How to Make the Best Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Elle shows Bridget how to make the best vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.
Get the recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower Bites: cooks.io/2T7NsqR
Get the recipe for Vegan Ranch Dressing: cooks.io/2KZT1q6
Buy our winning large Dutch oven: cooks.io/2SyE6rN
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
americastestkitchen.com
/ americastestkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen
/ testkitchen

[@elizabethcoburn6215]

This recipe is delicious! I made it twice; once fresh, and then used leftover battered cauliflower from the first time to deep fry the next day. Both times were excellent!

[@lincolnyousef6973]

i dont mean to be so offtopic but does anyone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the login password. I love any tips you can offer me.

[@bostonmarley501]

@Lincoln Yousef Instablaster :)

[@lincolnyousef6973]

@Boston Marley I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now. I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@lincolnyousef6973]

@Boston Marley It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much you saved my account !

[@bostonmarley501]

@Lincoln Yousef no problem :)

[@nscales20]

OMG!!! I followed the recipe almost to a “T” didn’t get the coconut milk instead I got almond milk. Used cashew yogurt. However it was epic! My boyfriend turned his nose up because he wanted chicken wings. So poor me left alone to enjoy the cauliflower bites by myself and I loved every frickin bite. So good!!!

[@zombiecow1909]

I made this and it came out great! I even had to substitute tapioca starch for cornstarch and it still worked. I also didn't have a thermometer for the oil and it still worked.

[@lesliesaraiva7270]

This recipe is delicious. As a vegan I'm always appreciative of efforts to bring us recipes that we all can enjoy.

[@QIKWIA]

😋...M...Gosh! I am sooo gonna make this delicious looking recipe!💥 Thanks ladies!🙏🏽

[@Dicyroller]

Wait not a lot of Scoville units like Tabasco? Um that is the mild hot sauce.

[@crackedspyglass]

the scoville scale is utter nonsense anyways

[@JMD3M410]

It's hotter than redhot which is the typical buffalo sauce, but yes, I was thinking she was going to at least say a habanero sauce.

[@desiguy55]

Tabasco? that no hot sauce, that's for wimps, you need to start with nothing less than a red habanero sauce.

[@termikes174]

@@desiguy55 Melinda’s ghost pepper wing sauce is excellent

[@semco72057]

That cauliflower dish looks so delicious and I have to try making some.

[@kimyoung194]

I love this recipe!

[@seattlejayde]

Excellent job!!!

[@name.terrie]

Can't wait to try this. Thanks for sharing Vegan recipes.

[@misscndnwoman2177]

Absolutely incredibly, delectable. I just know. I think this could be considered a goal for getting my new teeth. I have 3 of your recipes waiting for me. Elle you are meant for the camera,don't be shy, Bridget you and Elle make a great team as well. Thanks ladies. For all you do for us. 🌹🙏🌹🙏

[@gulfcoastbean]

I spent twice my budget this week after binge watching your show. Ain't nobody complainin' here though. Seriously yummy recipes!!! So excited to make this tonight!!

[@maryammobasser7262]

You guys have always such great and correct recipes! They work beautifully!👍👍👏👏

[@truthbetold6011]

Looks so good.

[@LiseBarrett]

Thank You for this amazing vegan recipe! 🙏❤🙏

[@hollym5873]

yum thanks

[@foziasaeed6622]

Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe

[@RH-pz1du]

Thank you for the vegan recipes, ATK! I bough your Vegan for Everybody book and it is awesome!

[@TheCamillenickow]

Thank you for this - would love more vegan recipes!!

[@chappy198618]

Thank you for sharing more vegan recipes to the world ☺️

[@AnonPerson2005]

Soooo good...omgoodness!

[@TheHitechHobo]

ANOTHER recipe I need to make!

[@pennyseldon1811]

Super great video!!!! Can you bake them in the oven??????? Very excited about this recipe!!!!!! Thank You!!!!💖💖💖💖

[@margaretd3710]

I'm definitely making this recipe! But because I really can't eat sugar, I think I'll use a substitute and hope it doesn't create an aftertaste.

