This Buffalo Cauliflower recipe makes a delicious low-carb snack on game day or a tasty side dish! All you need is a few simple ingredients and everyday kitchen tools to make this crowd-pleasing dish.
You’ve likely heard of Buffalo Cauliflower as an alternative to buffalo wings, but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this zesty flavor-packed dish! Even meat-eaters can’t resist perfectly crispy buffalo bites. Cauliflower florets are seasoned in savory spices and nutty coconut flour then tossed in a buttery buffalo sauce mixture before being baked until golden.
Cauliflower buffalo bites can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or main course. They are divine dipped in ranch or bleu cheese dressing, or for the buffalo fanatics, served with extra buffalo wings sauce. Looking for more party-worthy appetizers? Try my garlic bread chaffles, cream cheese sausage balls, or crispy cauliflower fritters.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Healthier Alternative. Baked buffalo cauliflower is a healthier version of traditional buffalo chicken wings, which are typically deep-fried and high in calories.
- Allergen-friendly. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. If you want to make buffalo cauliflower vegan, just swap the butter in the sauce mixture with oil or use vegan butter.
- Versatile. There are so many ways to enjoy this easy buffalo cauliflower dish! Try it as an appetizer, side, or main course.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the simple ingredients you will need to make this buffalo cauliflower bites recipe. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Cauliflower: Fresh florets make the best cauliflower buffalo wings. Look for a cauliflower head that is firm and heavy for its size with tightly packed florets.
- Avocado Oil: Ideal for its neutral flavor and high smoke point. Alternatively, you can use olive oil.
- Coconut Flour: Makes these cauliflower bites gluten-free and adds a crispy texture when baked.
- Spices: Savory mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Buffalo Sauce: Use your favorite brand of buffalo sauce, such as Franks, or make your own.
- Butter: Helps the buffalo sauce stick to the cauliflower and adds a rich flavor.
- Dipping Sauce: This is optional. Blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing, or additional wing sauce are all great dipping options.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower
Below are photos and recipe steps so you can easily make this recipe at home. You will also need an oven, a small bowl, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and a mixing spoon.
Season the cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and toss in the oil. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture onto the cauliflower and toss to combine.
Bake the cauliflower
Lay the cauliflower on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the buffalo sauce and melted butter in a small bowl.
Toss in sauce and finish baking
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully toss the cooked cauliflower in the buffalo sauce butter mixture until well-coated. Then place the coated cauliflower back onto the sheet pan in a single layer, and bake for another 10 minutes. Then serve!
Serve
Enjoy these healthy buffalo cauliflower wings on their own, with your favorite dipping sauce, or pair them with additional sides for a meal. Below are some of our most-loved recipes to serve with this dish.
Tips and Tricks
- Cut the cauliflower into even, large sizes. Make sure the florets are roughly the same size, about half the size of a chicken wing, so they cook evenly in the oven and don’t become mushy. Bonus: You can also cut the stem into smaller pieces and bake for extra supply!
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. This will keep the buffalo cauliflower bites from sticking to the pan each time you put them in the oven. It will also make clean-up easier!
- Serve immediately. Roasted buffalo cauliflower is best when served hot, straight from the oven! Reheat them if needed in the oven or air fryer before serving so they maintain a crispy texture.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage and reheating instructions are very simple for this recipe. You can easily reheat in the oven or air fryer to re-crisp this cauliflower before enjoying. After allowing to cool completely, you can store this recipe in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Buffalo Cauliflower FAQ
Yes, this recipe is gluten free when prepared as described.
The best way to make the cauliflower crispy is to pat the cauliflower completely dry before seasoning it. Use a paper towel, clean dish towel, or salad spinner to remove excess moisture. This will help the seasonings stick better and create the crispiest texture when roasted.
You can easily use this recipe to make air fryer buffalo cauliflower instead. We recommend this recipe for air fryer buffalo cauliflower.
More Appetizer Recipes
Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 lb cauliflower florets
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or other cooking oil
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Buffalo sauce
- ½ tbsp butter melted
- Buffalo sauce, bleu cheese dressing, or ranch for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and toss in the oil. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the coconut flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Sprinkle the mixture onto the cauliflower and toss to combine.
- Lay the cauliflower out on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer.
- Bake the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the buffalo sauce and melted butter in a small bowl.
- Remove the cauliflower from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Carefully toss the cooked cauliflower in the buffalo sauce butter mixture until well-coated.
- Place the cauliflower back onto the sheet pan in a single layer, and bake for another 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve!
Notes
- These are great dipped in ranch or bleu cheese dressing. For the buffalo fanatics, serve with more buffalo sauce!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Buffalo cauliflower is a deliciously low-carb snack on game day!
