Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are crispy, spicy & amazingly delicious! Enjoy these healthy vegetarian buffalo wings with homemade blue cheese dressing or ranch dip.
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
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More buffalo sauce recipes
More air fryer recipes
- MORE → 30+ Air Fryer Vegetarian Recipes
More game day snacks
More cauliflower recipes
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Full Recipe
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
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
- 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.
- 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
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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