Single Cauli Tender | Price, Calories & Full Details

The Single Cauli Tender is the most affordable entry point into Dave’s Not Chicken menu. At $7.99 and 350 calories, it is a single hand-battered cauliflower piece with no bun, no fries, and no sides attached, prepared the same way Dave’s prepares its chicken tenders but with cauliflower floret as the base instead of chicken breast. It is priced $3.00 above the Single Tender chicken version at $4.99, which reflects the additional preparation work involved in getting cauliflower to hold a proper breading and maintain its texture through the frying process.

What makes the Single Cauli Tender worth trying as a standalone item is how directly it lets you compare the cauliflower format to chicken. Because there is no bun or sides, the spice coating hits just as directly as it does on a chicken tender, and the texture of the cauliflower is the main thing you are evaluating alongside the heat.

At 350 calories and 6g of protein, it is lower in both calories and protein than the chicken version at 490 calories and 25g of protein. But it has more fiber (3g vs 0g) and significantly lower cholesterol (5mg vs 65mg), which are the meaningful nutritional differences between the two formats. To see everything available on the cauliflower menu, explore all cauli options.

Single Cauli Tender Price

The Single Cauli Tender is priced at $7.99 at most Dave’s Hot Chicken locations. That is $3.00 more than the chicken Single Tender at $4.99 and the same price as the chicken Single Slider at $6.99 plus $1. Prices may vary slightly by location. You can find your nearest Dave’s Hot Chicken on the Dave’s restaurant locations page.

Single Cauli Tender Calories & Nutrition

At 350 calories, the Single Cauli Tender is lower in calories than the chicken Single Tender at 490 calories. The fat content at 17g is also lower than the chicken version at 29g. The fiber at 3g is the clearest nutritional advantage over the chicken format since chicken tenders contain 0g of fiber. For the complete macro breakdown of all cauli and chicken items, visit the full nutrition details page.

Calorie Comparison by Spice Level

The spice coating adds fewer calories per level on a single cauli tender than on a chicken tender because cauliflower absorbs less frying oil than chicken during the cooking process.

Allergen Information

The Single Cauli Tender contains wheat and gluten in the batter and breading. Eggs are used in the batter coating. Soy is present in the frying oil. Unlike the cauli slider items, there is no bun in the Single Cauli Tender, so dairy is not a direct ingredient in this item.

However, this item is not egg-free and is not suitable for anyone with a wheat or egg allergy. Dave’s Hot Chicken uses shared fryers and shared kitchen surfaces, meaning cross-contamination with dairy, sesame, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, and all other major allergens is possible. For a full allergen breakdown, visit the check dietary restrictions page.

Ingredient List

Cauli Tender:

• Cauliflower floret
• Seasoned batter (enriched wheat flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, egg)
• Soybean or canola frying oil

Spice Coating (applied above No Spice):

• Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper
• Ghost pepper extract (Extra Hot)
• Carolina Reaper pepper extract (Reaper)

This is one of the shortest ingredient lists on the Dave’s menu. No bun, no sauce, no pickles, no sides. The batter does contain egg, which makes it unsuitable for anyone with an egg allergy despite being meatless. Ingredient lists may vary slightly by location and supplier.

Spice Levels Available

The Single Cauli Tender is available at all seven of Dave’s heat levels. Because there is no bun or sauce to buffer the spice, the heat experience is direct and concentrated, exactly the same way it works on a chicken tender. The cauliflower surface holds the spice coating firmly, which means the heat distribution is even across the whole piece.

• No Spice — The natural flavor of the cauliflower comes through clearly with no chili heat. The crunch of the batter is the main eating experience.
• Lite Mild — A trace of warmth that adds just a hint of the Dave’s flavor without any real heat building.
• Mild — Gentle, noticeable heat that lets the cauliflower flavor still come through underneath the spice.
• Medium — Steady heat that builds as you eat. Without a bun to slow it down, Medium on a cauli tender feels similar in intensity to Medium on a chicken tender.
• Hot — The cayenne-forward seasoning becomes the main flavor. The cauliflower texture is firmer than chicken, which changes how the spice sits on the piece slightly, but the heat intensity is comparable.
• Extra Hot — Sharp, lasting heat with no buffer. The effect stays with you well after you finish.
• Reaper — One cauli tender at Reaper gives you the full Carolina Reaper experience on a meatless piece. The heat delivery is the same as on a chicken tender at this level.

What Makes Single Cauli Tender Worth Ordering

The Single Cauli Tender works best as a comparison piece or a standalone snack for customers who want to try the Dave’s Not Chicken format before committing to a full combo. At $7.99 for 350 calories and 6g of protein, the price-to-protein ratio is much lower than the chicken version, so it is not the right choice for anyone primarily focused on protein. What it is the right choice for is texture comparison, spice level testing on a meatless piece, or a lighter standalone option that delivers the Dave’s heat experience without chicken.

If you want to build a fuller meal around it, pairing the Single Cauli Tender with Dave’s Fries and a Side of Dave’s Sauce gives you a complete custom cauli meal for a lower combined price than any of the set cauli combos. The Single Cauli Slider at $8.99 is the natural comparison item if you want to see the difference between the tender and slider formats in the cauli lineup.

Price Comparison with Similar Items