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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers and Light Bites

    Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

    Published: Sep 26, 2014 · Modified: Sep 4, 2020 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    recipe image for Pinterest

    A meatless version of your favorite buffalo wings. No breading station required for these Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. The are so easy!!

    Plate of vegan buffalo cauliflower bites on a plate with celery sticks and small bowl of ranch.

    These bites are so flavorful, tender on the inside, with a bit of crunch on the outside. These are meant for sharing, but I’m pretty sure you won’t want to. 😉

    And because these are made with cauliflower instead of the traditional stuff buffalo bites are made with (chicken), they are healthier! So go ahead and chow down guilt free!

    I’m sure you’ve seen various different recipes for these cauliflower bites floating around online. Most of them seem to have some sort of tedious breading involved.  While I do love breaded things, it takes a long time and can make a big mess.

    I wanted to find a way to make these without the need of a breading station. These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites still have a crunch from the Panko breadcrumbs, but the breadcrumbs are just loosely shaken on, which actually makes them a bit healthier because you can use less. It also makes them super easy!  And so amazingly delicious. I can eat an entire head of cauliflower this way!

    Close up of browned roasted cauliflower.

    How to make the recipe

    For exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

    I find the easiest way to prepare cauliflower is to first cut it in half down the middle and then work with each half on it’s own. Tear or cut off the outer leaves, then cut off the stem. If there are any smaller leaves in between the florets, I take a small paring knife and carefully cut the stem from the cauliflower. 

    Once the leaves and stem are gone, you can gently pull apart the florets. You want them bite size for this Buffalo Cauliflower recipe. If you have any florets that are on the larger size, you can cut them in half.

    Any smaller florets or crumbled pieces you can save for a different recipe – throw them in soups, toss them with pasta, or add them to rice dishes.

    Toss the cauliflower florets with a drizzle of oil and the breadcrumbs. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until tender.

    Toss in the buffalo sauce and roast another 10 to 15 minutes until the cauliflower starts to get crispy on the outsides.

    Toss with more Panko breadcrumbs and serve!

    Love cauliflower? Don’t miss these other vegan cauliflower recipes.

    • Crispy Baked Cauliflower Tacos
    • Orange Cauliflower
    • Roasted Cauliflower Salad
    • Cauliflower Scampi
    • Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup
    • Vegan Cauliflower Bolognese
    Cauliflower floret on a fork being dipped into ranch.

    Dairy Free Ranch Dip

    Small white bowl of ranch dressing.

    These tangy spicy cauliflower wing bites are the perfect appetizer, game day snack, or late night munchie. Serve ’em up with this Simple Vegan Ranch Dip and I dare you to try to stop eating them.

    Many vegan ranch recipes call for cashews soaked for 3 to 4 hours. Those are delicious, but sometimes I want something I can whip up in just minutes.

    I originally used vegan sour cream as the base, but I have also made it using vegan mayo as the base. Both are delicious, so use what’s in your fridge.

    Southwest Vegan Ranch Dressing would be wonderfully delicious with these spicy bites, as well, and it is made with all whole food ingredients!

    FAQs

    What is buffalo sauce made of?

    Typical buffalo style sauce is made by combining hot sauce with butter and sometimes adding seasonings like garlic or Worcestershire sauce.
    For this recipe, we are taking an even easier route and using store-bought bottled buffalo sauce! Tobasco Buffalo Sauce and Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce are both vegan and taste delicious. Don’t worry about the natural butter flavor in the Frank’s brand…it is indeed vegan.

    Why is celery served with buffalo wings?

    If your mouth needs a break from the hot spicy bites, a little crunch of fresh celery with ranch should cool things down. Carrots could work, too. 

    Buffalo cauliflower on a plate with ranch.

    More savory vegan snacks

    • Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Vegan Polish Mistakes
    • Easy Vegan Bruschetta
    • Street Cart Soft Baked Pretzels
    • Easy Tortilla Pizzas

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

    Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.


    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Plate of vegan buffalo cauliflower bites on a plate with celery sticks and small bowl of ranch.

    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

    A meatless version of your favorite buffalo wings. No breading station required – these are so easy!!
    4 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizers and Light Bites, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 225kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Ingredients

    • 1 large head cauliflower (cut into bite size florets)
    • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (depending on the size of your head of cauliflower)
    • ⅓ – ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup Tabasco Buffalo Style Hot Sauce (Frank's also makes a vegan Buffalo style hot sauce)

    Simple Vegan Ranch Dip

    • ½ cup vegan sour cream (or vegan mayo)
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (soy or almond would work) (*see note)
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ tsp onion powder
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tbsp dried parsley

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
    • In a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower florets and toss to coat well.
    • Pour the breadcrumbs over and toss again to coat.
    • Pour cauliflower onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into one layer.
    • Roast for 20 minutes or until cauliflower starts to get tender.
    • Take out of oven and pour back into the large bowl.
    • Pour hot sauce over cauliflower and toss to coat.
    • Place back on baking sheet and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or so until cauliflower starts to get crispy on the edges.
    • Meanwhile, make the Simple Vegan Ranch Dip. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until combined.
    • Take cauliflower out of oven. Toss with a little more Panko breadcrumbs. Serve with Simple Vegan Ranch Dip.

