Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. These air fryer cauliflower wings are a perfect snack for your next tailgate party. Gone are the days of having to stick to the veggie tray!
Originally posted on August 28,2017; Updated tips, FAQs and video on November 21, 2019
Just in time for football season! We know how frustrating it can be eating a plant-based diet and having to watch everyone eat all this "great" food at a party - while their idea of vegan food is a vegetable tray from Publix. Well, I refuse to be on the sidelines any longer! So here's our first of many great snack ideas for your tailgate parties: Air Fryer
Cauliflower Wings!
Why This Recipe Works
- The air fryer perfectly crisps the outside of the cauliflower, while cooking the inside until tender. No soggy breading or mushy overcooked cauliflower here!
- The sauce can be modified, or substituted for your favorite sauce, to allow different flavor combos.
The Process
Add all dry ingredients to large mixing bowl.
Combine dry ingredients with a whisk.
Whisk in water and milk until batter has no lumps.
Add cauliflower florets to batter.
Mix well to evenly coat with batter.
Remove florets one at a time and transfer to a separate dish so that excess batter can run off.
Add battered florets to air fryer basket in a single layer. Also, try to keep them from touching (if possible) so that all sides can get direct heat.
Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pot (or in microwave) - bring hot sauce, butter, and molasses to low simmer, mixing well to combine. Once cauliflower is done cooking, transfer to a bowl and cover with sauce, then toss to coat.
And This is the Amazing Result!
More vegan recipes:
- Air Fryer Tofu Buddha Bowl
- Tofu Stir-Fry with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Sushi Recipe - Made Easy Using the Sushezi!
- Vegan Chickpea Curry with Spinach and Tomatoes
Expert Tips
- You can easily substitute the flour for gluten free, or whole wheat flour. We recommend using Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
for a gluten-free option. - Eat these with your favorite vegan dipping sauce, on their own, or on a buffalo chicken style sandwich!
for a gluten-free option.FAQs
What kind of air fryer do you use? We originally used a GoWISE USA Air Fryer (as pictured in the process shots above). However, in our video tutorial we used an Instant Pot Duo Crisp
, which we prefer. With the Duo Crisp, you're able to stack and cook multiple layers, and the pieces are dishwasher safe!
Do I precook the cauliflower? No! This recipe uses raw cauliflower.
Do these taste like chicken? Well, it's cauliflower, so not really. However, they do have amazing flavor and are delicious in their own right.
Can I use buttermilk instead of plant milk? Yes, though it will no longer be vegan.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower florets
- ½ cup milk we used soy milk
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour we used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free baking 1-to-1
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup frank's red hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp. butter we used earth balance buttery spread
- ¼ cup molasses
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl - combine all dry ingredients (flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper) then whisk in water and milk until batter has no lumps.
- Add fresh cauliflower florets to batter and mix well to evenly coat with batter. Remove florets one at a time and transfer to a separate dish so that excess batter can run off.
- Coat air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray or oil, then add battered florets to air fryer basket in a single layer. Also, try to keep them from touching (if possible) so that all sides can get direct heat.
- Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot (or in microwave) - bring hot sauce, butter, and molasses to low simmer, mixing well to combine. Then remove from heat.
- Once cauliflower is done cooking, transfer to a bowl. When ready to serve, cover with sauce, then toss to coat.
- Serve IMMEDIATELY with your dipping sauce of choice, or none at all. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can easily substitute the flour for gluten free, or whole wheat flour. We recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour for a gluten-free option.
- Eat these with your favorite vegan dipping sauce, on their own, or on a buffalo chicken style sandwich!
- This recipe uses raw cauliflower.
- These will not taste exactly like chicken. However, they do have amazing flavor and are delicious in their own right.
for a gluten-free option.Nutrition
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Lucy
Where does the molasses come in?
