Buffalo Cauliflower Bites With Vegan Cucumber Ranch (2024)

Originally posted: January 29, 2017. Last modified: March 17, 2021 by Anjali Lalani. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Buffalo Cauliflower Bites dipped into my Vegan Cucumber Ranch Dressing. Crispy, chewy, and breadedwith tartness and spiciness. Pair that with a creamy cool vegan cucumber ranch and I guarantee you won’t be able to stop until the entire plate is gone.

It all started with my Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Tahini Sauce dish. It was the first time I found myself craving and eating a large amounts of cauliflower in one sitting. It was an addiction… and then this combination came along.

This buffalo cauliflower recipe was first created back in December for our annual holiday party. These bites were actually suppose to be one of the main ingredients for another recipe (coming soon). I wanted them to be freshly baked, so I waited until all our guests arrived. When the cauliflower bites were done, I pulled them out of the oven, left them on the counter, and went to check on something else. Only to turn back around and realize that in the span of 5 minutes, more than half of my tray wasgone and devoured by my friends before I could even assemble all of the dish I was supposed to serve that night! ha!

The look on my friends faces when they saw me…”wait…were we NOT suppose to eat these? but they’re so good!” said it all. That’s when I knew that these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites needed a post all to themselves.

These cauliflower bites are so delicious and easy to make. They’re baked (not fried), and the sauce is made from a few basic pantry-ready ingredients. No need for any fancy store-bought buffalo sauce, unless you already happen to have some laying around. You can easily prep these bites ahead of time by cutting the cauliflower pieces, coating, and breading them. Then when you’re ready to serve, simply bake and toss with sauce!

If you’re looking at these photographs and thinking I did a lot of editing to get that gorgeous color on these bites, think again! They are really as mouthwatering as they look!

I like to make large batches of these bites at a time. You can store leftovers in the fridge, and even though they may loose some of their crispiness, they still taste great reheated in the oven the following day. Serve them as a side or appetizer, or enjoy them for an afternoon snack. They make for a great party finger food!

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely serving up a batch of these vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with a side of my Vegan Cucumber Ranch during the super bowl this coming weekend! Join me and try out the recipe for yourself! It’ll make you a cauliflower lover in no time. If you do, be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram, @vegetariangastronomy #vegetariangastronomy, I love seeing all your re-makes! And keep an eye out for a few more vegan “buffalo” recipes coming to the blog soon!

5 from 5 votes

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites With Vegan Cucumber Ranch

Crispy, chewy, and breaded with tartness and spiciness. Pair that with a creamy cool vegan cucumber ranch and I guarantee you won’t be able to stop until the entire plate is gone.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Party Food, Side, Snack

Cuisine: American, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Keyword: buffalo cauliflower, easy vegan appetizer, vegan cauliflower recipe

Servings: 12 pieces

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Anjali Lalani

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cauliflower , large
1 cup non-dairy milk , such as soy milk or cashew milk
1 cup all-purpose flour , for gluten-free: use white rice flour
2 teasp garlic powder
1.5 cups breadcrumbs , for gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs
Vegan Cucumber Ranch

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp vegan butter , such as Earth Balance or Miyoko vegan butter
1/2 cup cholula , or other hot sauce such as Frank's Hot Sauce (see notes below)
1/4 teasp sriracha
1/2 teasp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp vinegar , I used regular distilled vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Wash and set aside to drain out the water.
In a large bowl, combine non-dairy milk (soy milk), flour, and 2 teasp garlic powder, and some freshly ground pepper. Whisk and set aside.
Take all the cauliflower florets and add them to the large bowl with the milk/flour mixture. Toss with a large spoon or hands until they're all coated.
In another smaller bowl, add a small amount of the breadcrumbs to start, replenishing as needed. This way, the breadcrumbs stay as dry as possible instead of clumping as you coat the cauliflower.
One at a time, take each individual cauliflower floret coated in the milk/flour mixture (allow any excess liquid to drip off in the large bowl), and place in the breadcrumb bowl. Roll the cauliflower in the breadcrumbs until completely coated on all sides. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cauliflower florets. Replenish the breadcrumb bowl as needed to minimize clumping of the dry breadcrumbs.
Once all the cauliflower florets are breaded, place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until crispy and slightly golden brown on the outside.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Heat a sauce pan on low-medium heat. Whisk all the sauce ingredients above just until the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are combined. Turn the heat off and set aside.
Once the cauliflower is crispy and slightly golden, remove from the heat and toss a few at a time to completely coat in the sauce and place it back onto the same parchment paper.
If there is extra sauce remaining, drizzle it over the cauliflower with a spoon.
Place the cauliflower back in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve with Vegan Cucumber Ranch! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and re-heat at 375 degrees the following day!

