Baked Gluten-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Yes, you read that right… Buffalo cauliflower bites! Have you seen the various recipes all over Pinterest? If not, here’s a glimpse: Wow! So, since Young House Love issued a Winter Pinterest Challenge, I decided it was high time that I show you the buffalo cauliflower bites we made as part of our healthier Super Bowl party dinner. For this Winter Pinterest Challenge, I originally planned to do my take on Mad in Crafts’ awesome plastic animal bookends. The project is simple and adorable! Perfect for the boys’ room! Unfortunately though, my local dollar store was slim pickings on the plastic animals. I had a goat, whale, or dolphin to choose from. Not right for their jungle room. Boo! I’m putting that project on hold until I can find exactly what I want. So, instead of a little animal project today, you’re getting a spiced up healthy recipe! 😉

Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

(Adapted from Skinny Taste)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 C rice flour (*If you’re not eating gluten free, just use regular flour. If you’re eating grain-free, I bet coconut flour would taste good with this too! But, you’d likely need to alter the liquid amounts too.)
• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 3/4 C Frank’s RedHot Sauce (the Buffalo style is great if you can find it).
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 t garlic powder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper…or just spray the sheet with cooking spray.
• Cut the cauliflower into florets (yields somewhere between 4 & 6 cups)
• Whisk together the water, milk, flour, and garlic. Coat each floret with the batter, letting any excess drip off.
• Place the coated florets on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (until the batter edges start browning).
• While those bake, combine the hot sauce and melted butter.
• Once the florets are baked, remove from the oven & pour the hot sauce mixture over. Carefully turn the pieces to make sure everything is well-coated. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Then, serve them up just like you would buffalo chicken wings, with some celery and your favorite ranch or bleu cheese! Obviously, the texture and flavor is a bit different than a boneless chicken wing. But, the taste was great! So, if you’re craving a buffalo taste without all the calories of fried chicken wings, or you need a vegetarian option, these are great! They were perfect for our healthier twist on a football party! Have you tried any fun healthy twists on a favorite recipe lately? 

Linked to: *YHL Winter Pinterest Challenge