Crispy air fryer buffalo cauliflower is the perfect appetizer or snack! These gluten free bites are easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for dipping. Don’t have an air fryer? Don’t worry. You can also whip these up in the oven!
The Best Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Ok, so I love buffalo anything! Buffalo chicken wings, buffalo chicken salad, buffalo dip…you name it! Buffalo sauce is one of my very favorite condiments and I love putting it on anything.
I’ve always been pretty skeptical about the whole cauliflower “wing” thing. I mean, there really is nothing like a real chicken wing, in my opinion. But, I’m always wanting to get creative with my veggies and I figured how bad could cauliflower drizzled with buffalo sauce really be. I mean I have definitely eaten worse things!
So, I decided to give the whole buffalo cauliflower thing a try and y’all, I am happy to announce that I am a huge fan. Buffalo cauliflower is absolutely delicious and another fun way to use those cauliflower florets.
These buffalo cauliflower bites are perfectly crispy, coated with buffalo sauce, and super easy to make thanks to the air fryer. Each bite is coated in the perfect mixture of buffalo sauce and breading, then cooked to perfection without much oil.
Not only is this recipe delicious, it is also gluten free, dairy free, and Whole30 compliant. Make it the next time you are craving a snack or as a fun appetizer for your next get together.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Ingredients
Cauliflower Florets: I like to keep things easy and use pre-cut cauliflower florets instead of cleaning and cutting my own. It just makes everything so much easier.
Eggs: These help to bind the almond flour coating to each piece of cauliflower.
Buffalo Sauce: Can’t have buffalo cauliflower without a good buffalo sauce!
Almond Flour: For the best results use blanched almond flour
Tapioca Starch: Tapioca starch is a gluten free flour made from the root of the cassava root. When paired together, almond flour and tapioca starch make the perfect crispy coating for the cauliflower.
Spices: These buffalo cauliflower bites are full of flavor thanks to the combination of spices and dried herbs like dill.
How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Step One: The first step is to make the wet coating that will help the dry breading stick to the cauliflower. To do this, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, and buffalo sauce until well combined.
Step Two: Next, make the dry breading by adding the almond flour, tapioca starch, spices, dried herbs, salt, and pepper to a shallow dish. Use a fork or small whisk to mix everything together until well combined.
Step Three: Once you have your wet coating and dry breading ready to go, it is time to dredge the cauliflower florets. First, dip one cauliflower floret at a time into the wet egg mixture. Make sure that the cauliflower is completely coated and that the egg mixture as made its way into all of the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower floret.
Step Four: Next, dip the cauliflower in the dry almond flour coating. Use your fingers to toss the cauliflower florets in the dry mixture until well coated.
Step Five: Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees. Use a cooking brush to coat the air fryer rack with a teaspoon of oil. Add the the cauliflower florets to the basket of the air fryer and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes at 375 degrees until crispy.
Step Six: Once the cauliflower is browned and crispy, allow it to sit in the air fryer for a few minutes before transferring it to large mixing bowl. Drizzle buffalo sauce over the cauliflower and gently toss until it is well coated.
Step Seven: Serve the cauliflower with carrots, celery, and your favorite ranch dipping sauce.
Can You Make Buffalo Cauliflower in the Oven?
Yes! If you do not have an air fryer, you can bake the cauliflower in the oven. For the best results, place the breaded cauliflower on a greased wire baking rack that has been placed over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the cauliflower at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack until crispy. Flip the cauliflower halfway through so that it cooks evenly.
Is Buffalo Cauliflower Whole30 Compliant?
Yes! To ensure that your buffalo cauliflower is Whole30 compliant, you will need to use a Whole30 compliant almond milk and buffalo sauce. Check the labels on the almond milk and buffalo sauce, before buying, to ensure there are no added sugars or other non-compliant ingredients.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Buffalo Cauliflower
This Buffalo Cauliflower is super easy to make but for the very best results here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks:
- Be sure to get the egg mixture into all of the cauliflower nooks and crannies before coating it in the flour.
- Cook the cauliflower in two batches to ensure that the air fryer is not overcrowded and that each piece gets nice and crispy.
- Let the cauliflower bites cool for a bit before tossing them in the buffalo sauce. This will help prevent the breading from falling off of the cauliflower.
- If your buffalo sauce is cold, heat it for a few minutes on the stove top before pouring it over the cooked, crispy cauliflower. This will ensure that each piece of cauliflower remains nice and hot.
More Delicious Buffalo Recipes to Love
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Ingredients
- roughly 16 oz cauliflower florets (around 1 and a half 12oz bags)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- sliced green onions, for garnish
- dill, for garnish
Method
- Whisk together the eggs, almond milk, and 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, tapioca starch, spices, dried herbs, salt, and pepper to a shallow dish. Use a fork or small whisk to mix everything together until well combined.