Chef Gary
In step 5, you incorporate it into the sauce. Makes for a minimally sweet sauce, so it's not just spicy. We are big fans of layers of flavor!
ronnie j sanders
Can you use all water if you find out at the last minute that you don't have milk
Gary White
Yes, but it will change the flavor.
Amy
Good Question
Brenda Mueller
Those wings look delicious and crispy! How do you like using the air fryer? I have thought about purchasing one, but I read a review that said it worked like a convection oven. I have one of those, so I think I'll skip the air fryer for now. bb
Chef Gary
I've only had the fryer for about a week, but I love it! The idea of it is similar in nature to a convection oven, but the way the air moves around is much different, which is why you can get that "fried" quality in food. Highly recommend!
Doug B
OMG BEST CAULIFLOWER I HAVE EVER HAD.
I'm not big on heat so I substituted maple syrup for Franks hot sauce and molasses and then used Tabasco sauce to give it a little kick. Who needs potatoes, my only regret is I didn't make a bigger serving.
Heidi
Just made these! Delicious and satisfying, thank you for sharing your recipe. Did not use the molasses since I did not have any but still great nonetheless.
Chef Gary
So glad you liked them!
MJ
None of the batter stuck. It was way too runny. I used regular milk. Not sure if that ruined it. I also added extra flour to try and thicken it up. No luck. Next time I would try no water.
Gary White
I'm sorry to hear that. The batter should be the consistency seen in the video. While some will drip off, if none of it is sticking I would double check your liquid measurements.
Gini
Would it work to freeze the battered cauliflower before air frying?
alisa
wow, I thought I would not have a good outcome given I only had whole wheat flour and almond milk... but it worked really well - and you're so right, with this being the first recipe where I used the Air fryer - what a hit!
thank you for the recipe!
SFerd
Alisa--Thanks for commenting that the recipe works with WW flour since that's what I was planning to use.
BeeZee
Look awesome - however we avoid oil (vegan butter) and sugar (molasses). Other suggestions? Maybe I will try my date paste and applesauce with a little hot sauce???
Chef Gary
Lol.. That's a tough one. This recipe was definitely designed for taste, not necessarily health. So I'm not sure how other substitutions will work. (And I thought I was doing good to replace the sugar. Ha!)
Let me know how it turns out for you though, if you try it. I'd love to hear.
Catherine Stewart
Try Yacon Syrup. This should satisfy your need for sweetness without sugar and it also happens to taste very much like molasses. It won't negatively affect blood sugar at all, if that's a concern. It's hard to imagine this sauce without butter of any kind so I don't know what to tell you about that.
Debbie
Can I use butter milk? That's all I have.
Chef Gary
I think that should work. I love buttermilk!
Sissy
I tried making air fryer Cauliflower but they did not come out good. I want to try this one. Mine wouldn’t cook and they dried out. Does your recipe cook them tender or do they stay hard. I like the good ole fried cauliflower but really want to try a food airfryer recipe.
Chef Gary
Tender inside, slightly crispy outside. Please let me know how it comes out if you try it!
Cauliflower lover
the batter is awesome and the cauliflower cooked well. I'm not a fan of the sauce. I think there is something missing - the slight sweetness is good, but the flavor falls flat for me. I mostly get a lot of saltiness from the Frank's Red hot but not enough heat. Definitely going to play with it more. Thanks for the recipe!
Emily
I recommend sriracha and butter for a sauce, that's what I end up doing because sriracha is the ony hot sauce I keep int he house.
RabbiVJ
im trying half franks and half sriracha...
Josh
Great Recipe! I would maybe suggest having the sauce on the side to dip or cutting the amount of sauce you toss the cauliflower in as it was a bit too much sauce for my wife and I, but overall a good dish thanks for sharing!
Jessica Dugas
Oh my gosh. These are SO freaking amazing!! We have done these baked before but just bought my air fryer and it is so much faster. Worked well for the "cutlet" size cauliflower too for sandwiches. Paired perfectly with aome sunflower seed ranch! ... Oh and the molasses... NICE TOUCH!!
