Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi Recipe - Pinch of Yum
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Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi

48 reviews / 4.7 average

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!

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:

Cauliflower gnocchi dough in a food processor.

Which will soon be mixed with flour and salt to turn into the cauliflower gnocchi DOUGH:

Cauliflower gnocchi dough in a food processor.

Which will soon be rolled into ropes, cut up into bite-sized pieces, and browned up in a pan to crispy-soft perfection.

Cauliflower gnocchi crisped in a pan.

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….

Cauliflower gnocchi with vodka sauce in a bowl.

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.

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A picture of Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi

Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi


  • Author: Lindsay
  • 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

  1. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Add cauliflower and cook for 5-8 minutes, until tender. Drain.
  2. 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.)
  3. Place cauliflower in a food processor. Pulse until it makes crumbles. Add flour and salt. Pulse lightly until a soft, sticky dough forms.
  4. Place dough on a floured work surface. Cut into 4 sections. Roll each section into a rope. Cut each rope into little gnocchi pieces.
  5. 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.
  6. Add your sauce to the pan with the gnocchi. Toss to combine. Mwah!

Equipment

  • 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


Time To Show You Off!

Instagram images of Cauliflower Gnocchi.

One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our best healthy-ish recipes page. Check it out!

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157 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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.

          1. Pinch of Yum Logo

            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!!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hi Lindsay – can I use almond or coconut flour in place of the flour in this recipe.
    Thanks!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      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.

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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).

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Oh my goodness! Can’t wait to try! Do you think you could swap the cauli for butternut squash (frozen)? Thanks!

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Can you boil the gnocchi instead of pan frying? My husband is use to putting it in water. Making it tonight, can’t wait.

        1. Pinch of Yum Logo

          We haven’t tried boiling the gnocchi. I’d worry about it becoming mushy. Pan frying will guarantee a nice texture!

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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!!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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.

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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!!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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?

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      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!

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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!

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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.

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    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.