I can't believe I'm so excited about cauliflower - but these buffalo cauliflower bites are seriously the stuff dreams are made of!
Not only are they good, but they're the kind of good where when you're finished, you're already thinking about when you'll make them next. I've played around with the recipe a few times to make sure the buffalo cauliflower is as delicious and perfect as possible for you!
Something about buffalo sauce is just so appealing to me on almost anything. I've put hot sauce on eeeeverything lately, and Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce has become a favorite! If you're as obsessed with buffalo sauce as I am, don't miss this buffalo mac and cheese recipe before you go!
You'll bake the cauliflower instead of frying it so you don't have to use a bunch of oil. I just add a splash to the buffalo sauce, but you could also use butter. AND, if you use plant-based milk and butter, it's also a vegan recipe!
I've made these breaded buffalo cauliflower bites sooo many times now.
I've nailed down some important things that really make a difference in how the final product tastes. Before we dive into the recipe, I want to share with you some tips for cooking cauliflower for the best outcome!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make them for yourself:
- Cauliflower (I usually cut the stems off so they mimic "chicken bites")
- Milk (Cow or vegan milk works, use your favorite)
- Water
- Flour
- Paprika (I sometimes us smoked paprika and other times regular)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Panko bread crumbs
- Buffalo sauce (I go with good ol' fashioned Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce)
- Melted butter (You can use vegan butter)
- Olive oil
2020 Update
You guys blow me away! Thanks to an insane traffic boost over Super Bowl weekend, this has become the third most popular recipe on my site! The only two recipes ahead of it are my spicy honey garlic tofu and homemade caesar salad dressing recipes.
2022 Update
I've finally updated this recipe with new pictures! Just in time for the cauliflower bites' biggest day of the year: Superbowl Sunday.
Tips for Cooking Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Cut your cauliflower into small pieces, no bigger than one inch pieces - even a bit smaller if possible. This ensures each piece gets more crispy bits per portion of cauliflower. It also helps it cook evenly!
- This recipe calls for one cup of panko bread crumbs. I have a special trick for making sure the coating gets a bit crispier Toss your cauliflower in ¾ a cup of panko bread crumbs first (once it's been dipped in the milk and flour mix). THEN add the other ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs. When I do this I get a crispier result, because the second time you add the breadcrumbs it helps make sure they don't all get clumped together.
Look how gorgeously crispy the cauliflower gets after the first round of baking before the buffalo sauce is added!
- This doesn't really change how crispy it gets, but when it comes to cooking cauliflower bites, I strongly encourage that you cut the stems off. This helps make sure the bites look and taste more like popcorn chicken or wings.
4. Make sure you spread your cauliflower evenly on the pan. This will help make sure all the edges get cooked and the pieces don't stick together. I also like to sprinkle them with a bit of salt at this point.
5. Be sure to stir your buffalo cauliflower bites on the pan halfway through each time you cook them (unless you're cooking them on a wire rack). Once when the cauliflower is cooking for the first 20 minutes. Then stir again halfway through the 20 minutes after you add the buffalo sauce.
6. If you have a wire rack to place over your baking sheet, you can put the cauliflower on the rack instead to help ensure the whole bite gets crispier.
What Goes with Buffalo Cauliflower Bites?
My personal favorite way to eat these buffalo cauliflower bites is by dipping them in ranch! A side of celery sticks never hurts either.
Another way I love eating them is on top of a salad. They also make a great taco filling! I usually eat these for dinner, but they make a great appetizer or a side dish too.
You can basically substitute the crispy buffalo cauliflower bites into any dish where you'd use buffalo chicken! Handy right? And it's a way healthier (for you and the environment!) option!
Note...
You're saving yourself a TON of oil consumption when you bake instead of fry. And that's kind of a trade off for baked dishes maybe not being quite as crispy as fried dishes.
But don't get me wrong...
You'll definitely be able to achieve a crispy cauliflower dish using the tips I've provided! But just a quick reminded that baked cauliflower won't usually have QUITE the same texture as it would if it were fried.
Let's dive in!
Can you make buffalo cauliflower gluten free?
You'll need to find gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko crumbs to make this recipe gluten-friendly. I haven't tried it with those ingredients yet, but please let me know if you do.
Crispy Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe
Oven Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower Cut into approx. one inch pieces. I try to remove as much of the stem as possible.
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- ¾ cup milk I use skim but whatever you have will work.
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 cup panko breading (divided into ¾ cup and ¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ to 1 cup buffalo sauce If you want a saucier dish, use a full cup. For a lighter coating, ¾ of a cup will work
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Wash your cauliflower and cut into approx. one-inch sized pieces. I like to remove as much of the stem as I can so it really feels like a little piece of "meat" but you can definitely keep the stems longer if you want. (If you're going to be using the buffalo cauliflower bites as taco filling, I recommend chopping the pieces quite small)
- Melt the butter in the microwave. Toss the cauliflower pieces with the melted butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, paprika, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.Add milk and water to the flour mixture and whisk until mostly smooth, without big clumps left over.
