Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Now you can have a game day snack without worrying about all the game day calories! These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a baked, not fried, and a great vegetarian option to regular chicken wings.

I was introduced to this dish by a coworker at my last school. I love chicken wings, but at approximately 70 calories a pop, it can add up. Of course the Buffalo sauce that these are drizzled in isn’t exactly super healthy, but this recipe is a little easier on the waistline, especially considering that they’re baked, not fried.

I’ve made different versions of these Buffalo cauliflower “wings” over the years (using gluten-free flour, and/or vegan margarine, and changing up the batter ingredients), but this recipe seemed to yield the best result for me and my taste buds. Best of all it’s coated in my homemade Buffalo Sauce!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Monique Creary

Now you can have a game day snack without worrying about all the game day calories! These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a baked, not fried, and a great vegetarian option to regular chicken wings.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 large head cauliflower rinsed and cut into bite-sized florets
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup of Buffalo sauce

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking pan with parchment paper (or lightly oiled foil).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion powders. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth and combined.
• Evenly coat the prepared cauliflower florets with the batter. Drip off any excess batter from the cauliflower before placing it on the lined pan. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
• Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the Buffalo sauce.
• Remove cauliflower from oven. Coat the baked cauliflower bites with the Buffalo sauce and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve with blue cheese dip or ranch dressing.

Notes

To make them extra crispy, broil them on high for a couple minutes in the oven before adding the Buffalo sauce. You'll lose some of the crunch when you add the sauce, but you can use it as a dip, instead of returning the bites to the oven.

These are best eaten right after you prepare them, but if you want to try to retain some of the crispiness, you can reheat these in the toaster oven instead of using the microwave.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!