NOTES

Sauce - I used and highly recommend using Cholula hot sauce when making the buffalo sauce because of its flavor profile. I have tested this recipe using Cholula. But if you use a different hot sauce, be sure it's one that's smooth and bold in flavor. You may need to adjust the flavor a little but should work fine with most (note: if you use a hot sauce like Tapatio, this sauce will not taste good).

Kid-Friendly Version - Use your favorite marinara instead of buffalo sauce. Dip the crispy breaded cauliflower in your favorite marinara instead of buffalo sauce to avoid spice for the kids.

For the gluten-free option, I used white rice flour.

Non-Dairy Milk - I typically use soy milk for this recipe, which makes for a very thick coating. If you prefer a thinner coating or find the thick coating difficult to work with, either add a tiny bit more soy milk into the coating mixture or use another thinner non-dairy milk such as cashew milk.

NUTRITION

Did you Make this Recipe ?Mention @VegetarianGastronomy or tag #vegetariangastronomy!

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Comments

Rashmi
January 29, 2017 at 11:10 pm

OMG I am completely speechless Anjali 😐 BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER, goodness gracious me, how on earth did you ever come up with this idea. It looks incredibly delicious and so crispy, as for that dip…it really complements the overall dish… ABSOLUTELY SUPERB! WAY TO GO!!! 🙂
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:35 pm
  
  Thanks Rashmi! There are actually a lot of buffalo cauli recipes floating around, but i wanted one that was baked, crispy, also chewy and my own sauce combo instead of buffalo sauce! It was a recipe developed for my tacos (soon to come) but they’re so good on their own i needed to post as a separate recipe! TRY IT i’d love to know how you like them!
  Reply
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
January 30, 2017 at 9:35 am

Ooo These look and sounds so good…so addicting!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:40 pm
  See Also
  Overnight Pizza Dough Recipe (VIDEO)The Easy Way to Make Fermented Sodas Using A Ginger Bug - The Fermentation Adventure Gut-Healing Marshmallows Vietnamese loempia's (de lekkerste!) | Eef Kookt Zo
  
  Thanks!
  Reply
- Jersey
  February 15, 2020 at 4:59 pm
  
  I
  Hi. I do not want to use flour, could arrowroot powder work? I also don’t see a homemade sauce. Did I miss it? Want to use organic and no xanthan gum. TIA 🙂
  Reply
  - anjali
    February 17, 2020 at 9:42 pm
    
    I’ve never particularly used arrowroot powder. But something like a small amount of corn starch may work as well. I’d try arrowroot powder, but definitely not as much as the flour quantity. For the sauce, it’s listed in the ingredients above – cholula based.
    Reply
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
January 30, 2017 at 10:19 am

I have been looking for a healthi-ER option for my Super Bowl spread: these look just fantastic!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:39 pm
  
  YES!! This is healthy, delicious, and everyone will love them! Let me know if you make them this weekend!
  Reply
Tracy | Baking Mischief
January 30, 2017 at 10:37 am

I’ve been meaning to try cauliflower bites for ages. They always look so good, especially these buffalo bites! And I love that the ranch dip is vegan. It’s always so nice to have appetizer options that you know all of your guests will be able to eat!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:39 pm
  
  Thanks Tracy!! These cauli bites are SO good…everyone will love them! And I’ve actually had several non-vegans make my vegan ranch and say it was even better than the store bought version! Let me know if you try it out!
  Reply
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
January 30, 2017 at 12:02 pm

What you said about the won’t be able to stop part–yep I can totally see that problem happening for me. And the fact that there is a dipping sauce will just make them disappear all the faster! Who needs pretty plating when the food is this eye-catching and I’m sure smells amazing all by itself!?! 😉 I love that they are baked too, even though they totally do not look it. You always come up with the best appetizer/party food Anjali!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:38 pm
  
