Name: Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower (cut into florets); 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 1 egg; 1 Tablespoon water; 1 cup panko; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp kosher salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 1/2 to 3/4 cup buffalo sauce (or to taste); Optional: blue cheese dressing (to dip)

We’ve been leading up to this moment. From homemade buffalo sauce to chunky blue cheese dressing… this is it. The moment we’ve all been waiting for: vegetarian “wings”.

Serving tray with buffalo cauliflower bites next to celery and blue cheese.

Ok, ok, maybe it’s a stretch to call these wings, so we’ll stick with bites, but when it’s game day and you need a finger-lickin’ good meatless appetizer that’s bite-sized, comforting, and totally dippable, these are your answer.

By popular demand, they’re oven-baked. The panko exterior makes each bite crunch-worthy, and there’s nothing better than a buffalo sauce and blue cheese combo, is there?!

So pour yourself a drink, and let’s get to cookin’!

Simple Ingredients

And when I say simple, I mean it. We need just a few basic pantry ingredients to make the cauliflower bites:

Mixing bowls with cauliflower, panko, egg, corn starch, and buffalo sauce.

Cauliflower – cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. I recommend trimming the stems so they are more “nugget” shaped and easier to pick up and dip. Generally speaking, you want them to be relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
Panko + Seasonings – I’m really tempted to lump this as one ingredient because I am willing to bet you’ve got those seasonings in the cupboard already. We’re mixing in some salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to add more dimension to the crispy panko coating.
Egg – the egg helps bind the panko to the cauliflower without becoming a goopy mess (as I find some flour and water methods can result in).
Corn Starch – a light layer of corn starch directly tossed with the cauliflower helps the egg stick, and it helps them crisp up even more.
Buffalo Sauce – use storebought or make it at home – it’s so easy to do! Find all the buffalo sauce details here.

The beauty of these crispy bites is that you can absolutely switch up the sauce, too — try a Bourbon BBQ Sauce or another favorite. More on that later, let’s look at the simple ingredients to make these baked cauliflower bites.

How to Make Crispy Cauliflower Bites

You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that despite the several steps of this recipe, it’s fairly easy, especially with a few key tips and tricks that will help you be most successful. Be sure to see the full recipe card below for all the details.

Bowl of cauliflower florets tossed in corn starch.

First, toss the cauliflower florets with cornstarch. Sprinkle the cornstarch across the cauliflower – opposed to pouring it all in the same place – so that it’s distributed evenly. Using a big bowl helps with this process, and you can toss the bowl or use a spoon.

Next, line up the dipping bowls: the whisked egg (with a little bit of water), and the panko mixture. This is your assembly line to coat the cauliflower.

Three bowls: cauliflower, egg, panko mixture.

Dip a corn starch-coated cauliflower floret and into the egg mixture, making sure it’s coated completely. It’s very important to let the excess egg drip off, or you’ll end up with a goopy mess. Be sure to tilt and turn the cauliflower so it drains from the nooks and crannies.

Then, toss the egg-coated cauliflower in the panko mixture until completely coated. Using the hand that you didn’t put in the egg helps keep everything clean and clump-free.

Bowl with whisked egg and cauliflower florets. — Dredge the cauliflower in the egg first.

Bowl with cauliflower in panko mixture. — Dredge the cauliflower in the egg first.

(Then place the panko-coated cauliflower on an oven-safe cooling rack that is on top of a baking sheet. I highly, highly, highly recommend using the cooling rack. It helps air circulate around the cauliflower, ensuring that each side gets crispy. No soggy bottoms here.

Once you’ve dipped and coated each cauliflower floret, it’s time to bake!

They’ll bake at 425°F for around 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Cauliflower on cooling rack before baking. — Place the coated florets on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack.

Baked panko cauliflower on cooling rack after baking. — Place the coated florets on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack.

Toss with Buffalo Sauce

As I mentioned, you can really toss these cauliflower bites with your favorite BBQ sauce – or mix and match. We’re tossing (or dipping) them with homemade buffalo sauce today.

An important note about tossing the cauliflower bites: the panko will absorb your sauce, so I recommend lightly tossing in your sauce until you know your desired “sauce amount” shall we say.

Because the panko does absorb the sauce, depending on how much you pour on them, the crispiness can be affected. It also means that if you pour a ton of sauce on, then, well, you run the risk of them ending up quite spicy (which maybe you’re into, then perfect!).

Buffalo sauce pouring onto cauliflower bites.

Do you want to ensure the panko stays completely crispy? Dip the bites in your sauce instead of tossing them!

I actually prefer this as I’m a dipping kind of gal. Remember, the beauty of making it at home means you can take the route that works best for you!

Serving Suggestions

So you’ve decided if you’re going to serve them pre-tossed or dipped in the buffalo sauce by now, but there are a few suggestions I have when it comes to serving these delicious bites.

First up, don’t forget some homemade blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing. The more dips the better, right? And you cannot have buffalo without one or both of those creamy, cooling sauces, so dip away, my friends!

It’s also a must to serve buffalo sauce with celery sticks since they help cool down those taste buds and balance out the spice.

If you’re looking for other appetizers to serve with these buffalo bites, I’d recommend other snacky game-day foods like black bean nachos, queso dip, or parmesan fries.