Recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Side Dish Recipes, Snack and Appetizer Recipes

By: Deborah Murphy, MS, RD, LDN

If something has buffalo sauce on it – I’m a fan! These buffalo cauliflower bites are a healthier, vegetarian-friendly appetizer that just might win over even the most skeptical meat eaters or fans of buffalo wings during football season.

There’s no denying that buffalo chicken wings will always be a classic super bowl or game day food for football Sunday. However, if you’re looking for something a little healthier or want an option that is vegetarian-friendly – make these easy buffalo cauliflower bites!

They are surprisingly easy to make too. Once you’ve tackled cutting up the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, it’s just a matter of coating them in batter and baking. If you don’t want to warm up the house with the oven on, you can easily make these in the air fryer as well – we included the directions for that in the post.

Ingredients for Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Use these simple and fresh ingredients packed with nutritional value to make this yummy buffalo cauliflower wings recipe – a great game day side dish.

Cauliflower: the neutral flavor and chewy texture of cauliflower makes it a great veggie option for these bites. Unlike chicken wings, these cauliflower wings are a good source of fiber, nutrients (like vitamin C and potassium), and don’t have any cholesterol.
All Purpose Flour: to create a crispy coating for the cauliflower, you’ll make a simple batter from flour, seasonings, and water.
Seasoning (garlic powder, onion powder): for extra flavor, I like to add some garlic and onion powder to the batter. Smoked paprika is also delicious.
Hot Sauce: Frank’s buffalo sauce is the classic option for buffalo sauce flavored recipes like this one.
Butter: this healthier version of buffalo cauliflower has a lot less butter. Traditionally, it’s a 2 parts sauce to 1 part butter ratio. We reduced the butter to just one tablespoon – still delicious but with less total fat.

Variations

Make it gluten free: use a gluten free 1-to-1 all purpose flour instead of the regular flour in the batter.

Make it vegan and dairy free: use vegan butter in the buffalo sauce.

Swap the sauce: you can easily swap out the buffalo sauce in this recipe for another favorite sauce like BBQ, teriyaki, or honey mustard.

How to Make Oven Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

These buffalo cauliflower wings are simple to put together in a few steps.

four step process for making buffalo cauliflower bites recipe

Prep the Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

Make the Breading: In a large mixing bowl, add the water, flour, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the bite-size cauliflower florets to the batter in the bowl, and toss to coat the cauliflower in batter. Remove the pieces of cauliflower, one by one with a fork. Make sure to shake off any excess batter.

Bake: Arrange the cauliflower pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer; making sure pieces aren’t touching on the pan. Spray the tops with oil, this will help them get super crispy. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden and crispy.

Coat in Hot Sauce & Serve: While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the hot sauce/butter mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once melted, add the hot sauce and stir. Set aside. Toss the roasted cauliflower florets with the sauce in a large bowl, then return to the pan. You can serve them immediately, or to make them crispier, put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Tools You’ll Need

Can you make this in the air fryer?

Yes! I love making this buffalo cauliflower recipe in the air fryer too. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit then air fry the battered cauliflower pieces (arranged in a single layer in the basket) for 10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Toss in the buffalo sauce and serve. They get extra crispy in the air fryer!

prepared buffalo cauliflower bites in dish with sauce

What to serve with buffalo cauliflower bites?

Serve your buffalo cauliflower wings the same way you do a game day snack like chicken wings – with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and a creamy dipping sauce like ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 4 serving(s)

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
¾ cup water
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Frank’s red hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, add the water, flour, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the cauliflower to the batter in the bowl, and toss to coat the cauliflower in batter. Remove the pieces of cauliflower, one by one with a fork. Make sure to shake off any excess batter.
Arrange the cauliflower pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer; making sure pieces aren’t touching on the pan. Spray the tops with cooking spray, this will help them get super crispy. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden and crispy.
While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the hot sauce/butter mixture. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Then add the hot sauce to the melted butter and stir. Set aside.
Toss the florets with the sauce in a large bowl, then return to the pan. You can serve them immediately, or to make them crispier, put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Store any leftover cauliflower buffalo bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven, toasted oven, or an air fryer to get them crispy again.