  Thanks Natalie!!! Yes…I was even enjoying them while i was photographing! Especially when they’re hot right out of the oven, dipped in the cool creamy ranch it’s sooo good!!! bTW, i have yet to make your fudge oatmeal for the kids…my husband was on breakfast this past weekend and i forgot to tell him to make it for the kids. But I think a tuesday morning fudge oatmeal is needed this week =)
  Reply
Emily
January 30, 2017 at 12:11 pm

Wow these look amazing! I love that you keep all the flavors of buffalo wings but made this dish vegan, awesome!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:34 pm
  
  Thanks Emily! I LOVE these bites so much! I’ve actually never had buffalo sauce before, so this is my version of the sauce!
  Reply
Emily
January 30, 2017 at 12:26 pm

Omg these sound so delicious, I just had spicy roasted cauliflower for dinner tonight and loved it so will definitely be giving this recipe a go!
Reply
- anjali
  January 30, 2017 at 3:33 pm
  
  Oh then you will definitely LOVE these emily! Let me know if you try it out!
  Reply
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake
January 30, 2017 at 9:59 pm

I love that you changed up the recipe on these and made them breaded! I’ve been to the place where they were said to be invented – Mohawk Bend in Los Angeles – and they’re good (of course), but I think the breading you’ve added takes them to a whole new level. YUM.
Reply
- anjali
  January 31, 2017 at 4:32 pm
  
  Oh wow..I’ve heard of that place and have been meaning to check it out when in LA, but haven’t yet! Yes…I’ve had it before too several places and love it. This breaded version really does wonders with the sauce coating it and the texture! Hopefully you get a chance to try it out!
  Reply
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
January 30, 2017 at 10:01 pm

I love Buffalo Cauliflower! And Cholula is my favorite. 🙂
Reply
- anjali
  January 31, 2017 at 4:31 pm
  
  Me too! We are hot sauce twins! I didn’t have buffalo sauce in my pantry so i made my own spicy hot sauce version using cholula =)
  Reply
Reshana
January 30, 2017 at 10:40 pm

WOW! I would have never guessed that there were cauliflower bites under that crispy coating and I love the idea of buffalo sauce! This looks so good and I am not surprised they were gone in 5 minutes. What a lovely combination with that ranch dip! Your recipes are only getting better and I cant wait for the recipes to come 🙂
Reply
- anjali
  See Also
  Homemade Curry Powder
  January 31, 2017 at 4:25 pm
  
  Thanks Reshana! You’ll have to try making these with your sister and let me know!
  Reply
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
January 30, 2017 at 10:41 pm

I love anything buffalo and spicy! I have a few recipes going in my book that are buffalo flavored…cauliflower really does make an amazing buffalo treat, doesn’t it?! I love it especially with ranch!
Reply
- anjali
  January 31, 2017 at 4:30 pm
  
  Can’t wait to check them out sophia! And yes…who knew cauliflower was so amazing!!
  Reply
Donna
January 31, 2017 at 8:11 pm

Yum, these sound amazing!! I had something similar at a restaurant while on vacation a while back, and have been dreaming about them ever since! Will have to whip some of these up for myself 🙂
Reply
- anjali
  February 06, 2017 at 10:00 am
  
  Thanks Donna! You’ll love how easy and tasty these are!
  Reply
Uma
February 01, 2017 at 6:05 pm

Sounds delicious Anjali. And thanks for the cucumber ranch, I was looking for those:)
Reply
- anjali
  February 06, 2017 at 10:00 am
  
  Oh then you will LOVE the cucumber ranch! It’s one of my most popular recipes!
  Reply
Manju | Cooking Curries
February 01, 2017 at 10:17 pm

OMG! This looks very delicious and so easy to make and that ranch looks so good!!
Reply
- anjali
  February 06, 2017 at 4:06 pm
  
  Thanks Manju!! The ranch is one of my popular recipes, and the cauliflower bites go SOO well!!
  Reply
Taylor
June 01, 2017 at 4:33 pm

These are so good. I made a bunch and use it and the cucumber ranch to top my salads. Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Reply
- anjali
  June 05, 2017 at 11:16 pm
  
  That’s awesome thanks so much Taylor for the great feedback! Glad you love them…I actually made 2 batches tonight and can’t get enough! Try them in tacos next time!
  Reply
Valerie
June 30, 2017 at 5:12 pm

