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GET IT NOWThis buffalo cauliflower recipe is my fun twist on classic buffalo chicken wings, but I use cauliflower florets instead of chicken. They come out of the oven super crispy and slathered in that irresistibly tangy buffalo sauce, perfect for popping and dipping. I call them buffalo cauliflower bites (they’re bite-sized, after all), but with that familiar flavor, you might as well call them buffalo cauliflower wings! Whether it’s game day or you’re just craving a spicy snack, these totally hit the spot. Even my buffalo-wing-loving husband likes them. Make them with me!
Why You Need My Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe
- Classic buffalo wing flavor – These buffalo cauliflower bites have all the bold, spicy kick of traditional buffalo chicken wings. It’s my veggie-forward way to enjoy those flavors!
- Perfectly crispy and tender – We’ll bake the florets to get them crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Just like a chicken wing… er, I mean cauliflower wing… should be.
- Simple ingredients – My buffalo cauliflower recipe uses just a handful of basic ingredients (plus salt & pepper), so it’s easy to pull together.
- Mess-free, no-fuss prep – No need to deal with batter, flour, or breadcrumbs. I focus on the flavors and textures that matter, with less effort, and keep it naturally gluten-free. But, if you’re in the mood for more crunch, check out my breading ideas below!
- Quick and easy – You can make this recipe in around half an hour, and most of that time is hands-off for roasting. I usually prep my dinner or other apps while I wait.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my buffalo cauliflower recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Cauliflower – I like to start with a whole head of cauliflower and chop it into bite-sized pieces myself for that perfect uniform look. But if you’re short on time, grabbing pre-cut florets works.
- Olive Oil – This is my go-to to get the spices to stick to the cauliflower and help those florets get nicely browned in the oven. Any heat-safe oil you’ve got will do the trick.
- Buffalo Sauce – They’re not buffalo wings without the hot sauce, right? Pick your favorite to bring that classic heat.
- Unsalted Butter – I mix it with the buffalo sauce to temper the heat a bit and make it more rich. If you’re looking for a vegan or low-dairy option, swap in some ghee, butter flavored coconut oil, or even more olive oil.
- Spices – I keep it simple with sea salt and black pepper, and sometimes throw in some garlic powder for a little something extra.
See my variations below for breading options or other sauces.
How To Make Buffalo Cauliflower
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, and season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if using). Toss to coat.
- Bake. Transfer the cauliflower to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and arrange in a single layer. Roast until browned and tender.
- Make the sauce. Heat the butter and buffalo sauce together in the microwave, or on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine.
- Toss together. Transfer the cauliflower to a bowl and pour the buffalo melted butter mixture over it. Gently toss to coat. Enjoy your baked buffalo cauliflower bites — see my serving ideas below!
My Recipe Tips
- For even crispier florets, skip the parchment paper. I used it for easy cleanup, but the cauliflower browns more if you roast on a bare pan. Just brush or spray with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Cut the cauliflower pieces the same size. This helps them cook at the same rate. If you use pre-cut florets, cut any larger ones in half to match smaller ones.
- If you’re short on time, make smaller pieces. The smaller they are, the faster they will roast.
- You might need more sauce if your head of cauliflower is large. You can 1.5X the sauce upfront to be safe, and just use the extras for drizzling if you have too much. If I realize I’m short at the end, I just quickly melt a bit more buffalo sauce and butter together and add it in.
- Want a faster way? Use your air fryer! See my air fryer buffalo cauliflower here.
Breading & Sauce Variations
Like I often do, I made this buffalo cauliflower simple and left the variations up to you. It can totally be breaded or rock other sauces:
Breading:
- Cornstarch – In a large zip lock bag or large bowl with a lid, combine the spices above with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the cauliflower florets, seal, and shake to coat. Add oil, shake again, and follow the rest of my buffalo cauliflower recipe as usual.
- Breadcrumbs – Not my favorite, but you can dip the florets in whisked egg (with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder mixed in), then dip in a mixture of your favorite breadcrumbs before roasting. This version is a lot more work!
- Low carb version – Combine 1 1/3 cups of almonds with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a food processor. Pulse until the consistency is like a coarse meal (avoid over-processing). You can use this “breading” using the shake method (like cornstarch above) or dip individually (like breadcrumbs above). Cook per recipe instructions.
Sauces:
- BBQ – Make this version if you prefer smoky sweetness over heat! I like to use my sugar free BBQ sauce.
- Garlic Parmesan – Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and saute 4 cloves of minced garlic in it, letting them sizzle until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and stir until smooth. Pour it over your cauliflower bites and watch them disappear.
- Teriyaki – Use my teriyaki sauce for something a little sweet, a little salty, a little umami. If you can, grab some sesame seeds for a finishing touch.
- Lemon Pepper – This one’s a bit different because I start with my homemade lemon pepper seasoning. To turn it into a sauce, mix 2 tablespoons of seasoning with 1/2 cup of butter.
- Spicy Honey Mustard – Make my sugar-free honey mustard, then add hot sauce to taste (I usually add a tablespoon).
- Gochujang – This is my latest creation, a mix of buttery, sweet, and a little spicy. Get my gochujang cauliflower recipe here!
Serving Ideas
The zippy sauce in this recipe pairs well with cool and creamy sides. Try these:
- Dipping Sauce – I rotate my homemade ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing to tame the heat, but you can use your fave store-bought brand, too. You can either dip or drizzle on top!
- Veggies – I highly recommend carrots and celery sticks to give your cauliflower buffalo wings those classic chicken wing vibes. But you can also shake things up with cucumber slices, snap peas, or mini bell peppers.
