Honey Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
I have embarked on my weight loss journey, and I have been trying to find healthy alternatives to some of my favorites. I know what you’re going to say, “that doesn’t look healthy”… and you’re right! I CHEATED, there I said it… instead of air-frying these nuggets of goodness like usual I threw them into a vegetable oil bath.
Do I have any ‘regerts‘? Yes, after sitting they seemed to be a little oily, but the air-fryer setting on my oven worked perfect. If you are looking for a healthier rendition of this recipe I highly recommend popping these babies into an air-fryer!
Let’s get into these cauliflower bites! As you may have seen all over the internet, cauliflower has been commissioned to be everything but a stand alone vegetable. I am here today to inform you that you can not go wrong with cauliflowers versatility. I have had cauliflower crust for pizza and cauliflower ‘mashed potatoes’ and they were both delicious!
A year or two ago I went to a restaurant that served cauliflower bites with sriracha and honey and they were delicious. Personally, I prefer hot sauce and I wanted these to resemble a buffalo chicken bite. I tried both frying as well as air frying, and I preferred the the air fried version. You’re able to have a little more control over how crispy you would like them while also not having to worry about greasy or soggy cauliflower bites. Give them a try, and let me know what you think:
Honey Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower stalk
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup hot sauce
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp chili sauce
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your air-fryer to 375 degrees F
- Take cauliflower and cut stem. Once the stem is removed, break into bite sized pieces.
- In a medium sized pot boil water, the amount should be enough to fully cover the cauliflower pieces.
- Once the water is simmering, add in the cauliflower pieces and continue over heat for about 3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, add water and ice. Once the 2 minutes have passed add the blanched cauliflower bites.
- Once the cauliflower pieces are cooled, lay them onto a kitchen towel and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, 1 tsp garlic powder, pepper, salt and paprika and stir. Once combined, add water 2/3 tbsp at a time until the mixture resembles thick cornbread batter.
- Dip the pieces into the flour mixture and pop into the air-fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden and crispy turning every couple of minutes.
- In a medium heat safe bowl, combine butter, 1 tsp garlic powder, honey, hot sauce, and chili sauce. Melt and stir the mixture.
- Once the cauliflower pieces are done cooking, add into the sauce mixture and toss.
- Plate and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!
