Looking for a slightly healthier option for gameday dips? Check out this Buffalo cauliflower dip. Made as a tasty low-carb option that’s packed with all of your favorite flavors, you’re going to love dipping bread, chips, and cut veggies into this cheesy dip.
We love serving up game-day foods around here because nothing is better than enjoying halftime with a table full of snacks. Of course, finger foods are a must, so dips are a must too! Pairing well with this cauliflower dip would be chicken wings, potato wedges, and toasted sliced baguettes, but the options are really limitless because even just digging in with a spoon sounds like a great idea.
What is Cauliflower Buffalo Dip?
It’s a fun twist on the classic buffalo dip. Named so because of the spicy kick added from the hot sauce. While this dip recipe has nothing to do with actual buffalos, it is still a tasty appetizer that is packed with flavor thanks to ranch dressing, cream cheese, and more in every bite.
Making this buffalo cauliflower dip recipe is actually really easy. It doesn’t take too much effort or steps to complete. Adding cauliflower into your favorite buffalo dip makes it more filling, thick, and healthy (think of all those added nutrients in there!)
Ingredients you’ll need for buffalo cauliflower dip:
- Fresh cauliflower
- Cream cheese
- Sour cream
- Buffalo sauce — I like to use Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Mozzarella cheese
- Green onion
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the exact measurements needed, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Cauliflower Buffalo Dip
Heat your olive oil in a skillet and add in your chopped green onion. Make sure to add in both the white parts and light green parts and then cook for 1-2 minutes until soft. Reserve the dark green pieces for later.
Chop your cauliflower into florets and process in a food processor until they are the size of rice grains. You could also use a cheese grater to do this if you do not have a food processor handy.
Add the cauliflower to the green onion and stir over medium heat until the cauliflower is tender the liquid will reduce and the pieces will turn a golden color. This takes about 10-15 minutes depending on how much cauliflower you have.
Add in the cream cheese, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir it over the stove until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Add in the sour cream, buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing. Add in the dark green parts of green onion that your reserved earlier, along with the shredded mozzarella cheese, and mix to combine everything well.
Adjust the salt and buffalo sauce seasonings to taste.
Once the cheese has melted, remove the pan from the heat and serve warm.
What to Serve With Spicy Cauliflower Dip
Some great options to serve alongside your dip include tortilla chips, crackers, and fresh bread. I like to toast sliced baguettes in the oven until golden in color and use them to dip because their crunch and sturdy texture hold up well to being dipped.
Other great options include fresh-cut veggies like carrots, celery, red bell pepper sticks (or any color bell pepper). These would all help to keep the experience a little healthier as you’ll be consuming more nutrients and fewer carbs. Eating the dip with veggies can be argued as an excuse to eat more dip because it all evens out, right?
Substitutions
This is a very customizable dip, though the cauliflower and the buffalo sauce are the key ingredients, you can add or take any of the others.
- Sour cream. If desired you can swap out the sour cream for a plain unsweetened and unflavored Greek yogurt. This will make the dip a little healthier.
- Ranch dressing. You can replace the requested ranch dressing with 1-2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning mix.
- Mozzarella cheese. Replace the requested mozzarella cheese with shredded cheddar cheese and have your dip take on a new life and flavor profile. It will look different and taste great. Try it both ways and see which one you prefer! Or mix the cheeses and use both in one dip (doesn’t that sound amazing?)
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the liquid is reduced. It is essential that the cauliflower is tender and the liquid has reduced before adding the rest of the ingredients; otherwise, the dip will get a watery taste.
- Storage. Keep your leftovers stored in an airtight container for no more than 7 days in the fridge. Reheat the dip before eating to make it easier to scoop and serve.
- How to reheat the dip. To reheat the dip over the stove, use a pot or a skillet over medium heat, stirring regularly, so it doesn’t stick in the bottom. To reheat it in the oven, place it in an oven-safe tray with the oven at 400F for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble.
FAQs
How long can you leave Buffalo dip out?
This dip should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours for food safety reasons. If you have a leftover dip after two hours, cover well with plastic wrap or place it into an airtight container and stick it in the fridge for later. You may also be able to keep it in a small crockpot or warming dish so that it holds at a safe temperature and is within reach if you want it to be safely out of the fridge for more than 2 hours.
Can you freeze buffalo dip?
I have not tried to freeze this particular dip recipe so I cannot say for certain but I do not see why it can’t be safely frozen. Place the dip into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or in a covered pot on the stove over very low heat until warmed through. Do not heat too fast or too quickly as the dip can separate.
How do you fix watery Buffalo Chicken Dip?
If you didn’t get all of the excess moisture from the cauliflower removed then the dip could end up on the watery side. To fix this simply add in a little more sour cream (about one or two tablespoons at a time). Until the dip seems to be thickened.
Need more tasty dip ideas? Check these out
- Tex-Mex Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Hot Melty Broccoli Cheese Dip
- Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
- Baked Dill Pickle Dip
- Garlic Bread Cheese Dip
Cauliflower Buffalo Dip
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓-½ Buffalo Sauce (like Frank’s Hot buffalo sauce)
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 green onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
To serve:
- tortilla chips, carrots, celery, red bell pepper sticks, crackers, fresh bread
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, add the white and light green part of the onion chopped into slices, and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the onion is soft. Keep the dark green pieces aside.
- Chop the cauliflower into florets and process it until it is rice consistency. You could do it in a food processor or with a grated, on a medium thickness. Add the cauliflower rice with the sauté green onion. Stir over medium heat until the cauliflower is tender; its liquid will reduce, and it will turn lightly golden. This will take around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the amount of cauliflower you’ve got.
- Add the cream cheese, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir over the stove until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Then add the sour cream, the buffalo sauce, the ranch dressing, the dark green part of the green onion, shredded mozzarella cheese, and mix to combine.
- Adjust salt and buffalo sauce to taste.
- Once mozzarella is melted, remove from heat and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
4Amount Per Serving Calories 1121Total Fat 77gSaturated Fat 26gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 44gCholesterol 121mgSodium 1838mgCarbohydrates 86gFiber 7gSugar 16gProtein 23g
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