This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
Ingredients
- Cauliflower
- Large eggs
- Finely crushed corn flake crumbs
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Hot sauce
- Melted butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Seasoned salt
Tahini Ranch
- Tahini
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Dried chives
- Dried parsley
- Dried dill
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and pepper
Kitchen Supplies
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- large mixing bowl
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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan! I can’t find Frank’s Hot Sauce where I live, would Sriracha work as an alternative? Thanks!
Hey Danielle,
Sriracha is going to make this SUPER spicy. It totally doesn’t have to be Frank’s, any other buffalo sauce that you enjoy will work. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I made this tonight and it was a flavor bomb!! SO GOOD! I used panko breadcrumbs instead of the corn flake crumbs and it coated the cauliflower easily. I had made sure to stir the entire jar of tahini from the bottom when I opened it, so adding Dijon & lemon really seized it up into a solid paste. I had to thin it out quite a bit. With that said, the flavors were all amazing and the crispiness was perfection. I will definitely be making this one again.
Hey Alyssa,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🧑🎄
I’ve been wanting to try Buffalo Cauliflower for a LONG time. I dont know why I hesitated, I guess I was waiting for a recipe that called to me and this one did. OMG, it was amazing. And the proof is hubby keeps saying, “can we have that again.” In all honesty I didnt make the SPicy Tahini, not because it didnt look amazing, but because homemade buttermilk ranch was calling my name. Thank you for a ****** recipe!
Hey Cynthia,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xT
Yummy….Can this be done in the air fryer?
Hey Alex,
I’ve not tested this recipe in the air fryer, but I bet it would work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing! xT
No words. This is ??????…as all your recipes are! Thank you Tieghan❤ Blessings
Hey Niti!
Happy Friday!!? I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Are you able to use Panko in place of the corn flake crumbs? Thanks in advance!
Hey Danielle,
Sure, that will work well for you!! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This recipe is our go-to! Thanks again for sharing another delicious recipe
Hey Michelle,
Happy Wednesday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try and love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your feedback:) xT
The tahini ranch calls for water in the video, but doesn’t list it in the ingredients. How much should we add?
Hey Ashtin,
I only added a touch of water to thin out my tahini. It is not necessary, but if you feel it’s too thick then add some water:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
I’ve made these twice in the last 2 months. So good and a great vegetarian alternative to chicken wings!
Hey Morgan,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
These are the bomb!! Used food processed pork rinds (GF!). They turned out so good! Thank you for the recipe!!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
How did u get the corn flakes to stick? Cooked 5 minutes more and still not golden like your pic?♀️ Love the flavor??
Hi Annette,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! I really try to press the cornflakes on to the cauliflower. xx
I LOVE this recipe. It is now my favorite way to eat cauliflower, but I cannot get them to be super crispy. I’ve used different bread crumbs, different size cauliflower florets, more time cooking after the sauce. They still come out soft. Any tips?
Hey Rebecca,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Unfortunately, cauliflower is only going to get as crispy as cauliflower can get. So if you are comparing it to the crispiness of say chicken wings, the nature of the vegetable is just never going to be that way. Hope this makes sense! ?xTieghan
This recipe is amazing and so easy! I sometimes make without covering in Buffalo sauce and then dip in a variety of sauces. Love it!
Hey Rosemary,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
I really liked these but the corn flakes didn’t stick very well. I think they needed to be like dust rather than crumbs(It does say in the recipe finely crushed). I will make it again and try it with bread crumbs or crush my corn flakes more.
Hey Fiona,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
Made this tonight less the ranch and holy smokes — absolutely delicious! I subbed bread crumbs for corn flakes as it was what I had. My whole family, including the kids, gobbled them up.
Hi Emily,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx