This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is a delicious vegetarian spin on a classic game day snack. Made with roasted cauliflower, Frank’s hot sauce, Greek yogurt, and ranch, it’s perfect served with tortilla chips or celery sticks. Easy to make in the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot!
Why I Love This Recipe
This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is deliciously cheesy, rich, and spicy, and can definitely compete with a buffalo chicken wing dip.
That’s right I have a vegetarian chicken wing dip recipe made with cauliflower that’s going to knock your socks off.
Don’t believe me? Ask my carnivore Buffalo-born husband and he’ll tell you how he almost finished the dip off in one sitting :).
This dip swaps the chicken for cauliflower, adds Greek yogurt as well as cream cheese, uses mozzarella and blue cheese, and can be made with ranch dressing or seasoning.
Not only is it deliciously spicy, cheesy and indulgent-tasting, it’s vegetarian, gluten-free, has more fiber, and is super satisfying.
It only requires 7 simple ingredients and comes together quickly, though maybe not as fast as it’ll get eaten!
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is also customizable so you can switch up the type(s) of shredded cheese based on what you have on hand or add more or less hot sauce depending on your spice preferences.
You can also easily make it in the slow cooker or Instant Pot if your oven isn’t available (instructions for all three methods below!).
Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes on Ingredients
cauliflower: I like to roast the cauliflower in the oven first because I love roasted veggies and think it brings out more flavor but if you’d rather microwave or steam your cauliflower as a time saver, go for it! Use a small head or a bag of pre-cut cauliflower florets.
Frank’s hot sauce: I highly recommend trying to find Frank’s hot sauce for this recipe but don’t sweat it if you need to use another type of Buffalo sauce. You can add a little more or less depending on your desired spice level!
cream cheese: acts as the base of the dip. I recommend using a regular full-fat block of cream cheese and letting it soften before you get started.
Greek yogurt: contributes to the creamy texture and adds a boost of protein.
ranch dressing: helps combat the spice of the hot sauce along with the cream cheese. If you’d like your dip to have a thicker consistency you can use 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning instead.
mozzarella cheese: I like using shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe but feel free to swap it out with other cheeses like cheddar, Colby, pepper jack, or some combination of different cheeses.
blue cheese: blue cheese is often paired with buffalo sauce to combat the heat but you can omit if blue cheese isn’t your thing!
Equipment You’ll Need (affiliate links – if you make a purchase I receive a small commission):
Baking Dish
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Dip
Roast the cauliflower. On a parchment lined baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until tender and slightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Combine ingredients. To a large mixing bowl add roasted cauliflower, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Frank’s hot sauce, ranch dressing (or seasoning), 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and blue cheese. Stir until cream cheese is mostly incorporated.
Transfer and bake. Transfer to a baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and optional extra blue cheese. Bake until mixture is bubbling and the sides are just starting to brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Serve! Top with optional sliced green onion and serve warm with tortilla chips, carrot and celery sticks, for dipping.
Expert Tips
You can prep Buffalo Cauliflower Dip in advance by preparing it up until it needs to be baked in the oven. If you’re making it in advance, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge (no longer than 24 hours) until you’re ready. Before baking, let the dip come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
If you don’t like small cauliflower chunks in your dip, you can pulse the roasted cauliflower in a food processor or dice the florets before combining with the other ingredients.
How to make this dip in the Instant Pot
If you want to save oven space or just don’t want to turn on your oven, you can easily make this dip in the Instant Pot!
In Instant Pot, add cauliflower, Frank’s, ranch dressing or seasoning, salt and pepper, and stir to coat.
Secure lid onto Instant Pot and set to pressure cook/manual for 2 minutes.
Use quick release valve to release steam.
Once pressure is released, open lid and add cream cheese, yogurt, mozzarella, and blue cheese.
Using an immersion blender or hand mixer on low, blend ingredients until smooth and creamy, or your desired texture (I like some little chunks of cauliflower in mine!).
Pour out into a serving bowl and garnish with green onion.
How to make this dip using the slow cooker
Roast cauliflower in the oven.
Spray slow cooker bowl with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours or on low for 3-4 hours, or until cheeses have melted and dip is heated through.
Stir dip again before transferring to a serving bowl and topping with green onion garnish.
Recipe FAQs
What goes good with buffalo cauliflower?
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip goes well with tortilla chips, crackers, sliced baguette, carrots and celery sticks. If you’re planning on making this in part of a game day menu, you can serve it alongside nachos, chicken wings, fries, coleslaw, etc.
