These crispy Cauliflower Wings are tossed in buffalo sauce and served with an easy vegan ranch dipping sauce. They’re the ultimate game day snack you won’t be able to resist!
Treat yourself to more addictive cauliflower wings, like these BBQ Cauliflower Wings, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Sticky Sesame Cauliflower, and Orange Cauliflower.
Whether you need a crowd-pleasing appetizer or an exciting dinner, Cauliflower Wings are the right choice! Cauliflower florets are breaded and baked until crispy, then tossed in spicy buffalo sauce and served with vegan ranch dressing on the side. They go fast, so plan on making extras if you want a plate all to yourself!
Why I love these buffalo cauliflower wings
- Tender, meaty, and crunchy: Vegan cauliflower wings aren’t pretending to be chicken but their meaty texture and addictive flavor make them irresistible!
- Baked, not fried: Baking is a hands-off method that yields crispy-on-the-outside, meaty-on-the-inside wings every time. No messy or heavy deep fryer oil needed. If you want to make deep fried cauliflower wings, try this recipe: Buffalo Fried Cauliflower.
- A snack you’ll look forward to: Buffalo cauliflower wings are completely delicious. Snack on them with the easy vegan ranch dip during the big game, add them to Buddha bowls for a punch of spice, or enjoy them as a fun topping on mac and cheese.
How to make cauliflower wings
Whisk the water, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl and toss to coat.
One by one, tap the excess batter off of the florets and lay them on a baking sheet.
Spray the tops with cooking spray so they get super crispy.
Pro tip: Leave about 1 inch of space in between each cauliflower wing on the baking tray. This prevents them from getting stuck together and encourages the breading to crisp up.
To make the vegan buffalo sauce, melt the vegan butter in a saucepan, then stir in the hot sauce and maple syrup/agave. Set it aside until the cauliflower is done baking.
Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes, then flip the pieces. Continue baking until the breading is golden.
Toss the vegan cauliflower bites in the buffalo sauce, then return them to the baking sheet.
You can either bake the buffalo sauce-coated wings once more to make them crispy or serve them right away with vegan ranch dressing on the side.
Cauliflower Wings Variations
- Extra crunchy wings – After tossing them in the batter, roll the florets in 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add a light and airy crunch to the otherwise tender and flavor-packed bites. Also, consider leaving the buffalo sauce on the side for dipping. The less sauce that’s on the breaded cauliflower, the crispier they’ll become.
- Instead of buffalo sauce – Toss the florets in another wing sauce you like, such as teriyaki, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, bang bang sauce, or sesame sauce.
- Gluten free – Make the breading with gluten free all purpose flour or almond flour instead.
- Frozen cauliflower – You can use frozen cauliflower florets but make sure they’re thawed completely before tossing them in the batter. Also, pat them dry with paper towels after thawing to help the batter stick.
- Serve with a spread of dipping sauces – You can serve the baked cauliflower bites with the simple vegan ranch dipping sauce included in the recipe card or this cashew based Vegan Ranch, as well as my Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing, Barbecue Sauce, and Chipotle Sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Classic buffalo chicken wing sauce is not vegan-friendly because it’s made with butter. It is, however, easy to make vegan! All you need to do is substitute vegan butter for the regular butter.
Your mouth won’t be set on fire but the buffalo cauliflower wings do have a moderate amount of heat. Stirring melted vegan butter into the buffalo sauce does tone down the heat slightly, but if it’s still too spicy for you, leave the sauce on the side or swap it for any of the sauces I listed in the Variations.
Yes! After they’re battered, lay the florets in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 350ºF for 15 to 25 minutes. Toss them in the hot sauce before serving.
Air frying does yield crispy cauliflower wings but it takes longer because you need to cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding. If the wings are touching each other, they’ll turn out soggy.
Creamy dipping sauce and cut vegetables are a must. For the best experience, serve the wings with the simple vegan ranch in the recipe card, my Cashew Ranch Dressing, or Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing, as well as celery and carrot sticks on the side. These all do a great job of toning down the spicy kick of the buffalo sauce.
Want to make it a meal? Serve the wings with vegan pizza, Caesar salad, or burgers as a fun side dish for family dinners, or pair them with vegan jalapeno poppers and vegan chili on game day.
The bites are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but you could store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat leftovers in the oven or, better yet, an air fryer until crispy, about 10 minutes.
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 5 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave
Easy Vegan Ranch
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- tiny pinch of paprika
- tiny pinch of black pepper
- salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk, or even water, to thin as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray generously with oil.
- Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, add water, flour, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the cauliflower to the batter in the bowl, and toss to combine and really coat the cauliflower. Remove the pieces of cauliflower, one by one, and tap off the excess batter a few times on the side of the bowl.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other, or they will all get stuck together as they bake. Spray the tops with oil, this will help them get super crispy.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden and crispy.
- While the cauliflower are baking, prepare the hot sauce/butter mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once melted, add the hot sauce, maple syrup or agave and stir. Set aside.
- Once the cauliflower have cooked and are crispy, toss the florets with the sauce in a large bowl, then return to the pan. You can serve them immediately, or to make them crispier, put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. If you want them super crispy, leave the buffalo sauce on the side for dipping as you go.
- Serve with easy vegan ranch (recipe included), my cashew based vegan ranch or vegan blue cheese.
For the Easy Vegan Ranch
- Add all the ranch ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Taste and add salt, if desired, or more herbs. That's it! Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- I find all purpose flour yields the best flavor and texture here, but it also works with almond flour, white whole wheat flour or a gluten free all purpose flour.
