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Breaded cauliflower florets in a light blue plate sprinkled with chopped green herbs and served with a small bowl of white sauce
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Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, this vegan buffalo cauliflower is a mouthwatering addition to your game-day appetizer or dinner table. We use cauliflower florets to mimic the texture of traditional buffalo wings and then toss them in a finger-licking, sweet, spicy buffalo sauce. Whether you use it as a starter or your main course, you will crave more after the first bite!
Course Appetizer, Sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword buffalo chicken wings, plant-based chicken, vegan buffalo cauliflower, vegan hot wings, vegan wings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 "wings"
Calories 103kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut cauliflower head into smaller florets. Blanche them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then drain. Do not overcook it.
  • We used the small chopping bowl of our immersion blender to crush cornflakes to a fine, breadcrumb-like texture.

Prepare wet batter for coating

  • Mix in a shallow bowl corn flour, rice/all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt and black pepper. Pour in the dairy-free milk and start mixing. It should have a texture of a pancake batter, slow-flowing but not too dense. In time the flour will thicken the batter a bit, so add 1 tsp of water to thin it again.

Bread the cauliflower

  • Dip the cauliflower florets first in the wet batter. Coat it evenly. I found it is easier to use your fingers to do that instead of using a fork or spatula.
  • Transfer the coated cauliflower florets gently to the crushed cornflakes. Sprinkle the top and pat it gently. Make sure the crushed cornflakes-based mix sticks to it evenly.
  • You can place it on a plate or fry it when it is coated. The coating will hold at room temperature for an hour or so without a problem if you need to wait before frying.

Deep-frying

  • Pour sunflower oil into a skillet or pot. Heat it on medium/high heat. You can test whether it is hot enough by dropping a bit of coating in it. If it sizzles, you are good to go.
  • Gently drop the breaded “florets” in the oil. The oil is hot so pay attention to drop it gently without a splash. Don’t overcrowd the pan as the oil will cool down, and the cauliflower florets will need a longer time and thus will soak up more oil.
  • Fry cauliflower florets for 3-4 minutes until the coating gets crispy. When they are ready, transfer them to a paper towel, so the excess oil is absorbed.

Cooking the buffalo sauce

  • In a large pan add vegan butter. When it's melted and bubbly add Frank's buffalo sauce and maple syrup. Stir constantly until mixed completely.
  • Add in the fried cauliflower florets and coat them with the sauce evenly.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg