Buffalo Cauliflower
Crunchy baked buffalo cauliflower is healthy and oil-free. Dip it in vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch, or without any sauce at all!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 119kcal
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower. core removed and cut into bite sized florets
- 2 cups unsweetened unflavored plant milk (I used Almond Milk)
- 2 cups chickpea flour or any flour of choice
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs I used gluten-free
- 1 cup buffalo sauce of choice
Instructions
Preparing the Cauliflower
- Remove the core from the base of the cauliflower.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets.
- Make sure to cut the florets into equal-sized pieces.
Prepare the Dredging Bowls
- Prepare three different bowls: 1 with plant milk, 1 with the flour and paprika mixed, and 1 bowl with nutritional yeast and Panko bread crumbs mixed.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Now, take each cauliflower floret, dip in the plant milk, then the flour mixture, then back in the plant milk, ending in the nutritional yeast/bread crumb bowl.
- Set each floret on the lined baking sheet.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook cauliflower for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and transfer the hot cauliflower to a large bowl using tongs.
- Then, add 1 cup of chosen buffalo sauce and gently toss until all the cauliflower is coated with a thin layer of sauce.
- Now, transfer the buffalo cauliflower back on the lined baking sheet, and cook for an additional 10 minutes with the sauce on it.
Air Frying
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Air fry for 9 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking process.
- Remove from the air fryer and use a spatula to flip the florets carefully.
- Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a bowl.
- Gently toss in buffalo sauce.
- Return sauce-coated cauliflower to the air fryer.
- Cook for another 5-7 minutes until crispy.
SERVING
- Serve with carrots, celery, and vegan blue cheese or ranch dressing.
- Serve with extra buffalo sauce for those who like it saucy.
Notes
- Cut the cauliflower florets into equal-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Save the cauliflower core and shred to add to salads and soups.
- Make breadcrumbs by toasting bread and pulsing in the food processor. This is especially good for using stale bread or the ends of bread instead of throwing them out.
- When removing the cooked, breaded cauliflower from the oven or air fryer, be gentle so as not to remove any of the bread before adding the sauce.
- If using the vegan blue cheese dipping sauce, make it ahead of time so it thickens appropriately in the refrigerator. For a thinner sauce, blend in the blender.
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg