My Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are so easy and delicious! Just cauliflower florets coated in a crispy spiced crust served with hot buffalo sauce and a side of Vegan Blue Cheese Dip. Oh, hi there good lookin'. I know exactly what you got cookin', and I like it, I like it a lot. Hot dang these are good little dudes. I made sure of that for you by testing them three times, just to be sure, for testing purposes only, clearly.
There is just something about eating with your hands, sauciness dripping down your arm, flavour punching bar food deliciousness that I just NEED every now and then. The need is real. I love diving into a plate of ooey gooey nachos, snacking on crispy baked French fries, feasting on a giant BBQ pulled jackfruit sandwich, OMG getting so hungry, I just love it all.
Then this happened. And by this, I mean Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. Now I've had cauliflower wings or bites in various different ways, and they are delicious, but these crispy buffalo cauliflower wings just went from delicious all the way up to why am I not eating these every day, good. Yeah, I know, it makes me really excited too.
How did I make them so different, you ask? My super-secret (internet published) technique is that instead of just a simple flour batter, I went another step and coated them in a spice cornflake crust. The result: crispy (but not fried), spiced, addictive, buffalo sauce, must...not...eat...the entire plate. Can't resist!
Common Questions:
Can I freeze Buffalo Cauliflower Wings?
Yes, you can, Though, it takes a few steps. First, wait for them to cool and then place them on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Ensure they are not touching and then place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, take them off of the tray and place them in either a sealable freezer bag or an air-tight container and put back in the freezer.
What else can I serve with Buffalo Cauliflower Wings?
In addition to my Vegan Blue Cheese Dip you can serve them with celery sticks or carrot sticks or if you are looking for a dip other than blue cheese, check out my Creamy Garlic Dip here.
To Make Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings:
Add the corn flakes and spices to a food processor. Pulse several times until the corn flakes are broken down, but still have texture. This is where the crunch comes in so don't turn it to powder!
Take three large bowls:
In bowl 1: Add the all-purpose flour.
In bowl 2: Mix together the chia (or flax) and water.
In bowl 3: Add the cornflake mixture.
Now rinse your cauliflower florets so they are wet. Take a handful at a time and drop them in the flour and toss to coat.
Next drop them in the chia mixture and toss to coat.
Finally, toss them in the corn flake mixture.
Lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 t0 25 minutes until crispy and cooked all the way through. You can test doneness by piercing a floret with a knife to see if it's tender all the way through.
To Make the Buffalo Sauce:
Simply mix melted vegan butter with the hot sauce. You can pour the buffalo sauce directly on the cauliflower, but it will soften the crust. If you want to keep your Buffalo Cauliflower Wings super crispy, simply serve the buffalo sauce on the side and dip as you go.
My Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings pair perfectly with my Vegan Blue Cheese Dip.
These crispy buffalo cauliflower wings are...
- Crunchy on the outside
- tender on the inside
- flavor packed
- spicy
More delicious cauliflower recipes you might enjoy:
Vegan Butter Cauliflower
Everything Bagel Cauliflower SteakÂ
Maple Mustard Cauliflower Salad
Quick Roasted Cauliflower
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
Servings: (makes about 18 - 20 florets)
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Ingredients
Bowl 1:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, (or all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)
Bowl 2:
- 2 tablespoons ground chia or ground flax
- ¾ cup warm water
Bowl 3:
- 4 cups corn flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the rest:
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- ½ cup franks red hot, (or other similar hot sauce)
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter,, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grab three big bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, mix together the chia and water. For the third bowl, add the corn flakes, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse several times until broken down, but there is still some texture. Pour the corn flake mixture into the last bowl.
- Rinse your cauliflower florets so they are wet. Take a handful at a time and drop them in the flour and toss to coat. Next drop them in the chia mixture and toss to coat. Finally, toss them in the corn flake mixture. Spread them out on the parchment paper lined baking sheet so that they aren't touching. Repeat with all of the florets until you have used up all of your ingredients.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and crusty, and the cauliflower is tender all the way through. You can test doneness by piercing a floret with a knife to see if it's tender all the way through
- To make the buffalo sauce, simply mix the melted vegan butter with the hot sauce. You can pour the buffalo sauce directly on the cauliflower, but it will soften the crust. If you want to keep them super crispy, simply serve the buffalo sauce on the side and dip as you go.
Dae says
Delicious! I used these for a Hot Ones wing challenge and they were soooooo crispy! I might try with panko next time. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed Dae 🙂
kv says
i used flax meal slurry and honest to goodness this blew my mind! i wouldnt change a thing about the recipe its fabulous! thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo!! Very happy you loved it, kv.
Lindsay McKenzie says
I used the chia seeds and found it a bit difficult to work with -- they wouldn't quite stick to the cauliflower after the flour application. I did use whole chia seeds but I don't see this making much of a difference? I do love the crunch of the corn flakes, probably the best attempt I've had with cauliflower wings! I will try again with flaxseed sometime and see how that goes. The suggestion to pour the sauce on afterwards was spot on, they stayed nice and crispy that way!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Lindsay, whole chia seeds won't work the same way as ground. When ground chia seeds are mixed with water, they form a gooey glue-like substance which allows the cornflake mixture to stick. You can grind your own chia seeds by grinding them in a coffee grinder or high powdered blender. Hope that helps!
Tim says
Hi Sam,
I have made these a few times already and they are ridiculously awesome. I tried all sorts of different sauces and they were all a success.
