Three-Ingredient Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi that is pillowy, crispy, and pairs perfectly with just about any sauce you’ve got. Easy, healthy-ish, and seriously delicious!
Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi
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I just made this for dinner, and served it with the POY vodka tomato sauce. It was really delicious! I would absolutely make this again.
Aileen
Dear savory little nuggets of pillowy goodness known as cauliflower gnocchi, we are here for you.
Or more accurately, cauliflower gnocchi, you are here for us, and right now especially.
These long (I repeat: LONG) days at home are begging for a fun-but-simple three ingredient recipe that results in soft little pillows of delight with a low-key easygoing golden browned exterior that can be served with, honestly, like, any sauce you have.
- Creamy tomato or vodka sauce? Come to me.
- Ragu? Two thumbs up.
- Pesto of some sort? Yes, please. (I recommend kale pesto.)
- Straight up olive oil or butter with some garlic? A++.
This cauliflower gnocchi business is altogether healthy-ish, low-maintenance, seriously delicious, and fun. Let’s talk about how to make this gem of a recipe.
How To Make Cauliflower Gnocchi
First, we’re going to cook a bag of frozen cauliflower. Use fresh if you want – but in these strange times, I find that simply opening a bag of frozen cauliflower is a little more manageable than cutting a full head and ending up with the little cauliflower granules all over the floor. ANYONE? But either way.
Then the cauliflower gets rid of all its water thanks to a few good squeezes, and here we have the intentionally dry cauliflower blob that is left:
Which will soon be mixed with flour and salt to turn into the cauliflower gnocchi DOUGH:
Which will soon be rolled into ropes, cut up into bite-sized pieces, and browned up in a pan to crispy-soft perfection.
Now, the sauce, as discussed, is chef’s choice!
Most of the times when I make this, I have it with kale pesto. Kale pesto is easy and healthy and… I don’t know, it just works.
But AS YOU CAN SEE….
I also really have a weakness for a good creamy / vodka / luscious tomato sauce situation. With pillows of gnocchi. Made out of cauliflower. What is life.
This recipe is based off the How Sweet Eats cauliflower gnocchi! Jess knows her stuff and her recipe was the first one I tried. All credit to her for the original that inspired this version + method! ❤️
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Cauliflower Gnocchi:
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
Common Questions About Cauliflower Gnocchi
What sauce is best with the gnocchi?
The sauce in these pictures is just jarred tomato / pasta sauce with a little bit of cream added to it! You don’t even need a recipe. Kale pesto, as shown in the video, is also amazing! I also like a vodka sauce type situation.
How can I make this gluten-free?
You can sub in 1:1 gluten free flour with pretty much the same result – the gnocchi might just be a little less chewy. But still delicious! Other flours like almond flour cannot be subbed in for this recipe, as the texture makes the gnocchi gritty/mushy.
Can I use frozen riced cauliflower?
Yep! Just use five cups, boil as listed, and drain through a fine mesh strainer.
How can I freeze the gnocchi?
You should freeze the gnocchi before cooking. Spread gnocchi on a large baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the gnocchi is frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag. Alternatively, you could place the gnocchi in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour and gently shake bowl to coat. Gently transfer the gnocchi to a large ziplock bag and lay flat in the freezer.
How do I cook the gnocchi from frozen?
No need to thaw before cooking from frozen! Add a swish of oil to a hot pan and cook until browned on each side, following directions above. OR place gnocchi on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and cook for 15-20 minuets at 425 degrees, giving them a toss halfway through.
Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Description
Three-Ingredient Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi that is pillowy, crispy, and pairs perfectly with just about any sauce you’ve got. Easy, healthy-ish, and seriously delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
Cauliflower Gnocchi:
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen cauliflower florets (about 5 cups fresh works, too)
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Add cauliflower and cook for 5-8 minutes, until tender. Drain.
- Lay cauliflower on a clean towel and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze excess water out of cauliflower. (Squeeze more! We want all that water out.)
- Place cauliflower in a food processor. Pulse until it makes crumbles. Add flour and salt. Pulse lightly until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Place dough on a floured work surface. Cut into 4 sections. Roll each section into a rope. Cut each rope into little gnocchi pieces.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a swizzle of oil and gnocchi and cook until browned. (You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.) Add a splash of water at the end to steam – this ensures that the gnocchi will finish cooking through the inside.
- Add your sauce to the pan with the gnocchi. Toss to combine. Mwah!
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: cauliflower gnocchi, gnocchi recipe, homemade gnocchi, vodka sauce, vegetarian gnocchi, vegan gnocchi
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Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Cauliflower Dairy-Free Dinner Fall Healthy Main Dishes Pasta Quick and Easy Recipes Spring Stovetop Vegan Vegetarian Winter
April 13, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Hi! Could you use cauliflower rice instead of cauliflower florets?
We haven’t tested this out using cauliflower rice yet, but we think it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes for you!
Looks yummy. I have never made cauliflower gnocchi, (your cauliflower taco meat is my fav cauli recipe :D) – this looks so easy! I am going to make this and cook in some butter and garlic until a little toasty. Thanks for the recipe.
