Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites – These bites are addicting, spicy (to some), and surprisingly fantastic! Grab your favorite dip and let’s dip in! Delicious as a main dish or as an appetizer.
As I am sitting here trying to think of a story as to why you need or should at least try these buffalo cauliflower bites. For one, they are amazing and a lightened-up option to your traditional buffalo wings. Fewer calories and hardly any carbs – it’s a win, win.
Somehow I am sitting at a blank but I do know one thing about them. They are darn good. Now don’t be surprised when you notice you may have finished the entire bowl. They are addicting, spicy, and surprisingly fantastic.
A couple of other dishes we love our buffalo chicken french bread, buffalo chicken pasta, and buffalo chicken spaghetti squash! All are so delicious and perfect for football!
I would give up buffalo chicken wings in a heartbeat for these little guys. They are almost a guiltless snack/appetizer/main dish. You can pile off the entire bowl and not feel guilty. The feeling of guilt always creeps up after I devour five buffalo wings. I, errrr, mean 10 or more, at least. See the guilt there?
Now grab your favorite dressing to dip these bad boys. I only ask you one favor, please do not tell me which dressing you are going to use. Everyone goes straight to the blue cheese, but I will take ranch anytime of the day. Mmmm…!
I may or may not be daydreaming about these cauliflower bites. I love when you first bite into them, your taste buds aren’t sure what to think.
They are a little crunchy on the outside with a slight crunch in the middle. They are flavorful with a hint of spicy. They aren’t the awful spicy hot either. Just enough to make you want to dip into a creamy dressing.
Recipe previously posted on January 5, 2014. Photos updated August 12, 2015.
- 6 cups of fresh cauliflower florets
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ¾ cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce
- Preheat oven to 450. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil, or olive oil. Set aside.
- Mix the garlic powder, salt, pepper, melted butter, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
- Add the cauliflower into a large gallon-sized bag, pour the buffalo sauce into the bag. Shake until the cauliflower florets are fully coated. Spread on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Create your own Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower using the recommended equipment:
- Set of 3 Non-Stick Baking Sheets
- Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowl Set
- Dipping Bowls with Serving Caddy
Katy says
January 5, 2014 at 5:34 pmThese look like a great appetizer food! And the recipe looks very easy to make. I can definitely see myself making these for a day of football games. 🙂
Talya Tate Boerner says
January 6, 2014 at 10:16 amLooks yummy! Couldn’t seem to pin – not sure why?
Chelsea says
January 6, 2014 at 10:40 amTalya – I am terribly sorry about you not be able to pin. I think Pinterest has been having some problems with that since yesterday.
Carrie This Home says
January 7, 2014 at 8:41 amThis looks like a great way to eat cauliflower! Definitely pinning this!
I host a weekly link party every Sunday night called Frugal Crafty Home for recipes & DIY projects. The party this week is sitll open & I would love it if you’d link this post (and any other posts) to our party. We love seeing easy and healthy recipes like this!
Chelsea says
January 7, 2014 at 9:07 amCarrie – Thanks for pinning. Will definitely check out your party 🙂
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen says
January 7, 2014 at 1:34 pmWhat a great idea!! I love this as a Veg as a Main Dish! Thank you for linking at Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!!! You have been Pinned!
Chelsea says
January 7, 2014 at 3:48 pmThank you, Chandra!
Sami says
January 9, 2014 at 7:36 amSounds great! I love roasted cauliflower and spicy. I’m def. going to try this recipe!
Chelsea says
January 9, 2014 at 8:02 amIt is definitely spicy and yummy!
Cynthia says
January 11, 2014 at 4:08 pmI love buffalo chicken! It’s great to have a healthy alternative. Thanks for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next week.
Chelsea says
January 11, 2014 at 10:23 pmCynthia – Thank you for stopping by! Can’t wait to party next week 🙂
Cathy says
January 12, 2014 at 3:54 pmThese just sound delicious for a chilly, Sunday afternoon! Mmmm! I love cauliflower, too! I saw your post at Think Pink Sundays, and had to check it out!
I would love it if you stopped by our Facebook page to say ‘hello!’
http://www.facebook.com/OurMiniFamily
Cheers!
