Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
There are many, many recipes out there for Buffalo Cauliflower and I’ve tried quite a few but none have been as deliciously perfect as this recipe!
These little nuggets are crispy, crunchy, golden and spicy (adjusted to your liking, of course) AND they are BAKED!!
Seriously Best. Thing. Ever!
First, you cut the cauliflower in similar sized pieces. I like to mimic the shape of a “chicken wing” if possible, just for fun. Luckily cauliflower can be cut that way just by their shape anyway.
Then dip each piece into a seasoned batter and roll into some panko (regular or gluten free).
Place each coated piece of cauliflower onto a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed lightly with cooking oil (spraying with oil is not totally necessary but helps). **Be sure to space accordingly so they crisp all around. If you place too close together they will steam instead of crisp up.
After baking for about 15-20 minutes, they should start to crisp up and slightly brown. **Make sure they are mostly crispy at this point.
Remove them from the baking tray, put into a big bowl and cover with the buffalo sauce mixture. **Try not to over-saturate them, gently toss them to evenly distribute the sauce. Do this step quickly so they don’t start to get too soggy.
Place them back on the tray and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Depending on how much you make and how crispy you’d like them. **Try not to overbake either, they will go past the crispy stage and tend to get a little steamed if the cauliflower starts to go to mush inside the crust.
After baking, you’ll have a crispy, crunchy and spicy crust over a tender piece of cauliflower, which you don’t really taste, it’s there for structure really. But you do get sort of a creaminess of the cauliflower that comes through. It really is just used as a vehicle for the crispy, crunchy and spicy crust to be eaten more easily!
Serve with a drizzle of some Vegan Ranch, additional Buffalo Sauce and sides of choice.
We have enjoyed this as an appetizer but also as an entree with a big green salad on the side.
Other great ideas would be Buffalo Cauli Wrap, Buffalo Cauli Tacos, Buffalo Cauli PoBoys, etc. So many cool things you can make with this base recipe. Would love to see what you all make! Post your pics on Facebook or Instagram and tag me!
Vegan Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
Crust Coating
- 1 cup almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
- 1 cup flour I used white whole wheat flour but gluten-free flour could be used
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper can omit for less heat
- ¼ cup vegan buffalo sauce can omit for less heat
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs regular or gluten-free
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-size pieces
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan buffalo sauce
- ½ cup vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 °F. Line baking pan with foil, lightly spray with oil, set aside.1 tbsp oil
- Combine almond milk, flour, garlic powder, oil, s&p to taste. (For a spicier version add cayenne and buffalo sauce.) Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.1 cup almond milk, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ cup vegan buffalo sauce
- Dip cauliflower into batter, shake off excess and roll in panko crumbs then place onto prepared baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.1 head cauliflower, 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- Meanwhile, place vegan butter and buffalo sauce in small saucepan and heat until vegan butter is melted, stir to combine.1 cup vegan buffalo sauce, ½ cup vegan butter
- When the cauliflower is done, remove from the oven and place in a bowl. Add some of the buffalo sauce mixture and toss to evenly coat. Return coated pieces to the baking pan and bake for another 10 minutes or until crisp.
- Serve with extra buffalo sauce and your favorite vegan ranch.