[@hakeemshabazz3207]

Omg, Black People and vegan recipes on ATK!! Bout time!!!

[@wrchmura]

I just love El, she’s so sweet.

[@AtomicAbby42]

Yes! Thank you for the Vegan recipe!

[@hollitheexaltedempress6957]

I like this

[@alexwansss]

Wow, these look absolutely wonderful! More vegan recipes please!

[@AmericasTestKitchen]

We also have a vegan cookbook "Vegan for Everybody"!

[@nativenewlondoner]

Thier recipes just get better and better!

[@rudeboymon3177]

I wish my wife liked cauliflower as much as me. These look great

[@ivonna.tinkle]

Thank you for thinking about the vegans!

[@donotneed2250]

Looks tasty...

[@rachelhoward2480]

Yay Elle!

[@halfgridhomestead]

Looks delish!!!

[@BSGA22]

Isn't there also a version of this you make in the oven?

[@RaeAnn_1202]

Appreciate this recipe. Would appreciate more vegan recipes.

[@claudiaweise5284]

More vegan & vegetarian recipes please and thank you!!! How about various marinades to make tofu tastier??

[@DraconianMeasures]

They didn’t seem to have the best chemistry, but I’m going to have to try this (though with butter rather than coconut oil) after my attempt at winging it in the oven for the superb owl came out a little soggy.

[@kareninalabama]

I know it was a typo, but I love it! Superb Owl. 🦉

[@anitak8056]

There is vegan butter, Earth Balance is my favorite.

[@edyann]

Ladies, I'm drooling. Thank you for this and please- more vegan recipes!!!

[@sangb5669]

What do you guys think about double frying them ?

[@Jerry-rf8bn]

sang b : I don't know about those guys but, this guy thinks that double frying would be a good idea.

[@tosht2515]

@sang b Unnecessary for cauliflower. Double frying works great for potatoes and chicken to prevent the interior being undercooked at high temp or getting too greasy at low temp. 325F cooks the interior then 375F crisps up the exterior. Notice that this recipe goes straight to 400F for only a few minutes because cauliflower cooks quickly.

[@sangb5669]

@@tosht2515 there is one more reason, to get all moisture out of the breading and achieving a supremely crispy crust

[@misscndnwoman2177]

Bingo !! Was thinking the same thing. 🌹

[@marialisowski219]

How do you make baked in the oven ones, please?

[@dr.cynthiascurry-brooklin8070]

I tried this recipe and posted to my FB page. I had my meat-eating husband to do a taste test on camera. Y’all check it out.

[@jansmith8048]

Did he enjoy them?

[@dcubit]

I'm so glad they're incorporating vegan recipes! Thank you ATK! You all are great!

[@Nozoki]

at 3:30 is that coconut yogurt or coconut milk? You say milk but it looks like the coconut yogurt you used earlier for the ranch.

[@daniellewindsor2277]

Yougurt

[@DARYLGRANTLINDSAY]

My ADORABLE & WONDERFUL ATK DARLINGS (oh, how I LOVE you!!!! ESPECIALLY Bridget, Julia, Elle, Dan and that other wonderful chef who shows us many of the healthier recipes....tall, thin, can't remember her name darnit!!).......Give us MORE VEGAN RECIPES PLEEEEEEASE!!! (But also create some very LOW-FAT recipes for those of us who avoid a lot of added fat in our diet....yes, even HEALTHIER fats should NOT be consumed in excess, despite what MOST vegans today think, e.g., tons of nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, olives, etc.....yes, those high fat plant foods ARE health-IER, but should STILL be kept to a MINIMUM in the daily diet!) There ARE effective ways to create MUCH LOWER FAT RECIPES that are still HIGHLY reminiscent of the original high-fat & non-vegan recipes like these buffalo bites, but WITHOUT deep frying and WITHOUT adding much added fat at all. (I HOPE you'll look more deeply into this, check out FORKS OVER KNIVES for recipes ideas!)..I know cuz I've been doing it since 1990, and they can be ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS with little-to-no added fat in the recipes!....and with YOUR incredible expertise, I know YOUS GUYS can do it WAAAAAY better than I've been doing it! I LOVE YOU ALL....SERIOUSLY!!!.....Love and hugs.......One of your most avid fans, Daryl

[@BushyIV]

Can this recipe work using an oven rather than frying?