~Cathy~
ourminifamily.com
Deb@CookingOnTheFrontBurner says
January 12, 2014 at 11:12 pmWhat a great idea for a healthier type appetizer. Thanks for bringing this to Marvelous Monday tonight – pinned!
Chelsea says
January 13, 2014 at 11:52 amThank you, Deb! 🙂
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom says
January 13, 2014 at 6:51 pmLOVE this. Pinned! I have cauli in the fridge too :)!
Chelsea says
January 14, 2014 at 1:20 pmAdrienne – Thanks for pinning! 🙂
Michelle H. says
January 14, 2014 at 12:58 pmI love cauliflower and want to try this recipe but am a bit scared by 3/4 cup of hot sauce….did you mean that much hot sauce as in Tabasco, or Buffalo sauce?
Chelsea says
January 14, 2014 at 1:19 pmMichelle – I used Frank’s Red Hot, which is a hot sauce. They are spicy! You can always cut down on the hot sauce or use a mild buffalo sauce. 🙂
Alicia says
January 14, 2014 at 2:05 pmCould you please clarify in the recipe where it says “preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray with cooking spray. Not the oven, I’m sure. Did you mean a baking sheet or something? Thanks.
Chelsea says
January 14, 2014 at 2:13 pmAlicia – Terribly sorry, all fixed.
Mary says
September 24, 2015 at 1:01 pmstep 1 has you spray cauliflower on pan then place in bag in step 3. Is that correct or do you bake for a few minutes?
Chelsea says
September 28, 2015 at 8:59 amHi Mary. I have updated the recipe with the correct steps. Step 1 will be to preheat the oven and spray the baking sheet with oil. No need to bake the cauliflower before adding them into the ziplock bag.
Mamapotamus says
January 19, 2014 at 12:31 amI am so in love with this idea that I don’t even know what to say! Hubby loves veggies and buffalo chicken, so this is awesome! Also, your pictures are great. They make the food look so appetizing!
Chelsea says
January 19, 2014 at 2:42 pmThank you so much!! 🙂
Katie Goldsworthy says
January 22, 2014 at 12:35 amYummm! I’m going to have to try these! Shareing on my FB page.
Nicole says
January 27, 2014 at 6:16 pmThese were deelish! Instead of hot sauce I used a spicy Louisiana spice mix from Epicure Selections.
I also used coconut oil instead of the butter.
This recipe has big potential! Thanks for sharing!
Chelsea says
January 28, 2014 at 12:26 pmNichole – Your variation sounds just as delicious!
Joe says
February 15, 2014 at 7:49 pmThis was absolutely delicious! It actually exceeded my expectations, to be perfectly honest. I am a chicken wing lover, so the idea of a healthy alternative was… Interesting… to me. I made this using one whole cauliflower, cut up. I should have made 2! Really really good, I couldn’t stop eating it! This is a perfect appetizer, but I can see it as a side dish for a nice steak,or as my friend I shared this with said, more hot wings. LOL This is a keeper and I will be making and sharing this again real, real soon. Thank you so much for sharing this deliciousness. Oh, and one small change I made which worked awesomely for all you blue cheese lovers – after baking, I sprinkled some crumbled blue cheese over the cauliflower right on the baking tray, and popped it under the broiler for about two minutes. The cauliflower started to just crisp up at the edges, and the cheese melted over it, so you would get that roasred flavor, and the kick of blue cheese worked in with the spicy tang of the hot sauce. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious.
Chelsea says
February 18, 2014 at 3:10 pmJoe – I am so glad your enjoyed it! I love your addition of the blue cheese – yum! 🙂
cheryl says
March 1, 2014 at 11:32 pmI have made these three times in the last week and a half. I tend towards the vegan side of things so I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks and the High Omega Vegan Ranch from Whole Foods. My husband (uber-carnivore) loved these as much as I did. Thank you so much for the excellent recipe!
