I’m sorry, but while Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi is easy to get, it can be a little tough to boil and handle. Plus, not everyone has access to a TJs in their area. Sooooo, may I present a solution. Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi is surprisingly easy to make, easy to handle, and the texture is SO good. Soft, INSANELY pillowy (trust me), and completely plant-based, these gnocchi are easier to make (and way better) than the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s. The cauliflower keeps the dough light and tender, and with a few simple tricks, they hold together perfectly and cook up with that soft and perfectly chewy bite you’ll want again and again.
Once you make a batch, you can either cook them straight away, crisp them in a pan for a golden finish, or freeze them for a quick, effortless weeknight dinner. It’s fun, healthy, and totally worth making from scratch.
I know it might not be the most traditional when it comes to gnocchi but c’mon, it’s cauliflower and pasta – there are no rules. Read on for the recipe, tips for shaping and my favorite ways to use it.
Table of contents
Ingredients you’ll need to make cauliflower gnocchi
- 3 cups (300g) cauliflower, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for boiling
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour, for dusting
What is xanthan gum and where do I find it?
Xanthan gum is a little pantry powerhouse. It’s a fine, powdery ingredient that helps thicken, bind, and add structure to all sorts of recipes. It’s vegan and completely fine for you – don’t let the word “gum” dissuade you. This is plant derived and you’ll find tons of fine dining restaurants using it, not just consumer packaged goods. I think it’s worth having in any house’s pantry.
For this cauliflower gnocchi, it helps everything stick together and keeps the gnocchi tender instead of crumbly. Even though this isn’t a gluten-free recipe, xanthan gum is commonly used in both gluten-free and regular cooking for sauces, doughs, and batters because it’s so good at creating a smooth, cohesive texture.
It’s becoming easier to find and is usually in the baking aisle near the gluten-free flours, at health food stores, or online. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill brand, which I can usually find at any grocery store near me.
How to make homemade cauliflower gnocchi
Now for the fun stuff. If you go into this thinking that gnocchi is a fun project and not a scary cooking technique, then there’s no way you’ll feel like you messed it up. Have your gnocchi be mismatched sizes, some wrinkly, some smooth – they’ll all come out fluffy and delicious, and in the end, that’s all that matters.
Prepping the gnocchi
- First, cook the cauliflower until fork tender. I do this by boiling 300 grams of chopped cauliflower in salted water for 7-8 minutes. Be sure to reserve some cooking water for the next step.
- To a blender, add the cooked cauliflower and 2 tablespoons of water from the pot and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 280 grams of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum. Pour the cauliflower puree into the center.
- Use a spatula, then your hands, to mix this into a shaggy dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. It may get slightly sticker as it rests, but don’t worry about it.
- Set 35 grams of flour to the side for dusting and rolling. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it for about 1-2 minutes, or until it is a smooth ball.
Shaping the gnocchi
- Once the dough is a smooth ball, divide it into 8 even pieces. Roll the pieces out into 1 cm thick logs.
- Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 1 cm square gnocchi.
- After the gnocchi are cut, sprinkle with one more dash of flour so they don’t stick and then you can either transfer them to a plastic bag to be frozen for future use or immediately cook them.
How to use your homemade cauliflower gnocchi
Now that you have gnocchi – you have options. Here are my three favorite ways to use homemade gnocchi:
- Boil and use as you would any pasta – just like a normal pasta recipe, gnocchi is amazing with a good sauce, pasta water and some butter to finish. I recommend either a quick pesto or a classic marinara sauce.
- Boil first, then bake! You will see this in my crispy gnocchi and cucumber salad recipe, but I love crisping up gnocchi and throwing it in unexpected meals. When it gets all crispy, it turns into such a fun addition that automatically makes any meal more filling and satisfying.
- Freezing it and saving it. If you aren’t in the mood to immediately go from making your gnocchi to using it, feel free to freeze it. It just turns into a gnocchi that you can easily thaw and use when you want to! Plus, it lasts in the freezer for up to six months.
Why is this recipe in grams?
Grams is always my preference for doughs, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh all the way from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and mismatched results.
I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe foolproof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.
Watch the recipe here
Looking for similar recipes?
Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Homemade Pasta Without Any Special Equipment
Beet Ricotta Gnocchi
And that’s it for this Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi!
If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium sauté pan optional, for saucing
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300g) cauliflower, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for boiling
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour, for shaping and dusting
Instructions
- Chop up 300 grams of cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the chopped cauliflower and cook for 7–8 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to add the cooked cauliflower to a small blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the salted water from the pot. Carefully blend until smooth. (Note that you shouldn’t blend it in a blender while it’s too warm, that could cause a pressure explosion!)
- In a large bowl, mix together 280 grams of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon xanthan gum until combined. Pour the cauliflower purée into the center.
- Use a spatula, then your hands, to mix this into a shaggy dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Set 35 grams of flour to the side for dusting and rolling. Once the dough has rested, knead it for a minute or so on a floured surface until it’s a smooth ball. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 pieces then roll each piece out into 1 cm thick logs. Use the bench scraper to cut down the logs until you have 1 cm square gnocchi pieces. Use the flour to dust liberally throughout this whole process. When you are finished, dust the gnocchi with any leftover flour so they don't stick.
- Now you can either freeze the gnocchi in a ziploc bag for future use, or cook it immediately.
- To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it liberally with salt. Add the gnocchi in two batches, boiling for 3-5 minutes, or until they float to the top.
- Transfer them to a pan over low heat, then mix in whatever sauce you would like. This recipe makes enough for 8 ounces of sauce, I recommend pesto or marinara.
- Serve warm!
Old Version
Below is the original recipe that was first developed in 2021. For the updated recipe, please see the above.
Makes4 servings
Total cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 250 grams cauliflower, chopped
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Boil the cauliflower until fork tender, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the water you boiled it in.
- In a blender add the cauliflower and the 1/4 cup of water from the pot. Blend until smooth. You want this to be the texture of mashed potatoes, but not too watery.
- In a bowl, add your flour and cornstarch and whisk together. Make a well in the center of the flour and add in the egg and 1 cup of the cauliflower mash.
- Gradually whisk the flour in with the egg and cauliflower, until you for a rough dough. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- After the dough has rested, cut into four equal pieces and roll them out into long tubes, about 12-18 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Now you can either boil them until they float, or bag and freeze them for a later date.
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