Buffalo Cauliflower Bites taste so much like traditional chicken wings, but are a healthier low carb vegetarian version.
Tender cauliflower baked to perfection in hot sauce is perfect for game day too!
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are surprisingly addictive. I’ll admit, cauliflower has not been one of my favorite foods, but much like beets, broccoli, and squash, I have grown to like it throughout my adult years. After I made this recipe, I would actually dare to say that I loved it. Many traditional favorites like mac n cheese, bread sticks, “rice“, and mashed “potatoes” have been made with cauliflower.
Much like with these cauliflower buffalo bites, this tender white vegetable tends to take on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with. So, if you’re like me and are not crazy about the taste of cauliflower, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when you make this buffalo cauliflower.
I really wasn’t sure how this recipe for cauliflower buffalo wings was going to taste. After all, there are no chicken wings. And how good could anything be when you swap something as wonderful as a chicken wing with a vegetable like cauliflower? But, I found myself having to hold back because I just wanted to keep eating more!
Tips for making and serving these cauliflower buffalo bites:
- I have made my buffalo cauliflower a couple times. Be sure to make sure the florets are on the larger side. If they are too small, they will be mushy. The larger chunks allow the buffalo cauliflower bites to brown nicely while still maintaining some texture.
- Serve the buffalo cauliflower warm. They are still good at room temperature, but serving them warm will make your mouth water.
- I paired my spicy and flavorful buffalo cauliflower bites with a rich and creamy blue cheese dressing as well as some cool, crisp celery sticks that helped mellow the heat from the hot sauce. Overall, it made for a healthy-ish low carb snack. I’m not going to lie – I love a good chicken wing. But, when you think about all that delicious skin that makes the chicken wing so wonderful, replacing it with something like cauliflower is often a good choice.
- This snack would be a huge hit at any game day celebration. You might want to have a second batch on standby ready to put in the oven.
- The cauliflower buffalo “wings” are easy to stab with little wooden toothpicks. Otherwise, no utensils needed!
Kitchen tools used to make cauliflower buffalo bites:
Glass nesting bowls: Every good recipe requires a good set of stackable nesting bowls. This is the set I bought and I love them! Well made, great price, sturdy – perfect!
Baking Sheet: I’ve been using this one for years. I love that it’s made in the USA, the sides are high enough to keep anything from spilling over, and it’s warp resistant.
Flexible Measuring Cups – My sister and I first found these at a cooking class and we thought they were just the best invention. Any time you are measuring and/or pouring liquid, these are simply the best to have on hand. They make a great gift for your favorite cook, too!
Watch me make these tasty Buffalo Cauliflower Bites here:
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup hot sauce (I prefer Frank's Red Hot)
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Heavily grease baking sheet with butter. Divide cauliflower into bite sized chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, water, olive oil, garlic powder and salt until well combined. Add cauliflower and gently toss to coat each piece evenly. Transfer coated cauliflower to prepared baking and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven.
- In large bowl, combine hot sauce and melted butter. Add partially cooked cauliflower and gently toss to evenly coat. Return cauliflower to baking sheet and continue cooking for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning once, until pieces start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve warm with blue cheese dressing and fresh celery sticks.
elizabeth
January 21, 2017 at 6:34 pmFollowed recipe TO THE LETTER. (I’m annoyed by people who “modify” recipes and then complain about them in the reviews.) However… results were NOT AT ALL like the photos above. The whole thing was a soggy mess, not the perky crispy bites I expected. And we’re a family that LIKES cauliflower already, so it was a big disappointment. *sigh*
Krissy
February 12, 2017 at 6:35 amShoot. I’m so sorry to hear that! Not sure if difference in oven temp or quality/quantity/moisture of cauliflower played a part? Krissy
Jake
March 29, 2018 at 4:58 pmOkay… we served this almost exact recipie at the restaurant I work at last year; we had some trouble with it. Like some others said they can have a tendency too come out soggy. It’s wierd because sometimes they came out amazing and others soggy with all the same steps taken. We ran it on the menu for 7 months with variable success before finally deciding too fry them to order after par-baking them. If your not concerned about the “healthy” factor ; frying will guarantee you crispy bites every time.
