Keto Buffalo Cauliflower

Is Buffalo Cauliflower Keto?

Cauliflower is a very low-carb vegetable ideal as a carb swap in many keto recipes like the popular cauliflower pizza crust or cauliflower casserole.

However, a classic buffalo cauliflower recipe uses a lot of starchy flour like cornflour to dip and roast the cauliflower bites.

Also, the hot sauce added on top of the cauliflower florets always contains added sugar or honey that raises the recipe’s carbs.

So no, an authentic buffalo cauliflower recipe is not low-carb nor keto-approved.

How To Make Keto Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Luckily, it’s possible to make delicious buffalo cauliflower bites without starchy flour or added sugar. Let me show you how!

Ingredients

It’s very easy to adapt the authentic buffalo cauliflower recipe to make it low in carbs and keto-friendly. All you need to make these simple keto cauliflower bites are:

• Head of cauliflower – measure 4 cups of small florets of about 1 1/2 inches each. Learn how to cut cauliflower.
• Almond flour – this is a great low-carb, gluten-free flour to coat food and make any fried or air-fried keto recipes like my keto nuggets.
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Egg-whites – for a vegan keto option, see below in the post.
• Heavy cream or soy cream or canned coconut cream for dairy-free options.
• Hot sauce – most hot sauce brands are keto-friendly, look at the ingredient list on the bottle and make sure there’s no hidden sugar name listed on it.
• Olive oil or melted butter.
• Sugar-free maple syrup or powdered erythritol

Almond Flour Coating

In a mixing bowl, whisk almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, almond milk and set aside while preparing the cauliflower head.

In another bowl, beat egg white or prepare the egg replacement mixture suggested below in this recipe to make the keto vegan option.

Cutting Cauliflower

First, place the cauliflower head on a chopping board and trim the outside leaves. Next, cut the cauliflower head into small florets of about 1 1/2 inches size each.

I don’t recommend washing the florets because the coating wouldn’t hold. Your florets must be dry before dipping them into the almond mixture.

I usually wash my cauliflower head just after buying, pat it dry with absorbent paper, and then store it in the fridge.

It means the cauliflower is clean and dry before it’s used in the recipe.

Coating Florets

Next, use a fork to dip each cauliflower one by one onto the egg white mixture.

Leave them above the bowl for a few seconds, so the excess batter drips back to the bowl.

Then, using another fork, roll the florets into the almond flour mixture.

You can also place the florets in the bowl with the almond flour and sprinkle some of the mix on top of the florets.

You don’t have to fully cover the florets.

Use a clean, dry fork to transfer the coated cauliflower floret onto the baking rack, following the instructions below.

Coating

A faster way to coat the cauliflower florets is to place the almond flour mixture into a large bag.

Then, place the cauliflower bites covered with egg white in the bag and shake vigorously to coat.

It’s a faster technique that doesn’t cover the bites very well and creates more waste – a lot of almond/egg white lumps at the bottom of the bag.

Baking

These keto cauliflower florets can be slightly mushy if directly baked on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

It doesn’t mean you can’t bake them directedly on the baking sheet, but for better texture and crispiness, I recommend placing each coated floret onto a cooling rack placed on top of your baking tray.

Place each floret on the rack, making sure they don’t stick to each other, or they won’t roast properly.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven or until crispy and half baked.

Hot Sauce

While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the hot sauce mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk hot sauce, olive oil, and sugar-free maple syrup.

If you don’t have sugar-free syrup, any keto sweetener in a powder form will work very well, including erythritol or allulose.

Coating With Hot Sauce

Now that the cauliflower is halfway cooked, remove the tray from the oven, and using a pastry brush, brush each floret with the sauce.

Return to the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through

Serving Ideas

You can serve cauliflower florets as a side dish to any steak cooked to your preferred level, fish, or roast.

But it’s also a fun keto snack or keto appetizer recipe to share with friends and family.

You can serve these keto buffalo cauliflower bites with a similar dip as you use for chicken wings, including some of my keto dip recipes below:

• Keto Ranch dressing
• Homemade Ketchup
• Avocado dip

Storage Instructions

These keto cauliflower bites store very well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

However, to enjoy their best texture and avoid a mushy outside, you must rewarm the bites in your oven instead of the microwave.

You can also freeze batches of cauliflower bites in zip bags or boxes and thaw them in the fridge the day before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve listed below the answers to the most common questions about this recipe.