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Oven baked and extra saucy, Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch. Breaded cauliflower, baked, and tossed in homemade buffalo sauce. Serve with a creamy, light, and healthy tahini ranch dressing. Add extra sauce buffalo sauce, and enjoy! Trust me, every bite is delicious and will leave you wanting more.
After years of not having my tried and true buffalo cauliflower recipe on the site, I’m finally sharing it. Why it took so long is just silly. I thought there were one too many buffalo cauliflower recipes on the internet. And well, there might be, but whatever, this recipe is highly requested and one of my family’s favorites.
With all the football happening this month, and then the Super Bowl coming up next month, I’m sharing my recipe! We really love it, so I finally decided it was just silly not to share the way I make it!
As I said, my family regularly requests all things buffalo. Buffalo chicken, pizza, pretzel twists…even these fun buffalo chicken wraps. But they really love something they can “dip” when they’re watching the game or all sitting around talking. So buffalo cauliflower ends up being their most requested buffalo.
I serve these both as an appetizer and as a dinner (usually with fries – sometimes rice). I also like to serve them with a side of blue cheese ranch. Since it’s “Healthy January” I’m sharing my creamy tahini ranch, which I love just as much!!
The details
I make these so often. Therefore, I like to keep them pretty quick and simple, so they don’t take a lot of time. And no frying is needed!
Start off by breaking the cauliflower up into florets. Then whisk up a few eggs in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower right into the whisked eggs, then simply toss to coat.
For the crumbs, I really like using finely crushed corn flakes. I’ve found they provide the best texture. If you’re someone who prefers to eat gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs instead. Then mix the crumbs with smoked paprika and a touch of cayenne.
Now dredge the cauliflower through the seasoned crumbs, then bake!
For the buffalo sauce, my favorite ratio is 3 to 2, hot sauce to melted butter (or olive oil). I then add some seasoned salt and a big pinch of black pepper. It literally takes minutes to make these and they are so good.
Next comes the tahini ranch, again, it’s so simple. Basically, you’re replacing sour cream and mayo with tahini. So it’s tahini, plus dried herbs, and then a little lemon. It’s delicious, and a nice lighter ranch option.
When the cauliflower is crispy, drizzle the buffalo sauce over, and then give the pan a good toss.
It’s not fancy at all, but that’s what makes these bites so good. These are a delicious alternative to restaurant buffalo chicken…just made in a healthier, less greasy, way. And yes, they’re pretty darn perfect for game night too.
Enjoy everyone!
Looking for more game day recipes? Here are a few to try:
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Fried Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls
Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 232 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups finely crushed corn flake crumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's)
- 1/3 cup melted butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Tahini Ranch
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add the cauliflower and toss well to coat. In a separate bowl combine the corn flake crumbs, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.3. Dredge the cauliflower through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the cauliflower halfway through cooking.4. Meanwhile, whisk together the hot sauce, butter, seasoned salt, and a pinch of black pepper until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, gently tossing to coat. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.5. To make the tahini ranch, combine everything in a bowl, whisking in 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to thin the dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 6. Serve the cauliflower with extra buffalo sauce and tahini ranch on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
Delicious and very easy. Looking forward to trying the tahini ranch on other stuff too!
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made this exactly as described and I loved it! Super quick and easy and a flavor delight! Love how it’s crispy! Great for an appetizer, but we made a big salad and had it as our main because we loved it.
Hey Janelle,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Made this last night, Spectacular! Had to sub the ranch due to time crunch and just did a packet of ranch seasoning with cultured sour cream but it was still delicious. Cauliflower coated really easily and came out with a great crisp texture and flavor. Will definitely be making this again!
Hi Rory,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Just made these, they’re soo good!
Hey Ashley,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
So I used frozen (all I had on hand) and I toasted them in toaster oven to thaw and then squeezed excess water out – they worked great!
Hi Erica,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
Hi Erica,
Yes, that will work well for you! Just thaw and pat dry before following the recipe as is. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made it tonight for dinner. It was not only simple to prepare but outrageously delicious. The tahini sauce was killer!!!
Hi Tonia,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
DE-LISH! We loved this! I didn’t have corn flake crumbs but panko bread crumbs worked just fine! The tahini ranch….O-M-G! I want to make another batch and add more water to it to get it more liquid-like so I can put it on salads! SO good!
The Kung-Pao Cauliflower recipe you have is also one of our “go-to” faves!
Thank you!
(P.S. – I laughed last night after enjoying the cauliflower, the crispy hasselback potatoes, and after making the brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts for the fourth time in a month and said, “I’d love a weekend cooking retreat with Teighan.”
Hi Sheila,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Lol you are so kind! xTieghan
These were super delicious! We made them for meal prep for the week and even reheated they tasted amazing! I also did some with barbecue sauce and they were amazing!
Hi Christina,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Turned out amazing – my note for self is to crush the corn flakes even finer next time almost to a point where it is a powder.
I used these in the folded buffalo chicken wrap as a sub to the chicken and it worked fantastic!
Thanks so much for all of the amazing recipes!
Hi Vivek,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Tried these for football Sunday yesterday and they turned out AMAZING. A comment about using a food processor to crush/crumble the Frosted Flakes really helped, and it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely make them again!
They tasted better than buffalo wild wings chicken and we’re definitely crispy ?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Bianca,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Remember how I said I never comment, well, here I am, back again! Ha! Question this time: how would you add some protein to this to make a meal? I know you said rice or fries but I’m trying to think beyond veg. Any ideas?! Thanks!
Hi Brittany,
Thanks for your comment! You could do half chicken, half cauliflower! xTieghan
Has anyone tried this recipe with an air fryer?
Sorry, didn’t mean to reply to this comment specifically! ??♀️
Hey Amanda,
I bet these would work well in the air fryer for you! Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
GREAT lunch or snack! This came together so quickly and the cauliflower had great texture after baking. The corn flakes got a little soft by the end of the coating after the egg dredging, but we made it work. Can’t wait to make these again, great recipe!
Hi Tori,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
If I don’t have corn flakes, would almond flour or regular breadcrumbs make a crispier buffalo cauliflower?
Hi Ceecee,
I would use regular breadcrumbs. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Amazing! Easily the best baked cauliflower I’ve ever had, and the tahini ranch has a great flavor
Hi Erica,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT
Can you use flax eggs instead of real eggs to make it vegan? Or any other suggestions to get the breading to stick?
Hi Erin,
Sorry, I don’t think flax eggs would work that well, I would try buttermilk or a non dairy milk. Let me know how that works for you! xTieghan
Hello, I just made this recipe and it is amazing. Except I have a question about the tahini ranch. When I mixed the tahini ranch ingredients it turned into a paste thicker than peanut butter. I went over the ingredients numerous times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I ended up have to add almost 2 cups of ranch dressing and some water to get it to look like your photos consistency. It ended up being very good on the cauliflower wings. Was there something that was supposed to thin this sauce down?
Yep, in the instructions she says to thin it with water. Also, if your tahini has separated into paste and oil, it will make it dry and thick if it isn’t stirred together first before measuring it and adding to recipe. Also also, tahinis come in different textures I have found depending on the country of origin or style. So you could also add some oil if you are finding your tahini to be quite solid to begin with.
Hey Ted,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear about the ranch, my guess is your tahini was much thicker than mine, mine was is more on the liquidy side. Next time, try a different brand of tahini. Have a great week! xxT
Thank you so much for the response. I’ve made the wings twice now, absolutely love them. Yes my tahini is very thick even after stirring it’s separation. I will have to try the brand of tahini you use. Thanks again!