[@metryingtosetupachan]

Hello!

[@Mleencihols]

can you use an Air Fryer...? I never use a pot of oil...

[@Beevreeter]

Maybe I missed something but what did she do with the initial coconut oil mix?

[@Icanseeyouliterally]

She took halved it. First half in the bowl to coat the bites then the other half was reserved as a dipping sauce.

[@darrelldesouza4189]

Looks great, any alternative to the coconut yoghurt ranch dressing?

[@plaitedlight]

I frequently make vegan ranch dressing w/ unsweetened plain soy milk soured w/ apple cider vinegar, vegan mayo, chives, parsley, and a little bit of nutritional yeast. It wouldn't be as thick of a dip as the yogurt based sauce but it's yummy.

[@darrelldesouza4189]

@@plaitedlight Thanks for the tip!

[@mimiashford5544]

LOVE that you're doing vegan recipes! THANK YOU so much for this!!! MORE PLEASE!

[@JA99]

Could these be air fried instead?

[@fluffyb2424]

😍🤤❤️❤️❤️👌👌👌

[@juansierra5704]

They look pretty good, but I think I'd still prefer the beefy cauliflower bites.

[@misscndnwoman2177]

Oh I haven't seen those, I must check it out thanks. Is it on ATK dear ?

[@etherico3041]

The best rule of thumb If it looks small…it is too small

[@shawnbaker3837]

hello

[@jayyyzeee6409]

Vegan wings! Yay!!

[@myloflex]

Personally I like the flavour of the fried cauliflower on it's own...it gets naturally sweet and nutty once it's fried IMO doesn't even need any sauces

[@arthrodea]

I really like roasted cauliflower (get the edges brown and crispy) that's tossed with buffalo sauce. Its much healthier and tastes amazing! I dip it into a ranch dressing made from greek yogurt.

[@DavidSmith-vo3nd]

What is an alternative to coconut I'm of the few that are allergic to it!

[@plaitedlight]

They used coconut three ways here! I've made a similar dish and used: (instead of coconut oil) Earth Balance margarine with the hot sauce; (instead of coconut milk) one of the vegan egg replacers or ground flax in soy milk to coat the cauliflower; (instead of coconut yogurt) soy yogurt or soy milk soured w/ lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for the ranch dressing.

[@ambercunningham5693]

There are lots of recipes for cauliflower wings sans coconut.

[@johnnyaluicious]

Peanut oil is really good

[@elizabethheard8934]

Love vegan

[@XavierKatzone]

"A real high Schoville unit hot sauce like a TABASCO?" SERIOUSLY?

[@katbrewster6578]

as far as standard household hot sauces go, tabasco has a scoville of 2500 - 5,000 (according to tabasco's website). an average household mild hot sauce range is around 750 - 2,000 (texas pete, frank's red hot, siracha, etc). based on that, and in this context, i'd say that calling tabasco a really high scoville makes sense.

[@itburns5756]

What's the texture of the inside like?

[@barryfields2964]

It Burns like deep fried cauliflower.

[@itburns5756]

@@barryfields2964 Hmm not familiar

[@tosht2515]

@It Burns It's firm but not crunchy. Like parboiled carrots. Deep fried battered cauliflower is delicious.

[@itburns5756]

@@tosht2515 Thanks😀

[@rachs57]

I wish the Test Kitchen would explain to home cooks how to save/reuse 2 quarts of oil after frying something like the cauliflower pieces from this recipe because that is ALOT of oil to just discard or try to store...so what do we do??

