Cook up this crispy buffalo cauliflower for quick snack anytime. With a crispy coating, oven-baked cauliflower bites are delicious tossed in buffalo sauce.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Spicy, tangy, and perfectly crispy with that classic buffalo kick.
- Skill level: Super easy—just toss, bake, and enjoy!
- Time-Saving Tip: Use a big bag of pre-cut fresh cauliflower to make prep even quicker.
- Serving suggestions: Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping, and don’t forget the celery and carrot sticks!
Ingredient Tips for Buffalo Cauliflower
- Cauliflower: Fresh is best, but frozen cauliflower can be used as long as it’s thawed and patted dry. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces for the best results.
- Batter: This simple batter starts with milk, flour, seasonings, and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs for crunch.
- Buffalo Sauce: Buffalo sauce and hot sauce are different. Buffalo wing sauce is generally 2 parts hot sauce to 1 part melted butter. Use a bottle of store-bought Buffalo sauce (like Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce) or make your own and adjust the heat any way you like!
Holly’s Tips for the Best Buffalo Cauliflower
- For crispy bites, dry cauliflower well. Wash a day ahead, wrap in a kitchen towel, and refrigerate to absorb moisture.
- Let the batter drip from the florets, you just want enough to get into all the nooks and crannies.
- Don’t oversoak the florets with Buffalo sauce or they will get soggy.
- Line the baking pan with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Leftover baked cauliflower can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Reheat under the broiler or in the air fryer.
Did you make this Buffalo Cauliflower? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower washed and dried
- 1 cup milk any type
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- ⅔ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup buffalo sauce see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and discard the core.
- Combine milk, flour, oil, garlic powder, and pepper in a large bowl. Place batter and cauliflower in a large zippered bag and gently toss until cauliflower is coated.
- Pour cauliflower into a large strainer, letting any excess batter drip off. You want just a light coating of batter. Sprinkle with Panko breadcrumbs and gently toss.
- Place on a foil-lined pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently toss with buffalo sauce. Cauliflower should be coated but not soaked.
- Place cauliflower back on the pan and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp.
- Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Notes
- Note: Purchase store-bought buffalo sauce or mix ⅓ cup melted butter with ⅔ cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot). Whisk until combined.
- Ensure the cauliflower is very dry after washing. You can use a salad spinner or shake it dry in a clean towel. Try to wash it the day before if possible.
- Toss the cauliflower in the wet batter and let most of the excess drip off, leaving just a light coating.
- Don’t add too much Buffalo sauce to the cauliflower, just toss until lightly coated.
- If some of your friends/family don’t like spice, leave a few florets aside when adding buffalo sauce and season them with salt and black pepper instead. Serve them with your favorite dips.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Party Food, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
You sure can! Be sure the frozen cauliflower is thawed, drained, and dabbed dry or the batter will not crisp. Frozen cauliflower will be softer than fresh.
Yes. Place a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes and 400°F for an additional 5-7 minutes.
It is almost so good it is addictive! I hope you enjoy it!
The contrast between the coating and the white of the cauliflower is just so pretty! This looks like perfect party food!
I have to agree it is pretty! It is also pretty tasty! Have a great day Ashley!
I made this and I noticed that I need to make the batter thin. And I wanted to add more flavor because flour absorbs the taste. Which flour is the best? I used all purpose. Panko crumbs helped too just remember to not make it too thick. And I will use store bought Frank’s buffalo sauce. Thank you for the recipe.
I hope you love it if you try it Ben!
I hope the kids love it Natalie!
This reminds me of my mom. She’s make something very similar but coated it will rice flour not breadcrumbs. I bet the breadcrumbs taste better and have a nicer texture. I need to try this soon.
Buffalo anything is my crutch! This is such a great, healthy option. I already like buffalo so this switch should be a no brainer!
It is such a delicious alternative! Enjoy, Lauren!
They have this at my local theater and it’s my new go-to movie snack. I need to perfect making it at home!
So yummy! I wish my movie theatre had it!
I love the sound of this, can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Emily! You WILL love it!
What a wonderful sounding snack, I love cauliflower, one of my favourite vegetables. It’s so versatile and the flavour is incredible.
I love the flavor of this one too Brian! Glad you enjoyed it!
Love this oven baked buffalo cauliflower great game day appetizer I need to try it as I get bored with cauliflower curry dishes.
You’ll enjoy it Swathi!
Love this healthier version of chicken wings. Perfect!
Thank you Lisa!!
Love this vegetarian version of buffalo wings! These look so amazingly delicious, I can’t wait to make them soon!
Thanks Emily, definitely my Mom’s fave recipe on my site!!
Made these today and took them to work. I didn’t get a chance to try them.My co-workers couldn’t stop eating them. Now I have to make more for just me. Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! So glad everyone loved them… this is my Mom’s FAVE recipe!
Love these as an alternative “meaty” snack at gatherings! Always a hit in our household SWP Employee
So glad you loved them!!
So disappointed. The bottoms of these burnt before they had even been in the oven for the first 15 minutes.
I can’t say for sure why yours burnt, we’ve made these countless times and never had a problem with them. Did you put them in the middle rack of the oven?
How to store the left overs
I was skeptical about these because I’ve never had success oven-frying any battered food. However, these came out perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I’m sure they’ll been a frequent request from my heretofore vegetable-loathing son! He loved them! This recipe is a winner.
I am so glad your family is enjoying this recipe!
I made them and it came out great.The only negative thing about recipe is the bake time.The “wings” were burned at bottom and I spent time cutting the burned pieces.My boyfriend didn’t mind the burnt pieces and he enjoyed it too.Next time I’m baking them at 10 mins.
I hope cutting the time helps. I guess it is true that every oven cooks a little different from the next.
Can you ise frozen cauliflower
I haven’t tried it but frozen cauliflower is already quite soft so I’d worry it would become mushy. If you do happen to try it, please let us know how it goes!
Holly,
I am traveling today and plan to bring these to a friends house. Could I mix the batter ahead of time and place it in a bag with the cauliflower and then drain it when I get to my friend’s house?
I think that should work just fine.