Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

This easy vegan buffalo cauliflower recipe is bursting with spicy buffalo sauce poured over crispy fried cauliflower nuggets.  They taste like they came from your favorite pub, but are made at home in minutes.  Serve them with some vegan blue cheese or ranch dressings for dipping and they are sure to be a hit!

If you want the delicious taste of vegan chicken nuggets, but made with fried cauliflower and covered in buffalo sauce, this is the recipe for you!

❤️ You'll love this recipe because

• vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and can easily be made gluten-free.
• quick and easy to make.  The nuggets fry up in less than three minutes!
• perfectly light and crispy.
• simply the most delicious vegan buffalo sauce you will ever have!

🔪 Helpful tools

• Deep Frier - This is not totally necessary, but it makes it much easier because you can control the temperature of the oil and you have a basket to get out all of the nuggets at once when they are done cooking. Note: If you don't have a deep frier, you can use a small pot filled with about 2 inches of oil. 
• Tongs - Use the tongs to drop the breaded cauliflower into the hot oil without getting too close and accidentally getting splashed with it.  (Don't put the breaded cauliflower into the basket before submerging, or the batter may stick to the basket).

🥄 How to make buffalo cauliflower

Make the buffalo sauce

1. Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan or in a microwave. 
2. Add the hot sauce, garlic powder, and salt.
3. Stir with a whisk until the hot sauce and butter are completely mixed.

Prepare the Cauliflower

1. Wash the head of cauliflower under running water then shake the water off of it.
2. Cut the cauliflower florets off the head of the cauliflower and into bite-sized pieces removing the large stem in the center of the head.  (Try to keep the pieces a similar size, so they cook at the same rate).

Make the batter

1. Put the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. (Flour, corn starch, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, baking soda, and baking powder).
2. Pour in the water and stir the batter until it becomes a smooth paste.
3. Put the cauliflower pieces into the batter and toss until well-coated.

🌟 Deep Fry the Cauliflower

1. Heat oil to 334° F.
2. Use tongs to pick up the pieces of coated cauliflower and place them into the hot oil.  (It will bubble and spatter so stand back).
3. Allow cooking in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the bubbling slows down and the cauliflower nuggets are golden brown.
4. Immediately remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
5. Toss in vegan buffalo sauce or for crispy buffalo wings, dip in the buffalo sauce.
6. Serve with vegan ranch dressing or vegan blue cheese dressing and some celery stalks and/or carrot sticks.

❔ If you don't have a deep fryer

You can use a saucepan filled with about 3-4 inches of oil.  A thermometer that goes up to 400°F will also be helpful.  You can then use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the cauliflower from the oil.

🌡️ Frying temperature for cauliflower

I find that 334°F (168°C) is the perfect temperature to fry cauliflower.  I don't fry it quite as hot as some other things like french fries because I want it to cook slowly enough to cook the cauliflower all the way through.  However, don't cook it lower than 325° F (163°C) or it will absorb too much oil and get soggy instead of crispy. 

Check out my full post on how to deep fry cauliflower for more details.

🔥 If you don't have a thermometer

you can test the temperature of your oil by cooking one piece first. You know that you have the right frying temperature if it bubbles vigorously when you first put it in and then the bubbling slows way down after about 2-3 minutes and you have a crunchy golden brown cauliflower nugget that is cooked through.

❓ Can I bake the cauliflower?

If you want a healthier alternative to the deep-fried nuggets, you can also use my roasted cauliflower nuggets instead of the fried cauliflower. In this recipe, you will roast the cauliflower on a baking sheet in the oven. You can also make this version in an air fryer.

If you love buffalo sauce, you have to try my vegan buffalo chicken sandwich!

🥡 Storage

Store leftover vegan buffalo cauliflower bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 375° F for about 10 minutes until warm.

If you want some meatier vegan wings, try my homemade seitan chicken wings or tofu chicken nuggets.

🌟 More vegan cauliflower recipes

• Vegan Cauliflower Risotto with Spinach
• Easy Cauliflower Stuffing
• Fried Cauliflower
• Orange Cauliflower
• Vegan Cauliflower Cheese
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower
• Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Buffalo Cauliflower recipe

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Buffalo Cauliflower

A breaded deep-fried cauliflower with spicy vegan buffalo sauce poured over the top.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Total Time17 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo cauliflower, cauliflower nuggets

Servings: 4

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Monica Davis

Equipment

• Deep Fryer - helpful, but not necessary.
• Tongs - for dropping the battered nuggets into the hot oil

Ingredients

For the Buffalo Sauce:

• 1/3 cup vegan butter
• 1/3 cup hot sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Battered Cauliflower:

• 1 head cauliflower about 4 cups of florets
• 3/4 cup flour gluten-free flour mixes work great!
• 2 tablespoons corn starch or potato starch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (reduce for lower sodium or if using seasoning with salt in it)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 cup water

Oil For Frying:

• 2-3 inches oil for frying (enough for the cauliflower to float)

For Dipping

• 1/2 cup vegan ranch
• 1/2 cup vegan blue cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Vegan Buffalo Sauce

• Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan or in a microwave.  
• Add the hot sauce, garlic powder, and salt.
• Stir with a whisk until hot sauce and butter are completely mixed.

Prepare the Cauliflower:

• Wash the head of cauliflower under running water then shake the water off of it.
• Cut the cauliflower florets off the head of cauliflower and into bite-sized pieces removing the large stem in the center of the head.  (Try to keep the pieces a similar size, so they cook at the same rate).

Make the batter:

• Put the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl (Flour, corn starch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, baking soda, and baking powder) and give them a stir.
• Pour in the water and stir the batter until it becomes a smooth paste.
• Put the cauliflower pieces into the batter and toss until well coated.

Deep Fry the Cauliflower:

• Heat oil to 334°F (168°C)°.
• Use tongs to pick up the pieces of coated cauliflower and place them into the hot oil.  (It will bubble and spatter so stand back).
• Allow to cook in the oil for 2-3 minutes until the bubbling slows down and the cauliflower nuggets are golden brown.
• Immediately remove from oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Arrange on a serving plate and serve hot with buffalo sauce drizzled on top or on the side and vegan blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch!

Notes

If you don't have a deep fryer - you can use a saucepan filled with about 3-4 inches of oil.  A thermometer that goes up to 400°F (200°C) will also be helpful.  You can then use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the cauliflower from the oil.

Frying temperature - I find that 334°F (168°C) is the perfect temperature to fry cauliflower.  I don't fry it quite as hot as some other things like french fries because I want it to cook slow enough to cook the cauliflower all the way through.  However, don't cook it lower than 325°F (165°C) or it will absorb too much oil and get soggy instead of crispy.

If you don't have a thermometer - you can test the temperature of your oil by cooking one piece first. You know that you have the right frying temperature if it bubbles vigorously when you first put it in and then the bubbling slows way down after about 2-3 minutes and you have a crunchy golden brown cauliflower nugget that is cooked through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg

*This was originally posted on October 12, 2019.  It was updated on January 12, 2021, to include new images and more detailed instructions.

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