- Salads and Slaws – If you need to cool down from the spice, my creamy cucumber salad or refreshing cucumber tomato avocado salad will do the trick. They’re creamy, crunchy, and the perfect chill companions for fiery dishes.
- Pizza – I love a cheesy pizza with wings, but it’s just as delicious with buffalo cauliflower. But if you have extra cauliflower to use up, try my cauliflower pizza.
And if you love buffalo flavors, don’t miss my spaghetti squash casserole and Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip.
More Easy Cauliflower Recipes
If you like this veggie, try these comforting cauliflower dishes for your next gathering:
My Favorite Baking Sheet For This Recipe
This is my go-to baking sheet for just about everything, especially roasting. It cleans up easily, doesn’t warp, and gets my buffalo cauliflower nice and crispy every time.
Buffalo Cauliflower
Make this buffalo cauliflower recipe with simple ingredients! These cauliflower bites bring the heat of your favorite wings in veggie form.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). You can line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it bare and brush with oil for more browning.
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Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with garlic powder (if using), sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
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Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender with browned edges.
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Meanwhile, toward the end of the oven time, heat together the butter and buffalo sauce. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat. Whisk to combine.
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When the cauliflower is done, transfer it to a serving bowl. Evenly pour the buffalo sauce mixture over it, and toss to coat.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips to help you get the crispiest florets, ensure you end up with the right amount of sauce, and ways to make this recipe even faster!
- Variations: Want to change it up? I’ve got options here for difference breadings and sauces you can substitute.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The cauliflower does get soft, so I keep the sauce separately and add it fresh if I know I’m making this dish ahead.
- Reheat: For the crispiest results, reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or use your air fryer for a couple minutes if you have one. Again, even better if you can store and reheat without sauce, then add the sauce fresh.
- Freeze: I don’t love freezing buffalo cauliflower, but if you still want to, I recommend freezing the roasted florets without the sauce, for up to 3 months. Add this easy sauce fresh!
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I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe
94 Comments
Diane Mackinder
0Just made this and it was great!
I used pkg cauliflower florets… and instead of tossing them in hot sauce I drizzled sauce over them after placing them in our plates which prevented any crumb coating from being disturbed …
Used Franks original and Franks wing sauce 1:1 with the butter and as the dipping sauce used plain Greek yogurt and sour cream 1:1 ratio… didn’t have blue cheese so drizzled a bit of shredded Parmesan to finish topped with green onions… will definitely serve to guests!
Thank you so much … so flavourful and incredibly simple!!
Carla
0Are those frozen florets? Did you do anything to them prior to coating?
Jan
0You know, of course, that REAL Buffalo wings have no flour. Buffalo wings started in Buffalo, NY, at the Anchorbar restaurant. I live in Buffalo and these wings are made everywhere here…..no flour at all. Fresh dry wings go directly into frying oil then shaken in a bowl (with lid) with sauce. Dipped in bleu cheese dressing and celery and carrots.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jan, You’re right, but buffalo cauliflower recipes do often have flour and this is based on that concept.
Jules Shepard
0I need more cauliflower in my life! We’ve been having it more and the family LOVES IT! This looks fantastic and I’m pinning for later!
Cynthia
0Tasted delicious. Loved the basic ingredients. Turned out so well. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Gaye Miller
0Oh my word! This is SOOO good! My husband doesn’t do low carb, but he really liked this. Thank you for fine tuning and sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Gaye! Thanks for stopping by!
Kane
0How is this reheated (used for meal preps)?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kane, I’d probably lightly fry them to reheat, to crisp up the outside. Otherwise the oven or microwave would also work, but they would be much softer that way.
Kris
0My cauliflower is in the oven. I’m curious how this will turn out. But I have a request to make: because of all the plastic already being a problem in the environment, could you please not encourage people to use plastic bags? That would be great! Thanks for thinking about it and of course for the recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Great idea, Kris. Thanks for sharing with us!
Marilyn
0Is the cayenne pepper sauce noted in step 7 the Buffalo sauce listed in the ingredients?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marilyn, Yes, thanks for catching that! They are the same thing. I updated it so that both places say buffalo sauce for consistency.
Denise C
0Can I use coconut flour with this since i don’t have almond flour? I’m new to keto, and to coconut and almond flour. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Denise, Almost always, almond flour and coconut flour are not interchangeable in recipes, because coconut flour absorbs a ton of moisture and makes everything dry, requiring a lot more moisture and has a totally different texture. But, when using it for breading, it’s a little easier to swap one for the other. You can try that for these buffalo cauliflower bites, but they still might be a tad more dry than the original almond flour version. Also, coconut flour breading doesn’t crisp up as easily as almond flour. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Margaret Kennedy
0I am just about to start the Keto diet and praying it works for me.
I appreciate the printable copy, would be nice to get it on one page. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Margaret, Check the guide to getting started with keto here. I hope it helps!
Doreen
0Hi Maya, these are absolutely scrummy (if that’s a word!) The almond flour works a treat! These could definitely become a favourite…and your right, this recipe is definitely not suited to the instant pot. Shame.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am thrilled that you liked them, Doreen! Please come back again soon!
Alicia
0Delish! I added a bit of lemon juice and cracked pepper to the buffalo sauce to give it a bit more favor
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Alicia! Those sound like yummy additions to the sauce.
Michelle Belliveau
0Amazing – just like the deep fried meal at a restaurant. I added a bit less buffalo sauce as I was a bit nervous it would be too spicy for me, I used maybe 1/4 cup.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Michelle!
MJ
0Just made this for part of my dinner tonight. Turned out wonderful. I added some extra spices to the almond breading – smoked paprika & cayenne. Thank you for a great recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! I’m glad you liked them!