Sounds delicious, Sheenam!
Would gluten free flour work the same?
That should work just fine. Enjoy!
What about almond or coconut flour?
We haven’t tested out those flours to know for sure, but we’d love to hear if you try it out!
The cauliflower gnocchi was so good!! I had trouble shaping the dough as it was too sticky and soft (most likely because I didn’t squeeze out the moisture enough), so they ended up just being random shapes/balls. But overall great recipe!!
🎉
Hi Lindsay – can I use almond or coconut flour in place of the flour in this recipe.
Thanks!
We haven’t tested either of these options out yet to know if those would work well. If you’re looking to avoid gluten, we’d suggest a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead.
This looks so yummy!
Mariya | https://www.brunetteondemand.com/
Looks delicious. I should try this gem.
I saw this early this morning and couldn’t get it out of my head. I had a bag or frozen cauliflower in the freezer and made these at 10:30am, with a homemade pesto. I ate them at 11am (hello, early lunch? Dinner for brunch. Anything goes these days, I guess.) They turned out amazing! Seriously, how can it be so easy and delicious. Will definitely be adding these to the regular rotation. (I also just fried them, and they were so tender and delicious).
Yay! So happy to hear this, Michelle!
Can the cauliflower gnocci be boiled instead of browned in oil?
Oh my goodness! Can’t wait to try! Do you think you could swap the cauli for butternut squash (frozen)? Thanks!
Interesting idea! We haven’t tried that before, but let us know if you end up testing it out! We’d love to hear!
Can you boil the gnocchi instead of pan frying? My husband is use to putting it in water. Making it tonight, can’t wait.
We haven’t tried boiling the gnocchi. I’d worry about it becoming mushy. Pan frying will guarantee a nice texture!
OMG these are the best! I added a bit of grated Parmesan cheese to the dough, and could barely keep the kids from gobbling them all up before the sauce was ready. Thank you!!
Sounds delicious, Daniela!
This is such a good idea and gnocchi is my favorite!!! Cannot wait to try with every sauce imaginable!
These look amazing and very easy to make! Question- do you think you could freeze the gnocchi before cooking them at a later date? I’ve been trying to simplify life as a mom to twin toddlers by doubling recipes and freezing things when I can.
We’re testing this out to know for sure, but we’d guess it’d work to freeze in individual pieces for later.
Did freezing them work?
Hi Molly! Check the FAQ section for instructions on freezing.
Omg, another delicious recipe that I’ve got to try!
Enjoy!
I’m currently stuck in lockdown in Ecuador 😑. With no food processor 😭 I have my Vitamix… a dough cutter… potato masher…you think any of those would work to help make the dough?? Thanks for your amazing recipes!!
It’s possible that could work! Let us know if you end up trying it out – we’d love to hear!
Thanks for sharing a good receipe
definitely i will try and cooked.
Looking so yummy…
I’ll obviously try this one
hey! minnesota love— you all ate great! curious if i could use my vitamix to break down the cooked cauli and kneed the dough with flour instead of using FP?
We haven’t tried mixing this with a blender yet, but it’s worth a shot!
I’ve made gnocchi with potatoes and flour, yams and flour, and I’ve even tried tofu and flour. All have come out great. I’m pretty sure I will like the cauliflower and flour. I think there are many different combinations that would work for delicious gnocchi.
What an amazing recipe, can’t wait to try it!
good day I’m.so excited to try this recipe today. Can the cauli gnocchi be
1. frozen
2. Kept in fridge. as I’m the only person who eat it. If Yes & at stage
Hi, Fairuze! We think it should work to freeze the cauliflower gnocchi in individual pieces. When you say kept in the fridge, do you mean just as leftovers?
Made this last night with a vodka sauce (used jarred marinara, a little cream, vodka, and parmesan.) It was seriously yummy. I was told Trader Joe’s sells frozen cauliflower gnocchi, but I had a lot of fun making it, so they can keep their frozen pre-made version. Loved this!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this, Anita!
Trader Joe’s does have a good cauliflower gnocchi, but…it has a lot of cornstarch and several more ingredients than this recipe. I can’t wait to try this one!
Made this last night… it was amazing! Super easy and turned out wonderfully – my family members didn’t even know it was made with cauliflower until I told them! It was fun to make as an activity in these quarantine times, and it tasted better than the TJ version (fresher, doughier). So good and easy, and the directions are super clear and it turns out great following them!
So glad this was a hit with your family, Lisa! 😊
Made this today and it was amazing. I made some stilton and parsley pesto to go with it (no basil etc. in the house). My only problem was getting it to stick together. Not sure if my mix was too cold or too hot but I just pinched balls of dough instead of rolling. Either way it worked and was worth it. Thanks from the UK. Your recipes never fail to please.
Glad you enjoyed this, Debbie!
Great post, loved it! The recipe is really interesting, I’ll surely try it 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
So amazing!
I just made this for dinner, and served it with the POY vodka tomato sauce. It was really delicious! I would absolutely make this again.