Dorothy
I might have messed this up, but I used Almond flour instead of AP.
They were not crispy at all, more soggy. I did do them in my oven air fryer, at *375.
Help
Gary White
Hi Dorothy,
Sorry about your mishap, as those two flours do not behave the same.
AP flour is low in fat and doesn’t add much moisture to baked goods. Conversely, almond flour has a high-fat content, which adds extra moisture to recipes and may result in heavy, dense, or greasy-feeling baked goods.
Mary
Should you boil the cauliflower first to make more moist & tender?
Chef Gary
No, definitely not.
Mae
I just made these using romanesco instead of cauliflower. They came out super crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Chef Gary
Kudos for being creative and switching things up! And I'm so glad that you liked it!
Carla
What I love about the Air Fryer is I don't have to wait to hear up a big oven & waste my propane has on it! It saves time & money! Especially when you are only cooking for 2!
Chef Gary
We feel the same way! That's why we use it so often. It's very versatile.
Peggy Scroggins
Keep putting off getting an air fryer because I just dont know what one will make food crisp. HELP
Chef Gary
We have the GoWise USA and we love it! I've also heard great things about the Philips brand.
Teressa Thompson
I’m making this for the first time and I’m a little nervous l. It smells amazing though. I used almond milk and I have a premade buffalo sauce. I use my air fryer almost daily (Christmas gift) so I hope this can be one of our regular recipes!
mary
Just made this Absolutely delicious!!!! I added a tablespoon of nutritional yeast which gave it a cheesy flavor. I am going to a cook out today and think I will take some with me. Thanks Much!!!
maryoung
Just made this Absolutely delicious!!!! I added a tablespoon of nutritional yeast which gave it a cheesy flavor. I am going to a cook out today and think I will take some with me. Thanks Much!!!
Ticia
my batter doesn’t stick to the cauliflower, what am I doing wrong?
Rachael
Is it thin and runny? Or is it thick? It should be on the thicker side.
Drew
Recently switched to vegetarian diet and these were spot on! Great substitute for chicken wings. We switched the sauce for mango habenero BBQ sauce and butter, decided to ditch the molasses considering the sauce already contained it, also dipped the wings after they were a bit crispy and cooked again for the last three minutes.
Mireille McKenna
I modified the sauce to my normal buffalo sauce, but this is great! Will definitely make again!
Louise Hardman
The worst tasting thing I’ve had in a long time. Just have the chicken wing.
Gary
It's cauliflower, not chicken. Maybe you should try a chicken wing recipe? https://thefoodieeats.com/air-fryer-chicken-wings/
Andrew
Chef Gary we use a Ninja air fryer and this will be our next recipe to try! Me and my girlfriend love buffalo cauliflower and the air fryer is perfect because it cooks just enough for 2 people. By the way your response to Louise was alot more diplomatic than mine would have been lol.
Marisa
Where does the 2165mg of sodium come from? Seems like a lot per serving or am I just doing the math wrong?
Gary
It comes from Frank's Redhot Wing Sauce.
Marisa
Seems like soo much for a serving. But thanks for in info!
Kelsey
This was super yummy I didn’t have molasses or vegan butter but I had franks buffalo sauce and that was good
Lindsay
This recipe turned out perfect!! I used Franks Buffalo sauce instead of making my own but it was a big hit at the superbowl party that I went to!!
Olivia
This was a disaster for me...it was mushy and soggy and not good...the taste was ok but the texture had me spitting it out. I've never substituted cauliflower for "wings". maybe I was expecting too much.
Gary
Sorry to hear that. While the texture of cauliflower is very different from chicken, it shouldn't have been mushy or soggy. Did you use fresh, uncooked cauliflower?
Suzanne
Going to give these a try. I have a head of cauliflower that I need to use up this weekend. I also heard of a tip where after you coat in the batter, you toss in panko bread crumbs. Makes it crispy. Thanks for the recipe!
