Are you craving something flavorful, filling and healthy? Then give this vegan buffalo cauliflower wrap recipe a try! It includes lightly breaded cauliflower bites tossed in a homemade buffalo sauce (healthier recipe!) and fresh veggies, such as cucumber and avocado. Perfect for lunch or dinner.
Since making this healthy vegan buffalo sauce for the blog a few years ago, we have been totally obsessed with drizzling it on just about everything. This easy sauce regularly finds its way over pizza, buddha bowls, spicy quesadillas, mac and cheese, vegan chicken burgers and much more.
And obviously, buffalo sauce + cauliflower are a classic match, so I made this vegan buffalo cauliflower wrap for lunch and it was absolutely amazing, I had to share!
We actually often make buffalo cauliflower bites for snacking by following the breading recipe in this teriyaki cauliflower, which includes a thick batter and a few different breading steps.
This time, I was looking for something a little easier to make for lunch, so I tweaked my cauliflower bite recipe for a lighter breading technique to prep the cauliflower. All you have to do is cover the cauliflower with milk or a little oil to add a little stickiness to the vegetables, then toss in panko breadcrumbs before baking in the oven.
You can then cover the lightly breaded cauliflower with some buffalo sauce (homemade or store-bought) and assemble the wrap with some fresh ingredients (such as crunchy cucumber, lettuce and avocado), more buffalo sauce and a drizzle of vegan Caesar dressing, if you have it.
Hope you give it a try! ❤️
Why you will love this recipe
- PACKED with flavor, especially if you make my homemade buffalo sauce (we are all obsessed over here).
- Combines many layers of texture with creamy sauces, earthy roasted veggies, fresh crunchy veggies and chewy tortillas.
- Makes for a perfect spring or summer lunch and dinner
- Healthy, filling and rich in fiber
- Vegan, vegetarian and fully plant-based
What buffalo sauce to use
I highly recommend making the homemade buffalo sauce for this recipe. Not only is it healthier and made vegan + dairy-free and without butter, but more importantly, the flavor is not comparable to what you get from the stores.
The homemade sauce recipe uses hemp seeds, cayenne pepper sauce and some spices. Blending the hemp seeds is what makes the final result so creamy and rich, a must-try!
That being said, if you need a shortcut, then feel free to use a store-bought buffalo sauce. Classic buffalo sauces aren't vegan since they use butter, but there are plenty of brands now making vegan versions. Buffalo sauce from Primal Kitchen tastes good and has a nice creaminess.
What you will need
- Cauliflower: I used a whole head of cauliflower for this recipe, which should give about 3 wraps.
- Oat milk: used to create a more sticky surface on the cauliflower while breading. Make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored. You can also use almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk.
- Panko breadcrumbs: used for making the lightly breaded surface over the cauliflower, which creates more texture.
- Garlic powder: to flavor the panko light breading.
- Buffalo sauce: I used this amazingly creamy vegan hemp buffalo sauce.
- Caesar dressing: optional, you don't need to add any but it really pairs well with the buffalo sauce. Ranch sauce works too.
- Cucumber: for more crunchiness and freshness.
- Lettuce: Romaine works well for its crunchy texture, but other greens are fine.
- Avocado: adds more creaminess and helps the wrap be more filling too.
- Tortilla: you will need the large burrito-size tortilla to make the wraps. If you only have a medium size, then you can serve like tacos.
How to make vegan buffalo cauliflower wraps
(the complete recipe is shown below in the recipe card)
Make the spicy buffalo sauce
If using homemade buffalo sauce, then start by making it. You can also make it ahead and keep it in the fridge until ready to use for quick lunches.
To make it, you will have to blend together some hemp seeds, hot sauce (I use Frank's hot cayenne pepper sauce), vinegar and spices. The sauce will turn thicker and super creamy.
Bake the cauliflower bites
Preheat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Clean and chop the cauliflower into small florets.
Pour the milk into a medium bowl and then combine the panko with the salt and garlic powder in a second medium mixing bowl.
Grab a handful of cauliflower florets at a time, toss them in the milk (just to make them more "sticky", a little oil would work too), then transfer in the bowl with the panko and toss the pieces around. They won't get completely covered with the panko but instead will be lightly breaded.
Transfer the pieces on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Keep going until you are done with the cauliflower, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
While the cauliflower is baking, it is a good time to prep the other veggies for the wrap.
Once the cauliflower bites are done baking, then pour 3-4 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce over and gently stir to combine.
Assemble the wrap
Lay a large tortilla over a clean surface, then add some buffalo cauliflower over the bottom half. Top with cucumber, avocado and lettuce. You can also drizzle more of the buffalo sauce over and if you have some, add some vegan Caesar (store-bought or a vegan tahini Caesar works well, or vegan ranch) over.
