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Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Get your veggies in with these crispy and tasty baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. Make these delicious little cauliflower bites in the oven or the air fryer for a delicious appetizer or even a meal!

a closeup of a plate of buffalo cauliflower wings with a small dish of ranch dressing next to a plaid towel

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Ingredients

  • cauliflower florets
  • avocado oil or coconut oil
  • almond meal, all-purpose flour, almond flour or another flour substitute
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • almond milk (any milk will work)
  • whey protein isolate or pork rind breadcrumbs (or regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs)
  • buffalo wing sauce
  • ranch dressing, for dipping (or blue cheese)

Instructions

These could really be called “twice-baked buffalo cauliflower bites”. They’re breaded, baked, then lightly coated in the buffalo sauce and baked again. This is the best method for ensuring they turn out nice and crispy.

To start, preheat your oven to 425F. The high heat is essential to getting them crispy and cooked through. You’ll also need an oven-safe wire rack that’s placed over a sheet pan (this is the same method I use to make my popular keto-friendly Lemon Pepper Wings).

Toss cauliflower florets with a little oil in a mixing bowl, then coat them in a mixture of flour and seasonings. Dip each floret in a little milk then roll it in your chosen breading. Place them on the wire rack.

Bake them to give the coating time to adhere and partially cook the cauliflower, then lightly dip them in the buffalo sauce. Return them to the oven and bake them for the final time. Serve them immediately with more buffalo wing sauce and/or ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping, and some celery sticks.

a plate of buffalo cauliflower wings with a small dish of ranch dressing next to a plaid towel

How many carbs are in cauliflower wings

This recipe has just 3g net carbs per serving! The recipe works if you’re on a low-carb or keto diet and uses almond meal and whey protein isolate as the suggested breading. If you haven’t tried using that as a breading before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how wonderful it is! I also make my own homemade buffalo wing sauce which is also delicious in Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Regular flour and breadcrumbs can also be used if you’re not concerned about carbs. Panko breadcrumbs are great, too.

Why cauliflower wings get soggy

Baked cauliflower wings can get soggy if too much of the Buffalo sauce is used when coating the wings before going back into the oven. Just lightly coating them will keep them nice and crispy. You can also opt to dip each wing into the sauce at the table, like a dipping sauce. Whatever is easiest and tastiest for you will work!

Another method to keeping them crispy is to replace the milk with Frank’s hot sauce then skip dipping them in step five. This will make them a lot spicier but go for it if that’s your thing!

It’s also important to use an oven-safe wire rack placed over a sheet pan when baking the wings. This allows air to circulate under the wings which results in a crispier wing. If you don’t have one, line the sheet pan with parchment paper. They won’t be quite as crispy but they’ll still taste delicious.

a closeup of a plate of buffalo cauliflower wings with a small dish of ranch dressing next to a plaid towel

How to make cauliflower wings in the air fryer

Cauliflower wings are a perfect candidate for the air fryer and they get even more crispy than the oven. Preheat your air fryer to 400F. Follow the instructions in the recipe below through step four. Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove them and coat with the buffalo sauce. Cook another 10 minutes or until they’re crispy and cooked through.

Using frozen cauliflower

I highly recommend using fresh cauliflower for this recipe, but sometimes you need to make adjustments for cravings. I get it. Just make sure to thaw the cauliflower completely and pat it dry with paper towels before breading.

Tips and Variations

  • Replace the Buffalo sauce with your favorite barbecue sauce
  • Add a very light coating of buffalo sauce before baking in step five
  • To get them even crispier, run them under the broiler for a few minutes after baking (watch them carefully)
  • Skip the breading entirely and toss partially roasted cauliflower with the buffalo sauce as directed
  • Be sure to use small, bite-sized cauliflower florets
  • Add a little onion powder
  • Replace the paprika with smoked paprika (or a combination) for an added smoky flavor
A Plate Of Buffalo Cauliflower Wings With Side Of Ranch Dressing

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Yield: 2-4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Get your veggies in with these crispy and tasty baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. Make these delicious little cauliflower bites in the oven or the air fryer for a delicious appetizer or even a meal!

Ingredients

  • 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/4 almond meal or all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (any milk will work)
  • 1/2 cup whey protein isolate or pork rind breadcrumbs (or regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1/4 cup ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place an oven-safe wire cooking rack over a sheet pan and spray the rack lightly with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil until it's completely coated.
  3. Mix together the almond meal or flour with the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle it over the cauliflower and toss it gently until it's all coated.
  4. Dip each cauliflower floret in the milk then roll it in the whey protein or breadcrumbs. Place on the wire rack.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes. then lightly dip each cauliflower floret in the buffalo sauce, letting any excess drip off, and return to the rack (not too much sauce or they could get soggy). Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until they're crispy and cooked through.
  6. Tip: Run them under the broiler for a few minutes to get them extra-crispy. Watch them carefully.


Air Fryer Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Follow the instructions through step 4. Place in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and coat with the buffalo sauce. Cook another 10 minutes or until they're crispy and cooked through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 783mgCarbohydrates: 6gNet Carbohydrates: 3gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 12g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo
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