Iisa
This recipe gets 3 stars... and only 3 for taste. I cooked my cauliflower exactly according to directions. They all stuck to the basket. And they were not crispy. They did taste great though which is why I give the 3 stars.
Kelly Suarez
SAME. I have a MESS in my air fryer now and I don't know how I'm going to get it clean and "nonstick again" :*(
Gary White
I'm sorry to hear that! After reviewing the recipe I noticed the recipe card does not include the step of spraying the air fryer basket with oil, such as Pam, while the tutorial video does include this step. I apologize for the discrepancy. The recipe card has now been updated to include this step!
Rass
Haven’t tried the recipe yet but will tomorrow. Never use aerosol spray cans in your air fryer. Aerosol spray cans (like Pam and similar brands) are known to cause chipping in many Air Fryer baskets. The aerosol cans have harsh agents that just don't mesh with the coating on most baskets. It's best to invest in a good quality oil mister or bottle.
Dee
My manufacturer highly states Do Not Use PAM spray,,,, check yours to see if it’s the same. I just put olive oil in a spritzer and use that method instead.
Kimberly J
Thank You for this amazing recipe! I have tried many times to get crispy cauliflower buffalo wings but it never quite came out they way I like, your recipe and my air fryer was the winning combination! Thank You
Heather
Hi! I really want to try this recipe, but I only have frozen cauliflower. Is there any way to adapt the recipe I use frozen instead of fresh?
Thanks so much!
Gary White
Unfortunately frozen cauliflower will steam and become soggy instead of becoming crisp. Frozen cauliflower has been blanched prior to freezing, which means that no matter how much you drain it retain moisture.
Tom
Came out crispy. Until sauce was put on, then outside got soft. Didn't care for it being that soft, almost soggy. Lol I'll try once more with the batter a bit thinner. Was maybe too thick, made it as recipe called for.
pete snortum
this is my go to recipe, I do add the step of shaking the battered cauliflower in panko bread crumbs then air frying. I use parm garlic, and asian zing with blue cheese dressing. I think the panko helps to get a good firm result,
Wendy
...and another one! I cooked this tonight; it turned out absolutely scrumptiously delicious. This recipe is easy to follow- The sauce was amazing. The buffalo cauliflower wings won and the warriors lost.
Carla Brafford
Absolutely amazing! My husband is NOT a cauliflower person, but he said it was amazing. Used my Breville air fryer first time used large piece of cauliflower, second time cut them smaller = perfection. Husband made the sauce added a dash of worsheshire cut the tang from the strong hot sauce flavor. Also, instead of milk, we added seltzer water, which gave more of a beer batter crispy.
Ken
Turns out great!
Jessica Pate
Excellent!! We have a Cuisinart and found that the best result was at 375 for 20 min. The crispier, the better! Love, love, LOVED this recipe!! (By the way, we were able to use a single amount of dry & wet ingredients for 2 heads of cauliflower, no need to double.)
Steph
The cauliflower came out delicious! I really liked it. I didn't care for the sauce myself but I happily ate up all the cauliflower on its own. Thank you for the recipe!
Rosalind
Best cauliflower wings recipe I've tried! Love it. This one is my go to from now on. Thank you.
Michelle
These were delicious! Better then the ones we’ve had at restaurants! Thanks for sharing your recipe!!!!
Lauren Fowler
Truly delicious. I used the batter from the recipe (minus the smoked paprika) to make a sort of tempura cauliflower then covered it in teriyaki sauce. The whole family loved it and it's a great substitution for greasy take-out. Thanks!
Gary White
That sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sam
FAAAAAANTASTIC! Thanks Chef Gary!!!
JULIE H
These turned out great! I only put one layer & made sure to give them plenty of room and they crisped up.
Zoe Burger
OMG! This is by far my favorite cauliflower recipe so far. I've only had my air fryer for about 4 months, but I've done a good bit of experimenting and I can tell you - THIS IS GOOD! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
WJ9
These were great! My family marinated some of them in the sauce before we cooked them, and those turned out even better. We also like a little less spice, so we used half of the portion of hot sauce. Still turned out flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe!