Roll: fold each side over the filling, then grab the bottom and fold over as well. Then roll all the way up while keeping the filling ingredients tightly tucked inside.
Grill the wrap (optional)
You can eat the wrap right away, but if you can, I recommend to warm it up in a pan:
Warm up a nonstick pan with a little oil and then place the wrap seam side down in the pan. Cook on medium heat until browned, then flip to another side. Keep cooking/flipping until each side is brown and crispy.
Slice in half and enjoy with a side of Caesar and buffalo sauce!
Helpful tips
- Chop the cauliflower in small florets all about the same size, so it cooks evenly.
- Some of the breading will fall off the cauliflower. That's ok, don't stress too much about that. When you transfer the cauliflower bites to a bowl to toss with the buffalo sauce, simply try not to add too much of the loose breading that fell.
Serving suggestions
The buffalo cauliflower is also great to serve differently. This recipe uses a whole head, meaning that you might have some leftovers you could use in:
- Tacos: would make for such a fun change for taco night! You can pair it with guacamole, finely sliced lettuce and cooked onion and peppers.
- Buddha bowls: place the buffalo cauliflower over cooked brown rice and top it off with chopped cucumber, romaine and avocado. Drizzle some more buffalo sauce over.
- Lettuce wraps: check out these buffalo chickpea lettuce wraps for inspiration!
- Big salad: add the cauliflower over fresh greens and chopped veggies.
Variations
This recipe is pretty versatile, once you have the buffalo sauce, cauliflower and tortilla, then the rest is totally up to you! Here are a few variation ideas to try:
- Breading: if you were looking for a thicker kind of breading, similar to vegan cauliflower wings, then use this teriyaki cauliflower bowl recipe to see how to make it.
- Veggies: you can fill up the wraps with your favorite veggies, such as grated carrots, shaved red cabbage, green onions, red pepper or fresh herbs (fresh dill or parsley).
- Condiment: you can add a lot more flavor by including dill pickles, lime pickled red onion, balsamic pickled onion, marinated veggies, kimchi, etc. If you don't have Caesar dressing, then use store-bought mayo or make your own mayo from cashews.
- Protein: to boost your wraps with more protein, then add some chickpeas, roasted tofu or tempeh.
Storage tips
Once made, the wrap is best enjoyed on the same day so the bread does not turn soggy.
If you like to meal prep ahead, then you can make the buffalo sauce a few days before you need it, it keeps well in a jar in the fridge. You can also make the breaded cauliflower ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, although it will not be as crispy once reheated.
To reheat the baked cauliflower, you can use the microwave for a quick meal or the stove to recreate some of the crispiness.
Similar recipes to try
I hope you like this buffalo cauliflower wrap recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wrap
Ingredients
For the buffalo cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower - chopped in small florets
- ¼ cup oat milk - unsweetened and unflavored
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼-⅓ cup vegan buffalo sauce - or as much as needed, I used this buffalo sauce
For the wraps
- 3 tortilla wraps
- romaine lettuce - finely sliced
- cucumber - sliced
- vegan caesar or ranch dressing - optional, I like using this vegan tahini caesar dressing
Instructions
- If making the buffalo sauce from scratch, then start with that.
- Preheat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the oat milk in a medium bowl, then combine the panko, garlic powder and salt in a second bowl.
- Add a handful of cauliflower florets to the bowl with the milk, toss them around and then transfer them to the bowl with the panko. Use your fingers and a spoon to toss them and cover them as much as you can with the panko, then transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet. The cauliflower will only be lightly covered, this is normal. Keep going until you lightly breaded all the pieces of cauliflower.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking, then this is a good time to prepare the other veggies going into the wrap.
- Once the cauliflower is done baking, then lay a tortilla on a clean surface, transfer some buffalo cauliflower over the half-bottom part, top with avocado, cucumber and lettuce and drizzle some more buffalo sauce. You can also drizzle some vegan Caesar or vegan ranch sauce.
- Fold both sides of the tortilla over the filling, then grab the bottom part and fold it over as well. Keep rolling all the way up while tucking the ingredients tightly inside.
- If you want to pan fry the wrap: warm up a nonstick pan with a little oil, then place the wrap seam side down on the pan. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes or until golden brown. Flip to roast the other sides. Slice in half and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: once assembled, the wrap is best enjoyed right away. I recommend making the buffalo sauce and keeping it in the fridge until ready to use. If you have some leftover cauliflower bites, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven.
- I think this recipe is best when making the buffalo sauce from scratch. It is easy to make and only requires blending hemp seeds with cayenne pepper sauce and some spices. The consistency is super creamy and the flavor is better than store-bought.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
NUTRITION
Please note that the nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and may vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
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