This oven-baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites is a delicious appetizer that can be made in no time. It’s crispy, spicy, and healthy and makes for a great party snack. Here is how to make it.
Here I have mentioned some more Cauliflower recipes, that you can try – Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup, Easy Asian Cauliflower Rice, Cauliflower Cheese Sauce, and Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice.
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What are Buffalo Cauliflower Bites?
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites is a simple dish where flour-coated Cauliflower florets are baked, mixed with a butter garlic sauce, and then baked again to get some crunchy Bites. Yes, it gets baked twice and thus the nice and crispy texture!
Spicy, crispy, and more importantly healthy, these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites is one enticing dish that will suffice all your cravings, keeping your health in mind. Every time I keep a plate full of these cauliflower bites on the table, it gets wiped clean in just minutes.
Cauliflower Florets doused in a spicy buffalo sauce and baked until crisp, this cauliflower wings recipe is a keeper. It’s vegetarian, low carb (KETO), fiber filled, and made using simple ingredients. Served with cool and creamy ranch dressing or Blue cheese Dressing, it will take your game Day or Tailgating party to a next level.
Trust me and make this crowd-pleaser snack for the Super Bowl Sunday or the next get together and get ready for a shower of accolades.
I prefer to make this one often for larger crowds as they are super easy to make and needs very fewer efforts. So during get-togethers and house parties, when you are already so tired of all the bulk cooking, these easy Cauliflower Bites really come in handy.
Let me tell you these hot and crispy Cauliflower Bites are my healthy vegetarian take on the oh so popular and traditional Buffalo Wings. This recipe is so good, that you won’t miss your Chicken Wings!
And as many people do not prefer to eat Cauliflower too, I am sure they will really enjoy this one because of its spicy taste and crispy texture.
This vegetarian appetizer is
- Delicious
- Crunchy
- Spicy
- Healthy
- Easy to make
- A great appetizer for parties
- Vegetarian (can be made Vegan too)
Ingredients
Cauliflower – Chop the cauliflower into big same sized florets to make these yummy bites. You can also go for frozen florets. Just add 5 minutes to the first baking time.
For the coating – To coat the Cauliflower, we will make a slurry of all-purpose flour, cornflour, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Garlic Powder adds a nice garlicky flavor to the coating, so do not miss this one. To make the appetizer healthier, you can replace milk with water.
For the buffalo sauce – A delicious and buttery chili garlic sauce is made to coat the baked cauliflower again, which will make it hot and spicy. This sauce is made with a combination of butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, garlic sauce, and paprika.
Hot Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Garlic Sauce, and Vinegar when combined adds a tangy, spicy, and savory taste to these cauliflower bites.
You can also use readymade Buffalo Sauce instead of making the sauce from scratch. Buffalo Sauce comes in different spice variations, from mild to very hot. You can select from the variety depending on the spice level you want.
It is always better to make the sauce at home than buying outside. The reason being many brands substitute butter with vegetable oil, which compromises the taste a lot.
If you like to it to be more spicy, add in some red chilli flakes too. To make the sauce healthier, you can reduce the quantity of butter bit.
How to make Buffalo Cauliflower Bites?
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F (200 Degrees C). You can also spray the tray with oil and directly use but I feel that lining it with parchment makes the clean up easy, so I always cover my tray.
Mix all-purpose flour, cornflour, milk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. The batter should be slightly pasty in consistency. If it’s too thin, it will not stick to the florets and if it’s too thick, the florets will turn out soggy.
Add the cauliflower florets in the bowl and coat them well with the mixture.
Line the florets on the tray in a single layer. Make sure to shake off the excess batter before lining the cauliflower.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they turn golden brown.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and keep ready.
Once the cauliflower is done, remove them from the sheet and add in the sauce and coat well. Return the florets on the baking tray and spread evenly.
Bake for another 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This version is loaded with too many calories but the taste is unbeatable.
This ultra-crispy cauliflower wings drizzled with buffalo sauce will indefinitely grab the attention of everyone.
Whisk corn-starch, flour, salt, baking powder in a large bowl and add some water. Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter and carefully lower it into the fryer.
Fry the cauliflower wings until they are evenly browned and crispy. Toss the crispy cauliflower with buffalo sauce and serve immediately.
Air Fryer method Buffalo Cauliflower is way lighter than the fried version and is simple to make.
Low-carb healthy snacks being the rage, this sensational Air Fryer version of this cauliflower is the perfect dish for the evening time snack to munch on.
Air fry the cauliflower florets for 10 -12 minutes at 400 Degrees F in a preheated air fryer keeping in mind to toss the pan every 5 minutes.
For crispy edges, cook the dish for 15 minutes. Toss the air fried cauliflower in sauce and serve hot.
To make it less spicy, you can increase the amount of butter and decrease the amount of hot sauce and paprika.
Yes, you can make vegan Cauliflower Bites! You can use olive oil, coconut oil, or any plant-based oil instead of butter in the sauce and use water/almond milk/soy milk instead of milk to make the all-purpose flour slurry.
You can use gluten-free flour or almond meal instead of flour to coat the cauliflower. Also read the labels of sauces, if they are gluten-free or not. Adding ¼ teaspoon xantham gum to the gluten-free batter makes it easier to hold it.
Yes, you can! It is actually better, as they are already cleaned and cut into florets. But thaw it to room temperature and wipe any extra water with a paper towel before adding into the batter.
Pro Tips by Neha
Cut the cauliflower in equal sized and large florets.
Line the tray with parchment to ease the clean up.
Double or triple the recipe if making it for a crowd. Use two trays to line the florets and always bake them just before serving.
Broiling the florets for 5 minutes in the end is a game changer. Try it.
Serving Suggestions
These delightful crispy Buffalo Bites taste best with Ranch Dip or Blue Cheese Dressing. You can also serve it with any other dip such as Yogurt Dip with Mint and Garlic, Jalapeno Garlic Feta Dip, Bang Bang Sauce, or any other creamy dip that you prefer.
Serve these on the sides with some Grilled Chicken/Fish and a refreshing salad for your meals.
You can also stuff them in your wraps and rolls with some sliced veggies and sauce.
Storage Suggestions
I will recommend you make this Buffalo Cauliflower Bites fresh as if stored they will lose their crispiness and won’t taste great. But if you still have leftovers, they will last in the fridge for about a day or two, when stored in an airtight container.
Before serving, reheat it in the oven again. Arrange the cauliflower bites on the baking tray and bake for 5 minutes or until nice and warm.
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Recipe Card
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large head Cauliflower (Cut into bite size florets)
- 3 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoon Cornflour
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
For the sauce½
- ½ cup Butter (Melted)
- ½ cup Hot sauce
- 2 tablespoon White Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pre heat the oven to 400 Degrees F (200 Degrees C).
- Mix all purpose flour, cornflour, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the cauliflower florets in the bowl and coat them well with the mixture.
- Line the florets on the tray in a single layer.
- Make sure to shake off the excess batter before lining the cauliflower.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until they turn golden brown.
- Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and keep ready.
- Once the cauliflower are done, remove them from the sheet and add in the sauce and coat well.
- Return the florets on the baking ray and spread evenly.
- Bake for another 15-20 minutes. You can broil the florets in the last 5 minutes of baking. It makes them super crispy.
- Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!