Baked Buffalo Cauliflower (Gluten-free + Vegan)

I have to admit I wasn't completely won over by the idea of cauliflower replacing chicken when I first decided to try it years ago, but this was one situation in which my skepticism was completely unnecessary. Not only does cauliflower subtitute for chicken very well, I actually like it better than chicken in this recipe.

I love that this recipe is such a healthy option to add to my diet, and it's a comforting feeling to sit down to an abundant plate of food and feel good about every bite going into my mouth. Even our teenagers get excited when I tell them it's buffalo cauliflower night.

Important Ingredients

• Yeast — The yeast in this recipe helps the flour to develop in the oven during cooking and will result in crispier, fuller cauliflower florets.

• Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour — This blend includes xanthan gum, which helps to bind the cracker and flour mixture to the cauliflower florets.

• Coconut milk — Coconut milk is needed to coat the cauliflower florets before dipping them in the flour and cracker mixture.

• Buffalo Sauce — Buffalo sauce is essential to add flavor to the cauliflower florets. While I love Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce (can sometimes be found at Costco), feel free to use any dairy-free buffalo sauce you like.

• Gluten-Free Crackers — I used Sweet Potato Crackers, but any gluten-free cracker will do. I sometimes omit the crackers when I'm in a hurry. Leaving out the crackers decreases the amount of coating on the florets, but it doesn't affect the flavor at all.

How to Make this Recipe

Chop the cauliflower into florets. I like to chop the florets to be small enough to be a comfortable bite, but not so small that it'll take me a long time to dip the caulifower florets in the flour mixture.

Crush the gluten-free crackers. It's important to finely crush the crackers, or they won't stick as well to the cauliflower florets. I like to use a food processor for this step, but a blender will work too, or you can also put the crackers in a plastic ziploc bag and crush them with the hard handle of an ice cream scoop or similar mallet. I sometimes omit the crackers all together when I'm in a hurry. Without the crackers there is less coating, but no difference in flavor.

Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour milk on cauliflower. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and pour the milk over them, making sure to wet each piece. Stir as needed to ensure all of the florets are moistened.

Prepare flour mixture. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, yeast, crushed crackers, sea salt, and pepper.

Dredge cauliflower. Dredge each cauliflower floret in the flour mixture, turning it over to fully coat, and place it on a lined baking sheet. Try not to crowd the baking sheet. Allowing space between the florets helps them to crust over more completely.

Drizzle oil. Pour the oil into a small dish. Using a pastry brush, lightly drizzle oil over the florets. Only use half of the oil, as you will need the remaining oil to drizzle the florets a second time.

Bake for 10 minutes. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the florets for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Turn cauliflower and drizzle oil a second time. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and use a spatula or tongs to turn the cauliflower florets. Use your pastry brush to drizzle the remaining oil over the florets.

Bake for another 10 minutes. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the florets for another 10 minutes.

Coat in buffalo sauce. Remove the cauliflower from the oven. Drizzle buffalo sauce on the cauliflower florets until well coated, turning if necessary. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper as desired.

Bake for a final 10 minutes. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake the florets till the buffalo sauce is beginning to look crispy and a crust forms on the outside of the florets, about 10 minutes.

Add toppings. Top with green onions. Sesame seeds are another great topping. Serve over rice.

Recipe Notes

Don't overcrowd the baking sheet. Try to leave space around the cauliflower florets on the cooking sheet. When they are too close together, the individual pieces don't crisp as well.

The gluten-free crackers are optional. While the gluten-free crackers add extra crunch and coating to the cauliflower florets, I sometimes like to skip this step if I'm in a hurry. Without the crackers, the flour still forms a nice crust and the buffalo sauce adds the flavor, and eliminating this step simplifies the recipe quite a bit.