Cauliflower is one edgy veggie. We’ve used it to make rice, pizza crust, crackers, hummus, smoothies, “popcorn” and even sweet peanut butter cookies. And now, we’re using this cruciferous veg to re-imagine a fan-favorite finger food: wings! This recipe, which uses an air fryer so you don’t have to saturate your “wings” in oil, can be made two ways. Opt for hot-and-spicy cauliflower bites (homemade hot sauce recipe below.) or make a batch of buffalo-style bites by adding one extra ingredient to the sauce recipe. Better yet, just make both! But heed our warning, these bites are HOT.
Note: Keep in mind this homemade hot sauce recipe takes a few days. If you're in a pinch, use your favorite bottled hot sauce.
Spicy Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites – 2 Ways!
Hot sauce
- 5-6 large cayenne or red chili peppers
- 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. avocado oil
- 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Cauliflower bites
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground White Rice Flour
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Himalayan pink salt
- 1-1/2 cups cold water or sparkling water
- 1/4 cup hot sauce recipe
- 3 cups panko breadcrumbs
Buffalo sauce
- 1 cup hot sauce recipe
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
Hot sauce
- In blender, combine peppers until crushed (do not blend into paste). Spoon peppers into mason jar and add salt, oil, vinegar, water, smoked paprika and garlic powder.
- Cover with cheese cloth and set on counter for 5-6 days. When ready, blend until smooth. Use cheese cloth to squeeze juice from pulp into small pot.
- Heat hot sauce until it reaches 185 degrees F. Let cool before storing it in a clean mason jar. Refrigerate if you are not making the buffalo sauce right away.
Spicy cauliflower bites
- Set air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Fill large pot with water a little less than half way. Bring to boil and add cauliflower head for 2-3 minutes. Remove cauliflower, pat dry and cut into 1-in. florets. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, combine rice flour, baking powder, garlic, salt, water and ¼ cup hot sauce. Whisk until smooth.
- Dip cauliflower florets into batter (allow excess to drip off), then dip into panko breadcrumbs.
- Cook in air fryer for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Buffalo cauliflower bites
- While cauliflower cooks, combine buffalo sauce ingredients (1 cup hot sauce + ¼ cup vegan butter) in saucepan. Heat until butter melts.
- In large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower in buffalo sauce to evenly coat.
- Serve immediately with a side of vegan ranch, celery and carrot sticks.
- This recipe yields around 27 cauliflower bites and 1-1/4 cups hot sauce.
- For crispier cauliflower bites, use ice-cold water to make batter.
- Order these spicy ingredients at Vitacost.com!
