Spice up your game day with these tender, baked to perfection cauliflower buffalo bites!
Soft and tender on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. This spicy cauliflower buffalo bites recipe is a great alternative to Buffalo wings. They taste so much like traditional chicken wings but are a healthier low carb vegetarian version. Roasted cauliflower stands in for chicken and provides more fiber and less fat.
Not only is this dish guilt-free but it’s also packed with health benefits. Cauliflower is a nutrition powerhouse, it is packed with key vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, potassium and folate. It’s also a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development.
These bites are deliciously hot and tangy and make a perfect main dish or an appetizer – just serve it with carrot sticks, celery and your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing and dip in. I served them with my homemade vegan ranch dressing!
Cauliflower buffalo bites ingredients + substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets.
- Note: Make sure to cut the cauliflower into large florets. If they are too small, they will be mushy. The larger florets allow the cauliflower bites to brown nicely while still maintaining their texture.
For the buffalo sauce:
- ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Substitutions
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce: Frank’s Original Hot Sauce will give you that traditional flavor, but really, any hot sauce will do. Tabasco sauce would be a good substitute. You can also use buffalo sauce, which is a combination of hot sauce and butter.
Coconut aminos: Coconut aminos add a salty, umami flavor. You can leave this one out, or season with a little sea salt instead.
Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds tanginess. There’s already vinegar in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, so you don’t need the extra vinegar, although I recommend it. The best alternative would be white vinegar.
Maple syrup: I recommend substituting maple syrup with honey, but you can use any sweetener of your choice here.
How to make cauliflower buffalo bites
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Make buffalo sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl, whisk to combine. Add in the cauliflower florets and gently toss to coat each piece evenly.
- Transfer cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until tender and cooked through, turning once halfway through cooking time.
- When done, remove from oven, transfer to a large serving dish and serve with your favorite sauce.
Recipes and Tips:
PrintCauliflower Buffalo Bites
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets
- Buffalo sauce:
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Make buffalo sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl, whisk to combine. Add in the cauliflower florets and gently toss to coat each piece evenly.
- Transfer cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until tender and cooked through, turning once halfway through cooking time.
- When done, remove from oven, transfer to a large serving dish and serve with your favorite sauce
Notes
Make sure to cut the cauliflower into large florets If they are too small, they will be mushy. The larger florets allow the cauliflower bites to brown nicely while still maintaining their texture.
This article was originally written on September 23, 2018 and has recently been updated.
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Pat Welshinger
I have a question – what could I use instead of the maple syrup? The only sweetener that we use is monk fruit with erythritol. Thanks!
The Coconut Mama
You can sub monk fruit with maple syrup. I would add a little at a time until it suits your taste. Hope this helps!
Florello Galindo
I live in the Philippines and I been following your website. Thank you very much for compiling recipes and other info utilizing coconut products. I am really disappointed that many in our country do not appreciate the superior health benefits of using coconut oil and other coconut products.In our house, I obligate my wife to only buy coconut oil for cooking purposes.