This easy buffalo cauliflower makes our top 3 list of best appetizers! Lightly battered and air fried to a crisp, then dipped in our favorite hot sauce, this appetizer is perfect for game day .. or any night of the week!
These easy buffalo cauliflower take center stage as an awesome appetizer option but I have served them as a side and as a main entrée too! To paraphrase Dr. Seuss: you can eat them here or there, you can eat them anywhere!
The Cooking Process
First and foremost, it’s very unlikely that you will find anything fried on my page. Frying, while it tastes delicious, is generally an unhealthy way to eat because it saturates the food in oil.
When I first began recipe testing these buffalo cauliflower, I started with double baking them in my oven. Over time, I moved to an air fryer. Now don’t be alarmed, if you don’t have an air fryer, that’s okay! You can still use your oven or if you want to invest in an air fryer, I’m loving my Instant Pot Air Fryer.
In the recipe notes down below, I’ll be sure to give you instructions for both a traditional oven and an air fryer.
The air fryer softens the inside and crisps the outside in a shorter amount of time. You can achieve the same result in a traditional oven but it will require a slightly longer baking time and flipping the cauliflower to prevent burning and an even crisp.
The Ingredients
Flour. I have recipe tested this with white flour, whole wheat flour, brown rice flour and gluten-free flour. All of them work! Yay!
White flour is the typical go-to for a battered appetizer. Whole wheat flour works too although it has an earthier taste. Brown rice flour is a great gluten-free option but can be a little gritty. I recommend whisky brown rice flour really well prior to dredging. I’ve also tried a store-bought 1:1 gluten-free flour and that also worked! There are tons of options in terms of batter.
The liquid. In almost all of my cooking, I love using oat milk. It’s got a very neutral yet creamy taste and texture. Almond milk tends to be a bit watery (which is okay in this recipe!) and coconut milk tends to exude a tad bit too much flavor, in my opinion. You can also use just water.
The seasoning. We’re seasoning the batter very lightly here with some paprika, garlic, and onion powder. The star of the show is your favorite hot sauce of choice. Our favorite hot sauce is the mild or medium from The New Primal.
I love to serve up this buffalo cauliflower with ranch dressing and some celery sticks. Our favorite store-bought ranch is from Kite Hill. However you serve it up, enjoy these heat-packed little bites!
Easy Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower or 2 10oz pre-cut bags
- 1 cup plant milk or water
- 3/4 cup flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 bottle of your favorite hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets.
- In a small bowl, whisk the plant milk, flour and spices until smooth.
- Dunk the floret, shake off excess batter and place on a parchment lined pan if using an oven. For an air fryer, use your air fryer pans. Repeat until all florets are dredged and placed on the pan.
- For an oven, bake for 20-25 minutes. For an air fryer, bake about 12-15 minutes. In either method, cauliflower should be golden brown.
- Fill a small bowl with hot sauce. Remove cauliflower from oven and dunk each floret into hot sauce. Shake off excess sauce and place back on pan.
- For an oven, bake another 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway to get it crispy. In an air fryer, bake another 10-15 minutes or until sufficiently crispy.
Notes
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