Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Published 12/2/2019 • Updated 6/29/2023
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Got a head of cauliflower? Make these amazing, healthy cauliflower buffalo wings with just a few simple ingredients for the big game. These healthy cauliflower buffalo wings are especially delicious, dipped in a homemade healthy blue cheese dip.
My favorite part of game-day is the FOOD. Guess what, game day doesn’t have to be full of fried food (even though sometimes a fried cheese curd is the best!). We have so many healthy game day recipes on our site that will awe any football fan!
My go-to game day recipes are our healthy chili cheese dip, our bbq crockpot chicken wings, and now these amazing buffalo cauliflower wings!
why we love these cauliflower buffalo wings
- If you’re a classic buffalo wings kind of person, then this is your recipe!
- They’re vegetarian-friendly!
- They’re made with good-for-you ingredients and 100% guilt-free.
- They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free.
- This recipe takes only 35 minutes to make, making it the perfect quick appetizer or side dish.
Don’t think for a second that these cauliflower buffalo wings look intimidating to make because they’re not! They only require a few steps and… they’re baked not fried!
Featured Comment
“Such a good recipe – we’ve made this several times in the last couple weeks for a late night snack or to accompany another dish for a meal. I can’t wait to make again and try it in a buffalo cauliflower taco or salad… Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!” – Emma
What You Need to Make Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
- Cauliflower florets: you can either buy pre-cut cauliflower florets or grab a head of cauliflower and cut it into florets.
- Almond meal: this is your coating for the wings. We opted not to use panko bread crumbs as they didn’t stick to the wings very well and they didn’t crisp up as much as we’d like.
- Spices: we used a blend of garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Buffalo sauce: we used a mixture of Frank’s hot sauce and maple syrup to make the sauce.
- Blue cheese dip: our healthy dip contains a combination of non-fat plain greek yogurt, blue cheese crumbles, lemon juice, and salt.
How to Make Baked Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
- Chop Cauliflower: bite-sized is the right size!
- Egg Wash: You’ll need to crack a few eggs to create an egg wash so that you can toss the cauliflower wings in it so that the rub sticks.
- Rub: Speaking of rub, we used an almond meal base for the rub, along with some delicious, smokey spices, in order to amp up the flavor.
- Bake: Once all of your cauliflower wings are fully coated, it’s time to bake! Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes. I wouldn’t go any cooler than 400ºF. The hotter and faster, the better.
- Buffalo Sauce: Now, t’s time to make your buffalo sauce. This is a buffalo cauliflower recipe after all. Franks and maple syrup make up this healthier buffalo sauce.
- Toss: Once your cauliflower buffalo wings are done baking, it’s time to toss in the sauce. Easy peasy!
Air Fryer Instructions
- Prep the cauliflower as directed in the recipe.
- Prep your air fryer basket by lining it with parchment paper so the wings don’t stick.
- Air fry cauliflower wings at 370ºF (or 375ºF depending on the air fryer) for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through. You’ll know your wings are done when they begin to brown and crisp up.
Tips for Making Cauliflower Buffalo Wings in the Air Fryer
- Cut it Up: For perfect bite-sized wings, chop your cauliflower into smaller florets. You can even remove the stems for a more “wing-like” look.
- Double Dip: Get those florets evenly coated! Dip them in the egg wash first, then give them a good dredge in the almond flour mixture.
- Batch Them: Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket! Cook your cauliflower wings in single layer batches, making sure they have some space between them (they’ll shrink a bit as they cook).
- Shake it Off: Give your cauliflower wings a good shake halfway through cooking (around the 6-minute mark). Just take the basket out and toss them around for even browning.
- Crispy Perfection: Since air fryers can vary, keep an eye on your cauliflower. Cook them until they’re golden brown and crispy – that’s the sweet spot!
caramelize your buffalo cauliflower wings
Once your air-fried cauliflower is nice and crispy, toss it in that delicious buffalo sauce! Now you’re ready to dig in. But wait, for an extra kick of caramelized, sticky goodness, you can spread the wings out on a baking sheet and broil them for 2-4 minutes. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
Homemade Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dip
What’s a wing without a dip? We made our own blue cheese dip, and let me tell you, it’s effing good. You only need a few basic ingredients for that, too! If you’re not a blue cheese kind of person, don’t worry; we also have a homemade healthy ranch recipe HERE. Here’s what you need:
- Greek yogurt
- blue cheese crumbles
- lemon juice
- salt
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
We do NOT recommend using frozen cauliflower. Frozen cauliflower tends to have added moisture and you can end up with mushy cauliflower.
How do I store leftover cauliflower buffalo wings?
Store leftover cauliflower buffalo wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To crisp them back up again, just pop them in the air fryer at 370ºF for a couple of minutes until they’re crispy again. Don’t forget to flip halfway through!
What to Serve With Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Want to keep things simple? Serve up your cauliflower wings with some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and dipping sauces!
Need a boost of protein? Pair them with some protein like Whipped Cottage Cheese Buffalo Chicken Dip, Air Fryer Chicken Wings, or Air Fryer Firecracker Shrimp!
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
- 4 cups cauliflower florets, ~1 medium head
- 1 cup superfine almond meal
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
For the Buffalo Sauce
- 1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the Blue Cheese Sauce
- 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
- Prep cauliflower, but cutting into “wing-sized” pieces. Set aside.
- Make rub my mixing together almond flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Transfer into a gallon-sized bag.
- Then, crack 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk.
- Dip cauliflower into the egg mixture and thoroughly coat. Then transfer into gallon-sized bag. Repeat with all pieces of cauliflower.
- Shake bag so that the cauliflower gets coated with rub.
- Transfer cauliflower onto baking sheet and spread out evenly. Spray cauliflower with olive oil cooking spray or alternatively drizzle on some olive oil.
- Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes. Remove and flip cauliflower. Bake for 10 more minutes.
- While cauliflower is baking, prepare buffalo sauce. Mix together Franks and maple syrup.
- When cauliflower is done baking, toss in buffalo sauce, making sure all pieces are coated.
- Place cauliflower back on baking sheet and then bake at 400ºF for 3-5 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Prepare blue cheese sauce, by mixing together all ingredients.
- Enjoy!
Tips & Notes
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These were really good! loved them! I used regular almond flour and didn’t add anything to the sauce, just tossed them in plain Franks Buffalo sauce. Will be making these again!
Just made these for the second time…so yummy, thank you for the recipe! I’m amazed at how they cook up so crispy and delicious. Yay cauliflower!
Yas to cauliflower!
Just made these and they came out soggy ? Any advice on how to avoid this?
I made these tonight! Hubbie and I loved them. We ditched the maple syrup… we went for more fat instead of sugar: Buffalo sauce, coconut oil and ghee (as suggested above) did the trick.
Thanks so much for the share.
Hi!I’ve been following your websife for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go
agead and give you a shout out from Huffman Tx!
Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!
What can we use besides almond meal? I have a nut allergy. Thank you!
You can sub any kind of flour!
I don’t eat much chicken, so this recipe is right up my alley!
I can’t wait to make these! If you didn’t want to use almond meal, is there a replacement? It’s not something that I normally use but I know it’s easy to find, so just curious.
Following too
It never fails to amaze me the kinds of things cauliflower can be used for. First it was pizza crust, and now this? It sounds so weird too (buffalo cauliflower wings) but I bet they taste great!
They are SO GOOOOOOD.
These look delicious! But since I’m from Upstate NY (near Buffalo), I would replace the maple syrup with a good quality butter for the hot sauce part. And then it is more authentic and sugar free too!
Ohhh that would be amazing flavor!