This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is the absolute perfect appetizer for any party! Filled with an entire head of cauliflower, loaded with cream cheese and buffalo sauce, it’s low carb, spicy and delicious!
This recipe was originally published in February 2019. I’ve updated the photos!
So as you know, unless you live under a rock, the big game day is this Sunday! While I really could care less about the game itself – as watching football gives me major heart palpitations because I get way too into it…I am, all into the food!!
Mainly because they’re almost always delicious appetizer dips that involve some type of cheese and a lot of chips to dip in said cheesy goodness. What can I say? I’m easy to please!
This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is no different! It’s loaded with 2 different types of cheese, an entire head of cauliflower, and of course my favorite hot sauce! I used Texas Pete. It originated in NC and it’s my go-to hot sauce. However, feel free to use whatever sauce you got lying around!
I love that this isn’t like an overwhelmingly creamy dip with no other textures like normal buffalo chicken. The bite sized pieces of cauliflower really give it a nice slightly crunchy texture. By roasting them, it softens them, caramelizes them and brings out the flavor but they still retain a slight bite to them.
While the Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is spicy, the cream cheese in it, along with the sour cream and homemade ranch (yes, tons of dairy hehe) really help bring down the spiciness with their creamy/tangy elements.
It’s well balanced, delicious, and low carb (for those of you who care!). Unless of course, you’re planning to eat an entire bag of tortilla chips with the dip – like I am. So let’s get into making it!
Ingredients You Need:
- one head of cauliflower, diced into uniform small bite sized florets (very important that these are small and bite sized, my friends!)
- softened cream cheese
- texas pete (or your favorite) hot sauce
- homemade (or your favorite) ranch dressing
- sour cream
- finely diced red onion
- shredded cheese of choice (i did white and orange sharp cheddar)
- green onions or chives (for garnish)
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Dip:
Chop the cauliflower into small florets – bite size pieces! It’s very important that these are uniform, bite size pieces, y’all. You don’t want mega big hunks of cauliflower impeding in your delicious dip, okay?
So, once those are cut, place ‘em on a baking sheet, douse in olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and then roast them at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, flipping around halfway through until they’re beautifully roasted and caramelized.
Once those are done, place them in a large bowl and set aside for a minute. Finely dice a red onion (I say finely dice because once again, you don’t want big chunks to overtake this dip).
Add the red onion to the bowl with the cauliflower. Dice your softened cream cheese into chunks and add those to the bowl as well. Add in your hot sauce, sour cream and homemade ranch dressing.
Not sure how to make homemade ranch? No worries – check out my post HERE. Once you go homemade, you’ll never go back.
Using a big ol’ wooden spoon, mix all of this together until it’s all evenly spread out and incorporated! In a baking dish, add this mixture.
Top with shredded cheese and bake until golden bubbly and brown (or about 25 minutes).
Top with green onions, chives, maybe even a drizzle more of ranch. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, or just spoon some out on a plate and eat with a fork!
I hope y’all eat lots of yummy food and enjoy the fun commercials this Sunday! Oh, and if you like football – enjoy that too! 😉
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are some other game day recipes you might like!
Chili Lime Avocado and Black Bean Dip
Baked Brie with Apricot Preserves
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is the absolute perfect appetizer for any party! Filled with an entire head of cauliflower, loaded with cream cheese and buffalo sauce, it’s low carb, spicy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, diced into small, uniform bite sized florets
- 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese
- 3/4-1 cup texas pete hot sauce (3/4 less spicy, 1 cup is more spicy)
- 1/2 cup homemade ranch dressing (or use your favorite)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 stalks chopped green onions (garnish)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400. Dice the cauliflower into small, uniform and bite size florets. Place them on a large baking sheet, coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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Once the cauliflower is done roasting, add it to a large bowl and set aside. Finely dice a red onion and add it to the bowl with the cauliflower, along with the homemade ranch dressing, sour cream and hot sauce. Lastly, cut the softened cream cheese into large chunks and add to the bowl.
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Mix together very well, making sure everything is incorporated evenly in the bowl. To a medium size baking dish, add this mixture. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 25 minutes until golden and bubbly.
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Once done, garnish with chopped green onions and another drizzle of ranch dressing if you'd like. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, or eat with a fork! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Find my full recipe for my homemade ranch dressing linked in the blog post above!
Absolutely amazing dip! Super easy to make this healthy treat. Simply delicious.
Thank you so much!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!!
This dip looks so amazing Haylie! Love the chunky texture that the cauliflower adds! Hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl festivities!
Love buffalo anything and cauliflower happens to be one of my fave veggies! I wouldn’t mind extra of these one. After all, the veg practically makes it a health food, right 😉 ??
Thank you so much, Dawn 🙂 Yes! I love cauliflower sooo much. And yes – a total health food 😉
Sooooo good!! I made this for our Kitten Bowl VII party (what the cool people watch on Super Bowl Sunday 😂), and it was a hit! I loved it, even though I’m not generally a buffalo fan. And it got enthusiastic approval through a mouthful from Charles, who is the most buffalo-loving person I know!
Love the Kitty Bowl…so funny! I’m so glad you guys, especially Charles who is the buffalo enthusiast, loved it! Woohoo! Thanks Joan 🙂
This is the best thing with vegetables I have EVER eaten! I have literally gone from feeling ill when I eat broccoli and cauliflower to wanting it at every sports event I go to for the rest of my life!! Or at least, whenever it is prepared as excellently as this 😁
Lol! Charles, this review is amazing!! Thank you so much for all of your kind words!! 🙂