Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (Printer-friendly)
Crispy cauliflower florets in spicy Buffalo sauce with a creamy blue cheese dip.
# What you'll need:
→ Cauliflower Bites
01 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
02 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 cup water
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
→ Buffalo Sauce
09 - 1/3 cup hot sauce (e.g., Frank's RedHot)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
→ Blue Cheese Dip
12 - 1/2 cup sour cream
13 - 1/4 cup mayonnaise
14 - 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
15 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - Celery sticks
19 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, water, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
03 - Toss cauliflower florets in the batter until fully coated. Shake off excess batter and arrange florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until florets are tender and edges begin to brown.
05 - Whisk hot sauce, melted butter, and honey together in a small bowl.
06 - Remove cauliflower from oven and gently toss with Buffalo sauce. Return to baking sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes until crispy and caramelized.
07 - Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir thoroughly.
08 - Serve Buffalo cauliflower bites hot alongside blue cheese dip, celery sticks, and a sprinkling of parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They're crispy on the outside, tender inside, and require no deep frying or complicated technique.
- A vegetarian crowd-pleaser that doesn't feel like a compromise—even meat eaters come back for seconds.
- The blue cheese dip transforms everything into something that tastes indulgent without requiring hours of prep.
02 -
- The broiler finish at the very end transforms good cauliflower into restaurant-quality crispy bites—2 to 3 minutes under high heat is the secret, but watch carefully because the line between crispy and burnt is thin.
- Don't skip turning the pan halfway through the first roast; an uneven oven will leave you with pale florets on one side and burnt ones on the other.
- Make the blue cheese dip at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld together and become more than just the sum of their parts.
03 -
- Double-coat any florets that look sparse by dipping them back in the batter before the first bake—this guarantees a crispy exterior that stays that way.
- If you want extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the batter itself rather than loading up the Buffalo sauce, which keeps the flavor balanced while raising the heat.