Buffalo Cauliflower is an easy vegetarian appetizer that has all the flavor you love! You can make it with gluten-free flour, and serve it with blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch as a dip.
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (Use two half sheet pans, if possible.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, water, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Stir until smooth and well combined.
Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl, and stir well. It will look like you are stirring the cauliflower in pancake batter, but keep stirring until the cauliflower is evenly coated.
Arrange the cauliflower florets about an inch apart from each other, in a single layer. Use two pans, so the cauliflower won't crowd the pan. (Otherwise, you'll end up with softer, soggy cauliflower.) Place the two pans in the oven and bake at 450ºF for 20 minutes.
Rinse & dry the large mixing bowl, then use it to stir together the hot sauce, olive oil, and honey (if using). When the cauliflower is done baking, transfer it to the large mixing bowl and stir well, until it's coated in the hot sauce mixture. Return the cauliflower to the lined baking sheets, and bake again until the cauliflower looks relatively dry, about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch closely at the end of the cook time, as the edges may start to burn after 15 minutes.
Serve the baked cauliflower pieces warm, with your favorite dipping sauce, like blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition information is for a quarter of the batch, assuming you use buckwheat flour. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
For a vegan recipe, use maple syrup instead of honey for the hot sauce mixture. It will help balance out the spicy flavor!
Buckwheat flour keeps this recipe gluten-free, but you can also use chickpea flour, or a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend, like Bob's Red Mill brand. Do not use almond flour or coconut flour. If you don't need a gluten-free recipe, all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour will also work!