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This Keto Buffalo Cauliflower bites recipe is a low-carb keto vegetarian side dish or appetizer that even meat-eaters love!
Enjoy soft, roasted cauliflower bites covered with crispy almond flour cauliflower florets coated with spicy hot sauce.
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!
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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.
- 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
First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, lightly oil the paper with olive oil. Set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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.
Cut cauliflower into florets
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.
Coat 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.
Bag coating technique
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.
Lay on a baking sheet
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.
Coat the cooked florets 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 grilled meat, 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:
Storage
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.
Can I air fry the cauliflower bites?
You can use this recipe in an air fryer. However, it takes a little more time because the air fryer basket is smaller than a large oven baking sheet.
So you will have to proceed in batches until all 4 cups of cauliflower florets are roasted.
Can I make this recipe egg-free?
If you are looking for a plant-based version of these keto buffalo cauliflower bites, I have got you covered!
It’s very easy to make this recipe without eggs. To do so, replace the egg whites with 2/3 cup of lukewarm water and 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal, and replace the cream with soy cream or coconut cream.
Combine the three ingredients and wait 10 minutes for the texture to thicken. Then, dip the cauliflower florets into the egg replacement mixture first.
Then, dip into the almond flour and place them on the baking tray as for the regular recipe. This option makes delicious vegan buffalo cauliflower bites low in carbs and egg-free.
More cauliflower recipes
I love to create keto vegetarian recipes using cauliflower. Cauliflower is delicious, full of texture, and also a very low-carb vegetable. Below I listed my favorite keto cauliflower recipes for you to try.
Related Recipe
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A tender smoked whole cauliflower with a crusty smoked layer and soft cauliflower flesh, perfect as a healthy low-carb side dish or light dinner. This smoked cauliflower recipe works with charcoal barbecues, electric barbecues, and even in your oven! It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and keto-approved.
3.7g
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Have you made these keto buffalo cauliflower bites? Share a comment or review with me below!
XOXO Carine
Recipe Card
Keto Buffalo Cauliflower
4.9gNet Carbs
A low-carb version of the traditional Buffalo cauliflower recipe made with almond flour.
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Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and lightly oil rack with oil spray. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside
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In another bowl, beat egg whites and heavy cream until well combined. Set aside
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Trim cauliflower feet and leaves, discard. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets about 1 1/2 inches.
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To coat the florets – see my picture above in this post for visual help – or follow the directions below. Start by dipping one cauliflower floret into the egg white batter, leave it for a few seconds above the bowl to remove the excess egg white. Then, press in the bowl with almond flour mixture. Use clean, dry fingers to sprinkle some almond flour mixture to coat the other side of the florets. Use a clean fork to transfer from the almond flour bowl to the baking rack. Don’t touch the almond flour mixture with wet fingers or forks as it would form lumps.
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Lay the coated florets on the prepared baking rack. Bake for 20 minutes.
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Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine hot sauce, olive oil, and sweetener.
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Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and brush each cauliflower bite with the hot sauce mixture using a pastry brush.
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Return the tray to the oven for another 20 minutes.
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Enjoy hot!
Nutrition Facts
Keto Buffalo Cauliflower
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1 cup))
Calories 190.7
Calories from Fat 140
% Daily Value*
Fat 15.5g24%
Saturated Fat 2.1g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 5.1mg2%
Sodium 539.5mg23%
Potassium 259mg7%
Carbohydrates 8.6g3%
Fiber 3.7g15%
Sugar 2.4g3%
Protein 7.8g16%
Vitamin A 86.6IU2%
Vitamin B12 0.1µg2%
Vitamin C 41.1mg50%
Vitamin D 0.1µg1%
Calcium 64.5mg6%
Iron 1.2mg7%
Magnesium 13.5mg3%
Zinc 0.2mg1%
Net Carbs 4.9g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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