[@kissanjamm3583]

Pour it thru a fine-mesh strainer to remove the burnt pieces and you can reuse that oil!

Awesome. Magical. But not ready yet. I'm still on strict diet. Trying to lose 20kg in 10 weeks. Week 3anf a half and I've lost 5kg. 15kg to go! 💯💐🙏🎊💋❤️😎📹🏫😇

[@Jerry-rf8bn]

This looks very good. I love cauliflower but, not being a vegan, I'll try this using my classic chicken wing recipe. Blue cheese sauce heavy on the cheese.

[@valmcandrews3659]

And heavy on the cruelty

[@itsgeegra]

I recommend you give it a go - I roast mine first then dip them in egg and coat them in seasoned ground almonds (veggie/keto) - I loved chicken wings but I'm pretty happy to still have a vehicle for Daves Insanity Sauce and blue cheese in my life haha

[@Jerry-rf8bn]

@@valmcandrews3659 What cruelty?

[@Jerry-rf8bn]

@@itsgeegra Hmmmmm, ground almonds sound like a good idea. Thanks. No Daves Insanity Sauce for me. The classic Franks Red Hot Sauce is as far as I go these days.

[@richhansen8617]

Butter and sour cream too!

[@madisonsanchez5802]

This is better than salad

[@ChrisBrandsma]

Sean Evans from First We Feast is probably watching this with a quizzical expression.

[@Sanshaino]

He's served both cauliflower and tofu "wings" before?

[@ChrisBrandsma]

@@Sanshaino don't ruin the joke now...but I have seen him serve the tofu wings.

[@BucketsLukas]

You could use vegan butter, vegan butter is vegan 😜. I want to make these, but instead of frying I’m gonna try putting them in the air fryer. For two reasons, I don’t trust my frying skills and two I’d rather set it and forget it. 😂

[@JA99]

Did you air fry them? How did they come out?

[@2Ryled]

Aww my husb is allergic to coconut:(

[@jasonyoung6420]

Is there a vegetarian version of this? I have a lacto-ovo sister in-law, and I'd like to try making these for her sake.

[@bbeerb7252]

Did you not pay attention, sorry but really

[@jasonyoung6420]

@@bbeerb7252 yes I did; these are VEGAN - meaning no animal products used at all, I'm looking for a vegetarian version, that uses butter in lieu of the coconut products; and rather than just make it up and guessing at quantities, I was hoping ATK had a recipe on deck they could offer

[@Evil_Vegan]

@@jasonyoung6420 What are you talking about, unless she's alergic to coconut why would you still make it with butter?? It's not like she have to have butter. Nobody needs dairy in their life. Make this vegan recipe, she would definitely appreciate it, if not even more!

[@SuZiKaT22]

@@jasonyoung6420 I'm sure if you wanted to change out the coconut oil for butter, swap regular plain yogurt for the coconut yogurt, and use buttermilk or heavy cream instead of the coconut milk, it should still work fine with the amounts given.

[@calebvasquez1]

😁

[@shaycoiee]

Nah… twice baked is crispy without the grease. Bake the at 400 for 20 min. Then take out and dip in the hot sauce/butter/honey. Then the big bonus- bake again for 20 min. They will be so crispy and caramelized. Def won’t miss the greasy oil

[@stevenreichertart]

Wow, you finally gave us a vegan recipe. This is the world's most fattening recipe, but I'll take it!

[@AmericasTestKitchen]

We also have a book "Vegan for Everybody" with lots of vegan recipes!

[@MJ-ib7iq]

I didn’t have coconut milk so I mixed half yogurt/half milk and it worked well.

[@kitlei8938]

You guys listened!! 😭 thank you! I’m looking forward to future vegan dishes! ❤️ I’m going to try this.

[@kitlei8938]

Ooh please start a vegan playlist eventually so folks can watch on auto play, thanks!