- Add the cauliflower into the flour/milk mixture. Toss with your hands or tools to make sure the pieces are evenly coated in the batter!
- In a separate bowl, add ¾ cup of your panko breading. Pour the coated cauliflower into the panko breading and gently toss with your hands, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Then, add your other ¼ cup of panko to the cauliflower. (Doing this in two steps help make it more evenly-coated).
- Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Place the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet, and spread evenly so the pieces aren't clumped together. Or, you can place a wire rack over your baking sheet (spray it with oil if you use a wire rack instead of placing the cauliflower bites directly on the baking sheet)Add to heated oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring the cauliflower halfway through so the pieces cook evenly.
- While the cauliflower bakes, add your buffalo sauce and olive oil and stir to combine.When the cauliflower has baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven (but keep the oven on).Take the cauliflower from the pan and add it to the bowl with the buffalo sauce. Mix well (careful — it will be hot!) until the pieces are evenly coated.
- Return the buffalo cauliflower to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes (stirring halfway through) OR until pieces are crisped to your liking!Serve and enjoy! (Toss with more buffalo sauce before serving if you want them extra saucy)
Notes
Nutrition
Let me know what you think!
I can't wait to hear what you think of these baked buffalo cauliflower bites once you give them a try! They've become a beloved classic in my family and it makes me so happy that so many of you love them too.
xo - C
About Chelsea Kram & XO&So
Hi! I'm Chelsea and I'm the Canadian food blogger behind all of the XO&So vegetarian comfort food recipes. Click here to get to know more about me.
Amanda
This is the best buffalo cauliflower recipe I’ve tried!! The panko makes them so so crispy - the texture I crave! I always put these in the air fryer instead of the oven and they turn out amazing.
chelseaxoandso
That's AWESOME news! Thank you so much for letting me know, I'm so so so glad you enjoyed it!
Linda
How long do you keep them in the air fryer? Thanks. Linda
Amanda
Linda - I coat the cauliflower, put them in for about 8-9 minutes, then toss them in Buffalo sauce, then back in the air fryer until crispy again! About another 8ish minutes but I always check every so often to make sure they don’t burn.
Cheryl Nero
This recipe is the best of all the recipes my family love ❤️ so much . Thank you very much
chelseaxoandso
Awww I'm so happy to hear that, Cheryl! ❤️❤️❤️
jo
Calories?
Blanca
THIS WAS THE BOMB! Easy, crunchy and so dang good! I used GF flour, was the only change I made. Thank you for a fantastic recipe Chelsea - I appreciate you!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Woohoooo!!!! This made my day to hear!!! Thank you so much for letting me know, I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed them and I'm glad to know it worked well with GF flour.
CC
Not sure what I did wrong but the Panko was incredibly crunchy and the batter was not cooked through.
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. Did you change any of the ingredient quantities or miss something? I've definitely done that myself before!
Kim Megorden
I have tried a number of Buffalo Cauliflower recipes. This is far and away THE BEST!
However, no matter how hard i try, I can't get the cauliflower to stay crispy after I add the hot sauce. so, we just dip them in hot sauce and ranch dressing!
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
I'm so happy you enjoy them, Kim! I really appreciate you leaving a review. There's nothing quite like a hot sauce and ranch dipping combo! Yum!
Kim Megorden
We make these frequently now! Definitely a go-to recipe!
Elle N
I found the recipe to be too heavy on the batter. The recipe would have better suited for a frying method. The batter didn't "crunch" up as I was hoping for.
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Sorry to hear that! Hope you find a recipe that works for you 🙂
rebecka kosichek
how do you make them crispy? I have tried everything and yet they still are not crispy
Bill Stryker
Found this when surfing the internet for new recipes after we decided to try a plant based diet. I was actually looking for tofu recipes (Your spicy honey garlic recipe is awesome as well!) when I came across this and had to give it a go.
Really, really good!! Our family loves it. This dish has become a staple in our house every 2-3 weeks by request. Found it better to double the batter so everything is fully coated. We also like to add extra panko for more of a "fried" crunch and create extra crunch by using the broiler when we return it to the oven until finished stirring as needed. A small bit of char adds to the flavor. I'm certain it would taste great fried too but truly love the healthy option of baking...would have never said that a year ago!!! We want to try this in an air fryer at some point.
Always make enough for leftovers you'll be happy you did.
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
Thanks for sharing, Bill! That makes me so happy to hear. Glad you like the tofu as well!
MB
I tried these this afternoon & this is the best cauliflower "wings" recipe ever! I sent the link to my sister. It has the crunch of a real wing. I added a small pat of unsalted butter to the buffalo sauce. I have half a cauliflower left so looking forward to making this again this week.
Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them!!! Thanks so much for the review and letting me know 🙂