Buffalo cauliflower wings
This crispy, spicy, savory snack is hard to resist.
These delicious Buffalo Wings are made with six ingredients and can be served at barbecues, family dinners, weeknight meals, or game days.
Make a quick batch of this comfort food whenever you need something that will not leave you feeling heavy.
Buffalo cauliflower wings: Reasons for making them
1. They taste amazing!
Buffalo cauliflower wings have a good reason for their popularity. You wouldn’t expect meatless wings to be as tasty as they are!
After trying these wings, many meat-eaters asked me for the recipe. One carnivore friend, a natural meat eater, said he liked the cauliflower wings more than chicken wings.
He argues that the cauliflower buffalo bites are healthier, less greasy, and don’t make you feel as heavy as chicken wings.
2. The portion size has increased dramatically.
Each serving of cauliflower bites is only two Weight Watchers Points. The wings are under 300 calories and lower in fat than buffalo chicken. They also contain more fiber and are cholesterol-free.
I know parties are meant to be about eating comfort foods and not worrying about eating healthy. When I served these wings recently, people commented that they appreciated the healthy alternative to those pizzas, cookies, and potato chips.
3. This is a delicious recipe that anyone can enjoy.
Whole 30, Low carb, Weight Watchers, vegan, gluten-free, keto, Paleo…
You probably have at least one family member or friend on one of these diets. These oven-roasted healthy wings make an excellent appetizer to bring to any party.
This healthy snack is also bone-free, making it an excellent pet choice.
Best healthy buffalo cauliflower bites
I first had these buffalo cauliflower bits at a party to watch football.
I put down the tray and tested them to see how everyone reacted.
What happened?
One person tried them and said they were not good because there was no meat. Everyone else at the party ate the recipe in a flash.
No one was a vegetarian in this group!
The buffalo cauliflower bites were gone in a large batch by the evening, and there were multiple requests for the recipe.
Healthy Buffalo wings
Combine the ingredients: milk, almond or flour, garlic powder or hot sauce, raw cauliflower, and butter or oil spread.
If desired, add panko breadcrumbs to give it an extra crunch.
Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
Spray the oil spray on or toss in some coconut or vegetable oil for a healthy option.
Toss the cauliflower florets with flour and garlic powder in a large bowl or Ziploc bag until they are evenly coated.
Crush the breadcrumbs finely if you want to add a crunchy texture. Add the milk and breadcrumbs to the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower to coat.
Arrange them in one layer on the baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the florets for best results. For 25 minutes, bake on the center rack of your oven.
In the meantime, combine buffalo sauce with oil or butter melted in a dish. The fat in the sauce will help it adhere to the vegetables.
Dip each cauliflower floret into buffalo sauce. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Broil the dish for 3 to 5 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and optional carrot and celery sticks.
Vegan buffalo cauliflower wings
This recipe is vegan and plant-based as long as it uses your favorite non-dairy milk, such as almond and oil or dairy-free butter.
Use almond flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour to make gluten-free buffalo wings.
Low-carb keto wings
Use an almond meal instead of the flour in the recipe to make keto buffalo wings.
These cauliflower bites already have no sugar, making them a perfect paleo or keto appetizer. Even those who don’t like calorie-free sweeteners will enjoy these.
Chicken wings or cauliflower wings
These cauliflower buffalo wings are not like the real thing. Run away from any recipe or food blog that says cauliflower will taste like meat.
Cauliflower will never be meat. Buffalo cauliflower wings will never fool anyone into thinking they are chicken wings. The story is over.
These baked cauliflower wings, however, are tasty on their right. Since these are real wings, you don’t need to substitute them for the real deal.
These buffalo wings are a healthy snack for game day and taste great, dipped into vegan ranch dressing.
Some readers have had success using these methods. I haven’t. Report back to others on your experiments.
Even if you only want to try them to prove that you have, these plant-based wings are worth the effort. You might be surprised at how tasty they are.
Ingredients
1/2 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
Oil spray or oil
1/4 cup almond meal or flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp of milk of choice
Optional 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce
1 – 4 tablespoons of oil or butter
Instructions
Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Spray the florets or toss them with some oil. Place florets in a large Ziploc bag or large bowl. Mix the flour with the garlic powder and toss until well coated. Crush the breadcrumbs if you want to add crunch. Then, add the breadcrumbs and the milk. Toss the cauliflower to coat. Place the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack. Add the oil and butter or spread to the buffalo sauce. The fat in the butter spread helps the sauce stick to the cauliflower. Dip the cauliflower in the sauce. Bake for another 15 minutes. After this, I broil it for 5 minutes or so, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn. Serve with ranch dressing. Please rate the recipe if you try it!