best served straight out of the oven. The longer they sit, the more soggy they will become. 
How to make them more or less spicy
  • Mild: Use 4-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 4 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
  • Medium: Use 6-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 3 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
  • Hot: Use 7-ounces Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1809mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 583IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

This recipe was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2024 to add new photographs. The buffalo cauliflower bites recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

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5 from 20 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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11 responses

  1. Marlynn
    March 16, 2020

    5 stars
    Yum! These are the perfect afternoon snack for me! Definitely healthier than a bag of chips, and filling enough to last me to dinner – and then I can have more for dinner too 🙂

    Reply
    1. Melissa
      January 12, 2021

      These were perfect for an at home tailgate party! Made in the air fryer at 395 for 20 minutes, flipping at 10 minutes. I am sure they would have been good at 390, I just like my food very crispy. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
  2. De Reiger
    March 24, 2020

    5 stars
    Great post,thank you for sharing this to us.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      March 24, 2020

      You are welcome!

      Reply
  3. Trotter
    April 7, 2020

    Wow, this recipe looks amazing!! I bet it tastes great too. I can’t believe that you can do the whole thing in the air fryer, wow, that is so easy! Cheers for sharing

    Reply
    1. Erin
      April 9, 2020

      You’re welcome – enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Ana
    May 19, 2020

    Good recipe taste wise, but this DOES NOT work in the air fryer. The batter makes it too thick and then it sticks to the airfryer instead of the cauliflower. It is better to do these how most recipes are which is dipping in breadcrumbs for the crunch.

    Reply
  5. Katie
    August 3, 2020

    This recipe is great and it worked for me in the air fryer. I’ve made it multiple times.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      August 3, 2020

      I’m so happy to hear that Katie!

      Reply
  6. Sage
    August 14, 2021

    The “vegan” option with water was terrible! It looked ok going into the oven, but the coating ended up on the parchment with very little remaining on the cauliflower. Fortunately, I was able to save it with my buffalo sauce and dressing.

    Reply
  7. Ellen
    January 1, 2022

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. I use unsweetened plain almond milk instead of regular milk and they turn out great. I’ve only ever made these in the oven and find that I have to use aluminum foil and cooking spray to minimize the cauliflower sticking after the initial bake.

    Reply

Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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