Who here was victimized by the cauliflower trend of 2015 on? Me, too. ππ»ββοΈ Cauliflower rice, cauliflower gnocchi, cauliflower pizza crusts… you name it, I probably tried it. And like a lot of people, at some point you start to feel like you never want to eat anything cauliflower again! I’m definitely glad this is a trend that seems to settling into a more healthy middle ground now.
As for me, I’m still embracing cauliflower, but much more sparingly. Cauliflower rice I can do without. Buffalo cauliflower I LOVE and isn’t going anywhere. We do buffalo cauliflower salads, buffalo cauliflower tacos, buffalo cauliflower pizzas (all have been big hits) – and recently I experimented with making homemade cauliflower wings!
The final version I’m sharing today went through two rounds of testing to get just right. If you want good, old-fashioned chicken wings, I don’t think there’s any substitute. But if you’re looking for a fun, lighter snack (OR if you’re plant-based), I think you’re going to really enjoy these. I made them two ways – one with buffalo sauce and one with BBQ sauce – and I served them with a homemade vegan ranch dipping sauce. I hope you love them just as much as we did.
PrintCauliflower Wings Two Ways, with Vegan Ranch Dipping Sauce
These light, crispy cauliflower wings were a huge hit in our house. You can enjoy them two ways – with a buffalo sauce or a BBQ sauce. Either way, don’t skimp on the homemade ranch sauce!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients
Cauliflower wings
- 4–5 cups cauliflower florets, or roughly 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 1 cup light, mild-tasting flour of choice (see notes for my recommendations)
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 1/4 cup BBQ or buffalo sauce
Vegan ranch sauce
- 1 cup vegan sour cream
- 1/3 cup avocado oil mayo
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Juice of half a lemon
- A few cracks of salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 425ΒΊ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- If you haven’t already, chop your cauliflower into medium-sized florets. The cauliflower wings will turn out best if the florets are uniformly sized.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, onion, garlic, and salt.
- Add cauliflower florets to the mixing bowl, and toss to coat. We want to make sure each piece is well-coated in batter.
- Add almond meal to the mixing bowl, and toss to combine again. The almond meal acts as a breadcrumb-like topping.
- Spread cauliflower onto your baking sheet. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan and that there is space between each of the florets (which are lying flat). This is very important for perfectly crispy wings!
- Place in the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
- While the cauliflower wings are baking, prepare your ranch dipping sauce. I like to mix all ingredients in a large mason jar, but you can also combine in a bowl. We want to whisk together all ingredients until smooth and well-incorporated.Β
- Once your cauliflower wings are done, remove them from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then toss with the sauce (buffalo or BBQ) of your choice. Do not get impatient! It’s very important that the cauliflower cool before tossing in the sauce, or else you’ll end up with soggy wings!
- Serve cauliflower wings with ranch dipping sauce, and enjoy!
Notes
My favorite flours to use for cauliflower wings are gluten-free all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, or brown rice flour. You can use regular all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten free.