Treat yourself to this decadent, delicious Buffalo Cauliflower Dip!
This creamy vegetarian dip is easy to make and loaded with scrumptious, spicy flavors ... it's a total crowd-pleaser that's perfect for game day or any get together!
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There are few things more annoying to vegetarians than being told, "You don't know what you're missing!" As someone who grew up eating a standard meat and potatoes diet, trust me I do ... and I'm not looking back, lol!
As a Buffalo Sauce lover though, I have to admit being a little jealous whenever someone served Buffalo Dip at a party. So obviously, I had to rectify that!
This amazing Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Dip, which replaces the chicken with cauliflower, is the result. And while this delicious dip might have no chicken, you are definitely not going to miss it!
Don't take my word for it though! My chief taste-tester (aka my husband, who does eat meat) also loved this spicy cauliflower dip. He couldn't stop eating it, and between bites he even suggested that you could probably serve it without mentioning that ingredient swap, and no one would be the wiser.
Whether you're a vegetarian or not, you're sure to love this delightful dip, too. It's super creamy, has the perfect amount of spicy, yet flavorful heat, and it's easy to make. Most importantly, it's 100% delicious!
Ready to try this recipe for yourself? You'll find all the details, plus tons of tips, below!
Ingredients
This recipe uses easy to find ingredients you can find in any grocery store. Here's what you'll need:
- Cauliflower - Because this dip is made without chicken, you've gotta replace it with something, and cauliflower is the magic ingredient! This versatile veggie soaks up the spicy Buffalo flavor and adds a great texture to the recipe.
- Buffalo Sauce - This spicy, meatless dip is made with my homemade Buffalo Sauce, which is a combination of Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, butter, and garlic, plus a little Sriracha for a fun, but optional twist. You'll mix the sauce with the roasted cauliflower and into the dip itself.
- Blue Cheese - Bold blue cheese adds tons of flavor. I made mine with a creamy Danish blue, but feel free to use your fave. If you're not a fan of blue cheese, you can definitely replace it with another cheese, like feta, or leave it out altogether. You'll find more options in the Variations section below.
- Other Ingredients - Cream cheese and sour cream form the dip's creamy base and temper the heat of the spicy Buffalo Sauce. Extra sharp white cheddar adds a rich cheesy flavor.
Tip: I don't recommend using fat free dairy for this recipe. It just doesn't taste good or have the right texture. However, you can lighten things up a bit by using Neufchâtel Cheese and light sour cream (Daisy is the BEST!) like I did.
You'll Also Need
To make this Veggie Chicken Wing Dip, you'll need a baking sheet to roast the cauliflower (these Circulon baking sheets are my fave!), as well as a small saucepan to make the Buffalo Sauce, and an 8 x 8-inch baking dish to bake the dip. I used this beautiful Emile Henry Square Baking Dish, which is as perfect for baking the dip as it is for serving it.
Tip: Save on cleanup time by covering your baking sheet with a layer of nonstick foil before roasting the veggies!
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
This recipe has a few steps, but don't let that deter you ... it's super simple to prepare! You'll find a detailed, printable recipe at the end of this post, but here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Roast the cauliflower. Start by cutting the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. You don't want any large chunks ... smaller is better! Toss it with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper, then roast for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Make the Buffalo Sauce. While the cauli cooks, you'll make this simple sauce. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the Frank's Hot Sauce and Sriracha (if using), then mix well. Bring the sauce to a boil, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Mix cauliflower with sauce. Next, you'll mix a third cup sauce with the cauliflower, then bake it for about five minutes, or until it coats and sticks to the roasted veggies.
- Stir the remaining ingredients together. Once the cauliflower is ready, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth. Then stir in the cauliflower, remaining Buffalo Sauce, half the cheddar cheese, and the blue cheese.
- Transfer to a baking dish. After you've mixed everything together, transfer the dip to your baking dish, then top it with the remaining cheddar.
- Bake and serve. Bake the dip for about 20 minutes or until it's hot, then top with more blue cheese and a sprinkle of green onions before serving.
And that's all there is to it ... time to dig in! One bite of this delicious, spicy Buffalo Cheese Dip, and you're sure to be hooked.
Tip: With all the rich ingredients, this dip can get a little oily after baking. If there's any excess oil on top after cooking, lightly blot the dip with a paper towel to remove it before adding the toppings.
Variations
Now that you've mastered the basic Buffalo Cauliflower Dip recipe, you can have fun experimenting! Here are some easy ideas:
- Cheese - Replace the sharp cheddar with mild or medium cheddar, or with any cheese that melts well, such as pepper jack, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack. Not a blue cheese fan? Feel free to skip it altogether, or replace it with crumbled feta.
- Ranch - I tested this recipe with and without ranch seasoning, and while the ranch flavor was tasty, my husband and I both preferred it without. However, if you want to try it for yourself, stir in a packet of ranch seasoning mix when mixing the dip together. The seasoning mix has a tendency to be salty, so go light on salt when roasting the cauliflower, and only use about half the blue cheese (sprinkle it on top only) or leave it out altogether.
- Less Spicy - To make this Buffalo Chip Dip less spicy, leave out the Sriracha and cut back on the amount of Buffalo Sauce. You can add it to taste when mixing the dip together, if you prefer.
- Extra Spicy - Can't get enough heat? Add extra Sriracha or a few dashes of ground cayenne when making the sauce or when mixing the dip.
Serving Suggestions
This vegetarian Buffalo Dip is perfect for parties and has game day written all over it! Serve it with fresh, crunchy veggies, such carrots and celery sticks, and something crispy, like tortilla chips or homemade pita chips, and you'll have a crowd-pleasing appetizer that no one can resist.
Storage
Store any leftover dip in an air tight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for three to four days. Gently rewarm in your microwave before serving.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Buffalo Sauce recipes? Try one of these delicious dishes next:
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Buffalo Tater Tot Nachos (Tatchos)
- Buffalo Tofu
- Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
If you're a dip lover (and who isn't, really?), I've get plenty of other recipes to temp you! Make sure to check out my Mexican Spinach Dip, Cream Cheese Dip, Baked Black Bean Dip, Spicy Chipotle Hummus, and Baked Feta Dip next.
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
Ingredients
For Cauliflower:
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- pepper
For Buffalo Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (optional)
For Dip:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar, divided
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- nonstick cooking spray
For Serving:
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 large green onions, thinly sliced (green part only)
- carrots, celery sticks, and / or tortilla chips
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- 8 x 8-inch Baking Dish
Instructions
Prepare Cauliflower:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place cauliflower on baking sheet, then drizzle with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Toss with ⅓ cup Buffalo Sauce, then continue baking until sauce sticks to and coats cauliflower, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.
Prepare Buffalo Sauce:
- While cauliflower roasts, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- When butter is hot, add garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add Frank's hot sauce and sriracha (if using), then mix until well combined. Bring sauce to a boil, then remove from heat.
Assemble and Bake Dip:
- Mix cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth in a large bowl.
- Stir cauliflower, remaining buffalo sauce, half the cheddar, and ¼ cup blue cheese into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, then add the dip. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake dip at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until hot.
Serve Dip:
- Sprinkle dip with ¼ cup blue cheese and green onions.
- Serve with veggies and chips for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
