Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
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These crispy, battered cauliflower bites are tossed in a zesty homemade buffalo sauce, making them a crave-worthy vegetarian spin on classic buffalo wings. Honestly, you don’t have to be vegetarian to love them – the first time I made these, I polished off an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting.
The secret is in the cornstarch and rice flour batter, which happens to be gluten-free while still delivering that irresistible crunch. Each floret fries up golden and crisp, then gets coated in spicy buffalo sauce for the ultimate bite. Serve them with carrots, celery, and a side of ranch or blue cheese, and you’ve got the perfect meatless game day snack or appetizer. Big fan of cauliflower as the star? Then you’ll love kung pao cauliflower, golden crispy fried cauliflower or this roasted cauliflower pita.
What’s in homemade buffalo sauce?
Buffalo sauce is extremely easy to make at home – all it takes is a hot sauce of your choice, a bit of melted butter, vinegar, Worcestershire and garlic whisked together. I typically use Frank’s® RedHot® hot sauce when making classic Buffalo sauce. If not using the buffalo sauce right away, store the sauce in an airtight container for up to a week – warming and whisking to combine and before using. This sauce can be swapped with your favorite store-bought brand in a pinch. Just be sure to warm before serving.
All you need is:
- Butter (lot’s of it!)
- Hot sauce
- White vinegar
- Worcestershire
- Garlic
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Butter – The rich flavor of Buffalo sauce comes from a base of melted butter. I use unsalted butter so the level of salt can easily be adjusted depending on preference.
- Hot sauce – While you can use any hot sauce of your choice I recommend choosing a vinegar-based hot sauce. I use Frank’s® RedHot® hot sauce when making my buffalo cauliflower recipe.
- White Vinegar – Vinegar adds the tangy, acidic quality to the buffalo sauce in this recipe.
- Worcestershire – This fermented condiment adds a lot of concentrated flavor – a little goes a long way. The flavor of Worcestershire comes from a mix of vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, tamarind extract and chili pepper.
- Garlic – The garlic in this recipe is minced so it blends smoothly and evenly into the buffalo sauce.
- Cauliflower – Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable – it can be used as a vegetarian fill-in for steak, finely diced and used as rice, or roasted as florets. As it fries it still holds together well making it a great vegetarian option for these chicken wing-alternatives. I buy a head and cut it into florets – it’s usually more cost effective than buying a pre-cut bag of florets!
- Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil is a neutral oil meaning it doesn’t have it’s own flavor. It’s a great multi-purpose oil since it has a high smoke point (400ºF – 450ºF).
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch works well as a coating when frying. The naturally gluten-free starchy powder helps absorb any moisture keeping the outside crunchy.
- Rice flour – Rice flour crisps up really nicely when frying. I find the rice flour also stays crispy longer when the fried cauliflower is tossed in the buffalo sauce before serving. Many other fried cauliflower recipes can become soggy before they even hit the table. It’s also naturally gluten-free so mixed with cornstarch it makes a great gluten-free batter. Brown or white rice flour works fine.
- Baking powder – Baking powder creates very tiny air bubbles on the surface of the battered cauliflower when fried, resulting in an even lighter batter.
- Seasonings – Since the buffalo sauce adds so much flavor, the batter is simply seasoned with a blend of garlic powder, salt and pepper.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro tip
Keep the cauliflower florets similar in size! This helps them cook evenly and ensures each piece gets perfectly crisp.
Swaps and Substitutions
- The homemade buffalo sauce can easily be swapped for your favorite store-bought.
- The crispy fried cauliflower florets can be tossed in another favorite sauce as well. Sriracha, hot honey, or BBQ sauce all work well for different flavors.
- Broccoli florets work as a fun twist with the same batter. Brussels sprouts or zucchini rounds also crisp up nicely.
How to Make Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (Step-by-step)
In a small bowl whisk together the butter, hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire and garlic until completely combined.