    Notes

    ~Some brands of vegan sour cream are thinner than others. If yours seems very loose, you may not need to add any milk at all. On the other hand, if yours is thicker (or if you’re using vegan mayo which tends to be thicker), add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency for dipping is reached.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1751mg | Potassium: 697mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 138.6mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1.3mg

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

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    Comments

    1. Ryan Houk says

      January 29, 2017 at 6:57 am

      Don’t know if you’re aware, but McDonald’s adds pop up all over this website. You should talk to someone about that…

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        January 29, 2017 at 9:57 am

        The ads are served to each person differently based on their own recent online searches.

        Reply
    2. Liz says

      January 07, 2017 at 4:46 pm

      Greetings from switzerland. ……I’m not sure what panko breadcrumbs are as we don’t have any in switzerland. …so what should I use instead? And I don’t know about the buffalo sauce never seen it around here either. …

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        January 08, 2017 at 8:28 am

        Hi, Liz! Panko are coarse breadcrumbs. They are super crunchy. But, you could use regular breadcrumbs if you can’t find them. Or you could make your own by blitzing some bread in a food processor and baking it until crispy…just be careful not to burn it. As for Buffalo sauce, I’m not sure of an alternative to that. You could use straight BBQ sauce, but it definitely won’t have the same flavor. Buffalo sauce is a spicy, tangy sauce. Can you shop on Amazon? Or are the shipping fees outrageous to Switzerland?

        Reply
    3. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says

      December 13, 2016 at 10:03 pm

      I can’t wait to try your recipe, Jenn! It’s different from the one I usually make, and sounds a lot easier!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        December 14, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        Thanks, Amy! This is definitely the lazy man’s version, but it tastes just as good! Hope you love it!

        Reply
    4. Holley says

      October 20, 2016 at 3:13 pm

      Love this recipe so much! My carnivore boyfriend asks me to make them at least once a week so I would say it’s a hit in my house. Definitely learned not to use any soy milk in my ranch though– the tofutti “better than sour cream” makes it way too runny for any more liquid. Letting it thicken up and the flavors sit overnight seems to make it perfect. Thanks for the amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        October 20, 2016 at 3:29 pm

        Thank you, Holly! I’m so glad you guys like it. I need to revisit the ranch and work out the kinks as many have said theirs is runny. Glad it thickens up over night, but I think I need a quicker method. LOL! Thanks so much for your feedback!

        Reply
    5. Barbara says

      August 08, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      I made my own vegan sour cream with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sea salt, and water, then made the rest of ranch recipe, and together was VEGANlicious!!! Perfect consistency and I added a bit more olive oil to the cauliflower and used large container to shake it up in and the Pablo worked perfectly! Thank you for the recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        August 08, 2016 at 9:02 pm

        That’s so great to hear, Barbara! You homemade sour cream sounds amazing! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know how they turned out. I just bought more cauliflower this weekend and I plan on making them again too. Can’t get enough! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Tiffany says

      June 23, 2016 at 12:41 pm

      Mine aren’t crispy!! What did I do wrong? 🙁

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        June 23, 2016 at 2:30 pm

        Hi, Tiffany. Did you add more breading after you added the buffalo sauce? It’s the breadcrumbs that should get crispy, not the cauliflower necessarily. If you did that and it still didn’t turn out, it might have just needed more time in the oven. Every oven is different unfortunately. Thanks for trying them. I hope you liked the flavor!

        Reply
        • Tiffany Sonterre says

          June 23, 2016 at 2:50 pm

          Hey, they were still delicious! When I tossed them with buffalo sauce and extra breadcrumbs, they just made a paste and didn’t stick :/

          I’ll try again sometime.

        • Jenn S. says

          June 23, 2016 at 5:05 pm

          Oh, boo! And you used the Panko breadcrumbs, not regular breadcrumbs? Maybe after you add the sauce, put them back on the baking sheet and then sprinkle more Panko. Glad they tasted good, though!