[@roo_13]

I made these yesterday and they were pretty terrible in my opinion but if you like the overwhelming flavor of coconut then you’ll love these.

[@crobles1973]

I don't even want to watch this video, but I want to give a big thumbs up to America's Test Kitchen for not calling them vegan chicken wings. Thank you for using proper terminology.

[@AdamEarl2]

One of my favourite dishes is gobi manchurrian, very similar to this but a better sauce

[@itskena]

I'm in

[@iamstevetay]

Can't wait to make this!

[@josephineroe8424]

I've had these before but they weren't vegan, just substituted cauliflower for chicken. This could be one of those rare recipes where the vegan version might actually be better.

[@rkbush27]

Is there a way of getting the crust in the oven without the oil that you could suggest? It looks great but I'm never been in love with deep frying. Thanks!

[@Forgenorth13]

I’ve baked mine in the past with no problem

[@plaitedlight]

I've baked them, although I used a batter and panko method (Sarah's Vegan Kitchen). I haven't had as good of luck baking just a batter version, its tasted fine but gotten leathery instead of crispy.

[@courtneymariah4362]

They make vegan butter lol you wouldn't have to use coconut oil

[@larryadams9154]

Hmm... the base for the cauliflower: "coconut milk"? Looks more like coconut cream or yogurt. I'm gonna try it as mentioned, but I'm guessing it's not gonna be anywhere near as "sticky"...

[@nursenessa9998]

Canned

[@cgourin]

I would put a side of bacon fries with that.

[@gordjohnson70]

Good video. That would be good with a curry sauce too.... That might make another good video.

[@honger1]

Working in the food industry for over a decade, I cringe when I see people prepare food with painted nails, and jewelry. 😬😬😬

[@Icanseeyouliterally]

Me too

[@thrilhous]

Not to be that guy, but plants totally have parents.

🎊🚸😇😂😂😂😢😅😭😭😭

[@bodhi9180]

why not just use a plant based butter if butter is used in a regular recipe? Earth balance is virtually indistinguishable from butter made of breast milk and puss

[@lynettestrickland1688]

It would be great if the vegan recipes could be prepared in a healthier way...baked or airfried, perhaps?

[@mikedrop4421]

This looks amazing, obviously you should use chicken instead of cauliflower though lol. No, but seriously this looks delicious.

[@edyann]

🙄

[@marierivera2789]

Why isn’t the lady demonstrating the recipe I the click foto?

[@summersojourner]

Vegan mayo?? I’m out.

[@ll-gc9jd]

"high amount of scoville units" ... Tabasco? hahahahahha

[@Psera]

l l It’s higher than a lot of other basic hot sauces.

[@tophers3756]

Yeah, no.

[@WhiTiger]

When I saw the thumbnail I was super excited, but then you lost me at corn starch and cornmeal. 😢

[@ZombifiedRob]

Cauliflower is soulless enough as it is but then they said ranch dipping sauce instead of blue cheese. For shame.

[@juansierra5704]

I remember eating wings in Buffalo when I was young, and everyone dipped their celery into the bleu cheese dressing and ate the wings by themselves. Now I see people dipping the wings themselves into the dressing and lots of places just skip the celery altogether. And now ATK is abandoning the blue cheese dressing too???

[@barryfields2964]

Yeah but blue cheese isn’t vegan.

[@barryfields2964]

Juan Sierra blue cheese isn’t vegan.

[@itburns5756]

@@barryfields2964 They make vegan blue cheese. They used special vegan mayonnaise in this recipe, so you could always use the vegan cheese if you wanted to.

[@Nozoki]

To be fair, they only did that because blue cheese tastes and smells like a garbage dumpster.

[@michaelsnewsome1344]

The pastoral salt perceptually cheer because icebreaker descriptively blush before a psychotic calendar. physical, perfect fragrance

[@haroldpierre1726]

Coconut yogurt and oil are loaded with saturated fat. I'll pass.