Air Fried Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (+Oven Method)
Air fryer buffalo cauliflower is easy to make, packed with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes. These healthy cauliflower bites have a simple homemade buffalo. A great way to get in more veggies, these crunchy cauliflower wings are the perfect side dish or appetizer. .
If you love cauliflower as much as I do, you should try Cauliflower Black Bean Tacos or Creamy Cauliflower Hummus for a new way to enjoy your favorite veggie!
Why you will love this recipe
- The perfect savory snack
- A fun way to eat more vegetables
- Plant based meal that everyone will love
- Great for most diets (this recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 and low carb friendly)
- Quick and easy
- Air Fryer or Oven
- Simple ingredients
Ingredients
- Cauliflower – cauliflower is the perfect veggie to imitate wings. It will never taste like chicken but it maintains it’s shape well and is the perfect size for dipping!
- Almond flour – almond flour gives the wings a crispy, crunchy coating (along with the tapioca flour). Since these buffalo cauliflower wings are baked (or air fried) and not fried, it’s important to help them get a crispy coating with the almond flour. See the notes below to make this nut free!
- Tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour or corn starch) – tapioca flour helps to create a crust on the outside of the cauliflower to help it get crispy and crunchy.
- Water – water is used to bind the batter, you could also use almond milk or your favorite plant based milk or even buttermilk. However I like to keep things budget friendly when possible and using water helps reduce the overall cost of this recipe.
- Spices: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt – these spices help to give the cauliflower it’s own flavor so it’s flavorful even without the sauce.
Buffalo sauce ingredients
- Hot sauce – use your favorite hot sauce here – I love Franks Red Hot sauce, it’s what I typically always use. IF you are using an extremely spicy hot sauce, you may need to add more olive oil to help cut the heat.
- Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil – adding oil helps to cut the heat from the hot sauce and helps the cauliflower get crispy as it bakes a second time.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper – these help to enhance the flavor of the buffalo sauce. If you don’t love spicy wings, omit the crushed red pepper flakes.
How to make buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer
Make the batter: Start by combining the almond flour, tapioca flour, spices and water in a large bowl. Stir well to fully incorporate and make sure there are no lumps.
Cut the cauliflower into equal size pieces, trying not to cut them too small (or they may burn/dry out during cooking).
Coat cauliflower: Add the cauliflower florets directly to the bowl with the batter. Using tongs, stir well 2-3 minutes ensuring that all the cauliflower is coated well with the batter.
Cook cauliflower: Add ½ of the cauliflower to the air fryer basket (try to make a single layer). Note if you have a large air fryer, you may be able to cook the entire head at once.
Cook at 375F for 13-15 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, pause the air fryer and flip the cauliflower florets.
While the cauliflower is cooking, make the sauce in a small bowl by combining all the ingredients together and stirring well.
Once the florets look like they are browning and crispy, stop the air fryer.
Pour half the sauce in bowl and add the cauliflower florets. Toss well to fully coat in the sauce.
Add the cauliflower back to the air fryer basket and bake again at 375F for 5-10 minutes, shaking the basket regularly. Depending on your air fryer and how big you cut the cauliflower florets will depend on how long these have to cook for so check the cauliflower often.
Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower and sauce.
Serve immediately. If you have to cook a second batch and want these to be hot, place back in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes after the second batch cooks to reheat/crisp up.
Top tips
- Make larger florets with the cauliflower. This is not the time when you want to make the smallest florets possible. Cauliflower wings are quick to burn/get overly crisp and dry out, especially when cooking in the air fryer.
- Chop the cauliflower pieces into very similar sizes so they will cook evenly, whether cooking in the air fryer or in the oven.
- When adding the batter to the cauliflower, I find that the best way to make sure they are fully coated is to toss them with tongs.
- When you add the buffalo sauce, the tapioca flour will get soggy again, which is why you have to bake these after adding sauce.
- Do not over crowd the air fryer basket. The cauliflower will stick together and steam instead of get crispy if the basket is too full. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the cauliflower in batches (I had to with a Ninja).
- If you plan on making a large batch or doubling this recipe, I would recommend using the oven over the air fryer. Since you have to worry about overcrowding the air fryer basket, the oven is the best route if you are making a larger batch.
Other flavor ideas
Instead of buffalo sauce, you can change up the flavor by using:
- BBQ Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Honey Chipotle Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
How to serve
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and celery and carrots just like traditional wings. Dairy free ranch (vegan) or spicy chipotle mayo are great options!
- Serve over salad greens (try my favorite buffalo cauliflower salad with ranch tahini)
- Make tacos! Great with a creamy cilantro slaw along side the buffalo cauliflower.
- Make a buddha bowl or grain bowl with rice or quinoa.
Common questions
How to make this nut free
This recipe uses almond flour (which makes this paleo, Whole30 and low carb). If you are ok with adding grains in, use chickpea flour, brown rice flour or even oat flour in place of the almond flour.
