A baked buffalo cauliflower wings recipe that creates easy and healthy crispy wings perfect for game day! These whole 30 approved wings are paleo and low carb which makes them perfect for all diets.
Let's be honest, there is nothing better than a crisp fall Sunday in the middle of November. Football games on television, tailgate food perfect for game day spread out in front of you, and a cold beer in hand. You've got no plans at all except to plant yourself down on the couch all day, eating every delicious snack in site.
If you're anything like me, the food that is served during game day or tailgates is the best part of the whole thing. Endless buffalo dips, chips and guacamole, little hot appetizers, and my favorite? Buffalo chicken wings.
I could seriously down an entire bucket of buffalo chicken wings. Crispy, spicy, and dipped into blue cheese, that's my favorite way to enjoy them.
So in an attempt to make buffalo chicken wings healthier, I decided that I was going to replace the chicken with cauliflower and create a healthier game day snack.
These baked cauliflower wings only have six simple ingredients and take less than an hour to make, and even my chicken wing loving boyfriend couldn't stop eating them.
Baked buffalo cauliflower wings
Move over chicken, baked cauliflower wings are the new perfect healthy appetizer for game day. Made with only a handful of ingredients, adding these wings to your next football party is key.
Baking these cauliflower wings gives them that crispy texture just like chicken wings! No need for fried food here. And even better is the fact that they only take a few simple steps that anyone with an oven can make.
These buffalo cauliflower wings are gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free. They are completely guilt-free and you can eat the entire head of cauliflower without feeling bad! Plus, I warning you that you probably will want to eat the whole head.
How to make cauliflower wings
There are only five steps between you and the best cauliflower wings you've ever had in your life.
- Chop - chops up a large head of cauliflower into big florets. I like to do a mixture of smaller florets and bigger ones so that we have all different sizes. It doesn't really matter how large your head is, you'll most likely just want to end up with about 5 cups of chopped cauliflower.
- Coat - Add your cauliflower and a whisked egg to a large ziplock bag. You will then want to shake shake shake until the egg has evenly coated the cauliflower. Next, add the almond flour, salt, and garlic powder and shake shake shake until completely coated.
- Bake - line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and toss your coated cauliflower onto the sheet. Bake in the oven until lightly brown and crispy.
- Toss - take your cauliflower out of the oven and let them rest for about five minutes. Add your buffalo sauce right to the sheet and toss them around until evenly coated. You can also place them in a bowl or back in another ziplock bag if easier.
- Broil - toss back into the oven and broil for five minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn! You can also just bake them for another 5 minutes if you don't have a broiler.
Are buffalo cauliflower wings healthy?
Yes! They even are perfect for those who are doing the Whole 30 diet. Made with only a few simple ingredients which all happen to be completely healthy.
We use buffalo sauce from The New Primal, but you can use any buffalo sauce that you like. I like this brand because it is Whole 30 approved and isn't made with any funky ingredients.
You're going to be in love with these clean eating buffalo cauliflower wings!
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash and chop cauliflower into different size florets. I like to do a mixture of big and small.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
- Add the cauliflower and egg to a large ziplock bag and shake until evenly coated.
- In another small bowl, mix together the almond flour, garlic powder, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the cauliflower and shake well until evenly coated.
- Place cauliflower in a flat layer on baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown.
- Take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour 1 cup of buffalo sauce over top of cauliflower and toss to coat. I used my hands but you can also use a bowl.
- Broil for 5 minutes (keep an eye on them). If you don't have a broiler, place back in the oven for 5 minutes to heat through.
- Serve immediately!
Beth says
We love this! For us 1/4 cup of Frank's hot sauce is just right. And since we are reducing sodium in our diets, we only use 1/4 tsp salt. Still delicious!
Erin says
Hi Beth, so happy you liked them and made them your own! 🙂
Esther Oku says
Easy and delicious recipe, but I found the cauliflower too soft after broiling. I think I need to shorten the baking time so the cauliflower doesn’t fall apart so easily.