I looked through a bunch of Buffalo cauliflower recipes and landed on yours since the ingredients matched the closest to what I have on hand, and I just wanted to say how amazing these are!! Buffalo anything is my favorite comfort food ever and these do not disappoint! I had to make a few subs/omissions, but they were still delicious. Awesome recipe, thank you so much! 🙂
Reply
- anjali
  July 02, 2017 at 12:07 am
  
  Love it! Thanks for the great review, and happy you feel the same way about these bites as I do! Super comfort food…i could devour an entire tray! Try my other two recipes using these…the salad and buffalo cauliflower tacos! Thanks again!
  Reply
Sarah Serna
September 21, 2017 at 9:00 pm

My husband and I just started to eat a plant based diet and tried this!! This recipe was amazing! Thank you for sharing it!!
Reply
- anjali
  September 22, 2017 at 10:12 am
  
  That’s so wonderful to hear!! So glad you loved it…it’s one of my favorite taco recipes. If you need any other suggestions on what to try next let me know! The Pra Ram Tofu is a huge hit, as well as the Cauliflower Tikka Masala recipe!
  Reply
Dawn Strong
September 22, 2017 at 5:49 am

Did you use Panko breadcrumbs or regular?
Thanks!
Reply
- anjali
  September 22, 2017 at 10:10 am
  
  I’ve used both depending on what I’ve had on hand and it’s turned out great either way! Let me know!
  Reply
Michelle
September 24, 2017 at 7:15 pm

I just made this last night, and they were Awesome!! ?? definitely making them again really soon! Thanks for the recipe! ?
Reply
- anjali
  September 24, 2017 at 8:28 pm
  
  Thanks so much Michelle for trying them out and the awesome review! Glad you loved them…they are definitely a staple at my house! Try my tacos recipe using these bites next!
  Reply
Mary
October 01, 2017 at 12:44 pm

I made these and they were out of this world delicious! Highly recommend!
Reply
- anjali
  October 02, 2017 at 12:06 pm
  
  So happy to hear!! Thank you so much for trying them and the great review!!
  Reply
Jackie
January 19, 2018 at 3:55 pm

Would coconut oil be a good substitute for vegan butter?
Reply
- anjali
  January 20, 2018 at 12:37 am
  
  Hmm…I think you may get a little different taste with the buffalo sauce since the vegan butter i used was salty. But make sure to use a neutral coconut oil, and perhaps add some salt for flavor if needed! I’d give it a try…should still be fine!
  Reply
Peri
March 01, 2018 at 5:17 pm

Holy crap-ola these are delicious. I just made them and have to admit, I was super skeptical to take my first bite. But after that I was hooked! I will definitely be saving this recipe as one of my go-to favorites! Thank you!
Reply
- anjali
  March 05, 2018 at 1:24 pm
  
  So glad you loved them!! They’re addicting for sure…you really can’t stop eating them!
  Reply
Dawn Strong
April 15, 2018 at 3:00 pm

Could I use almond flour?
Reply
- anjali
  April 16, 2018 at 12:45 pm
  
  You can use almond flour, just may not be as crispy, but it’ll still taste good (although just FYI i have not tried with almond flour)! Or also u can use cornmeal.
  Reply
Dana Day
January 22, 2020 at 6:33 am

I made your recipe last week. I am addicted! Came out of the oven with a crunchy coating. My husband and I ate the whole cauliflower.
Reply
- anjali
  February 14, 2020 at 1:33 pm
  
  Best way to enjoy a cauliflower in my opinion haha! Glad you loved it! Try my tacos using this recipe next.
  Reply
sun
April 09, 2020 at 4:24 pm

hi! i was wondering if it’s 94 cal for 12 pieces, or each piece is 94 calories? thank you!
Reply
- anjali
  April 13, 2020 at 10:11 pm
  
  Each piece!
  Reply
Anumeha Taori
May 11, 2020 at 7:21 pm

Love your recipes. So simple, delish and flavorful! These bites are yum and I followed your recommendation of saving it for later use – super easy!
Reply
- anjali
  May 13, 2020 at 2:07 pm
  
  Leftovers of these are awesome to use the next day in so many other things! I usually end up devouring them as is, but i’ve also used them in salads, pizzas, and tacos! Thank you!
  Reply
Shruti
October 23, 2023 at 5:37 pm

I have made these multiple times and it has been a hit! So many always asking for recipe. Thank you!!
Reply
- Anjali Lalani
  February 15, 2024 at 11:45 am
  
  Thanks for the great review! It’s one of my favorite recipes.
  Reply