This isn't your average cauliflower recipe. This is a cauliflower recipe for air fryer cauliflower wings! Crispy, plant based, all veggie "wings" made entirely from scratch in your air fryer. Making this recipe a delicious side dish, great healthy snack or the perfect appetizer for parties.
They have the best texture, and taste dang good, too!
Crispy on the outside and perfectly soft and luscious on the inside. Slather them in your favorite wing sauce and you are good to go. A few of my go to wing sauces are garlic parm sauce, homemade buffalo sauce, honey garlic sauce, simple teriyaki sauce, and legendary bang bang sauce!
This recipe is ideal for Super Bowl, parties, or even just a cozy Friday night in.
Hint: these can be prepared WAY ahead of time, frozen, and then reheated (see below for more on that).
To make this recipe all you need are a few simple ingredients and an air fryer. Whip some ingredients together and after about 30 minutes you will be diving into a big basket of the most divine and crispy cauliflower wings.
We all know the key to a good party is in the food, specifically the appetizers. For parties, consider serving these cauliflower wings alongside traditional chicken wings and fried spicy shrimp. It's a win-win for all your guests, no matter what their dietary restrictions are.
Jump to:
Ok, let's make some air fryer cauliflower wings!
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk or nut milk in this recipe. If you are using a heavier milk, such as coconut milk from a can, add a few tablespoons of water just to help thin it out slightly.
- Gluten Free Flour: You may substitute the all purpose flour for a gluten free flour blend, just be sure to pick a brand that offers a 1:1 substitution. A good option would be Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Blend.
Remember: If you are making this recipe for anyone with specific dietary restrictions, be sure to use brand/products that align with their restrictions (eg. gluten free, vegan, etc.)
The Process
First you will need to cut down your cauliflower into smaller florets that are about 1 inch in size.
Note: Frozen cauliflower will not work in this recipe.
After your cauliflower has been cut down, you can make the batter.
To make the batter all you need to do is in a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, milk, baking powder, and spices. Stir until the batter is silky smooth, similar to a pancake batter.
Depending on the size of your mixing bowl, you can either put half or all of the cauliflower florets into the batter. Don't worry if you can't fit them all in the batter at the beginning, you will need to work in batches to air fry them anyway.
Stir the florets into the batter.
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Cooking the Cauliflower
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
After your air fryer has preheated, spray the basket generously with cooking spray.
Working in batches transfer the battered cauliflower florets to the air fryer basket. You want them to be completely coated in batter but not dripping in batter, so let them drip off a bit if needed before transferring them.
Do not over crowd the air fryer, keep the cauliflower in a single layer with a tiny bit of space in between each floret.
Air fry for 8-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown.
Remove the cauliflower from the air fryer and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat the above steps and continue preparing the rest of the cauliflower.
But wait, what about the sauce?
Sauce em' up! Serve these cauliflower wings dripping in your favourite sauce. I suggest homemade spicy buffalo sauce, honey garlic sauce, or easy teriyaki sauce, for the best (most drool worthy) results!
Dress up each serving by adding a couple celery sticks, carrot spears and some ranch dressing (or your favorite sauce) for dipping.
Tips and Tricks
Sometimes the batter will get stuck on the bottom of the air fryer. Depending on the style of air fryer you have you might consider lining the bottom of the air fryer basket with specially designed air fryer parchment paper.
However, if you don't want to use parchment paper and the cauliflower wings do stick, use a spatula and gently "pop" them off the bottom. To prevent sticking from happening, make sure to spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray or olive oil before adding the battered cauliflower florets.
How to Freeze and Reheat Cauliflower Wings
This is one of my favorite parts about this recipe, the cauliflower wings can be FROZEN, reheated and I swear they taste the same as if they were made fresh!
Storing Leftovers in the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days. For best results, store leftovers without sauce and add any toppings or sauce after reheating, right before serving.
To Freeze: Cook the cauliflower wings as stated above, let fully cool, transfer to a zip top bag and place in the freezer. Cauliflower wings will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F and place the frozen cauliflower wings directly into the air fryer, in a single layer. Air fry them for 5 minutes until the wings are heated through. Add your desired sauce, and enjoy immediately.
The Ninja Foodi 5 in 1 Air Fryer (with indoor grill)
In my opinion, the Ninja Foodi 5 in 1 Air Fryer is the best mid-budget air fryer on the market.
It can literally replace an oven. I have used mine to bake cookies, bake a lasagne (it holds a 9" round baking dish), make pizza from scratch, grill steaks, salmon, chicken, shrimp. You get the point, it is good for everything!
Having an air fryer in the hotter months, is a life saver to be able to bake and not turn on the oven. Bonus: take this with you to a hotel or camping. Just think of the possibilities, the options are endless!
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment down below and let us know!
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 lbs Cauliflower Florets
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 ¾ cups Milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Trim down your cauliflower into smaller florets that are about 1 inch in size.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, milk, baking powder, and spices. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Working in batches, place the cauliflower florets into the batter, stirring to completely coat the florets.
- After your air fryer has preheated, spray the basket generously with cooking spray.
- Using tongs, transfer some of the battered cauliflower florets to the air fryer basket. Take care to not transfer excess batter into the air fryer, let the excess batter drip off the cauliflower before transferring it to the air fryer.
- Do not over crowd the air fryer, keep the cauliflower in a single layer with a tiny bit of space in between each floret.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer the cauliflower florets to a cooling rack.
- Repeat steps 5-9 until all of the cauliflower is prepared.
- Serve the cauliflower wings with your favorite sauce and a side of celery and carrot sticks.
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Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Kellie says
I like this one a lot. Love the pictures and the fresh carrot juice in the background. Do you think this would also work for fresh mushrooms? Thanks for this!
Jessica says
We have not tested using mushrooms in this recipe but I imagine that they could work! Make sure the mushrooms are completely dry and cut them in half. We would love to know if you do try this recipe using mushrooms and how it worked out for you!
Thanks,
Jessica