Craveable Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Full disclosure: I've never eaten Buffalo Wings made with chicken. Wings became popular long after I became a vegetarian, but I've been making this recipe for years and find myself craving it, especially in the winter.
Why chickpea flour? No, not because I'm going all GF on you! I actually like the nutty, more complex flavor of chickpea flour because it adds a deeper flavor to the cauliflower, and it definitely provides a little extra protein. Where to buy? I usually get mine at a local Indian grocery store, but you can also find it in specialty/natural foods grocery stores that carry the Bob's Red Mill line of flours/grains.
There are seemingly dozens of variations of this recipe on the Internets, but I have tried to make this recipe a little more straightforward and easy to execute without losing any flavor. I hope you enjoy and crave!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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Ingredients
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
- 1 1/2 cups alternative milk I used flax but almond, soy, or rice milks would work great -- just be sure it's unsweetened!
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wing Sauce
- 1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter To make vegan, just use a good quality alternative butter.
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce Leave out to make vegan unless you know a good substitute.
Ingredients
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Wing Sauce
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add flour and salt. With a whisk in one hand, slowly add your favorite alternative milk and whisk until smooth. The consistency will be thick like pancake batter.
- Prepare your baking sheet. I always use parchment paper so I don’t have to spray any oil. If you have a Silpat think about throwing it in the trash. I’m pretty sure those mats are full of toxic evil. If you don’t have parchment, just make sure you oil your baking sheet so your little “wings” won’t stick.
- Next, either dump all your cauliflower florets into the batter or dip each floret individually. Whatever method you like best, be sure that you remove most of the excess batter before placing each batter-dipped floret onto your baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately ten minutes. Flip over each floret and bake for another ten minutes.
- While cauliflower is cooking, make your Wing Sauce. In a small saucepan stir together hot sauce, butter and Worcestershire. Warm until butter is melted.
- Remove cauliflower from oven. Using a fork, spear each floret individually and dip into your Wing Sauce. Again, let excess sauce drip off and place back onto your baking sheet. Or you can brush on Wing Sauce using a basting brush.
- Return cauliflower coated in the Wing Sauce to the oven. Bake again for approximately seven minutes, or until slightly dry and maybe even a little blistered on top.
- I love them plain, but others enjoy serving with ranch dressing or a blue cheese sauce.
- Serve warm. If they get cold, simply reheat in the oven. Probably best not to use a microwave to reheat, because they will end up soggy.
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I remember YEARS ago you mentioned that we’ll find out how dreadful the Silpats are. But I’ve still been using mine for years and years. I’m heading into the kitchen right now to get rid of it. I always have parchment anyway, and sometimes I toss it in the compost rather than the trash.
I met the makers of the parchment paper we buy at Costco this year at Expo West. Did you know you can wet your parchment paper and use it like tin foil to line a pan? Cool, huh?