Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Crispy baked cauliflower covered in a creamy, spicy sauce that will level-up any game day or party spread!
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 4 cups cauliflower florets about 1/2 head of a large cauliflower, or 1 small
Batter & Breading
- 1/2 cup flour use 1-1 gluten free substitute for gluten free
- ½ cup corn starch use arrowroot powder for gluten free
- 2 tbs baking powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (I use soy) see note*
- 1/3 cup hot sauce (I use Frank´s Red Hot)
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 cups panko bread crumbs
Buffalo Sauce
- 1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I use Frank´s Red Hot) see note for spice level*
- 3 tbs vegan butter
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tbs maple syrup can sub agave syrup which is slightly less sweet
- 2 tbs cornstarch (for cornstarch slurry)
- 2 tbs water (for cornstarch slurry)
- 1/2 cup natural plant-based yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F, 230°C
Cut the Cauliflower
- Cut off the cauliflower stem, then cut in half, and take a small knife and cut the cauliflower florets off of the stem so they stay in a floret shape.
Prepare the batter & breading
- In a shallow bowl or dish, mix together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black bepper and salt. Whisk together to thoroughly combine.
- To the same dish, add in the plant-based milk, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well to thoroughly combine with the dry ingredients.
- Add 1 cup of bread crumbs into another shallow dish.
Assemble the cauliflower florets
- Take each cauloflower floret and dunk it completely into the batter until it is fully covered, then toss it into the panko bread crumbs and use the other hand to cover it with the bread crumbs until covered on all sides (to prevent both hands from getting all wet!).
- Place on a baking tray that has been drizzled with olive oil or that is covered in baking paper. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower florets, but be sure to not overcrowd the baking sheet as you want the wings to get nice and crispy. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until crispy and slightly browned.
Make the Buffalo Sauce
- Make the cornstarch slurry: in a small cup or bowl, mix together 2tbs of cornstarch and 2tbs of water. Mix well. Before adding it to your buffalo sauce, give it a quick mix to make sure that it hasn´t solidified.
- Make the buffalo sauce: While the cauliflower wings are baking, take a small saucepan and add the hot sauce, vegan butter, garlic powder, maple syrup, and cornstarch slurry. Whisk together until the butter is melted, then add the vegan yogurt and whisk in until smooth.
Put it all together!
- Take the cauliflower wings out of the oven. They should be nice and browned and crispy. Next you can either dunk them into the buffalo sauce, pour the buffalo sauce all over them, dunk them all into the buffalo sauce so that they are completely drenched in the sauce.
Notes
*Plant-based milk: I would recommend using soy or almond milk for this as they tend to be thicker. Other milks such as oat may still work however they are thinner, so it would be best to start with slightly less and then add more if needed until getting to the desired consistency of a thick batter.
**Spice Level: The amount of hot sauce you use will depend on your preference. If you really like a lot of spice, I would recommend using 1/2 cup of hot sauce. If you are more sensitive to spice and would prefer a mild sauce (which is still super flavorful), I would recommend starting with 1/4 cup hot sauce and 1/4 cup water. You can always add more hot sauce if you prefer!