Air Fryer Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

An image of air fryer vegan cauliflower bites in a bowl

Air Fryer Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

These vegan buffalo cauliflower wings are crispy and spicy bites. They are a crowd-pleasing appetizer, perfect for game nights and parties, and can be made in an oven or air fryer.

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Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

For the cauliflower bites

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

For the buffalo sauce

½ cup hot sauce
¼ cup vegan butter melted
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add the almond milk and whisk until smooth.
Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl with the almond milk mixture and toss until the florets are evenly coated.
In another bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs.
Working one at a time, remove a cauliflower floret from the almond milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, and then coat it in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs onto the floret to ensure it is fully coated. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower florets.
Place the coated cauliflower florets in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching or crowded.
Air fry for 5 minutes, then shake the basket to move the cauliflower around. Air fry for another 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the coating is golden brown and crispy.
While the cauliflower is cooking, make the buffalo sauce by whisking together the hot sauce, melted vegan butter, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a small bowl.
When the cauliflower is done, transfer it to a large bowl and pour the buffalo sauce over the top. Toss the cauliflower until it is evenly coated in the sauce.

Notes

Double-coat them by dipping them in the almond milk and breadcrumbs again.
You can adjust the amount of hot sauce and spices in the buffalo sauce to your
liking. If you prefer a milder sauce, use less hot sauce, and if you want it spicier,
add more.
Serve the air fryer buffalo cauliflower bites hot with your favorite dipping sauce,
such as ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
Make sure to shake the air fryer basket a few times during the cooking process to ensure that the cauliflower is cooking evenly on all sides.
If your air fryer has a non-stick coating, you may not need to spray the basket with cooking spray. However, if your air fryer basket is not non-stick, you may want to spray it lightly with cooking spray to prevent the cauliflower from sticking.
If you don't have unsweetened almond milk, you can use another non-dairy milk of your choice, such as soy milk or oat milk.
If you prefer a spicier buffalo sauce, you can add more hot sauce to the recipe, or even mix in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
If you're not a fan of panko breadcrumbs, you can try using regular breadcrumbs or cornmeal instead.
To make the cauliflower bites even crispier, you can spray them lightly with
cooking spray before placing them in the air fryer.
To make the dish even more colorful, you can mix in some other roasted
vegetables, such as red bell peppers or sweet potatoes, along with the
cauliflower.
If you want to make the recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose
flour with gluten-free flour, and use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of panko.
You can make the buffalo sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator until
ready to use. Simply reheat the sauce in the microwave or on the stove before
tossing it with the cooked cauliflower.
You can also buy 1 cup of vegan buffalo sauce in the store.

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