Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

5 from 11 votes

Any day calls for these insanely easy Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites! Baked crispy cauliflower is coated in a spicy and tangy buffalo/BBQ sauce before serving with ranch (vegan-friendly or not).

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Keyword: baked, bbq, bites, buffalo, cauliflower, classic, crisp, dairy-free, dinner, easy, food, gluten-free, healthy, holiday, homemade, honey, indulge, lunch, natural, plant-based, recipe, savory, snack, southern, spicy, traditional, vegan, vegetarian, veggies, weeknight meals

Servings: servings

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

CAULIFLOWER WINGS:

1 head of Cauliflower, chopped in medium chunks
2 cups bread crumbs (You can make your own Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs)
1 cup corn flakes, crushed into very small pieces
½ cup organic all-purpose flour
1 cup Almond milk (You can use your favorite plant-based milk or whole milk!)
3 Tbsps BBQ sauce (For Vegan option, ensure it's Vegan-friendly; See Notes!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley

HOMEMADE BUFFALO SAUCE:

4 Tbsps unsalted butter
1 cup Frank's hot sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER WINGS:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. NOTE: Doing this step is a MUST to prevent sticking.
In a medium bowl, add the milk, flour, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, basil, and smoked paprika, and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
In ziplock bag, add the crushed corn flakes and breadcrumbs together and shake them together until well combined and blended.
Now, dip each cauliflower into batter (shaking off any excess) and then add it into the coating mixture within the ziplock bag, shaking everything together until cauliflower bite is well coated. Then lay each cauliflower side by side on the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat until all cauliflower are coated.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and “crunchy” looking. NOTE: If not crispy enough, turn on broil and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

TO MAKE THE BUFFALO SAUCE:

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk together until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and let everything simmer for another 2-3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 3 Tbsps of BBQ sauce.
Once cauliflowers are crisp, remove from oven and toss them in the sauce until fully coated. Sprinkle with your favorite garnish---parsley, etc., if desired.
To serve, add cauliflower wings/bites to a salad, tacos, atop pasta, as a topping on pizza, with quinoa or rice, or by themselves with Ranch dipping sauce.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Best if consumed within the same day. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in oven when ready to serve.
HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE: 15 oz. can of tomato sauce, ¾ cups water, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsps sriracha sauce, 2 tsps ground mustard, ⅓ cup agave syrup, 2 Tbsps pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat and whisk together until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and let everything simmer for about 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Once thickened enough to desired consistency, remove from heat and let cool. Set aside until ready to use or store remainder in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
BBQ SAUCE: If you choose to use a store-bought version, my favorite brand is Stubb’s BBQ Sauce.
HOMEMADE BREADCRUMBS: To make your own breadcrumbs, simply grind 1-2 cups of cubed bread into a food processor until finely chopped. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 5-6 minutes in the oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally. Once brown + crisp, remove from oven and let cool. Continue recipe steps and store remaining breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed container.
SWEETENER: For vegan option, you can always substitute honey with Agave or maple syrup.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To ensure that these bites are GF-friendly, ensure that you use GF breadcrumbs and flour as well as GF-friendly BBQ sauce, Buffalo sauce, etc.

Nutrition