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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
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.
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.
Yep! Just use five cups, boil as listed, and drain through a fine mesh strainer.
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.
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
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
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → - 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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The cauliflower gnocchi turned out well. I did mine with red sauce. There really is a fantastic taste to the cauliflower, more so than cooking it any other way. That said, I will try a butter and sage sauce next time. Thanks!
Looks delicious. Can you batch cook & freeze the gnocchi for later?
Hi Lisa! Yes, you can freeze the gnocchi. Enjoy!
These were delicious. Very easy to make, and my husband & young kids had no idea it was made with cauliflower. I had accidentally purchased a bag of cauliflower rice and needed to use it up, and this recipe was perfect. Thank you for sharing!
thankyou so much for this recipe. its absolutely delicious. I added a little parmesan cheese and chives and served with a tomato basil sauce. 5 stars!!!
I was looking forward to making the cauliflower gnocchi . I couldn’t find frozen cauliflower so I used fresh florets and followed all directions. I have a mini food processor that only has a grind or chop feature. After mixing everything and placing it on floured countertop I had to keep adding flour and it was still like mush. Could not shape or roll it. I finally gave up. So disappointed 😟
I wish I had quadrupled the recipe because this was so stinkin’ delish. It was way better than I thought it would be… and I thought it would be good enough to try making homemade gnocchi. So that’s saying something. Next time I’m going to quadruple it because my husband and I both wanted seconds… maybe thirds or fourths. Made it was the kale pesto which was surprisingly amazingly yummy!!
can the frozen riced califlower be used in this recipe?
Yes! Directions are listed in the FAQ but I’ll drop it here too! Just use five cups, boil as listed, and drain through a fine mesh strainer.
Made these last night and used red pesto and canned tomatoes as a tasty sauce. My daughter and I loved them and found them very filling. I made a big effort to squeeze out the water from the cooked cauliflower, which made the final dough perfect for rolling out and shaping. Can’t wait to try again with the POY vegan vodka sauce!
this sounds amazing to get my veggies in as the “carb”; paired with a tomato and spinach sauce i will be laughing, right?
Delicious! Paired with jarred marinera sauce for an easy dinner 🙂
have you ever boiled before browning? im trying to figure out how to get it crispy but would love to have pasta water to use in my sauce
I used cooked-squeezed fresh cauliflower (half). The gnocchi were tasty and held their shape but I don’t think I got out enough water as the centers of the gnocchi were a bit gummy. I think that next time I will try using roasted gnocchi to add to the flavor and reduce the water content at the same time.
I love cauliflower gnocchi! This recipe is so easy and delicious.
Tastes good but took long to make no ways it’s ready in 30 mins.
Made this according to recipe and it was a sticky mush instead of a dough. Added more flour but nothing helped.
This was amazing! I had to add a little olive oil to my dough to get it to come together but the end result was crispy, chewy and delicious.
Hi
Is it possible to make the dough earlier in the day and store it in the fridge to cook that evening?
Yes!
Is it possible to use them in this recipe? Are they going to come out okay if I boil them? https://pinchofyum.com/ridiculous-baked-gnocchi-with-vodka-sauce
We wouldn’t recommend boiling the gnocchi, but you could definitely bake it with the vodka sauce!
This cauliflower gnocchi is delicious. The first time I made it my husband didn’t know it wasn’t real gnocchi. Have tried it with several sauces (and tonight just with some high quality olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese) and all are great! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds lovely, Katherine! Thank you so much for the comment!
The cauliflower gnocchi turned out great (I used fresh cauliflower I had on hand). I added steamed asparagus and tossed it all in pesto. I topped it with halved cherry tomatoes and shredded parmesan cheese. Tasted great and presented like a gourmet dish.
I think I didn’t squeeze out enough water of the cauliflower and tried to blend with the flour and have a soupy mess 🙁 I even added 2/3 more cup of flour to try and bind it but still have like a mash potato texture. Any tips on how to salvage this or what else I could make this into (maybe a bread??) Would hate to throw it away!
Sorry to hear that! We’d suggest adding even more flour.
Can the cauliflower gnocci be boiled instead of browned in oil?
We haven’t tried boiling the gnocchi. I worry about it becoming mushy. Pan frying will guarantee a nice texture!
That is a lot of sodium for one serving, not including sauce added or other foods served for a meal. I would cut the sodium at least in half.
These were fantastic! So easy, and get a thumbs up from the kids and husband as well.
I served them as a side so ended up freezing some- will be testing those out soon.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for the comment!
We made this last night and it was great. Followed the recipe exactly and the gnocchi was perfect. We served it with some leftover Red Sauce and thin sliced Venison Parmesan.
We also found another use. I took one of the segments and instead of rolling gnocchi, I rolled it flat into a thin pizza crust. Drizzled Tuscan olive oil, added Parmesan, left over red sauce, some thin pepperonis and tore up some mozzarella. Cooked it for about 12 minutes at 425 and it was a fantastic cauliflower pizza crust!
Wow, what an amazing way to use this dough! Thanks so much for sharing!