- Dip each cauliflower floret, one at a time, into the egg mixture. Make sure that the cauliflower is completely coated.
- Next, dip the cauliflower in the almond flour coating. Use your fingers to toss the cauliflower florets in the dry mixture until well coated.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees. Use a cooking brush to coat the air fryer rack with a teaspoon of oil. Add the the cauliflower florets to the basket of the air fryer and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes at 375 degrees until crispy.
- Once the cauliflower is browned and crispy, transfer it to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes. Next transfer the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the 1/4 a cup of remaining buffalo sauce over the cauliflower and gently toss until it is well coated.
- Serve the cauliflower with carrots, celery, and your favorite ranch dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Keywords: air fryer buffalo cauliflower, buffalo cauliflower, air fryer cauliflower
Leave a comment
Can you substitute the tapioca starch for something else?
Hi, Emily! you could use arrowroot starch!
These turn out great every time! Definitely a favorite at our house.
★★★★★
Made these in the oven for lunch today and they are wonderful!!!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Amber! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This recipe was SO GOOD we made it twice in one week. For my husband who has Celiac Disease, and for me trying to be healthier and cut my meat intake, this was perfect. It was so nice to have “wings” and not feel bloated afterward. We didn’t have pure almond flour on hand, but used Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour and it worked out great. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Charissa! Thank you for taking the time to share!
My Buffalo cauliflower turned out delicious even though I didn’t quite follow the directions! Oops! I actually mixed the dry ingredients with the egg/Buffalo sauce mix and dumped the cauliflower into the batter and stirred. (I used another recipe suggestion and sprinkled mine with GF panko bread crumbs.) I followed your instructions to bake in the oven at 425 on a wire rack for about 20 min – I didn’t turn them, but they turned out perfect – crispy all the way around! Hubby loved them, too! Thanks!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Mary Beth! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Love making this recipe whenever I crave Buffalo wings… it’s an amazing substitute for this vegetarian 😊😊 the crispy air fryer Buffalo chicken nuggets are also 💯💯💯
★★★★★
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Aliya!
I made this recipe as an alternative to chicken wings and it was DELICIOUS! Turned out exactly how I hoped- crispy and flavorful. Would definitely make again.
★★★★★
So happy to hear that, Matreya!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it always turns out amazing! I’ve even had several friends ask for the recipe they’ve loved it so much!! Delicious, and easy! Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Cassie! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Oh my wow! This turned out so good. Definitely stayed crispy and not soggy. I will definitely be craving these and making them often!
★★★★★
Is there a substitute for eggs? Thanks.
I made this recipe with barbeque sauce instead of buffalo sauce because we don’t like hot sauces and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Delicious! These were definitely the best cauliflower buffalo wings we’ve made – wonderfully crispy coating, flavor was spot on, and the cauliflower was the perfect level of cooked through. We made these in the oven today with a whole head of cauliflower, which was about 1.5 times the weight listed in the recipe. We ended up using almost 2x the flour mix but 1x the egg mix was enough so next time we’ll make 2x flour mix from the start. We forgot to brush the wire racks with oil so there was a bit of sticking but we were able to keep majority of breading on by flipping carefully. Broiled for 2 minutes at the end for a little extra crisp. Served with a homemade blue cheese dressing and polished off two trays in one sitting… between two of us! Thanks Ashlea!
★★★★★
So happy you loved the recipe, Katy!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This recipe was amazing!! Such good flavor! Every time I tried to bread things in the past the breading came off and it didn’t with your recipe! So good!!
So happy you loved this recipe, Michelle! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Is there anything else you can use instead of tapioca starch? Arrowroot flour or coconut flour maybe?
Arrowroot flour would work, Allison!
Any excuse to eat buffalo sauce and I’m in. These were perfectly delicious and crispy and I can’t wait to make them again!
Right? I feel the same way. So happy you loved the recipe, Emma!
So delicious! Best air fryer buffalo cauliflower recipe I’ve found. Thanks!
Yay! So happy you loved the recipe, Sara!
These look so good! I don’t have tapioca starch and usually sub arrowroot for it in recipes, do you think it would change the crispy texture if I did that here?
I’ll be trying these soon with the oven directions, thank you!!
Hi, Kate! I’ve used arrowroot starch and it works well! Hope you love the recipe!
Oh these are just perfect! Never thought they could cook up in my air fryer! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you love them, Mahy!
Is it possible to use other flours or breading, I don’t have almond flour or tapioca starch? Thanks, these sound incredible!!!
You could probably use a gluten free flour! I haven’t tested it, but I’m thinking it would turn out well. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you so much for including the oven directions. I cannot wait to make these!
I hope you love them!