- Gluten free: Use a gluten free flour or almond flour, and skip the breadcrumbs.
- Oil free: Skip the vegan butter and don’t spray with oil.
- Breadcrumbs: To make them extra-crispy, roll the cauliflower in panko breadcrumbs (you will need about 1 1/2 cups) once they are coated in the flour/milk mixture. Then bake per the instructions.
- Frozen cauliflower: Fresh is better, but frozen will work. Make sure to thaw and then pat dry before using.
OMG this recipe is amazinggggg! With the vegan ranch, WOW!!!!! Packed with flavor. Its spicy, but if you love Buffalo wings, this recipe is a keeper!!!!
Thanks so much!
I just found this recipe and have made it 3 times in as many weeks including as a Thanksgiving appetizer. They are AWESOME. Even my husband who was hesitant and really misses meat loved them!
I love to hear that!
Delish! 🙂
Thanks!
I made it kinda a hurry and doubled it so a lot of the cauliflower had excess batter and was touching so it formed a bit of a skin on the pan but it was still super good!I did it the fast slacker way so next time may try following the prep instructions but dang it was delicious. . I used the almost gone remnants of Cassava and Almond flour and corn meal. I will definitely make again.
it is really good!
Thanks!
Crispy, delicious, easy. I have finally found the perfect cauliflower wing recipe
Thank you!
This is the third time I’ve made these and even my carnivore teenager loves them. Thanks Nora.
Thanks!
Made this for lunch. Followed the recipe exactly, did opt to use panko breadcrumbs. The recipe was easy and the cauliflower turned out crispy and delicious. I prefer to just dip the cauliflower into the hot sauce to maintain the crispiness then I dip into the ranch! Definitely recommend. I did not however make the ranch but will try next time. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome!
The best cauli wings I have made. The crust is perfect. No reason to try anymore new wing recipes, she’s the one!! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I live in Europe, any advice to substitute the hot sauce? 🙂
Let’s see, I’m not familiar with what kinds of hot sauces you have over there, but your favorite hot sauce should do the trick! 🙂 You can pick one that is more mild and not too spicy, depending on your preferences. Hope that helps!
Positively delicious!! Followed the recipe exactly, including using Frank’s Red Hot sauce and Nora’s ranch dressing recipe. Yum!! Next time I want to try the bleu cheese dressing. Thanks for another fun, easy, scrumptious recipe!
You’re welcome!
Oh my gosh!! This is literally the best use of a cauliflower I’ve ever had. They came out so crispy and delicious, slightly sweet because if the roasting and lovely and soft inside. Soooo tasty, this will be my go to when I fancy something that feels a bit naughty but is pretty darn healthy!! Thanks so much for the recipe DELICIOUS!
You’re welcome!
Delicious recipe! As is, no substitutions, just perfect on the first try. We paired it with your vegan ranch dressing and it was the bomb!
Sooooo delicious and easy to make! I used store bought vegan ranch 😉
Both my wife AND my toddler loved these. I made some with less spicy BBQ sauce for the little one. I’m sort of inept at cooking and I found the directions easy. I gotta get some parchment paper or that silicone deal because these stuck to my aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil. Delicious. Will make these again.
I’m so glad you and your wife and toddler enjoyed these! That is wonderful.
I made these today four ways using two different recipes. This recipe was by far the best in texture-just like eating boneless chicken bites! I’m hosting a friend who’s vegan and always wanted to try making these. I used GF flour (Bob’s 1-1 baking flour) and oil instead of butter. The close second was also using this recipe but adding a GF crispy batter mix which added another layer of flavour but affected the texture. The original recipe is the easiest and they are still great once cooled to room temp. Save yourself some time and try this recipe if you’re looking for something actually similar to wings. Enjoy! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Gonna try it now
OMG, this is the second time I made these and first time with this recipe. This is the one I’ll keep. I used Louisana’s Original Hot Sauce and everyone is sprawled out on the floor from the heat. I added a 1/2 cup of panko to see if it changed the texture. You could go either way and not notice it. Thank you Nora!
Thanks so much, I’m glad to hear it!
Do you think I could do the same recipe, only using BBQ sauce instead of Buffalo sauce?
Yes, you could.
I made this for the first time today and I absolutely LOVED it and will be making this again. I think I will buy a silicone sheet for next time so it doesn’t stick as much. No complaints…just a cooking adjustment to make sure more of the good stuff stays on the cauliflower. 😉
I’m so glad you loved them!!
I have made these for many family/friend gatherings and meat eaters always ask me for the recipe. First, I make them at home. Then, I crisp them up with my air fryer once I get to my destination. I highly recommend serving with Nora’s vegan blue cheese dressing (so freakin good!) as well as the ranch.
That’s so great to hear!! Thanks for the comment!
Delicious ?
Thanks!!
Hi,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out. I recently stopped eating meats. I’m going to make this for my family tonight.
That’s great! Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for the excellent new favorite ? I’ve been Vegan for two years and have missed Buffalo wings… not any longer. Everything about the wings and the Ranch to dip was PERFECTION!!! XOXO
This was the best cauliflower will nfs recipe ever. My husband used the word “phenomenal”. Highly recommend it and I will be making it again soon.
Thank you, Nora!
You’re welcome!
Hello Laura, thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I need to serve these up to my omni friends as I know they’ll be blown away as well. These are so delicious and very filling. Take care:)