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March 11, 2021

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings (Gluten + Oil Free!)

by Slow Down Company

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– vegan – gluten free – oil free – low fat – refined sugar free –

With hundreds of recipes for cauliflower buffalo wings on the web, how do you know which ones to try?! Well I can’t say these are the best without trying them all, but I can tell you that I’ve tested this recipe several times to make them perfect, and I think they are pretty dang close. Not only do they taste delicious, but they are free from white flour, gluten, oil, refined sugar AND they are low fat. So these are a real win for me and my family.

The secret to getting these cauliflower buffalo wings extra crispy is the panko breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add another layer of crunch and create little crevices for the sauce to cling on to. Extra crunchy and extra saucy is a yes for me, but if you don’t want to use the breadcrumbs, the wings will turn out delicious without them.

Helpful tips to get the best crispy cauliflower wings every time:

It took me several attempts to perfect these chipotle ranch cauliflower wings, so here are my best recommendations so you don’t have to go through the same trial and error that I did:

  • Invest in a silicone baking mat or an oven-safe cooling rack. A common challenge with cauliflower wings is achieving a crispy bottom. There are a couple ways to combat this. My most tried and true method is to invest in a silicone baking mat if you don’t have one already. The silicone mat will get the bottom side crispy, no flipping required! If you don’t have one, I recommend placing an oven-safe wire cooking rack on top of a baking sheet. This will allow for air flow on the bottom side of the wings so they can crisp up. If you don’t have either of these options, using parchment paper is the next best option.
  • Remove excess batter from the florets. If there is a pool of batter around the cauliflower florets after placing them on the baking sheet, this means you are not knocking off enough of the excess batter on the side of the bowl (this happens less frequently if you’re also using the panko breadcrumbs). 
  • Use the double layer of crunch method. Use the double layer method by first dipping the cauliflower in the chickpea batter then in the panko breadcrumbs. The extra crispiness makes a huge difference. When dipping the florets in the panko breadcrumbs (optional), you may notice the breadcrumbs get wet and clumpy and you will have a harder time coating the florets. I recommend only adding some of the breadcrumbs to the mixing bowl at a time, and adding more as you go. If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs, you can still make these chipotle ranch cauliflower wings without them.
  • Bake, sauce, then bake again. For these wings, we will partially bake the florets until crispy, then use a basting brush to brush on a generous amount of sauce, then bake again. The basting brush will coat the wings in the perfect amount of sauce. Oversaturating the wings in sauce can leave them soggy. Baking the wings after brushing on the sauce will make the wings extra crispy.
cauliflower buffalo wings

Cooking essentials:

  • A baking sheet
  • A silicone mat, an oven-safe wire cooling rack OR parchment paper
  • A large + small mixing bowl
  • A basting brush

Substitutions:

  • Chickpea flour (also known as besan or garbanzo flour): the flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or almond flour.
  • Plain soy milk: you can use any plain nondairy milk of choice. I prefer soy milk for it’s health benefits and it’s creaminess.
  • Panko breadcrumbs: can be substituted with regular breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can crush nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts) in a food processor and use them as a breading.
cauliflower buffalo wings
If you like these cauliflower buffalo wings, I think you will love these other vegan recreations as well:
  • Vegetable Stroganoff (Vegan)
  • Garlicky Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos (Vegan)
  • Creamy Protein Pasta (Vegan + Oil Free)
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
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Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

Recipe by Slow Down Company Course: SnacksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower (5-6 cups)

  • 1 cup plain soy milk (or nondairy milk of choice)

  • 3/4 cup chickpea flour

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs (optional)

  • 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce (+ more for dipping)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, an oven-safe wire cooling rack OR parchment paper and set aside. If using parchment paper, grease lightly with cooking oil (see helpful tips above for more guidance).
  • Prepare the ingredients. Cut the cauliflower into nugget-sized pieces, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, chickpea flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until there are no lumps. In a small mixing bowl, add just a small amount of the panko breadcrumbs, if using. The reason we don’t want to add all the breadcrumbs at once is because they start to get wet and clumpy after repetitively dipping the cauliflower in them. As you use up the breadcrumbs in the bowl, continue to add more.
  • Dip the cauliflower florets. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl with the chickpea batter and toss to evenly coat all the cauliflower in batter (depending on the size of the bowl, you may need to do this in a couple batches). One by one, take a piece of cauliflower and remove some of the excess batter by tapping it against the side of the bowl. Dip the cauliflower in the panko breadcrumbs and coat evenly, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remainder of the cauliflower.
  • Bake! Bake the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes. They should be starting to get browned and crispy.
  • Sauce them up. Remove cauliflower from the oven. Use a basting brush to generously brush the buffalo sauce on the florets. You’ll want to give them a pretty thick coating. Then pop the cauliflower back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Enjoy as is or with extra dipping sauce.

Notes

  • The nutrition information includes the use of panko breadcrumbs and Frank’s buffalo sauce.
  • To reheat, place back in the oven on 350 F for 10-15 minutes. They will get a little dry the second time around so I recommend brushing on more sauce before placing them in the oven.
  • These wings are best on the first day, but can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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Nutrition Facts

4 servings per container

Serving Size1 servings


Calories290

  • Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
  • Total Fat 3.9g 6%
    • Saturated Fat 0.43g 3%
  • Sodium 1357.3mg 57%
  • Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
  • Total Carbohydrate 51.4g 18%
    • Dietary Fiber 8.5g 34%
    • Sugars 7.5g
  • Protein 14.3g 29%

    * The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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    Bianca Soucy, Certified Health Coach

    me

    Hey there! I’m Bianca. I have a passion for creating simple, yet nourishing meals with local and seasonally available ingredients. I’m always dreaming of a slow, easy-going lifestyle – one where a homecooked meal can bring us all together. You can learn more about me by clicking here.

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