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    The Yummy Bowl » Recipes » Air Fryer

    Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

    Sep 27, 2022 · Modified: Mar 16, 2023 by Julia | The Yummy Bowl · This post contains affiliate links · 1 Comment

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    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

    If you love buffalo chicken wings but are looking for a vegetarian alternative, this buffalo cauliflower bites recipe will soon become a favorite appetizer for Game Day, Super Bowl, or your next party.

    These cauliflower buffalo bites are a healthy option for finger food, served with blue cheese dressing, ranch dip, and low-carb vegetables such as carrot sticks.

    This tasty appetizer is ideal for anyone following a gluten free or keto diet too!

    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with blue cheese crumbles and sauce

    We love all things Buffalo! Check out our popular recipes featuring this irresistible hot sauce: Buffalo Chicken Dip, Buffalo Chicken Tostada, or make your own Homemade Buffalo Sauce.

    There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Tips
    • FAQ
    • Easy Air Fryer Recipes
    • More Cauliflower Recipes
    • Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
    air fryer buffalo cauliflower cut in half

    Ingredients

    My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!

    The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.

    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Ingredients
    • Cauliflower - I’ve used 1 to 1 ½ pound of cauliflower for these cauliflower wings. You can either use packaged cauliflower pieces or a head of cauliflower that will need to be cut into bite-sized pieces, rinsed, and dried. It's about a medium to large head of cauliflower.
    • Garlic and onion powder - The garlic and onion powder is best for dredging after dipping into the egg mixture.
    • Salt - To taste. You could use regular table salt or kosher salt. 
    • Black pepper - To taste. If you want a bigger kick of heat, consider cayenne pepper or paprika. 
    • Hot sauce - Something like Frank’s or Valentina will be great for these cauliflower wings, but you can use any hot sauce you prefer or have on hand. 
    • Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter but make sure it’s melted for this recipe. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt added to the almond flour mixture. 
    • Eggs - I’ve used large eggs that are at room temperature. For a vegan version, you could try a flax seed egg as well. But the result may be slightly different.
    • Almond flour or meal - you can use both. I used coarser almond flour in the recipe but for more crispy results use almond meal. It is made with unpeeled almonds and is coarser than almond flour. However, both products are often labeled incorrectly in grocery stores. Read more on more detailed explanation of the two.
    • Oil - Use the oil to lightly coat the air fryer basket and spray the tops of the cauliflower wings. Olive oil or vegetable oil will work. 
    • Serving ingredients - Ranch dressing, blue cheese sauce, blue cheese crumbles, and celery stalks are all great options for serving these cauliflower wings.

    Instructions

    Preheat the air fryer to 350 F according to manufacturer instructions (usually it’s 4-5 minutes). I used my Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer.

    a bowl of cauliflower florets

    Prep. Prepare a large mixing bowl or baking sheet where you are going to arrange the florets.

    cauliflower dipped in butter

    Prepare one bowl with lightly beaten eggs and a tablespoon of water.

    cauliflower dipped in almond flour

    The second one is with almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

    Place cauliflower florets in a separate large bowl.

    Dip each floret into the egg, then almond flour mixture, then egg again and flour.

    almond flour breaded cauliflower wings on a baking sheet

    Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the cauliflower into the basket (spray the basket lightly with oil or use air fryer basket liners), and spray more oil on top of the florets too.

    Set the timer for 14 minutes, shaking the basket at the 7-minute mark. 

    buffalo cauliflower in air fryer basket before baking

    You’ll need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your air fryer. 

    The florets should be crispy, lightly golden brown, and cooked through. 

    buffalo cauliflower in air fryer right after air frying

    Meanwhile, prepare another large bowl with hot sauce and melted butter, and set aside.

    hot sauce mixed with melted butter

    Once all the cauliflower is cooked, add it to a hot sauce bowl and toss until fully coated.

    Return to the air fryer for 4 minutes. You can skip the last step and drizzle the cauliflower with hot sauce before serving.

    air fryer buffalo cauliflower dipped into hot sauce and butter bowl

    Serve with celery sticks, carrots, and blue cheese sauce.

    To reheat add the cauliflower to the air fryer for 5 minutes at the same temperature.

    For best results and crispy exterior do this only once.

    After the second reheating it will not taste the same and the texture is not as crispy as it should be.

    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with blue cheese crumbles and sauce

    Flavor and texture: cauliflower has thick breaded (in almond flour mix) exterior, crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth soft on the inside.

    The flavor is spicy but not very spicy and to balance the heat, we like to serve it with a cold creamy sauce such as blue cheese or ranch sauce.

    air fryer buffalo cauliflower dipped in white sauce

    Craving for more air fryer finger foods? My friend Chhavi from Yellow Thyme made a mouth-watering collection of easy 50+ air fryer finger foods that you can already make today!

    Tips

    • If you’re in a rush, use store-bought small florets instead of having to cut a head of cauliflower. 
    • The size of your air fryer and how many servings of these cauliflower wings you want to make will determine the number of batches that you’ll need to cook.
    • Never overcrowd the air fryer basket, as this will limit the air circulation in the air fryer and reduce the crispy exterior of the cauliflower wings.  
    • It’s not a bad idea to check on your wings during the cooking time to ensure they aren’t over-browning. Different brands and makes of air fryers vary in cooking intensity and times.
    • Serve these buffalo cauliflower wings with sauce or dressing in separate bowls for your family and guests to help themselves. If you add the sauce or dressing onto the wings before they are consumed, the coating on the cauliflower wings can soften. 
    • This recipe along with our spicy Million Dollar Deviled Eggs and Stuffed Mushrooms are a great addition to your party appetizer list.

