These Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are perfect for game day snacks and appetizers, or any occasion! They’re crunchy and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with a sweet-and-spicy Buffalo sauce.

buffalo cauliflower wings on a plate

It’s that time of year (all year to be honest) where I profess my undying love for all things cauliflower. These cauliflower Buffalo wings have continued my love affair. While I will admit, there’s no shortage of vegan Buffalo wing recipes available on the internet, this one is a little different! It has a batter and panko coating for double the crispiness, and I add maple syrup to the Buffalo sauce for a little sweetness. Best Buffalo cauliflower wings EVER!

Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Recipe

  • Crispy, spicy wings, no chicken required. No real chicken required and no vegan chicken either! Using cauliflower is an easy swap to make Buffalo wings vegan.
  • Baked in the oven. If you’re lucky enough to find vegan Buffalo cauliflower at a restaurant, it’s usually deep-fried, which can be a hassle to do at home. This recipe is baked in the oven, which makes it simple!
  • Crowd-pleaser for a party. Make these for game day and watch them disappear. Even meat eaters will love cauliflower Buffalo wings!
Ingredients to make cauliflower wings in separate bowls on a marble surface with text labelling them

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • Cauliflower – If you use a large cauliflower, I recommend doubling the batter and sauce.
  • Hot sauce – Frank’s red hot sauce is the classic for Buffalo wings.
  • Vegan butter – Any vegan butter works, including this homemade vegan butter.
  • Maple syrup – Adding maple syrup balances the spiciness of the hot sauce and adds a lovely sweetness.
  • Flour and breadcrumbs – Regular or gluten free flour or breadcrumbs—the choice is up to you. 
  • Vegan milk – For the vegan milk, any kind will work. For a thick batter, might I suggest a creamier milk like soy milk or cashew milk? 

How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

step by step showing making of buffalo cauliflower wings
  • Prep the cauliflower. Remove the florets from the cauliflower and chop the them into smaller pieces to resemble the size of the wings.
  • Make the batter. In a bowl, whisk the flour, vegan milk and sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder to make the batter. Add more milk to thin, if needed.
  • Coat the cauliflower. In a separate bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl and the cauliflower (for a dredging station). Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture, using a spatula or spoon to coat them.
step by step showing cooked cauliflower wings being dipped in sauce and baked again
  • Add the breadcrumbs. Transfer the cauliflower to the breadcrumbs (you can do this in two or three batches) to coat completely.
  • Bake. Place the cauliflower onto the baking sheet, giving each wing space. Repeat until all of the wings are coated. Bake for 22 minutes. While wings are baking, whisk the sauce ingredients together.
  • Finish. Toss the wings in the sauce, then using tongs or a spoon, return them to the baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove, cool slightly and enjoy!
cauliflower wing dipped into a ranch dressing with celery on a plate

Tips for Success

  • Don’t cut them too small. When cutting the cauliflower off of the stem, don’t make them too small. Think: hand held wing-like pieces! You can even leave a bit of stem on at the end to hold on to.
  • Take a shortcut. You don’t have to dip each cauliflower wing in individually (like I used to in the past). Like in the video, you can just toss them all at once! It saves SO much time and energy (and you get to eat them faster).
  • Swap in frozen cauliflower. Although it isn’t recommended, it is possible to use frozen florets if it’s all you have/can find. To do this, the florets have to be completely thawed. To ensure that they are completely dry, bake them at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. Pat dry after removing, then proceed with the recipe!
  • Skip the cornstarch if needed. If you can’t have it, you can skip the cornstarch. But it does make the cauliflower extra crispy and crunchy by drawing out any excess liquid.
buffalo cauliflower wings on a plate with celery and ranch dip

Serving Suggestions

These cauliflower wings pair well with my vegan ranch dressing. It’s the perfect way to cool some of that sweet heat. The wings also go great with chopped veggies, such as celery or carrots.

How to Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: While cauliflower Buffalo wings are best eaten right away when crispy and warm, you can transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the cauliflower will be soggy.
  • Reheat: Warm your leftovers in a 425ºF oven until heated through, or use the microwave.

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buffalo cauliflower wings on a plate

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Servings: 30 wings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Buffalo cauliflower wings are the best vegan appetizer for game day! They're spicy and oven-baked to crispy perfection. Yum!
5 (from 48 ratings)
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Ingredients

Cauliflower Wings

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, (if using a large head, you may need to double the batter and sauce quantities)
  • ¾ cup flour, (all-purpose gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour)
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¾ cup vegan milk, (unsweetened) any kind works
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs , (gluten-free breadcrumbs works too) seasoned with sea salt and black pepper

Sauce

  • ½ cup vinegar based hot sauce, such as Franks hot sauce, or any kind
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

To Serve With: The Dip (Ranch Dressing)

Instructions 

Cauliflower Wings

  • Preheat oven to 450°F/230° C.
  • Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking sheet or greased foil (I highly recommend a silicone baking sheet).
  • Using a knife, remove florets from the cauliflower (aka cut off the leaves and don't use the most of the stems. You can leave a little piece on at the ends to hold on to). Chop the cauliflower into smaller pieces to resemble the size of the wings.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, vegan milk, sea salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder in a bowl to make the batter. If the batter is too thick, feel free to thin it out with some more milk and vice versa. In a separate bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Line it up beside the batter bowl.
  • Toss the cauliflower in the batter mixture (you can add them all at once), using a spatula or spoon to coat them all. Transfer them to the breadcrumbs (you can do this in two or three batches) to coat completely, then place onto the baking sheet, giving each wing enough space. Repeat until all of the wings are coated.
  • Bake for 22 minutes. Please ensure your oven is completely preheated and hot.
  • While baking, prepare the ingredients for the sauce by whisking together.
  • Remove from oven. Toss the wings in the sauce (I like to use a spatula to move them around to get properly coated) then using tongs or a spoon, remove and place back on the baking sheet. Bake for another 5 minutes for the sauce to soak into the wings.
  • Remove from oven and serve immediately with a cool vegan ranch dressing (cooling agent is essential!). Enjoy!

Sweet Buffalo Sauce

  • While the wings are baking, in a small pot over high heat, mix all the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, which helps to bring out more flavour notes of the ingredients. Remove from heat. Allow it to cool before putting it on the wings.
    Taste a little bit to decide if you need more sweetener to balance out the heat; if so, add a tablespoon at a time until your desired heat. Please note that especially depending on the hot sauce you use, these wings are HOT so take caution!

Notes

  • Refrigerator: While cauliflower Buffalo wings are best eaten right away when crispy and warm, you can transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the cauliflower will be soggy.
  • Reheat: Warm your leftovers in a 425ºF oven until heated through, or use the microwave.
Calories: 35kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 157mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 24IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Author: Jessica Hylton