Buffalo Cauliflower
The perfect substitute for hot wings. If you’ve been searching for a healthy alternative to deep fried snacks look no further. These spicy buffalo cauliflower nuggets will be the hit of your game day parties and casual get-togethers. With a fiery crust and hot, savory inside, these little oven-roasted bites are simply irresistible.
Not a fan of spice? No worries. The buffalo sauce is added at the end, so if you prefer a more mild flavor you can separate your portion of breaded & roasted cauliflower and add the sauce gradually, if at all.
Enjoy your buffalo cauliflower on salads, in veggie wraps, or all by itself. These tasty snacks taste great with fresh celery after a long day of work or school. Add a bit of your favorite ranch and enjoy! Interested in learning more about vegan ranch brands and recipes? Click on the image below to discover Vegetatio’s ranking of nondairy ranches available or head over the the Minimalist Baker’s page for an easy oil-free vegan ranch dressing recipe.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower
Recipe PDF listed below
To make this spicy and savory buffalo cauliflower begin by washing your head of cauli and cutting it into bite size pieces. Discard the core afterwards. Once you have finished prepping your cauliflower, combine your plant-based milk, flour, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl. Pour your Panko bread crumbs into a separate bowl.
Next, dip the cauliflower into the batter and use a spoon to scrape off any extra moisture. The cauliflower should be well coated but not overly saturated. Then dip the cauliflower into the bread crumbs by holding onto the stem. The breading sticks best to the outer florets so don’t worry if the stem is not entirely covered.
Place coated cauliflower onto a lined baking tray. Use either parchment paper or aluminum foil on your pan. Parchment paper is the safer alternative, but I didn’t have any when I made this recipe so foil worked fine. Place pan into the oven at 450°F and roast for 15 minutes. While the cauliflower roasts in the oven, melt the hot sauce and vegan butter.
Remove cauliflower from the oven after 15 minutes. If you prefer a minimal spice level this is where you can separate your desired portion size. If you’d rather coat the entire batch pour the melted buffalo sauce onto the cauliflower and mix until evenly covered. Place back into the oven and roast for another 5-10 minutes.
Once the buffalo cauliflower is removed from the oven, serve immediately with green onions, fresh celery or vegan ranch. Perfect finger food for parties and hosting. These bites also go great on salads or in wraps, making them an excellent choice for weekly meal prep. Buffalo cauliflower can be refrigerated for roughly 5 days before getting too soft.
Buffalo Cauliflower
Recipe Author: Gabby Pogel
Spicy, breaded and delicious. This vegan buffalo cauliflower is excellent on salads, in wraps, or served by itself. Perfect for sharing, especially on game day.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower chopped
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Batter
1 cup wheat or unbleached flour
1 cup unflavored almond milk unsweetened
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch salt and pepper to taste
Buffalo Sauce
½ cup hot sauce* Franks Red Hot
4 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
Wash head of cauliflower. Cut it into bite sized pieces and discard the core. Preheat oven to 450°F
In a mixing bowl combine flour, almond milk, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Add Panko bread crumbs to a separate bowl. Dip cauliflower pieces in batter and let excess drip off. Coat cauliflower in bread crumbs and place onto lined baking tray. Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes.
Melt vegan butter and hot sauce on stove top or in microwave. Set aside until cauliflower is finished roasting.
Remove roasted cauliflower from oven. Coat pieces in melted buffalo sauce. This can be done by either mixing everything in a large bowl or by pouring the buffalo sauce directly onto the pan on top of the cauliflower. Place pan pack into the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove buffalo cauliflower from the oven and serve immediately with fresh spring onions, celery, spinach, or vegan ranch. Enjoy!
Notes
* I traditionally use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for this recipe. You can also use a premade buffalo sauce or Sriracha. **For a garnish, you can choose fresh spring onions, celery, or spinach. Greens taste delicious with the spicy buffalo sauce