Erin says
Hi Esther, so happy you loved them and that works!
Taylor says
LOVE! Not a fan of anything too spicy and these were perfect made with Franks mild sauce. Perfect for game day, already on our Super Bowl list!
Erin says
Hi Taylor, so glad you loved them! 🙂
Kaitlin R says
LOVED these for the Super Bowl this year! Spicy but so good. I didn't have almond flour so used gluten free flour which made them brown less but still turned out yummy! So easy too
Erin says
Hi Kaitlin, so glad you loved them!!
Shannon says
We love snacking on these guilt free!
Erin says
Hi Shannon, so glad you love them!!
Laura says
Can I use arrowroot flour versus almond flour?
Erin says
Hi Laura, yep, should work awesome! Let me know how your wings come out!!
Courtney says
Hi! I have an egg allergy. I thought of using almond milk possibly to get the almond flour to stick. Do you have another suggestion? Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Courtney, hm, good question. You could try almond milk! Let me know how it comes out!
nora says
So good! Randomly tried the exact recipe but with TJs Honey Alleppo sauce and it was amazing!
Erin says
Hi Nora, so glad you liked them and made them your own!!
Sue says
I love the idea of these and am trying to make them as the directions state, however, having trouble getting the almond flour to stick to the cauliflower. I did shake with egg first then added the flour mixture, and I am now hand patting the batter on the cauliflower? Did I miss something?
Janet says
Great recipe for those that don’t like chicken wings..very tasty appetizer as I watched my team lose 😂
Ruth says
Noticed your questions - I'm currently trying to figure out how to make these and someone suggested that after rinsing the cauliflower, it would help to dredge the florets in some sort of flour before doing the egg step and almond flour step. Maybe if they are too wet from being rinsed, it will make it hard for the egg wash to stick, and therefore too hard for almond flour to cling to them.
Dale says
This recipe delivered on flavor. Delicious! So easy for a game day snack. Can’t wait to make it again.
Erin says
Hi Dale, so happy you love them!!
lynn edwards says
This recipe is so good! This has been a staple in our Paleo diet and everyone who tries it (even if they aren't eating a certain way) thinks it's delicious also.
Erin says
Hi Lynn, so happy you loved them! 🙂
T says
Can you use creamy vegan buffalo sauce recipie that you posted instead of store-bought sauce??
Erin says
Hi, sure! That should work too! Let me know how they come out!
Jessica says
On our weekly meal rotation! We use this cauliflower recipe as base with other sauces too ! Ie: sweet and sour cauliflower, teriyaki cauliflower, or added taco seasoning and made cauliflower tacos with it 😋.
Erin says
Hi Jessica, so glad you loved it!!
Nancy Doyle says
Loved the taste of these. I love cauliflower roasted but Erin puts a new spin on them. We even liked them without the buffalo sauce. I plan to make them for my book club tomorrow.
Erin says
Hi Nancy, so glad you loved them! 🙂
Tracey says
The best recipe ever!
I make these and take them out to different events that we plan parties etc. it’s always such a big hit and the easiest recipe to follow! Making them again for Memorial Day function 🥰
Erin says
Hi Tracey, so glad you loved them and will be making them this weekend! 🙂
Lauren Badalucco says
I loved these! I can’t believe how well shaking them in the bag worked. I used my reusable Stasher bag and it was great. Don’t skip on breading them and broiling at the end - super key! Followed this recipe to the T and it did not disappoint.
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so glad you loved them so much!
Lauren says
Even my meat-lover boyfriend loves this recipe!! We sometimes to half buffalo and half barbecue sauce . 😋
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so happy you both liked them!
Liz says
So good! One of the few leftover veggie side dishes that I reheated and ate again! Thanks Erin!
Erin says
Hi Liz, so happy you loved it!!
Nikita says
I was wondering if I air fry, which step do I air fry? I am assuming the last step where you would broil with hot sauce?
Thank you
Erin says
Yep! You can also air fry them once they have the coating on, then add the sauce, and air fry again. I'ds say 10-15 minutes.