I think the “soggy” problem might be related too individual moisture content or maybe the size of the flourettes but we never could identify the exact problem.
For a non vegan option consider adding an egg for a firmer batter, I recommend smaller flourettes and parchment paper instead of pan grease for consistancy..
These are also amazing with curry instead of buffalo by the way. Good luck all.
Leia
December 22, 2017 at 8:37 amOh no! I recently made the recipe- followed everything exactly as stated as well- and had great results! I’m a vegetarian in a home of carnivores and THEY LOVED THEM! I agree with Krissy that maybe it was another varying factor she mentioned above?
Shoshanna
April 11, 2019 at 2:48 pmThis is fabulous. I melted the butter on my air fryer, then tossed in remaining ingredients. Air fyied in high for 15 min. YUM
Bobbie
February 12, 2017 at 2:55 pmI made these tonight. They were yummy! I was worried about the above comment however, mine turned out really good. I put them on broil for the last minute. Absolutely delicious.
Krissy
February 26, 2017 at 8:29 amExcellent, thanks for letting me know! Krissy
Mary GW
May 24, 2017 at 4:24 amThese look delicious and I will definitely give them a try. Thanks for mentioning what kind of hot sauce you use so that I don’t kill my husband while attempting to keep us healthy. Lol! One time I used slightly too much Tabasco….haaaaa! How was I to know? ?
Redonda Turner
March 13, 2019 at 6:16 pmI make these at least once a week yummy better than the ones served at CPKso happy satisfy my appetite and my craving for hot wing excellent vegan choice Ihave to stop thedressinandsaucakedithiondpfium😟
Food D Jr.
June 18, 2017 at 3:05 pmWhy didnt you use chicken?
Krissy
July 14, 2017 at 6:42 amhaha!
Holly
July 5, 2017 at 11:41 amFirst I just want to say that these tasted pretty awesome.
However, I’m still extremely dissappointed. They turned out much soggier than what yours look like and I’m not sure if all of the pieces are edible because of this (some look like the batter didn’t even cook right). So, sadly, I will not be making theses again. Which is a shame because what I did Olean of them were really tasty.
Holly
July 5, 2017 at 11:42 amI’m not sure where “olean” came from but that was meant to be eat.
Chris
February 26, 2019 at 4:38 pmWe have made this recipe exactly the way it is 3 times and love it. Ours turns out crispy, but we live in colorado so the altitude and lack of humidity could play a large part in this soggy business. Even so its cauliflower and a little soggyness after being cooked was almost expected. Great dish and recipe, thanks!!
Krissy
July 14, 2017 at 6:33 amShoot. Sorry to hear that! Not sure how to make them dryer other than to shake off any excess liquid before cooking and to allow ample air flow (ie don’t crowd them while cooking). Krissy
Max T Rodriguez
August 11, 2018 at 11:21 amThis a general comment and similar to others. Cailiflower has by nature a high water content. By adding a cup of water to the mix creates a problem. Also the only way to get those nice char marks on them is to roast them first in a wire rack. Start at 450 for 15 minutes, to remove moisture, then set the broiler on and watch them. Take them out, coat them with the sauce mix and return to the 450 temp oven for another 15 minutes.
Bea
May 16, 2019 at 2:09 amMaybe dip in a non dairy egg wash then roll them in panco bread crumbs before baking. That always works for me.
Litia
January 9, 2018 at 10:11 amCould you use frozen cauliflower?
Krissy
January 10, 2018 at 11:36 amI’ve only used fresh. I have no idea if frozen would work. If you try it, will you come back and let me know?
Rhonda
February 4, 2018 at 4:05 pmHi!
Mine turned out awesome!!! Not soggy, and broiled for the last 2 minutes, as someone else suggested and used FRANKS buffalo wing sauce… YUMMY
Thank you 🙂
Margaret
February 23, 2018 at 7:27 amfollowed recipe exact…they are amazing!!! made them numerous times now 🙂
Kelley
March 4, 2018 at 3:02 pmI used Quinoa flour instead of white flour. Also used 1/2 T of garlic and 1/2 T of poultry seasoning. Yummy!!
