Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are the perfect game day appetizer! This secretly healthy recipe is so good, no one will miss chicken wings!
Football season is my jam! I love the game and I also love tailgating parties! But rarely do you see healthy options at a tailgating party. That’s where these healthy oven-roasted cauliflower buffalo wings come in!
I LOVE watching my Cowboys play, win or lose!
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a super tasty, crowd-pleasing appetizer that you can fill up on without worrying about calories. Looking for more crazy good cauliflower recipes? Try my Garlic Parmesan Oven Roasted Cauliflower.
Have you guys noticed that cauliflower is like a shapeshifter or is body snatcher a better description? I love that meme that says
“If cauliflower can somehow become a pizza then you, my friend, you can do anything!”
It’s true!!! Cauliflower is breadsticks, pizza and even the potatoes in a chowder!
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES
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I’m a sucker for anything doused in spicy buffalo sauce. I love buffalo chicken wings as much as the next person, but let’s face it – fried chicken wings weigh in at around 430 calories and 29 grams of fat per 1 cup serving.
At just 150 calories and 6 grams of fat per 1 cup serving, turning your favorite appetizer into Buffalo Cauliflower wings is a great alternative! Plus, they are fiber-filled and full of antioxidants. It’s a win-win!
Ingredients Needed for Buffalo Cauliflower
- One head of cauliflower
- Flour
- Water
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- Melted butter
- Buffalo sauce
Be sure to wash your cauliflower first, then cut it into bite-sized pieces to allow for even cooking. You can find buffalo style hot wing sauce in the condiment aisle at your local grocery store.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower
Making Cauliflower Buffalo wings is one of the easiest recipes. As long as you follow these simple steps you’ll have a total crowd-pleaser of an appetizer!
- First, spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.. Get a large bowl and add the flour, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Whisk them together to make sure that they’re mixed well. Then, add the cauliflower pieces in the bowl and coat them evenly with the flour mixture. You want to make sure that they are well-coated, but that the coating isn’t too thick.
- Spread the coated cauliflower bites in an even layer on your baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes in your preheated oven. Flip the cauliflower bites with a spatula or set of tongs halfway through the cooking time to make sure that they’re cooking evenly. Take the cauliflower out of the oven and set it aside for a few minutes.
- Stir the melted butter and buffalo sauce together in a separate bowl. Add the baked cauliflower and toss it in the sauce to coat. Place your Buffalo Cauliflower Bites back on the baking sheet and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, flipping again halfway through. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s browned and crispy.
I like to serve these bites with celery sticks and ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing in a small bowl for dipping.
How to Serve Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Buffalo chicken wings are traditionally served with celery sticks and a side of creamy blue cheese dressing. These cauliflower bites pair perfectly with those items as well. Think simple, cool, and crunchy. If you want to make things a little more exciting, consider serving Buffalo Cauliflower Bites alongside Classic Coleslaw or Rainbow Macaroni Salad.
What else to serve with Buffalo Cauliflower Bites?
There is so much you can serve with Buffalo Cauliflower Bites! When I’m watching football on the weekends I love to nibble on quick bites or delicious cheesy dips! I also love to have things that can be made ahead of time or kept warm in a slow cooker! Some of my favorites are 7 Layer Dip or Jalapeno Popper Dip!
Can I Make Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Vegan?
Yes! You can make these Buffalo Cauliflower wings vegan by using melted coconut oil or another plant-based oil alternative, like olive oil, in place of the melted butter.
Want more cauliflower recipes?
- Low Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks
- Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
- Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
- BBQ Cauliflower Bites
- Cauliflower Rice
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Need more Buffalo Sauce in your life?
Can’t get enough hot sauce in your life? Me either!
- Buffalo Mushroom Bites
- Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- More APPETIZER recipes…
Tools used to make this Buffalo Cauliflower Bites recipe
Baking Sheet: A nice big baking sheet is a must-have for any kitchen. This half pan sheet is large than a regular cookie and works great for anything you’re baking.
Mixing Bowl: These mixing bowls get used just about every day at my house. The grip handle makes them easy to hold and the pour spout makes them perfect for batters!
*This post originally posted on 09/04/2015.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅔ cup Buffalo hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add cauliflower florets and toss to coat.
- Spread cauliflower evenly onto your prepared baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping once. Remove from oven and leave the oven on.
- In a separate bowl stir together melted butter and buffalo sauce. Add baked cauliflower and toss to coat.
- Spread evenly onto the baking sheet. Place back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy, flipping once.
- Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. Serve with your favorite dressing for dipping.
Nutrition
Diane says
This is my go to recipe for buffalo cauliflower. Turns out delicious every time! Thank you for sharing!
Lucy says
So good! We love making these!
Jenn says
This was so good!!! I didn’t add the butter and just added more buffalo sauce one min before they were done….so good!!!!
Aubrey Cota says
Nice! Thank you so much, Jenn.
Susan T Kimberly says
Thanks for recipe! We had this as an appetizer in Charleston and wanted to try to make it at home. I was concerned about whether they would get crispy or not, and was very happy with the texture:) The coating gave them a nice roasted crust, and was very satifying with a veggie tray and blue cheese dip. Will definitely make again!
Aubrey Cota says
These definitely satisfy my cravings so I am glad you liked it! Thank you Susan.
Laurel says
I followed the recipe, oiled the baking sheet liberally, baked them at 450, and went to flip them after about eight minutes and…every single one of them was stuck to the baking sheet. I tried flipping them one by one, nice and easy, but eventually I gave up and had to just scrape them off with a spatula. Either way, I lost the bottom layer of each floret. I did add a little water to the batter because mine came out thick, but I don’t think that was the problem; if anything, I think thicker batter would have stuck even more. And I had placed mine with the baking sheet on a higher rack, so I would avoid this very problem.
When I took them out of the oven to toss in the sauce, I left it cracked open to cool, and reset it to 350 instead of 450. They were a little crumbly the next time I pulled them out and tossed them, but I think the lower temperature kept them from sticking (much) again. Once they were done, they were a little too soggy to be finger-foods, but eaten with a fork, they were a delicious side dish.
Stephanie says
Added nutritional yeast, cumin and paprika to the seasonings and used texas pete! served with ranch, delicous!
Aubrey Cota says
Interesting addition!! Thanks for sharing, so glad it was delicious!
Laura says
Made these tonight and they were fabulous! With a yummy yogurt-based blue cheese dressing they were practically sin-free! Do you have the nutritional info available? Thanks so much for a new & easy-to-make favorite!
Aubrey Cota says
Yes, I have just updated the recipe to reflect the nutrition facts, check back and you will find them at the bottom of the instructions. So glad you loved them!
Jenna says
Phenomenal! I love chicken wings and meat, however, I have been trying to eat healthier. I used this recipe, but grease the pan with coconut oil and left out the salt. I think that this is the best app recipe I have tried in a long time.
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you!