BBQ Cauliflower Flatbread with Avocado Ranch Dressing

Monday blues got you today? Allow us to brighten your day with this new recipe—perfect for Meatless Monday, Friyay, and every damn day in between.

We’ve been thinking about our homemade BBQ sauce ever since that time we made our Crockpot BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Finding store-bought BBQ sauce that checks both the healthy and delicious boxes has been a bit of a struggle (if you’ve found one, please comment below or slide into our DMs, stat), so we made it our mission to create one. The best part about it? It comes together quickly, using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. WIN!

Buffalo cauliflower has been a staple in our kitchens for years (sensing another recipe coming to the blog soon…). A while ago, I made a buffalo cauliflower pizza (epic) and was recently reminded of it, thanks to good ol’ social media throwbacks. So between that reminder and dreaming about our homemade BBQ sauce, we came up with this glorious creation—BBQ cauliflower flatbread.

Two confessions: First, we are not bakers and do not get joy out of working with dough. We’ve found that whole wheat naan bread is an awesome lazy-girl hack for making pizza/flatbread at home. It’s thin and crispy, and best of all, requires no baking. *insert sigh of relief here*

Second, I always want ranch dressing with my pizza. Sorry not sorry to everyone who is deeply offended by this combination. It happened in college, and I can’t make it unhappen. But, sadly, ranch isn’t always the healthy option. But avocado ranch made with Greek yogurt? Sign. Us. Up.

Listen, if all this sauce making isn’t for you, we totally get it. You can easily make this recipe using store-bought BBQ sauce and ranch dressing—and/or just top your flatbreads with diced avocado for the same creamy, cooling effect. No matter how you slice it, we can pretty much guarantee it’s going to be amazing.

BBQ Cauliflower Flatbread with Avocado Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

4 pieces whole wheat naan bread
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

For the BBQ Sauce (if using store-bought, you’ll need about 1 1/4 cups):

1 cup ketchup; we used Annie’s organic ketchup, found here.
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp hot sauce

For the Avocado Ranch Dressing/Dip (makes about 1 cup—you will have leftovers):

1 medium avocado
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
2 tsp chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce, mixing well. Set aside.
Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 20 minutes.
While cauliflower roasts, place avocado ranch ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as desired.
Remove cauliflower from oven and brush with 3/4 cup BBQ sauce, tossing again to coat evenly. Bake for another 8-10 minutes.
To assemble flatbread, place naan bread on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush each with 2 tbsp BBQ sauce. Top each flatbread with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup shredded smoked gouda. Then, evenly divide the BBQ cauliflower among the flatbreads, followed by the sliced red onion. Bake for 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted (you may have to do this step in batches, as all four flatbreads won’t fit on one baking sheet).
Remove flatbreads from oven and drizzle with avocado ranch (or top with diced avocado). Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 flatbread

470 calories per serving • Fat: 21.6g • Carbohydrates: 56.1g • Protein: 18.3g

*Nutrition info does not include avocado ranch drizzle.