Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
Spiced corn flake coated florets are baked making these an easy healthy alternative to chicken wings. Great appetizer for the Super Bowl or any bar night.
Spiced corn flake coated florets are baked making these an easy healthy alternative to chicken wings. Great appetizer for the Super Bowl or any bar night.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ((or all-purpose gluten-free fl
- 2 tablespoons ground chia or ground flax
- 4 cups corn flakes
- 1 small head of cauliflower (cut into florets)
- 1/2 cup franks red hot ((or other similar hot sauce))
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter (melted)
- Carbohydrate 7.4253395534119 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0564457643328136 g
- Fiber 0.278335285334725 g
- Protein 0.50859651212133 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0147038090953637 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (19g)
- Sodium 45.6934691051282 mg
- Sugar 7.14700426807718 g
- Trans Fat 0.00665053679813401 g
- Calories 30 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grab three big bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, mix together the chia and water. For the third bowl, add the corn flakes, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse several times until broken down, but there is still some texture. Pour the corn flake mixture into the last bowl.
- Rinse your cauliflower florets so they are wet. Take a handful at a time and drop them in the flour and toss to coat. Next drop them in the chia mixture and toss to coat. Finally, toss them in the corn flake mixture. Spread them out on the parchment paper lined baking sheet so that they aren't touching. Repeat with all of the florets until you have used up all of your ingredients.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and crusty, and the cauliflower is tender all the way through. You can test doneness by piercing a floret with a knife to see if it's tender all the way through
- To make the buffalo sauce, simply mix the melted vegan butter with the hot sauce. You can pour the buffalo sauce directly on the cauliflower, but it will soften the crust. If you want to keep them super crispy, simply serve the buffalo sauce on the side and dip as you go.
Swapping all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend alters the hydration rate of the initial coating, requiring careful monitoring during the dredging process to prevent clumping. Achieving a shatteringly crisp exterior on vegetables requires managing moisture at every stage of preparation. Cauliflower naturally holds high water content, which creates steam during baking and softens any surrounding crust from the inside out.
Passing the corn flakes through a food processor reduces them to a granular crumb that adheres uniformly to the florets without adding excessive weight. Pulsing the cereal until some texture remains ensures the coating provides a distinct crunch rather than a dense paste. Ground chia or flax mixed with warm water forms a viscous binder that bridges the gap between the flour layer and the dry crumbs, replacing traditional eggs effectively.
Spacing the coated pieces so they never touch on the parchment paper allows hot air to circulate freely around each floret during the twenty to twenty-five minutes in a 400°F oven. Overcrowding the baking sheet traps steam, causing the coating to steam instead of roast. Pouring hot sauce directly over the warm florets introduces moisture that immediately softens the exterior crunch. Serving the melted vegan butter and hot sauce mixture in a separate bowl for dipping preserves the structural integrity of the baked crust until the final bite.
