These crispy, spicy breaded buffalo cauliflower ‘wings’ are vegan and gluten free. So delicious with vegan ranch dip and cool, crisp celery on the side. You may have seen these beauties flying around the inter webs. I keep hearing about Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. I understand how confusing it is (and maybe even a turn-off) for people to accept vegetairian dishes that use their meat counterparts name.
Almond milk…not so much the same as cow milk. Veggie burger…nothing like biting into a fatty chuck patty. And vegan mac and cheese just isn’t the same.
Not that there is anything wrong with either version. It’s the expectation that it sets for what you’re about to bite into. And I understand why people who typically nosh on the Standard American Diet are upset, grossed out, and done with vegetables when their veg meals don’t taste exactly like the meat and dairy counterparts.
These ‘wings’ are NOT an exact match to buffalo chicken wings. Not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes here. As a person who eats veggie fare as my noms and who used to enjoy meats, I DO get a similar satisfaction when opening my mouth and inhaling some buffalo sauce steam, then pulling away in a coughing fit. Same thing thing that happens with a spicy chicken wing. Oh, yeah.
Then, biting into the crispy outside, feeling the burn on my tongue, and tearing through the soft but brilliantly textured inside. Pairing it with ice cold, crisp celery to cool down the burn. Bliss.
And finally, dipping piece after piece into tangy, salty, creamy vegan ranch dip. Ahhhh!!! Bliss!
- 1 large head cauliflower washed and chopped into bitesized pieces
- 1½ cups garbanzo bean flour
- 1½ cups water, more or less for consistency
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup Earth Balance Spread
- ⅔ cup Trader Joe's Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce
- Preheat oven to 440 F.
- In a medium size bowl, combine flour, garlic powder and salt.
- Pour in water slowly and whisk, checking for batter consistency, don't make it too thin.
- Whisk together until smooth. It should be the thickness of pancake batter.
- Toss cauliflower into batter making sure to coat each piece completely, then place battered cauliflower on a lightly greased, non-stick baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turn, then bake for another 20 minutes.
- Right before cauliflower is done baking, combine Earth Balance and hot sauce in a small saucepan, stirring until Earth Balance is melted.
- Remove from heat.
- When cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven, put into a large bowl and gently toss it in the hot sauce mixture.
- Return cauliflower back to the baking sheet and cook for an additional 25 minutes or until it becomes crispy.
- Allow cauliflower to cool a bit before serving.
Inspired by this recipe I found here.
I’m making this tonight! SOOOOO Yummy…and easy to make!!!
YESSSS!!! And requires no soaking of nuts. 😀