    7. susan says

      June 15, 2016 at 9:53 am

      Love it very much, I’m not sure if I did something wrong.
      They weren’t crispy and my dressing was all liquidity.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        June 15, 2016 at 10:53 am

        Hi, Susan! I’ve had 1 or 2 other people tell me their dressing was too liquidy too. I think it must be the difference in brands of vegan sour cream. I honestly don’t remember which one I used. Next time, start with 2 tbsp of soy milk and work up from there until you get the consistency you like. I’m going to change the recipe to note that as well. As for the crispiness – the cauliflower florets won’t be crispy, but the breading should be. Was your breading crispy? If not, maybe you just need a few more minutes in the oven. I’m glad you liked the flavor though. Thanks so much for your feedback!

        Reply
    8. Katherine says

      May 09, 2016 at 8:37 pm

      My ranch dip was very runny too but I added corn starch and it became much thicker!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        May 09, 2016 at 9:05 pm

        Glad you got it to work out, Katherine! Thanks for the tip!

        Reply
    9. isha says

      April 22, 2016 at 4:58 pm

      hi, if i want to use eggs instead of olive oil to make the breadcrumbs stick will that work? like coat the cauliflower in beaten eggs and then coat them in the breadcrumbs and bake? im not vegan and dont mind using eggs

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        April 22, 2016 at 5:00 pm

        Hi, Isha. I’m sure that would work…like a traditional breading. Enjoy!

        Reply
    10. Ann Kinder says

      April 18, 2016 at 6:52 pm

      Loved this recipe so much! I used a finer bread crumb and they stuck like a charm. Also, I substituted greek yogurt for veggie sour cream (couldn’t find any at the regular grocer), and I added a little more yogurt to thicken the ranch. It was great! I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        April 18, 2016 at 7:24 pm

        Oh, that’s so great to hear, Ann!! Thank you so much for stopping by and giving your feedback. I’m so happy that you loved it! Greek yogurt sounds like an excellent sub for those that don’t mind dairy. Thanks! Have a great week!

        Reply
      • Cameron says

        April 21, 2016 at 9:24 am

        Hi Ann! What bread crumb did you use? I usually use panko but like others that I’ve seen post, mine don’t always stick. Seems like a finer crumb would work great! I can’t wait to try this!

        Reply
        • Jenn S. says

          April 21, 2016 at 12:37 pm

          Hi, Cameron. You can pulse your panko in a food processor (or coffee grinder) a few times if you want to make them finer. I hope you enjoy!

    11. Miley says

      March 22, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Was so excited to try this only to be disappointed. The panko did not stick, they did not crisp up. I’d rather broil naked cauliflower and just put buffalo sauce on it. Very bummed. Loved the idea.2 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        March 22, 2016 at 9:06 pm

        Oh bummer, Miley! I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Not sure what went wrong as I’ve made them numerous times as have many readers and they always turn out. But, broiled cauliflower with buffalo sauce would be great too.

        Reply
    12. Trish says

      February 28, 2016 at 6:53 am

      Im excited! (I know im sad)… I’m going to make these tonight, will let you know how it goes ?

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 28, 2016 at 2:47 pm

        Not sad at all! I hope you love them. Please come back and let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    13. Jessica says

      February 19, 2016 at 6:11 pm

      I just made these and I do not know what happened but they turned out soggy! I think it might have been too much EVOO. When i went to mix the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce all of the panko breadcrumbs came off and stuck to the bottom of the bowl. They did not get crispier either as I baked them for the last 15 minutes. Luckily I love anything buffalo so they still tasted great just had to use a fork instead of my fingers!4 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 19, 2016 at 6:36 pm

        Oh man, Jessica, that’s too bad! I’m sorry it didn’t work out. It could be you oven temp is quite a bit different than mine. Maybe try baking them at a higher temp next time…and maybe even a little longer…before mixing with the sauce?? I’m glad you loved the flavor though!

        Reply
    14. Aly says

      February 07, 2016 at 11:20 am

      Yeah I don’t get the ranch recipe… half cup of veg milk and half a cup of veg sour cream gave me ranch soup. Went back and read the recipe several times as i thought i mustve missed something, but didnt. Had to throw it away and remade it without the soy milk.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 07, 2016 at 2:32 pm

        Sorry the ranch didn’t work out for you, Aly. Probably a difference in brands…I wish I remembered which ones I used. But, I’m glad you were able to make it work the second time by adjusting. Hope you liked the cauliflower!

        Reply
    15. nicoleanndawson says

      February 03, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      My least favorite thing about most cauli wings is the batter and mess involved. I’ll be doing this next time! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 03, 2016 at 10:43 pm

        So much easier this way! Thanks, Nicole!

        Reply
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    Jenn Sebestyen of Veggie Inspired

    Hi, I'm Jenn! This is where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

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