Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos (2024)

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These Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with cilantro lime crema are the best easy & gluten-free plant-based dinner! Spicy buffalo cauliflower is paired with mashed avocado, fresh greens, and a delicious cashew crema for a vegan taco recipe full of flavor.

Making homemade tacos is one of my favorite go-to dinner ideas. There is always an endless possibility of flavors- and who doesn't love any recipe with a healthy amount of avocado mixed in?!

While I've made some delicious taco recipes before, like my Portobello Mushroom Tacos or Vegan Lentil Tacos, what makes this recipe so unique is the combination of tangy & spicy buffalo sauce paired with a smooth & creamy cilantro lime cream sauce.

How to make buffalo cauliflower tacos

These vegan tacos take just about 40 minutes to whip up and store great as leftovers too!

Bake the buffalo cauliflower

First, chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and add it to a parchment-lined baking tray. The reason we use parchment paper is that I find that buffalo sauce can burn pretty easily. Using parchment paper allows us to cook the cauliflower a bit longer allowing it to crisp up without burning.

Then, pour ¼ cup of the buffalo sauce and the oil, garlic powder, salt, & pepper over the cauliflower. Mix together using your hands or a spoon until the cauliflower is evenly coated in the sauce. Then, add the tray to the oven and bake at 400F for around 30 minutes.

As soon as you remove the cauliflower from the oven, pour another ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and mix to coat the cauliflower.

Since some of the buffalo flavor & heat cooks off while baking, I prefer to add a little extra sauce on after so that these truly are spicy cauliflower tacos!

Make the cilantro-lime crema

While the buffalo cauliflower is baking, make the vegan crema!

The first step is to soak the cashews. Cashews can either be soaked in hot water for 1 hour (my preference) or in cold water in the fridge for about 6-8 hours.

The trick is to soak the cashews until they have softened, but not too long or they actually become bitter. That's why I prefer the hot water method. Not only is it faster, but it prevents me from soaking the cashews too long.

After soaking the cashews, making this cashew crema really couldn't be easier. Just add the soaked cashews, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, and water to a blender and blend until smooth.

I prefer my crema a little thicker so I only used 6 tablespoon water, but for a thinner sauce that can be drizzled you can use up to 8 tablespoon of water.

Make the avocado smash

Last, but certainly not least, make the avocado smash- AKA very basic guacamole! Just mash the avocado, lime juice, and salt together in a small bowl, and then get ready to assemble the tacos!

How to assemble cauliflower tacos

To assemble tacos first layer about 1 tablespoon of avocado on top of a charred mini flour tortilla.

Then, top with about 1 tablespoon of greens. I decided to use a blend of curly kale, chopped carrots, and purple cabbage. Other options that work here could be arugula or romaine lettuce. Basically, having something fresh and crunchy makes these tacos extra good so don't skip it!

Next, top with a few pieces of baked buffalo cauliflower. Don't add in too much or it will be hard to eat. I find 4-5 pieces of cauliflower tend to be perfect.

Finish with a spoonful of the vegan cilantro cashew cream sauce. Then, dig in!

FAQ & Substitutions:

What other toppings go with these tacos?

While I decided to pair these tacos with avocado, a cilantro lime cream sauce, and fresh kale, there are a ton of other options.

Since buffalo wings are typically served with ranch, a homemade vegan ranch would be a great option!

The tang of the buffalo sauce pairs really well with mild flavors so shredded vegan cheese, lettuce, or cooked black beans all make really great additions to these tacos.

Are buffalo cauliflower tacos gluten-free?

The cilantro cream sauce and the buffalo cauliflower are naturally gluten-free. However, I did use flour tortillas.

To make this recipe completely gluten-free you can sub the flour tortillas for corn tortillas. You can even use cassava flour tortillas to make this recipe completely grain-free or lettuce wraps if you're trying to make it low-carb.

How do I store leftover tacos?

For these tacos, it's best to store the leftover buffalo cauliflower separately in a closed container in the fridge. The cauliflower will soften and lose its crispness the longer it's left to sit, but it still maintains a great flavor. The cauliflower can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

The cilantro cream sauce stores wonderfully as leftovers and can be kept in a closed container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

I do not recommend making the avocado smash until you are ready to eat it as it will brown if left to sit. Lastly, I don't find this recipe to be a great freezer-friendly meal and only recommend storing leftovers in the fridge.

I truly hope you love these Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with cilantro lime crema! It's a delicious dinner option that is perfect for Veganuary & will be a hit among vegans & meat-eaters alike. Enjoy!

-TSG