I may have over cooked my last batch but on the bright side, my wife put them in a wrap and said they had the same texture as fish, alas ... fish tacos!!!! Go figure. You have great recipes Sam!!! Tried tested and true!!!
Sam Turnbull says
OOooooooh those sound awesome!!! So happy you are enjoying my recipes so much, Tim 🙂
Kerry says
I’m hoping to makes these this weekend, can I ask is the cauliflower hard after they have been in the oven, I know you mention they are tender but does that mean they have a hard bite or are they soft?
Sorry if I sound stupid
Kerry
Sam Turnbull says
They are cooked through and soft 🙂
Kerry says
That’s brilliant thanks Sam, I have saved loads of your recipes I look forward to making them. I will let you know how I get on x
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Shane says
Other than substituting in Bran Flakes (had no Corn Flakes), it was awesome! I will be making this again. Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Shane 🙂
John Ritz says
I ran the bake them twice experiment...it works. Baking this dish has a lot going for it, including the ability to deliver a couple dozen at once, and warm. But I must say these were nowhere near as good as the fried version can be. My first go at fried cauliflower bites, using a batter containing rice flower and vodka had the perfect combination of thin, crisp coating, and creamy interior. A second try of the fried method was a fail, as the cauliflower steamed after frying while sitting in a bowl as you fry in batches. Your method can be expected to yield more consistent results.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry you didn't enjoy more!
Katherine Gomez says
So I have tried quite a few Cauliflower wing recipes and they were tasty but would unfortunately still be somewhat soft or soggy. I decided to give this recipe a try and I am happy I did!! I did make some adjustments and used Panko breadcrumbs rather than cornflakes. I also used grounded flaxseed. This came out so crispy and fantastic though!!!! It was filled with a lot of flavor and 25 mins in the oven had the cauliflowers perfectly crisped yet tender on the inside. Thank you so much I will be trying this recipe again!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Katherine 🙂
Murielle says
With only half a teaspoon of salt, why is the sodium so high?
Sam Turnbull says
I imagine from the vegan butter and Franks Red Hot. Hope that helps!
Cindy Z says
This recipe is delicious! When I took cauliflower out of the oven, it did not look crispy, more like it needed oil to brown the breading. With that said, it didn’t matter at all! I added the hot sauce and butter to the cauliflower and coated it all. This mixed so well with the cooked cauliflower. So easy and delicious—I highly recommend.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Cindy!
Devon says
This was my first recipe I tried from your site and my family loved it so much (not all are Vegan) that we had it three times that week and took it to share at a friends! Love Love Love it. some liked to dip and some liked it coated in the franks hot sauce with butter. I would recommend it to all.
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! So happy you love the recipe so much, Devon 🙂
Kamara says
After reading these comments I went out and got cauliflower and corn flakes. I'd been wanting to try it for a while but the comments here sold me. Ran to the store right before they closed. Omg how could they look tasty before you even cook them?! We had some with buffalo and some with BBQ. Even had my non-cauliflower eating family eating it by the handfuls. I did end up mixing my chia/water with my flour out of laziness lol.
Casey says
Please be cautious when enjoying more than one serving of This particular recipe as It is EXTREMELY HIGH in Its Sodium content. Not Heart Healthy, just because It is Vegan.
Best to enjoy as an occasional snack in moderation with the other more conscientious recipes provided by Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed them so much, Kamara 🙂
Brittany says
Just made these tonight, I’ve been trying to eat a more plant based diet and these looked good. They were delicious and crispy, just what I was looking for! I also tried with some bbq, still good! Thanks a bunch
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed!!
Mina says
This is BY FAR the BEST vegan cauliflower chicken recipe I have ever had. It's amazingly crispy - even AFTER adding the sauce! My entire non-vegan family loved them and said they tasted like chicken to them. They were nice and soft on the inside and perfectly crunchy on the outside. I've tried hot for food's recipe and find this one superior to ANY cauliflower chicken recipe I've ever tried. Would definitely recommend!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's so wonderful!!! So thrilled you love them so much, Mina!!! Thanks for the great comment 🙂
Patricia says
Made these tonight ....they were absolutely delicious! Thank you for the revipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you enjoyed them, Patricia!
Nubia says
Hi:) if I don’t have a food processor what can use instead?
Sam Turnbull says
You could try it in a blender. Enjoy!
Steph says
You can use a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin or a wine bottle to crush everything up.
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea!
Tracey Koivunen says
Hi there! I am going to try these. Would Panko breadcrumbs work, instead of the cornflakes?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yep, they should work. Enjoy!
Jordi says
My meat loving husband loves buffalo cauliflower "wings"! I usually just bake the cauliflower without a crust, but making them crispy would take it to a whole nother level! So glad I stumbled upon your site. Will definitely be trying a ton of these recipes!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy the recipes you try, Jordi 🙂
cynthia g goodman says
can you make these ahead and freeze to serve later?
Sam Turnbull says
No, these wouldn't freeze well I'm afraid.
Candace says
Amazing! I’ve made this recipe many time now and I just can’t get enough. Super good!!! Thank you!! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! Thrilled you enjoy it so much, Candace 🙂
Michael says
I think it's cute that you think this is 4 servings..... : )
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! Awesome 🙂
Lisa says
We are very new to plant based/vegan eating. You have been such an inspiration and have such yummy recipes!! My hubby has previously hated cauliflower and loved chicken wings. We made this for supper tonight and he said it tasted just like chicken wings. This was very easy to make and so delicious!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! That's wonderful. Thrilled you and your hubby enjoyed it so much, Lisa 🙂