I perfected a quick Cauliflower Buffalo Wings recipe that delivers a bold Buffalo sauce kick, crisps up in the air fryer while staying tender inside, and is completely vegan and healthy.
I grew up thinking wings had to be meat, but these Cauliflower Buffalo Wings totally changed my mind. Bite sized cauliflower florets crisp up in the air fryer so the outside is crunchy and the inside stays tender, then they’re drenched in a tangy hot sauce that actually has some bite.
It’s all vegan, way healthier than the real thing, and fun to eat with your hands. I tried a couple little tricks to keep them crisp and not soggy, and honestly they turned out better than I expected.
Try them when you want a bold snack or an easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes pick.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Crunchy, fibrous and low calorie, gives vitamin C and a meaty texture when roasted
- All purpose flour: Provides structure and carbs, can make the batter doughy if used too thick
- Cornstarch: Makes coating ultra crisp by absorbing moisture, mostly pure starch and carbs
- Unsweetened non dairy milk: Adds moisture and a touch of creaminess, low calorie, little protein usually
- Hot sauce: Gives heat and tang, mostly vinegar based so low calories, big flavor punch
- Vegan butter: Adds richness and helps sauce stick, mostly fat so flavor and mouthfeel
- Maple syrup or agave: Optional sweetener to balance heat, small sugar boost and caramel notes
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 medium head cauliflower, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds cut into bite sized florets
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk almond or soy
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup hot sauce like Franks
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave optional
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil for misting or tossing avocado or vegetable oil
- Cooking spray for the air fryer basket optional
- Celery sticks and vegan ranch or blue cheese style dip for serving optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F and cut 1 medium head cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 lb) into bite sized florets, try to keep them similar size so they cook evenly.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. In a separate bowl mix 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk (almond or soy) with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin if needed, stir until smooth.
4. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until you have a thick batter, it should coat the back of a spoon; add the extra tablespoon of water if batter seems too thick to coat florets.
5. Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, shake off excess and set on a wire rack or plate; try not to let them sit too long or batter gets gummy.
6. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or brush with a little oil, arrange florets in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Mist or brush each side with a little neutral oil (about 2 tablespoons total spread over batches) to help crisp.
7. Air fry at 400°F for about 12 to 16 minutes, flipping once halfway through and misting again if you want extra crunch, cook until golden and crispy on the outside and tender inside.
8. While they cook, make the buffalo sauce: melt 3 tablespoons vegan butter, stir in 1/2 cup hot sauce like Franks and 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave if using, heat until combined and glossy.
9. Toss the hot cauliflower in the sauce to coat, then return to the air fryer for 1 to 3 more minutes to set the sauce if you like a slightly sticky finish. Serve immediately with celery sticks and vegan ranch or blue cheese style dip.
10. Tip: dont overcrowd or they steam instead of crisp, cook in batches and reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes to restore crunch.
Equipment Needed
1. Air fryer with basket, you’ll preheat to 400°F
2. Chef’s knife
3. Cutting board
4. Two mixing bowls, one for dry one for wet
5. Whisk
6. Measuring cups & spoons
7. Tongs or a fork for dipping and flipping
8. Wire rack or plate for resting battered florets
9. Pastry brush or oil mister (or cooking spray)
FAQ
Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- All purpose flour: swap with chickpea flour (use about the same amount, it gives a nuttier, crispier crust) or a gluten free 1:1 baking blend (cup for cup, might taste a bit different).
- Cornstarch: use arrowroot or tapioca starch in equal amounts, or potato starch; arrowroot tends to make a lighter crunch, tapioca works too.
- Unsweetened non dairy milk: you can use regular dairy milk, oat milk, or soy milk; if your milk is thick like oat, thin with 1 to 2 tbsp water so the batter isn’t too gloopy.
- Hot sauce (Frank’s): substitute a bottled buffalo sauce or mix sriracha with melted vegan butter and a little maple syrup (about 3 parts hot sauce to 2 parts butter plus 1 tsp syrup) for similar heat and gloss.
Pro Tips
1) Cut the florets all about the same size and pat them dry good, otherwise the big ones will be mushy while the small ones burn and wet pieces make the batter slip off. A salad spinner or paper towels work fine.
2) Get the batter thickness right: it should coat the back of a spoon, not be soup or paste. If it looks too thick add a tablespoon of milk or water at a time, and dont let dipped florets sit long or the coating goes gummy.
3) Dont crowd the basket, leave space so hot air can flow, and mist or brush each side with oil before flipping halfway. Crowding = steaming not crisping, and a quick mist mid cook really helps the crust brown.
4) When saucing, toss lightly so you dont soak the crust, then put them back for a minute or two to set the sauce so it becomes sticky not soggy. For extra crunch try a light dusting of cornstarch or a few tbsp of panko before that last crisping step, it makes a big difference.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe
I perfected a quick Cauliflower Buffalo Wings recipe that delivers a bold Buffalo sauce kick, crisps up in the air fryer while staying tender inside, and is completely vegan and healthy.
4
servings
393
kcal
Equipment: 1. Air fryer with basket, you’ll preheat to 400°F
2. Chef’s knife
3. Cutting board
4. Two mixing bowls, one for dry one for wet
5. Whisk
6. Measuring cups & spoons
7. Tongs or a fork for dipping and flipping
8. Wire rack or plate for resting battered florets
9. Pastry brush or oil mister (or cooking spray)
Ingredients
-
1 medium head cauliflower, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds cut into bite sized florets
-
1 cup all purpose flour
-
1/2 cup cornstarch
-
1 teaspoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
1 teaspoon onion powder
-
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-
1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk almond or soy
-
1 to 2 tablespoons water
-
1/2 cup hot sauce like Franks
-
3 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine
-
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave optional
-
2 tablespoons neutral oil for misting or tossing avocado or vegetable oil
-
Cooking spray for the air fryer basket optional
-
Celery sticks and vegan ranch or blue cheese style dip for serving optional
Directions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F and cut 1 medium head cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 lb) into bite sized florets, try to keep them similar size so they cook evenly.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- In a separate bowl mix 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk (almond or soy) with 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin if needed, stir until smooth.
- Pour the wet into the dry and stir until you have a thick batter, it should coat the back of a spoon; add the extra tablespoon of water if batter seems too thick to coat florets.
- Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, shake off excess and set on a wire rack or plate; try not to let them sit too long or batter gets gummy.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or brush with a little oil, arrange florets in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Mist or brush each side with a little neutral oil (about 2 tablespoons total spread over batches) to help crisp.
- Air fry at 400°F for about 12 to 16 minutes, flipping once halfway through and misting again if you want extra crunch, cook until golden and crispy on the outside and tender inside.
- While they cook, make the buffalo sauce: melt 3 tablespoons vegan butter, stir in 1/2 cup hot sauce like Franks and 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave if using, heat until combined and glossy.
- Toss the hot cauliflower in the sauce to coat, then return to the air fryer for 1 to 3 more minutes to set the sauce if you like a slightly sticky finish. Serve immediately with celery sticks and vegan ranch or blue cheese style dip.
- Tip: dont overcrowd or they steam instead of crisp, cook in batches and reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes to restore crunch.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 356g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 393kcal
- Fat: 20.7g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Trans Fat: 0.13g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.5g
- Monounsaturated: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 901mg
- Potassium: 325mg
- Carbohydrates: 51.5g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 7.5g
- Protein: 7.3g
- Vitamin A: 100IU
- Vitamin C: 91mg
- Calcium: 118mg
- Iron: 1.5mg