Cookie and Kate: Buffalo Cauliflower

Restaurant-style buffalo cauliflower is typically deep fried (and delicious), but I wanted to make homemade buffalo cauliflower in the oven. I tried it every which way to get here, and many renditions were simply not good. The cauliflower was either soggy, too saucy, too salty, or otherwise not quite right.

I gave up on the idea last year after I landed on buffalo Brussels sprouts instead.

Here’s what I ran into along the way. Many homemade buffalo cauliflower recipes feature cauliflower tossed in a flour and water mixture before baking, with the promise that it produces a deep fried effect. It would be cool if that worked, but it doesn’t. Simply roasting the cauliflower on its own doesn’t yield crispy-enough results, and tossing the cauliflower in sauce after baking negates all crispness anyway.

I finally picked up a new tip from a loosely-written Bon Appetit recipe — cornstarch. Cornstarch helps make my baked sweet potato fries extra crispy, and it does the same for this cauliflower, offering a crispy outside to a high-moisture vegetable without frying. That means that this recipe is gluten-free as well. Hooray!

It’s way too easy to eat this buffalo cauliflower straight off the sheet pan before it makes it to the serving platter. You have been warned.

How to Make the Best Buffalo Cauliflower

1) Bake at a relatively high temperature on a lower oven rack

Four-hundred twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit is my go-to temperature for tender, caramelized roasted vegetables and it is perfect for buffalo cauliflower. Lining the pan with parchment paper ensures that the cauliflower doesn’t stick to the pan, and that the sauce adheres to the cauliflower rather than the pan. We’ll bake the cauliflower on an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, which promotes extra browning (more flavor!)

2) Slice the cauliflower into large florets

Aim for two-to-three inches in size. The cauliflower shrinks considerably as it roasts. Don’t throw out the tiny cauliflower florets and crumbs, which turn into delicious little bits in the oven.

3) Toss the cauliflower florets with cornstarch and seasonings

Cornstarch helps crisp up the cauliflower. It makes a huge difference! We’ll lightly coat the cauliflower with cornstarch, garlic powder and black pepper, then toss with olive oil.

4) Roast the cauliflower until golden

Before we add any sauce, we’ll roast the cauliflower to evaporate excess moisture and bring out its best flavor. Bake for 20 minutes, toss, and bake until golden, about 10 more minutes.

5) Toss the roasted cauliflower with buffalo sauce

Homemade buffalo sauce is simply a mixture of melted butter and Frank’s hot sauce (you can substitute another red hot sauce, if you prefer, but Frank’s is classic). Combine the roasted cauliflower and buffalo sauce in a bowl and gently toss so the sauce coats the cauliflower all over.

6) Bake once more

Finally, return the saucy cauliflower to the oven until blistered and drier to the touch. This step brings out even more irresistible flavor and makes the buffalo cauliflower more finger-friendly.

7) Serve as desired

This buffalo cauliflower is terrific with blue cheese dip or ranch dressing. Carrot sticks, bell pepper strips and celery are classic accompaniments as well.

Buffalo Cauliflower Serving Suggestions

We discovered that buffalo cauliflower makes a fun salad component. Try massaged chopped kale or romaine, my favorite chickpea salad or crispy baked chickpeas, and a creamy dressing, like ranch, blue cheese or Caesar.

Here are some Super Bowl-worthy recipes to serve with buffalo cauliflower:

• Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Favorite Chickpea Salad
• Homemade Vegetarian Chili
• Monster Cookies
• Ultimate Veggie Pizza

Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower