09 Sep Vegan Chipotle Cauliflower Buffalo Bites + Raw Cashew Ranch Dip (gf)
The 2014 Football Season is here, and what better way to kick it off than with some spicy, saucy, “I need 20 napkins” buffalo bites? Oh, and they’re…drumroll…healthy too. Wait….don’t go! Stay for this, I know you’ll love them.
Cheezy burger spreads, pizza crust, oven-roasted steaks, and now buffalo wings, I think it’s safe to say that with Cauliflower, you can do it all. Cauliflower is one of my favorite ingredients to use because it is so versatile and has a power punch of nutrition. It’s my go-to vegetable when I try to create a recipes with hidden vegetables for my family to try.
Mix together your flour of choice, almond milk, water and spices until thick and smooth. For this recipe, I used organic white rice flour, but feel free to use any flour of your choice. I have had great results with white rice flour, Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour and Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour blends so far, so those I could definitely recommend. My friend Sarah has also told me that she had used chickpea flour when making a similar recipe, so you could try that out as well.
Place the battered cauliflower onto a baking sheet. Line it with either a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat if you’re extra fancy, or simply just parchment paper. If possible, I highly recommend use a cooling rack on top of the lined pan, then place the cauliflower on that. This will prevent sticking, since no oil is being used. If oil is a part of your diet, spray the tray first to prevent sticking.
What makes these chipotle buffalo bites is the Frontera Chipotle Garlic sauce I used. This is technically a taco sauce, but whatevs, I’ll take it. I was recommended to this brand by my friend Michelle and haven not look back since. I usually purchase my hot sauce at Whole Foods Market, and you can also find it on the Frontera Website and on Amazon (for a pack of 6) as well.
Whole Foods has been kind of unreliable with it lately. If you live in Los Angeles, I know for a fact that the Glendale WF doesn’t carry it (they did for a few months but stopped), the Arroyo Pkwy Pasadena WF carries it and the Santa Monica WF on Wilshire does not carry it. These are the only Whole Foods I have been to (well, when looking for this sauce), so let me know if you find it anywhere else.
Frontera carries their chipotle garlic taco sauce in both mild and hot. I used hot for this recipe as that is how I used to love my buffalo wings, but if you are not much of a spicy person, use the mild. My lips burned a bit with this but it was totally worth it.
Alternatively, I have heard that Frank’s red Sauce is the other must use hot sauce for buffalo flavoring, so try that out as well.
Once you have baked the cauliflower, it will come out nice and crispy. Sorry for the lack of a photo, I was too excited to eat it!
I let them cool for a little, then SLOWLY peeled them off of the cooling rack and put them into a pot. The cauliflower will stick, so keep that in mind. If you just rip them off, the outside shell will go with it, and you’ll have nothing but some steamed cauli which I know you don’t want.
You can use a bowl instead of the pot as well, it doesn’t matter. Other recipes say to warm the hot sauce up first, which it what I was going to do with the pot, but I decided that it wasn’t necessary as the cauliflower was already warm. 
Serve with:
- Raw vegetables: my favorites are celery and carrots
- Raw Cashew Ranch (below)
- Fruit Beer Floats
- Depending on how saucy you make them, you’ll need napkins, lots of napkins.
Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Bites (gf)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3-5 servings
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or more water)
- 3/4 cup Frontera Chipotle Garlic Hot or any red hot sauce, like Frank’s Ret Hot
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour of choice (I used organic white rice flour)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
- Healthy green salt substitute or salt, to taste
Additional Tools (Optional)
- Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F and line a large baking tray with parchment or a silpat sheet, and a cooling rack, if possible.
- In a medium size bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth.
- Combine the cauliflower with batter and make sure to coat each piece completely. You can do it one by one or all at once (which is what I did, then slowly mixed).
- Place the battered cauliflower on the line sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
- When the cauliflower is done, add it into a medium bowl or pot, and coat it with the hot sauce.
- If you want the cauliflower to be crispy and a touch more dry (as opposed to saucy), place the back into the oven for 5-10 minutes after covering it in the hot sauce.
- Serve with your favorite vegetables and raw ranch dressing (below).
This does make a lot more ranch dip than needed, but I create a large batch because it is easier on my blender. When making this in a smaller amount, you might have to use the food processor and stop to scrape the sides down a few times.
PrintRaw Cashew Ranch Dip (gf)
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: Vegan, Raw Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic or equivalent powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 medjool date, pitted
- 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- Healthy green salt substitute or salt, to taste
- Green onions, to garnish
Instructions
- Blend all of the ingredients except for the last three in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a bowl and stir in the parsley and chives. Serve with a a sprinkle of green onions.
Looking for more deliciously simple vegan recipes? Check out my Lunch & Dinner Ebook! It has 22 easy {gluten-free, salt-free and low-fat} recipes to help you create healthier habits and take charge of your life. They say 21 days makes a habit, right? It’s all up to you. Get your copy of the ebook here!
Please note: This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that I earn a commission if you purchase through those links- thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan. Let me know if you have any questions.
I am in no way affiliated with the ‘Frontera’ brand. It is simply a product I love and thought you would too!
Cara Carin
Posted at 17:25h, 22 SeptemberThese sound so awesome! I cant wait to try em!
★★★★★
Jasmine Briones
Posted at 19:06h, 22 SeptemberThanks for always supporting my page! You need to try these they’re so good!
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