Chelsea says
March 3, 2014 at 10:15 amOh yum, Cheryl! Love the addition of the vegan products! 🙂
Shala says
April 1, 2014 at 12:18 amThanks for the recipe. I’m glad this came up in my Pinterest feed! I accidentally added all of the ingredients to the cauliflower before baking it so mine didn’t turn out crunchy; however, the flavor was really good and I love cauliflower so I still liked it. Next time, I will use less Siracha because it was too spicy for me. I’m a vegetarian, almost vegan, so I welcome any recipe that reminds me of meat! 😉 I ended up making a healthy ranch recipe, using avocado and Greek yogurt. Also, I used grapeseed oil instead of butter. Can’t wait to try it the right way!
Chelsea says
April 4, 2014 at 3:22 pmSounds like it still came out fabulous, Shala! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
pepitas says
September 7, 2015 at 8:40 pmI don’t quite understand what she means by “accidentally adding all the ingredients before baking” because the recipe doesn’t say to bake the cauliflower first. Should I bake it first? Or toss it with the ingredients and then bake, like the recipe says?
Chelsea says
September 9, 2015 at 1:40 pmGreat question, Pepitas. It’s best to follow the directions in the recipe. Mixing the ingredients together and then toss them into a ziplock bag, then bake.
zee says
April 29, 2014 at 6:13 amThis goes to show that you can be healthy and still eat scrumptious foods! I am going to try this recipe out.
Lisa Branam @ A Little Slice of Life says
June 6, 2014 at 10:41 amThis cauliflower bites look awesome. I love that i can feel like I’m eating buffalo chicken for way less fat and calories.
Chelsea says
June 8, 2014 at 12:13 pmOh I know, Lisa! 🙂
Linda says
November 5, 2014 at 4:58 pmIs the recipe correct? 3/4 CUP hot sauce? I tried the recipe as above and served it to guests and it was soooo hot they chocked! It sounded delicious but am wondering if there’s a misprint in the amount of hot sauce you recommended. Was bummed I ruined a whole head of cauliflower. :-/
Chelsea says
November 5, 2014 at 5:39 pmWhat brand of hot sauce did you use, Linda?
Linda says
November 6, 2014 at 8:12 pmTapatio.
Chelsea says
November 6, 2014 at 8:39 pmHi Linda! That is the reason why it was way too hot, that’s a very spicy hot sauce. In the post I recommend Frank’s Red Hot Sauce because it isn’t too spicy and has a lot of flavor.
Leah says
January 19, 2015 at 10:18 pmI made these tonight and they were delish! I don’t like cauliflower very much but I LOVE buffalo sauced things. I used coconut oil instead of butter because I don’t eat dairy. And they were great. Thanks!
Chelsea says
January 20, 2015 at 12:59 pmSo glad you enjoyed them, Leah!
Kendra says
January 30, 2015 at 2:29 pmThese are delicious! So much so I featured them on my blog today too!!!
Chelsea says
February 3, 2015 at 8:18 pmGlad you enjoyed them, Kendra! Thanks for featuring them. 🙂
Cordelia says
February 1, 2015 at 9:38 pmI made this tonight for the Super Bowl. I’m a vegetarian but I love buffalo flavor so this was a great idea. Next time I will leave the cauliflower in bigger chunks since they shrink so much in cooking. I used a half cup of McIlhenny Tabasco buffalo style sauce for 5 cups of cauliflower and served it with bleu cheese dressing. I will definitely make this again.
Chelsea says
February 3, 2015 at 8:17 pmSo glad you enjoyed it, Cordelia! It’s a hit around here!
Sara says
August 22, 2015 at 1:18 pmO M G I LOVED these !! I literally just made these. When they are done they have a bit of a bite/crunch to them. Only thing I changed was I used Kroger brand Mild Wing Sauce in place of Hot Sauce. I will definitely be making these again and again for sure ? thanks so much for the recipe!
Tatiana says
December 7, 2015 at 1:49 pmThank you so much for this recipe! I made it 3 or 4 times and I love it. More importantly, my meat-eating bacon-is-an-herb husband loves this cauliflower more than the actual wings! He said this is by far the best thing to come from Pinterest. Thank you!
Chelsea says
December 12, 2015 at 10:44 amYou are so welcome, Tatiana! It’s a favorite at our house, especially football parties!
