This vegan buffalo cauliflower is a perfect game day appetizer. Super spicy, crispy and the best thing ever dipped in some vegan ranch!
These spicy cauliflower buffalo “wings” are crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside and so good even meat eaters won’t miss the meat. Everyone will want seconds.
They are super spicy, so pairing these wings with some vegan ranch to cool down your palate is a wonderful idea.
And if you love all things spicy then you’ll also love our spicy bang bang cauliflower.
If you want a non-spicy alternative then our BBQ cauliflower wings fit the bill perfectly. Or try our crispy BBQ tofu.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower florets – you can buy your cauliflower already cut into florets to save time in this recipe. Or you can cut them yourself from whole cauliflower.
- Panko breadcrumbs – work best to make this recipe really crispy. Other breadcrumbs can be used but don’t tend to come out quite as well.
- Vegan buffalo sauce – we made our own vegan buffalo sauce with hot sauce and vegan butter. You can make your own buffalo sauce like we did, or use a ready made vegan buffalo sauce.
- Soy milk – is ideal because it’s a fairly rich and creamy plant based milk. You can switch for a different non-dairy option but rich and creamy options (like oat or cashew) will work best.
How To Make Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add soy milk, all purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper and whisk it into a batter.
- In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix together.
- Add cauliflower florets to the batter and toss the cauliflower in the batter until all the florets are coated.
- Then transfer the florets, in batches, to the breadcrumbs bowl and gently toss them in the breadcrumbs until they are coated on all sides.
- Place the coated cauliflower florets onto the prepared baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place it into a large bowl.
- Add vegan buffalo sauce and toss the cauliflower in the sauce until all the pieces are well coated.
- Transfer the cauliflower back to the parchment lined baking tray and return to the oven to bake for a final 10 minutes.
- And your buffalo cauliflower is ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your vegan buffalo cauliflower wings topped with a sprinkle of chopped chives and with some vegan ranch dressing to dip.
Another delicious dipping sauce is our vegan blue cheese dressing. If you want to make them even more spicy then serve them with extra vegan buffalo sauce on the side. But be warned, that will be insanely spicy!
Make Them Gluten-Free
If you’d like to make this buffalo cauliflower gluten-free then switch the all purpose flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. And make sure to use gluten-free bread crumbs and you’ll be all set.
Storing Tips
Leftovers keep very well in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave (they do lose some crispiness though) or in the oven at 350°F until heated through.
If you have an air fryer then reheating them for 10 minutes in the air fryer is a fantastic option because it crisps them all the way back up!
More Delicious Vegan Appetizers
- Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
- Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
- Vegan Spinach Dip
- Vegan Cheese Ball
- Vegan Nachos
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Cauliflower Florets (900g)
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other creamy non-dairy milk
- ¾ cup All Purpose Flour (93g)
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 ½ cups Vegan Buffalo Sauce (360ml)
For Serving:
- Fresh Chives Chopped
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add soy milk, all purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper and whisk it into a batter.
- In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix together.
- Add cauliflower florets to the batter and toss the cauliflower in the batter until all the florets are coated.
- Then transfer the florets, in batches, to the breadcrumbs bowl and gently toss them in the breadcrumbs until they are coated on all sides.
- Place the coated cauliflower florets onto the prepared baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place it into a large bowl.
- Add vegan buffalo sauce and toss the cauliflower in the sauce until all the pieces are well coated.
- Transfer the cauliflower back to the parchment lined baking tray and return to the oven to bake for a final 10 minutes.
- Serve topped with a sprinkle of chopped chives and with some vegan ranch dressing to dip.
Notes
- Cauliflower florets – you can buy your cauliflower already cut into florets to save time in this recipe. Or you can cut them yourself from whole cauliflower.
- Panko breadcrumbs – work best to make this recipe really crispy. Other breadcrumbs can be used but don’t tend to come out quite as crispy.
- Vegan buffalo sauce – we made our own vegan buffalo sauce with hot sauce and vegan butter. You can make your own buffalo sauce like we did, or use a ready made vegan buffalo sauce.
- Gluten-free: If you’d like to make this buffalo cauliflower gluten-free then switch the all purpose flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. And make sure to use gluten-free bread crumbs and you’ll be all set.
- Serving: We served this with our own homemade vegan ranch dressing. Another great option for serving is our vegan blue cheese dressing.
- Storing and reheating: Leftovers keep very well in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave (they do lose some crispiness though) or in the oven at 350°F until heated through. If you have an air fryer then reheating them for 10 minutes in the air fryer is a fantastic option because it crisps them all the way back up!
Hello Alison, thank you for sharing these delicious recipes with us, you certainly know how to cook and everything I have tried have been delicious, keep sharing and thank you again. 😋😋
Thanks so much for the awesome comment and review Barbara! 🙂
Oh my goodness, so good, cannot stop eating! Used cashew milk & air fryer at 400 for 5 min less time. Thank you for your delicious recipes! Every one we’ve tried has been amazing.
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing Arlen!
Another hit! The coating held on well, even with sauce on it. I typically shy away from batters as they tend to be messy but this one was really easy. Will definitely add this to my appetizer folder. Thank you so much-just love your recipes!
Fantastic! I’m so happy to hear that Joan! Thanks so much for the awesome review.
Is it possible to freeze them?
Hi Gigi, I haven’t tried freezing them but my feeling is that it wouldn’t be suitable – they may get too mushy when thawed.
One of my favorite vegan dishes! I’m impressed with how you used the ingredients, and I’d love to check your other recipes, too.
First time I’ve tasted these and wow! They’re a taste sensation!
What kind of soy milk do you use for your recipes? There are so many brands and flavors at the natural food store: Original, Vanilla, Unsweetened, etc.
I usually use ‘regular’ which does have some sweetening but doesn’t taste ‘sweet’ at all, or I’ll use unsweetened. Unsweetened is the safest option for savory recipes unless you know the brand and know that it doesn’t taste sweet.