Karen R
Awesome cauliflower wing recipe!! Will definitely use again!!!
Linda Murno
I thought the cauliflower itself came out good, and I didn't even have quite enough flour. The buffalo sauce was pretty good but not sweet enough for me, so I added some honey. In all fairness, though, I didn't have Frank's Red Hot Sauce, so I had to substitute this very spicy wing dipping sauce, so maybe that's why the sauce wasn't exactly right. All in all, a good recipe!
Jenny
This is perfect! I’ve made this about a half dozen times now and never get tired of it!
Gamefacelouie
Hi, recipe and comments are very promising. Saw the video, where did you get that "shelf" for your air fryer so you can cook two batches at once? Thanks
Gary White
We used our Instant Pot Duo Crisp for the video. The air fryer basket that comes with the Duo Crisp includes the "shelf".
Gamefacelouie
Thanks, will try a fix I saw on YouTube using some skewers and a pizza screen
Veronica Paolantonio
AMAZING!!! Best I have had yet!!!
Sara
I found these randomly and I have to say- BEST CAULIFLOWER WINGS IVE MADE! I followed the recipe exactly except for the molasses, but next time I’ll add that in. I put them in the air fryer for 10 min and checked on them every minute after. Mine were done just slightly before the 15 min suggestion. Super crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Coating them and letting the excess soak off was a game changer for me. I’ve never done that before, but it was brilliant. Thank you!!
Jo
We used sriracha instead of franks red hot, and the sriracha honey was really good. Also they cook for just a bit too long at 15 minutes, next time I will try 13. But really tasty!
BigDirk
Followed the recipe for the cauliflower and just used Frank’s straight up to save on calories. Was still really good 👌 gonna have to try me some of that molasses sauce soon though!
Joseph Tomlinson
My wife and I are vegan and gluten free, we tried this recipe tonight and it worked out well👍. I used 1 cup of water in place of the milk and exchanged the butter with flax seed. I think I'll try some phyllium husk powder next time. 😁
Karen
Wonderful! Will make it again and again! Great flavor.
Garret
Followed the recipe exactly. Looked as images showed before going in air fryer. Not crispy at all and very little flavor. Should have just roasted them in the oven. Very disappointing.
Dashaun
What can I eat with this dish
pearl
are there any subs for butter? coconut oil?
Gary White
We use Earth Balance Buttery Spread, which is vegan. I have not tested it with coconut oil. It should work, but it will certainly change the flavor. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it worked out.
Ronit Liberman
Made this and it turned out fabulous. Making tonight with a different sauce. Wanted to know if I made tonight and have extra batter (not on cauliflower) can it be refrigerated and used within 3 days. Last time I had extra and reheat wasn’t as good as fresh. Yes I reheated in air fryer. Would rather have fresh.
Caren
I love it! It is delicious and so easy!
I used frozen cauliflower instead and added 3 more minutes for the desired consistency.
Maya H
Delicious! I've never made cauliflower so yummy! I had to make some modifications because of my pantry contents. I ended up adding about a tablespoon or garlic powder in the batter by accident (turned out great anywho), then for the topping sauce I used 1/4 cup tapatio, 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce, and maple syrup. I used a little bit of flour to thicken the sauce.
Carlos
Meh, too much cooking time, the cauliflower has no bite to it...
Nik
Unfortunately this recipe made me vow to stop cooking cauliflower. It was terrible. Gummy, dull and flat.
PJ
My search is over for the best cauliflower "wings" I've ever made and the first time I have used my Ninja Foodie Air Fryer. Made the cauliflower batter following the recipe exactly using fresh, uncooked cauliflower. The cauliflower came our nice and crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. Love other readers ideas of using nutritional yeast and Panko coating on the outside, I will try that the next time.