Fill a large pot with enough oil to reach 2″ (5cm) up the side of the pan. Heat oil to 350°F (180ºC). In a large bowl whisk together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Slowly add ¾ cup cold water, whisking until a thin batter forms. Add more water if needed.
Working in batches, dip the cauliflower in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off.
Add to the hot oil and deep-fry until the cauliflower is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Remove to a large bowl and toss with ¼ cup of the buffalo sauce, adding more as needed. Serve immediately with carrots, celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
How to Bake Buffalo Cauliflower
Because the batter is liquid I prefer frying these cauliflower for the best texture though they can also be baked. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Arrange the coated cauliflower on a baking sheet greased with cooking spray. Make sure the cauliflower are about 1″ apart. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the cauliflower and continue baking until crispy, about an additional 15 minutes. Toss in the buffalo sauce mixture as directed.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Butter (lot’s of it!), hot sauce, white vinegar, worcestershire and garlic.
Yes! Baking is a popular alternative. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Arrange the coated cauliflower on a baking sheet greased with cooking spray. Make sure the cauliflower are about 1″ apart. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the cauliflower and continue baking until crispy, about an additional 15 minutes. Toss in the buffalo sauce mixture as directed.
Yes! Using cornstarch and rice flour instead of wheat flour makes the batter naturally gluten-free without sacrificing crunch or flavor.
For the best texture, buffalo cauliflower is best enjoyed right after frying. If you need to prep ahead, you can cut the cauliflower and make the batter in advance, then fry just before serving. If reheating, use the oven or air fryer to help restore crispiness.
No. Because it is coated in a batter it is difficult to make in an air-fryer. You are much better off frying the cauliflower then reheating the cauliflower in the air fryer at 350ºF (180ºC) until crispy, about 4-5 minutes.
If not using the buffalo sauce right away, store the sauce in an airtight container for up to a week – warming and whisking to combine and before using.
I recommend waiting to toss leftover cauliflower in the buffalo sauce. Store separately then reheat the cauliflower in the air fryer at 350ºF (180ºC) until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Then toss in the warmed buffalo sauce just before serving.
Classic ranch or blue cheese dip with carrot and celery sticks are the traditional pairings, but you can also try creamy garlic dip, avocado ranch, or even a yogurt-based dip for something lighter.
Other recipes to try
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Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
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Ingredients:
For the buffalo sauce:
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup hot sauce of choice, I use Frank’s Red Hot®
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For the cauliflower:
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
- Carrots, for serving
- Celery, for serving
- Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Instructions:
For the buffalo sauce:
- In a small bowl whisk together the butter, hot sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire and garlic until completely combined.
- Set aside until ready to use. If not using right away, store the sauce in an airtight container for up to a week – whisking to combine before using.
For the cauliflower:
- Fill a large pot with enough oil to reach 2" (5cm) up the side of the pan. Heat oil to 350°F (180ºC).
- In a large bowl whisk together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Slowly add ¾ cup cold water, whisking until a thin batter forms (about the consistency of pancake batter). If needed, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Working in batches, dip the cauliflower in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off. Add to the hot oil and deep-fry until the cauliflower is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
For serving:
- Remove to a large bowl and toss with ¼ cup of the buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with carrots, celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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I’m amazed!😍
Yay!!! Hope you enjoy the recipe! The combo of the rice flour and cornstarch in the batter gives them an extra crunch!
Could you maybe bake these? I know they wouldn’t be as good but I’m watching calories.
Hi Carolyn! Yes, they won’t necessarily be as crispy but I would recommend baking them at 450ºF for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
oh my goodness…….these are phenomenal! Crispy and somehow juicy inside. And just think of all the little chickens who didn’t have to die <3
What kind of oil do you recommend?
I use vegetable oil for frying in this recipe!
One of my absolute favorite recipes! I love how crispy the outside stays! Thank you!!
I’ve made countless cauliflower wings over the years and these by far are the best! I did not have rice flour so used traditional flour (which in turn required more water) and they were soooo good. Thank you!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed Leah! Great note on the flour swap – I will make a note of that substitution and the need for a bit more water in the recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!!