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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Delicious! Just as good left over. Love the protein boost from the eggs and almond flour! Only thing I will do differently next time is have two bags for dry ingredients and add the dry to the bag shaking the egg-washed cauliflower in little by little. About 3/4 of the way through, our dry bag was clumpy and wet with the egg wash and it wouldn’t stick. This could be because we doubled the recipe. These are amazing and this recipe is a keeper.
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!!!
So glad you guys love these cauli wings!
Just made these (I skipped adding the sauce and extra heating because I prefer dry rub wings and dipping them in sauce) and they were absolutely delicious! I was nervous I was gonna hate the texture of cauliflower but it honestly just reminds me of super tender chicken. I actually like it more than regular chicken wings and feel confident in trying more vegetarian meals now! thank you for sharing!!
Glad you loved this recipe!
I don’t have almond meal! I have almond flour or whole wheat flour, do you recommend?
These are a staple recipe at our house! We recently bought an air fryer and tried them in it tonight. 😍😍😍 AMAZING!!!!
Second time I’ve made these and they are yet again so amazing I had to post a review! I really love the maple syrup addition to the sauce, it tones down the heat a bit and I like that it has that hint of maple. These are easy and delicious to make, definitely a stable recipe in my kitchen now!
YAY! Glad you loved these <3
I had my doubts, but this is actually SUPER GOOD. Thanks!!
I expected these to be crunchy on the outside, and they were until I coated them with the buffalo sauce, then they became very soggy / mushy even after putting them back in the oven for 5 min. Did I do something wrong or are these in fact mushy?
I wouldn’t say they are super mushy or crunchy. Typically any kind of wing is fried and since these are healthier, we baked them instead! My suggestion is to get them as crispy as you can before coating them! You can even try to broil them for a few minutes before coating them.
I have tried a recipe for cauliflower wings that you dip the florets in a batter and bake it. I didnt like that at all as it made it very mushy and not very “wing like”. This recipe made the texture a little more similar to actual wings. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I made a few tweaks regarding Ingredients but all in all would rate this recipe a 10 of 10. It was delicious!
YAY! So glad you loved this recipe <3
I was skeptical being that this is baked, made with almond meal and had maple syrup swapped for the butter in the buffalo sauce but it was fantastic! Unbelievable and crispy! I used a Nutribullet to grind whole roasted almonds and followed the recipe directions. I’d definitely make it again. It was filling and definitely healthier than your traditional buffalo wings.
YAY!!! Such a fun recipe, isn’t it?!
hi, i’m transitioning to veganism. what do you suggest i use in replace of the egg? thanks