Baked Buffalo Cauliflower is one of my go-to recipes for dinners or party appetizers. This buffalo cauliflower is a vegetarian dish made with seasonings, almond milk, buffalo sauce, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
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This Baked Buffalo Cauliflower recipe is...
- Gluten-free (using a gluten-free flour blend)
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Quick and easy
- An alternative to buffalo chicken
- Delicious dinner or appetizer
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
How to Make Baked Buffalo Cauliflower
- Preheat the oven and prepare your pan.
- In a bowl, mix together flour and seasonings.
- Add in the milk and stir to create a smooth batter.
- Pour in the cauliflower florets and toss to coat.
- Spread out florets on a baking sheet and bake, stirring half way through.
- Create your sauce while cauliflower is baking.
- Remove cauliflower and toss in hot sauce mixture.
- Bake again, then serve hot!
Full directions for how to make Baked Buffalo Cauliflower are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Tips For Making Baked Buffalo Cauliflower
Florets
Make sure that when you go to cut up your cauliflower that you cut it into similar sizes. Otherwise, the cauliflower will not cook evenly. You will find that smaller pieces might overcook while larger pieces are undercooked.
Spice Factor
You can buy mild hot sauce to use, or ramp it up and buy the spicy hot sauce. Either works great-it all depends on your personal preference and what you want.
Line Baking Sheet
I recommend lining your baking sheet with aluminum foil or using a silicone baking mat. This will make cleanup so much easier, as you won't have to scrub baked on pieces off your pan.
Variations to Baked Buffalo Cauliflower
Seasoning
Go right ahead and alter the seasoning you use. I personally wanted to use mild spices to help add a bit of flavor without overpowering the hot sauce.
BBQ
Want a sweet BBQ to drizzle instead of buffalo style? Mix together ½ cup bbq sauce and add 1 teaspoon or so of maple or agave to sweeten just a bit. Then use that to spread on cauliflower at the end. Then toss back in to the oven the same as the buffalo.
Gluten-Free Option
Use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the flour to make your buffalo cauliflower gluten-free.
Baked Buffalo Cauliflower FAQs
Why do you bake cauliflower without sauce at first?
If you cook the cauliflower florets with the wing sauce the whole time, your cauliflower will burn. So you want to roast your cauliflower first, and then once it is browned a bit with the batter, coat and finish baking. This prevents the sauce from overcooking.
How should I store leftovers?
Store any cauliflower you don't eat in the fridge in an airtight container. You will find that the cauliflower softens quite a bit once it cools down, but the flavor will still be delicious.
Does this recipe double?
Go right ahead and make as much as you want. Simply make sure to do an even layer of the cauliflower on your baking sheet to prevent uneven cooking.
And don't forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet too! It's packed with my favorite easy substitutions to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup almond milk, plain
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- ½ cup hot sauce, such as Frank's buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or your oil of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or agave syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and paprika until combined.
- Whisk in the almond milk until the batter is smooth.
- Add the cauliflower florets and toss until they are evenly coated.
- Spread cauliflower out on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, gently stirring halfway through, or until fork tender.
- While cauliflower is cooking, mix together the hot sauce, oil, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once cauliflower is cooked, transfer it to a large mixing bowl
- Toss with the prepared hot sauce
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is bubbling. Serve hot.
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