Krissy
March 7, 2018 at 6:08 amI’ve never tried quinoa flour. Sounds fantastic!
Zul
April 1, 2018 at 4:36 amTried your recipe but turn out soggy thus replaced the cauliflower with tempeh and omitted the flour. I also reduced the oven temperature.
Works out well.
Krissy
April 4, 2018 at 2:00 pmThanks for trying again. I love the substitution recommendations!
Nicole
April 1, 2018 at 10:59 amI just made these today for lunch … delicious! My florets may have been a bit too large, so next time I will cut them up smaller and maybe keep them in the oven for a few extra minutes after the sauce has been put on to make them crispier.
Jessica
April 5, 2018 at 6:32 pmI love them! I also broiled them for a few minutes after and they were absolutely delicious. Even held up for next day snacking 🙂 I think you can only expect so much crispiness from the oven, but I would definitely make these again 😍
Debbie
April 18, 2018 at 1:56 pmWe made these today but just added the sauce and didn’t cook again afterwords. Absolutely delicious! Last time my friend made them she said they were mushy. I read above about how the size affects that and she said that was exactly it! We did keep them bigger but cooked a few minutes longer. I’m hooked!
Krissy
April 22, 2018 at 7:48 amAwesome feedback! Thank you for commenting. I’m glad the buffalo cauliflower bites turned out for you, Debbie!
Alex
April 28, 2018 at 7:03 pmI did these. Followed every step, added broiling at the end like the comments suggested:) turned out wonderful! Thanks for the recipe
Krissy
May 1, 2018 at 1:22 pmGlad you liked them!
Jessica
May 25, 2018 at 4:33 pmI just recently became a vegetarian and decided to try these out. Was not disappointed! Crunchy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside. Mine did turn out looking a bit burnt but tasted all right so alls we’ll that ends well. It did set my fire alarm off though lol.
Janette
June 20, 2018 at 4:11 pmI used Trader Joe’s already cut up florets and microwaved them first. Dipped them in the batter and baked them accordingly. Then smothered them in franks red hot and vegan butter , baked them again for like 10 mins. They turned out amazing. Who cares if they’re a little bit soggy!! They’re cauliflower!!! They’re full of water! Tasted delicious to me! I will definitely be making them again!
Lisa
September 1, 2018 at 4:02 pmI’ve made these several times. They are always delicious! A big hit for easy appetizers at parties! I wash my cauliflower and pat dry very well… never disappointed.
Fern
September 3, 2018 at 4:16 amI found that if I used a larger cookie sheet and didn’t have the pan too crowded, they weren’t soggy at all. I used 1tsp garlic powder and added Franks directly to the batter mixture and left out the butter. They were delicious!
Donna
September 27, 2018 at 10:05 amOMG…how can anyone give negative comments about this fabulous recipe find! The size of the cauliflower needs to be consistent. If you butter the pan too much it can get soggy. I also use Frank’s buffalo wing sauce and it is addicting! Make sure not to crowd the pan.i usually make 2 pans, mine has space and a low edge. My daughter likes them mushy so we use a casserole or 13 x 9 for her batch. Always a hit at parties and at work when I share! ❤
Anne Turcotte
October 28, 2018 at 8:23 pmWhat means 2/3 cup 5ml jar of hot sauce? Why the 5ml? Not from the USA so I might be xonfuse over nothing
Krissy
October 30, 2018 at 10:55 amStupid typo. I’m so sorry!!! I changed it to just read 2/3 cup.
Anne
October 30, 2018 at 9:22 amLoved it! I made 2 batch and the on on the parchment paper was a little more crispy!
I was confused about thw mention 2/3 cup 5ml for the hot sauce, but I figured it’s simply 2/3 cup.
Thanks!
Krissy
October 30, 2018 at 10:52 amThat IS confusing! Sorry about that! I just updated the recipe to say 2/3 cup.
Hope
November 26, 2018 at 9:16 amAMAZING! My family loved this recipe! Will definitely be making this again and sharing it with friends. Thank you 🙂
Chelsea
December 18, 2018 at 8:23 pmAwesome recipe!! It’s easy to follow and they turned out delicious. Even my 3 year old likes them lol
Donna
January 8, 2019 at 3:30 pmJust wondering if you’ve tried cooking these using an air fryer an option? Cooking them in an air fryer should bring out the crunchyness. What temperature would you cook them at. For how long?