Can I use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch dressing?
I haven’t made this dip with blue cheese dressing but I’m sure this would be delicious! You can try using my vegan blue cheese dressing or any store bought dressing should work.
Can this dip be made without blue cheese?
Absolutely! Feel free to omit the blue cheese completely or even swap it out with goat cheese or feta cheese for that salty, crumbly effect.
What is the best hot sauce for buffalo cauliflower dip?
Hand’s down use Frank’s hot sauce. Frank’s hot sauce is by far my favorite Buffalo sauce (and I’m from Buffalo, NY so I know a good wing sauce!).
How long is buffalo cauliflower dip good for in the fridge?
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To store, you can wrap the entire baking dish tightly in plastic wrap or transfer the dip to an airtight container before putting it in the fridge.
Storage and Preparation
This dip can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Let dish come to room temperature before before baking while the oven preheats.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can freeze this dip for up to three months but the texture and consistency will change (although the flavor will still be good!).
Recipes That Pair Well
Vegetarian Nachos
Healthy Sweet Potato Skins
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Vegan Chickpea Burgers
Kohlrabi Fries (Baked or Air Fryer)
Sheet Pan Potato Nachos
For more buffalo cauliflower inspiration, check out my other recipes below!
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings – Air Fryer or Oven
Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza
Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Ranch Slaw
Instant Pot Vegetarian Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Dip
If you like this recipe, please be sure to comment and give it a 5 star rating below. If you make it, share it on Instagram and tag me @karalydonrd and I’ll re-share it with my followers! If you want to save this recipe for later, be sure to pin it on Pinterest!
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This recipe was retested, reshot and revamped to bring you the most delicious (and most beautiful) dish! The original post was published February 2017.
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Description
This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip is a delicious vegetarian spin on a classic game day snack. Made with roasted cauliflower, Frank’s hot sauce, Greek yogurt, and ranch, it’s perfect served with tortilla chips or celery sticks. Easy to make in the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot!
1 small head cauliflower, chopped into small, bite-sized florets (about 5–6 cups florets)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temp and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce (or Buffalo wing sauce)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (or 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (plus extra for topping, if desired)
Optional: sliced green onion, for garnish
Tortilla chips, carrot and celery sticks, for serving
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On the baking sheet, toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until tender and slightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Add roasted cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Frank’s hot sauce, ranch dressing (or seasoning), 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, blue cheese, and stir until ingredients are combined and cream cheese is mostly incorporated.
Transfer to a 9×9 or 10×7 baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and optional extra blue cheese.
Bake until mixture is bubbling and the sides are just starting to brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Top with optional sliced green onion and serve warm with tortilla chips, carrot and celery sticks, for dipping.
Instant Pot: Add cauliflower, Frank’s, ranch dressing or seasoning, salt and pepper to Instant Pot and stir to coat. Secure lid onto Instant Pot and set to pressure cook/manual for 2 minutes. Use quick release valve to release steam. Once pressure is released, open lid and add cream cheese, yogurt, mozzarella, and blue cheese. Using an immersion blender or hand mixer on low, blend ingredients until smooth and creamy, or your desired texture (I like some little chunks of cauliflower in mine!). Pour out into a serving bowl and garnish with green onion.
Slow Cooker: Spray the bowl of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Roast your cauliflower first and then add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours or on low for 3-4 hours, or until cheeses have melted and dip is warm throughout. Give it another stir and transfer to a serving dish with your desired garnishes.
Notes
This recipe was updated and improved October 2023. If you loved the original recipe, here are the key ingredient differences: 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning, blue cheese is an optional topping. The main instruction difference is to pulse all the ingredients in the food processor to combine before transferring to the baking dish to bake.
This recipe has bite-sized cauliflower chunks. If you prefer more of a smooth consistency, pulse ingredients in the food processor before transferring to the baking dish.
I used ranch dressing because it was more accessible in stores I shop at than ranch seasoning but if you’d like your dip to have a thicker consistency, use seasoning instead.
Frank’s hot sauce is my favorite Buffalo sauce (and I’m from Buffalo, NY so I know a good wing sauce!) and I highly recommend trying to find it for this recipe but don’t sweat it if you need to use another type of Buffalo sauce.
Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 45 minutesCategory: DipMethod: BakeCuisine: American
Keywords: buffalo cauliflower dip, vegetarian buffalo cauliflower dip, vegetarian buffalo dip