If you want to keep this grain free and nut free, use ground sunflower seeds instead of almond meal (simply grind up roasted sunflower seeds in the food processor until they resemble flour).
Can you use store bought buffalo sauce
You can use your favorite store bought buffalo sauce in place of the buffalo sauce in this recipe. You will need between 1/3 and ½ cup of buffalo sauce depending on how big your cauliflower is and how sauce you want them. You may also want extra for dipping.
How to make buffalo cauliflower in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Follow the same directions on breaking down the cauliflower, making the batter and coating the cauliflower in batter.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with non-stick spray (olive oil, avocado oil). Add the cauliflower to the baking sheet.
- Cook at 425F for 30 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, make the sauce in a bowl large enough to toss the cauliflower in.
- After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the cauliflower and toss it directly in the bowl with the buffalo sauce. Toss well to fully coat in the sauce.
- Add the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and bake again at 425F for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from the oven and flip with tongs. Bake 3 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftover cauliflower buffalo wings in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note: they will lose their crunchy exterior as they cool off in the fridge.
- Reheat the cauliflower bites in the oven 425F for 7 minutes or in the air fryer 375F for 3-4 minutes to get the coating crispy and crunchy again.
- Freezer: I would not recommend freezing these buffalo cauliflower bites because the cauliflower can get watery when defrosting which may ruin the coating.
Substitutions
- Almond flour: use cashew meal or sunflower seed meal in place of the almond flour to keep it low carb or use chickpea flour, brown rice flour or oat flour in place of the almond flour.
- Tapioca flour: Also called tapioca starch this helps to create that crispy layer on the outside of the cauliflower. You can also use arrowroot powder or corn starch in place of the tapioca flour.
- Spices: If you don’t have any of the spices, you can simply omit them.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
$4.36 Recipe/$1.09 ServingIngredients
- 1 head cauliflower, florets removed from stalk - $2.65
- 1/2 cup almond flour - $0.73
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour - $0.32
- 1/4 cup water - $0.00
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - $0.03
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder - $0.05
Buffalo Sauce
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (I love Texas Pete) - $0.25
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - $0.22
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika - $0.05
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - $0.03
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes - $0.03
Instructions
- Make the batter for the cauliflower by combining the almond flour, tapioca flour, water, salt and garlic powder in a large bowl. The batter will be thick.
- Cut the cauliflower from the stalk. Cut the large cauliflower florets into more manageable bite, all about the same size. Don't make them too small or they may burn/dry out.
- Add the cauliflower florets directly to the batter and toss well 2-3 minutes with tongs ensuring all the florets are well coated.
- Add 1/2 of the cauliflower to the air fryer basket in a single layer. (Note if you have a large air fryer, you may be able to cook the entire batch at once)
- Cook in the air fryer at 375F for 13-15 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, pause the air fryer and flip the cauliflower florets. Continue to cook for the remaining 3-5 minutes, watching them carefully to ensure they aren't getting too dark or crispy.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, combine the buffalo sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour half the buffalo sauce in a bowl. Add cauliflower and toss well.
- Add coated cauliflower back to the air fryer basket and cook again 375F for 5-10 minutes, shaking the basket regularly. Depending on your air fryer and how big the cauliflower florets are will depend on how long these have to cook for so check the cauliflower often.
- Move the cauliflower to a clean bowl and repeat with the rest of the cauliflower.
- Serve hot. If needed, reheat the first batch in the air fryer 2-3 minutes before serving so they can get hot can crispy.
Notes
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, spices and water in a large bowl. Stir well to fully incorporate and make sure there are no lumps.
- Cut the cauliflower into equal size pieces, trying not to cut them too small (or they may burn/dry out during cooking).
- Add the cauliflower florets directly to the bowl with the batter.
- Using tongs, stir well 2-3 minutes ensuring that all the cauliflower is coated well with the batter.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with non-stick spray (olive oil, avocado oil). Add the cauliflower to the baking sheet.
- Cook at 425F for 30 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, make the sauce in a bowl large enough to toss the cauliflower in. Combine all the ingredients together and stirring well.
- After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the cauliflower and toss it directly in the bowl with the buffalo sauce. Toss well to fully coat in the sauce.
- Add the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and bake again at 425F for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from the oven and flip with tongs. Bake 3 more minutes.
- Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note: they will lose their crunchy exterior as they cool off in the fridge.
- Reheat in the oven 425F for 7 minutes or in the air fryer 375F for 3-4 minutes to get the coating crispy and crunchy again.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing these, as they get too watery when defrosted
such a creative recipe, this sounds amazing! my wife is vegan so I have to make these for her
I can’t wait to try this awesome recipe! Happy to see you here at Full Plate Thursday and thanks so much for sharing with us.
Miz Helen
Just in time for January2018
What a terrific, flavorful cauliflower recipe!! YUM!
What a terrific, flavorful cauliflower recipe!! YUM!
Great vegan option! I love adding a veggie dish to the party!