The best Buffalo “wings” this side of Buffalo
If you can’t get to Buffalo, and you like harm-free wings, then this recipe is for you. Spicy, crispy and healthy! If you’re looking for a delicious appetizer that’s both satisfying and healthy, this ticks all the boxes!
This recipe is perfect for those who love the classic flavour of buffalo wings but are looking for a lighter alternative.
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
Flavorful and Spicy: The key to this recipe is the flavorful buffalo sauce. You can adjust the spice level to your preference, making it perfect for everyone from spice enthusiasts to those with a milder palate.
Crispy Perfection: The secret to crispy cauliflower wings lies in the breading technique, the baking time, the temperature of your oven, and a great deal of patience waiting for these to come out of the oven. Mmmmm. This recipe puts this all together to ensure your cauliflower wings are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. (You bring the patience, though)
Healthy and Nutritious: Cauliflower is a low-carb, low-calorie vegetable that's packed with nutrients. Compared to traditional chicken wings, this recipe is significantly lighter and healthier, allowing you to indulge without the cruelty.
HOT TIPS
In making these, I’ve tried a few different ways to bread them. But this time, my technique seemed to work better than ever.
Get a big bowl. The biggest one you can find.
Toss your well-rinsed, but slightly damp raw cauliflower bits in 1/2 of the chickpea flour. Nothing else. Make sure they have a light dusting on them that’s not gloopy or goopy.
Next, add in the spices (mixed together) and remaining chickpea flour. Mix with a fork.
Before you get busy tossing, add in the milk, ACV and hot sauce. Dairy milk won’t work with this recipe as it will curdle. So, don’t even try it, hot stuff!
Mix everything together in that massive bowl. Act like you’re in Kindergarten stirring up some stone soup in the playground.
Add more hot sauce if you wish. Then spread evenly on a parchment-lined pan. Spread them out and give them room. Don’t add extra batter (unless you’re a freak and love eating batter. I’m a freak).
Drizzle olive oil on lightly, but each piece should shimmer with some oil.
Your oven should be set to 425F and if you have the convection setting on, perfecto!
Bake these for 30 minutes and flip for the last 10-15 minutes. They should have a nice golden brown hue to them.
Serve them with your favourite salad and a side of vegan ranch dressing. I’ve added my quick go-to ranch dressing dip below.
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, part of the Brassicaceae family (yeah, I can still spell this after how many years finishing a Botany degree?).
Here’s a few reasons to include cauliflower in your weekly plant total:
more versatile than you think - use it as rice, eat it raw, steam it, bake it, boil it and mash it, add frozen chunks to your smoothie
low in calories - swap it for potatoes if you’re looking to save a few calories here and there. I love a good potato-cauli mash. There’s just 25 calories in a cup of cauliflower.
packed with essential nutrients - specifically vitamins C, and B6. One small head contains over 200% of your daily vitamin C requirements. Enjoying your cauliflower bites with some iron-rich legumes and zinc-rich pumpkin seeds is a great way to help boost the absorption of these minerals.
sulforaphane - since cauliflower is broccoli’s close cousin, it has sulforaphane which has been shown to potentially lower your risk for certain cancers (prostate, bladder, breast, to name a few). It does this by regulating various genes. Sulforaphane has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Eat your cruciferous veggies and sprouts - chew them up, chop them - as this activates the isothiocyanates (sulforaphane is one). Broccoli sprouts are easy to grow, toss in salad and contain the highest levels of sulforaphane.
Ingredients & Directions
Estimated time: 15 minutes
Effort/skill: Easy
Servings: 2-4
Estimated Time: 45-55 minutes
Ingredients
1 medium head of cauliflower
3/4 cup chickpea flour (divide in half)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup plant milk (I used Not Co’s not milk)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)
1 tsp of your favourite hot sauce (I love Cholula, but you can use your favourite and adjust the quantity depending on the heat)
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425F. Use your convection setting if you have it. Line a baking sheet in parchment paper.
Rinse and chop or tear your cauliflower into chunks and bite-sized pieces. Dab dry. Set aside to let it drain. The pieces should be slightly damp, but not wet.
In a very large bowl, add in 1/2 of the chickpea flour. Add in the cauliflower bites and toss well. Ensure each piece is coated. If the flour is gloopy, you may need to add more chickpea flour until all pieces are lightly dusted.
Push the bites to the side in your bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the remainder of the flour and the spices and salt with a fork. Add this dry mixture on the side of the bites.
Next add in the ACV and plant mik to the dry ingredients and with a fork mix it well until it’s not lumpy. Roll the cauliflower into the batter and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover each bite and drizzle in the hot sauce next. Stir well. Add more hot sauce if you prefer them on the spicier side. I’m a wimp when it comes to heat.
Once each bite is well coated, spread the bites out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in pre-heated oven.
Bake for 30 minutes and flip. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enjoy with a side salad and your favourite vegan ranch-style dressing. Or try my easy-peasy one below.
Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup plain vegan oat yogurt
1 & 1/2 tbsp vegan mayonaisse
2 tsp ACV
1 tsp dill
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Mix all ingredients well. Store leftovers in fridge. I watered down some of this recipe and made a salad dressing (dressing : water = 1:3 ratio).