    JULIA'S TIP The great thing about an air fryer is that you don’t need a lot of cooking oil. That said, don’t be too sparing with the oil since a good coating on the cauliflower florets will help them caramelize. 

    FAQ

    Are cauliflower wings vegan?

    These cauliflower buffalo wings are not vegan since I’ve used eggs in the dredging process. They are, however, vegetarian and gluten-free!

    Are Buffalo cauliflower wings healthy?

    Air frying any food will always make it a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods.

    These buffalo cauliflower wings are not only low in saturated fat, they are also a delicious way to include healthy veggies into snacks that the whole family will love.

    Why are my cauliflower wings soggy?

    There's a lot of moisture from the drizzled sauce or dressing so if you added this to the spicy buffalo cauliflower bites before serving, this could account for them turning soggy.

    I always serve these coated cauliflower wings with a separate serving of dressing or sauce to keep these snacks crispy and crunchy for longer.

    Can you reheat buffalo cauliflower in the microwave?

    I don’t recommend reheating these buffalo cauliflower wings in the microwave as they can turn very soft, and the coating can become quite soggy.

    Instead, add your leftover cauliflower wings back into the air fryer for a couple of minutes or reheat them on a baking tray at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

    Easy Air Fryer Recipes

    Air fryer is my favorite thing lately, from my guest favorite Air Fryer Nachos, Peanut Butter Cookies, Air Fryer Cabbage, to Jalapeno Poppers.

    Anything can be done in air fryer, plus it reheats beautifully and tastes and looks like freshly made!

    ALL AIR FRYER recipes.

    • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries with parsley and mayonnaise and ketchup
      Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
    • Honey Glazed Carrots In Air Fryer With Feta and Rosemary in a black bowl
      Honey Glazed Carrots In Air Fryer With Feta and Rosemary
    • air fryer cauliflower in small metal serving dish
      Air Fryer Cauliflower
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      Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Chipotle Aioli

    More Cauliflower Recipes

    • Cauliflower, Spinach And Broccoli Patties
    • Baked Cauliflower Tacos
    • Air Fryer Cauliflower
    • Creamy Vegan Chickpea Cauliflower Curry
    • Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes

    I hope you'll enjoy this air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!

    Thank you for reading,

    Love,

    Julia

    Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with blue cheese crumbles and sauce

    Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

    If you love buffalo chicken wings but are looking for a vegetarian alternative, this buffalo cauliflower bites recipe will soon become a favorite appetizer for Gameday, Super Bowl, or your next party. These cauliflower buffalo bites are a healthy option for finger food, served with blue cheese dressing, ranch dip, and low-carb vegetables such as carrot sticks. This tasty appetizer is ideal for anyone following a keto diet too!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Author: Julia | The Yummy Bowl
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Total Time: 29 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 276kcal

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 head cauliflower about 1 to 1 ½ pounds, cut into bite-size florets (rinsed and dried prior)
    • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoon onion powder
    • Salt to taste
    • Black pepper to taste
    • ¼ cup hot sauce such as Frank’s or Valentina
    • 3 tablespoon butter melted
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup almond flour or meal see notes
    • Oil for cooking
    • Ranch dressing or blue cheese sauce
    • Blue cheese crumbles optional for serving
    • Celery stalks for serving

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Preheat the air fryer to 350 F according to manufacturer instructions (usually it’s 4-5 minutes). Cosori 5.8 quart
    • Prep. Prepare a large mixing bowl or baking sheet where you are going to arrange the florets. Prepare one bowl with lightly beaten eggs and a tablespoon of water. The second one is with almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place cauliflower florets in a separate large bowl. Dip each floret into the egg, then almond flour mixture, then egg again and flour.
    • Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the cauliflower into the basket (spray the basket lightly with oil or use air fryer basket liners), and spray more oil on top of the florets too. Set the timer for 14 minutes, shaking the basket at the 7-minute mark.
    • You’ll need to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
    • The florets should be crispy, lightly golden brown, and cooked through.
    • Meanwhile, prepare another large bowl with hot sauce and melted butter, and set aside.
    • Once all the cauliflower is cooked, add it to a hot sauce bowl and toss until fully coated. Return to the air fryer for 4 minutes. You can skip the last step and drizzle the cauliflower with hot sauce before serving.
    • Serve with celery sticks, carrots, and blue cheese sauce.
    • To reheat add the cauliflower to the air fryer for 5 minutes at the same temperature. For best results and crispy exterior do this only once. After second reheating it will not taste the same and the texture is not as crispy as it should be.
    • Flavor and texture: cauliflower has thick breaded (in almond flour mix) exterior, crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth soft on the inside. The flavor is spicy but not very spicy and to balance the heat served with cold creamy sauce.
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    Video

    NOTES

    The nutrition is calculated just for the cauliflower wings without blue cheese sauce.
    Almond flour or meal - you can use both. I used coarser almond flour in the recipe but for more crispy results use almond meal. It is made with unpeeled almonds and is coarser than almond flour. However, both products are often labeled incorrectly in grocery stores. 

    PRIVATE NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.
    Nutrition Facts
    Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 276 Calories from Fat 225
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 25g38%
    Saturated Fat 7g44%
    Trans Fat 0.4g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3g
    Cholesterol 104mg35%
    Sodium 498mg22%
    Potassium 92mg3%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 405IU8%
    Vitamin C 13mg16%
    Calcium 81mg8%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    (Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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    Comments

    1. Julia | The Yummy Bowl

      September 27, 2022 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      Delicious vegetarian appetizer and a great alternative to buffalo chicken wings.

      Reply

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    I'm Julia and welcome to The Yummy Bowl. I share easy and healthy recipes for the whole family. Everything you see here is Gluten-free and mostly made with whole food ingredients. Hope you enjoy! Love, Julia

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