Rocio says
January 18, 2016 at 9:54 pmI just made these for dinner and they are a definite win in my book!!!!
Chelsea says
January 26, 2016 at 10:04 amGreat to hear, Rocio! 🙂
Laurie says
February 10, 2016 at 1:48 amThis is great! I made it last week for company and I’m making it again tonight just to munch on. It also tastes wonderful cold.
Priscilla says
March 3, 2016 at 4:22 pmMind if I share this on our store facebook page?
Chelsea says
March 16, 2016 at 2:08 pmHi, Priscilla. I would not mind at all. Please only share 1 photo and please do not include the recipe ingredients or instructions. Thanks!
Charla says
March 22, 2016 at 8:27 pmI made these tonight so I didn’t have to feel guilty about eating bad. I really wanted the spicy buffalo wings and these were the perfect alternative!!! I loved them and will be making them again!
Chelsea says
March 23, 2016 at 9:19 amSo glad you enjoyed them, Charla! There are a staple here!
Kristin says
March 26, 2016 at 6:33 pmSo after making this I will def keep the recipe but with a much needed change. At 450 for 20 mins my cauliflower was sitting in a puddle of water. Next time I will be lowering the cook temp and lengthening the time.
Chelsea says
April 21, 2016 at 9:09 amDid you perhaps cook your cauliflower completely frozen?
Ana says
February 9, 2017 at 11:15 pmMade these for my hubby and he was so surprised at how good they turned out,trying to get him to eat more vegetables and this was success, I was truly happy with the results.
Elaine says
June 23, 2017 at 5:49 pmThis recipe is so good! Even my meat loving boyfriend loves it! Yes spicy, but I wouldn’t use any other hot sauce then franks!
Alan U says
September 11, 2017 at 4:16 amI loved this idea. This falls into the “duh, why didn’t I think of this” category. We made this and it brought in today’s football season in a great way.
I did tweak it a bit.
– the sauce was spicy (and I like spicy). I added some ground sage for its sweetness and white a bit more butter to soften the spicy/salty sauce.
– all cauliflower is different, and mine gave up a lot of moisture. I was looking for more crispness. I ended up doing six more minutes on a rack over the roasting pan to dry it out and crisp it up a bit.
This was a big hit, and a great idea. We loved it and will make it many times for a veggie option during football season and beyond.
Zhoey says
January 16, 2018 at 9:37 pmI love this recipe! It is SO good and a great way to eat healthy ‘junk’ food! Yum.
Melissa says
January 20, 2018 at 8:56 pmChelsea these were awesome and so easy! Used a baking rack over a foiled lined baking sheet for easier clean up. Also kept them from getting soggy. My husband loved them and said sometimes you just want that buffalo wing flavor without the fat of chicken wings. Thanks for a great recipe!
Chelsea says
January 22, 2018 at 1:36 pmSo glad you and your family enjoyed them, Melissa! They are one of my favorites during the games. 🙂
Jessica Webster says
February 4, 2018 at 1:39 pmMade it today and my hubs loved it. I’m not much for spice but was able to tolerate it because the flavor was amazing. Thanks for showing us a great meat alternative, especially when craving wings.
Jeanne says
March 2, 2018 at 10:04 amAnyone wanting a guilt-free blue cheese dressing to go with these , try Bolthouse. Theirs is only 35 calories for 2 tablespoons and though it is labeled yogurt, it tastes like the real thing. I was a big fan of Ruth’s which is lots more calories and fat but Bolthouse is almost as good and I can actually dress my salads liberally without crashing my diet. This is in the cooler, not the dressing aisle.
Emily M. says
April 11, 2018 at 6:55 pmI love this recipe! I like mine a little less spicy so I do 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce.
Ashly says
July 9, 2018 at 11:50 pmAny chance these would still turn out if I premixed the cauliflower and sauce a day or two in advance? Have a cabin trip coming up where most of our food needs prepping ahead of time. Thank you.
Chelsea says
July 24, 2018 at 12:06 pmThey would get a little soggy, Ashly. I would recommend making them the day they are on your menu. I bet they would be delicious on an open fire in a foil pack.