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closeup shot of plated buffalo cauliflower wings on a plate with ranch dressing

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

These vegan buffalo cauliflower wings are the perfect easy and delicious snack for game day — or anytime! Cauliflower florets are dipped in a simple vegan-friendly batter, baked till crispy, then tossed in your favorite buffalo sauce.
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Sarah Sullivan

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Equipment

  • baking tray
  • parchment or silicone baking sheet
  • large mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 medium to large head cauliflower (about 4-5 cups florets)
  • 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (see notes for gluten-free)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper, to preference
  • 3/4 cup plain unsweetened plant milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce

To Serve

  • vegan ranch or blue cheese dressing
  • carrot and/or celery sticks

Instructions

Prep

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. (If you don't have one, grease the sheet with cooking spray or vegetable oil.)
  • Remove the leaves at the base of the cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.

Batter the cauliflower wings

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flour, onion and garlic powder, ground paprika, salt, and black pepper).
  • Whisk in the plant milk until smooth. The mixture should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. Add in an extra splash of plant milk if needed to achieve the right consistency.
  • Add the cauliflower florets into the bowl and toss to coat. It's ok if the cauliflower isn't 100% coated, as long as the batter is evenly distributed across all the florets. (I like to use my hands to really get the batter into the crevices of the cauliflower but this is optional.)

Bake the cauliflower wings

  • Arrange the battered cauliflower on your prepared baking tray in one layer. Try to leave space between the florets so that they can evenly crisp on all sides.
  • Bake cauliflower wings for 20 minutes in preheated 400°F oven. Flip the cauliflower and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the batter is golden brown.

Sauce your buffalo cauliflower wings

  • Combine melted vegan butter and your favorite vegan-friendly buffalo sauce in a large mixing bowl and add the baked cauliflower wings. Toss to coat. Feel free to add more buffalo sauce depending on how spicy you like your wings.
  • Enjoy with vegan ranch or vegan blue cheese dressing.

Notes

Plant milk: You can use any kind of plain unsweetened variety you like. I usually use soy milk to boost the protein content of the dish. The batter can also be prepared simply using water if you want to reduce the calories or just don't have any milk on hand.
Gluten-free: You can use a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour blend (like the one by Bob's Red Mill). I have also made this recipe many times with chickpea flour. You may just need to add an extra tbsp or so of liquid if using an alternative flour.
Oil-free: Omit the vegan butter and select an oil-free sauce.
Sauce options: Use any kind of sauce you like! Some of my favorites include buffalo sauce, sweet chili sauce, and bang bang sauce (roughly equal parts vegan mayonnaise and sriracha with a pinch of garlic powder).
Reheat the wings: If you have leftovers, you can reheat in the oven or in an air fryer at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.