Krissy
January 10, 2019 at 1:44 pmHi Donna, I don’t have an air fryer but I’m about to order one!
Sabrina Hoffer
January 25, 2019 at 1:56 pmWe made these in the air fryer and instead of making a batter, we tossed them in the seasoning with evoo then lightly dusted them a gluten free rice flour. We put in air fryer at 400 for 10 mins, turning half way through then tossed with buffalo sauce and then lowered to 350 for another 5 mins. They came out perfect. Not too soggy and not bready either.
Krissy
January 26, 2019 at 5:08 amI need to get an air fryer!
Krystal
February 3, 2019 at 2:09 pmJust made these for game day. Was my first time and they were completely amaizing! I’m currently obsessed with buffalo cauliflower and creamy dill sauce. Dill and buffalo are my current favourite flavour combo.
Thanks for such an easy and awesome recipe
Nina
February 5, 2019 at 12:21 amWhen I first saw these I immediately thought of my husband and wanted to make these for him since he literally puts hot sauce on everything he eats. I showed it to him and he definitely wanted to try them! (at least once) But unfortunately your recipe calls for olive oil, and he is allergic. 😞 So I was wondering can I substitute the olive oil for something else without messing up the recipe or having it taste completely different? Vegetable oil maybe? Or some other oil? What do you suggest? Because I would really like to make these for him and I both to try! They look absolutely delicious!
Krissy
February 5, 2019 at 10:43 amHi Nina, You can absolutely use any other kind of oil. How sad that he’s allergic to olive oil. I love that stuff!
Nina
February 6, 2019 at 11:33 pmIts very rare if I’m actually able to cook with olive oil. So it’s a huge bummer for me, because I love it too! Haha. But Thank you!!!! These are definitely on the top of my list to make this weekend! My husband and I are both very excited to give these a try! Can’t wait!
Bernie
February 17, 2019 at 9:25 pmThis was awesome. The only problem I had was to not eat them all. I are half of the batch.
Brittany
February 19, 2019 at 9:45 pmThese were absolutely AMAZING! All the taste of wings without the guilt. Will definitely be making this recipe again!!!
Mindy
February 20, 2019 at 7:33 amI’m back on keto and I absolutely loved this recipe. Mine came out crispy not sure why others didnt. A great way to stay low carb and get ur veggies in!
Jessica Marie
February 20, 2019 at 6:35 pmI just made these tonight. Followed the recipe almost to the t. The only things I changef was using Texas Pete’s hotter hot sauce. I also, took somone else’s advice and broiled them for the last minute. Turned out soooooo god. Thank you!!!!
Sarah
March 8, 2019 at 10:44 amI liked this recipe. I did use almond flour instead of regular all purpose flour. It was super liquefied (understandably) so I used some Xantham gum to thicken it up and it worked a treat. These turned out fabulous! I ended up pairing them with roasted butternut squash & garlic asparagus. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
Amy Robinson
March 15, 2019 at 8:09 pmThese were awesome they turned out good thanks for the recipe
Lindsay
April 9, 2019 at 5:52 pmAbsolutely love these ! Just follow the receipe ! I bought regular buffalo sauce which was Spicey enough for me and they turned out fabulous! Thank you crunching my cravings !! LOL I’m following a new meal plan and these fit in perfectly ❤️
Maura
April 27, 2019 at 6:47 pmWe really liked this recipe! I used frozen cauliflower instead of fresh and they came out great. I added about 5 minutes to the initial cook time but other than that everything the same (used vegan butter). I also used Sweet Baby Ray’s buffalo sauce. Next time I’ll double (or triple!) the recipe, though. It’s a long time to make not a ton of food.
Kala
May 9, 2019 at 5:00 pmI make this recipe all the time. It’s easy and delicious. I have never had an issue with them being soggy. Sometimes I cook them a little longer if I put too much batter on them.
Rob
May 13, 2019 at 2:57 pmCame out PERFECT! WOW! Great recipe!!!!!!!