Alisha Guess
I absolutely love trying new things in my air fryer. Pretty much nothing I won't use it for. I tried this recipe a couple weekends ago and holy cow was it amazing. Just as you said. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Most difficult part was chopping up the cauliflower 🙂 I used two different heat levels of sauce just in case some people preferred less hot!I had several family members and friends over and they ALL were blown away by the flavor and texture! Great job on the recipe! I am making it again tonight as an appetizer with friends and I am sooooo excited! Thanks! Alisha
Madi
Absolutely delicious!
The hardest thing about using the air fryer is that you m only make small quantities at a time. So I put the ready florets on a baking sheet and kept them warm in the oven while the others were cooking (it took me 3 rounds to cook the whole cauliflower).
Elizabeth
The flavor was awesome but they were a little over cooked and not crispy. I’m definitely going to keep the batter spices as is because they tasted great, but I’m gonna play around with the thickness of the batter to try and get a crispier bite.
Che
Just made these and everything was perfect! Also, glad to finally see an AF set-up like mine (the IP air fryer lid!). Thanks for taking time for share this easy and tasty recipe!
Crystal
Tried these tonight using Buffalo Wild Wings garlic parm wing sauce and OH MY GOSH, making this once a week now!
PatH
We added 5 minutes making them extra crispy. We liked the sauce but would add less molasses. We used GF flour. Overall, 😋!
SF
Honestly I've made about 5 times now. It's Always so good. It's also surprisingly filling and delicious. The hot sauce is wonderful and the crispness of the florets is awesome. Below are my suggestions for small tweaks but the recipe is also amazing without them. 5/5
I recently added some panko to the mix and it seems to help hold the crispy skin texture longer. Definetly cut the florets smaller that a drumstick. I usually aim for "this drumstick would be a ripoff" size aha.
Lastly, you can safely turn your airfryer up to 200°C, let it run for 10 minutes, Then pause, unclutter as needed and loosen any stuck florets. Then resume for the remaining 5 minutes.
Lastly, do not, I repeat, do NOT pour the sauce on. Instead dip the florets in the sauce as you go. The crispness will be maintained for much longer and the sauce is very spicy so controlling the amount is also a good idea the first time atleast.
Leah
Good recipe. The sauce was very spicy. I think cooking the Frank's made it hotter. Making this again, I'd definitely make about 1/4 of the amount of sauce and use it as a dipping sauce instead, or maybe drizzle it over. With so much sauce, the wings quickly lost their crispiness. Batter was meh on it's own, but I appreciate that it's vegan. Having never made these before, I probably should've guessed that the wings were supposed to be bite sized (I had giant florets). Overall, a good recipe. Will make them again with a few tweaks.
Wren
I recently purchased an Instant Air Fryer and have tried a few recipes for cauliflower trying to recreate for met husband the nice cauliflower I had at a vegan restaurant in Edinburgh. The coating works really well although to brown I had to change the temp to 200C (UK) and choose Air Fryer for 15 minutes. Came out perfectly done. The only reason I gave this recipe a 4 instead of a 5 is that I also made the sauce with molasses/hot sauce and butter. My husband thought it made a great BBQ sauce with some mustard added but it wasn't to my taste. I like the regular Franks Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce on these cauliflower wings.
Kim
OMG! I wax ready to turf my air fryer but this recipe is going to make me keep it just for these amazing bites! Served with celery sticks and blue cheese dip and they were a BIG hit!
Jen Darra
Super Bowl party pleasing! Will make again for sure. The texture is fantastic. I cut the hot sauce to 1/4th cup because I used Sriracha.
VK
So yummy!!! Thank you!
Tami Anne
This will be my go-to recipe for the batter. I was surprised it turned out crispy! I may add and egg next time?!?! I did not make the hot sauce. I cannot review that. Overall, it’s a very good fried cauliflower recipe that can be adapted to lots of diets. I used to buy the frozen “Birds Eye” brand, until I learned how unhealthy they were! Thanks for the post!