This homemade cauliflower gnocchi is a copycat version of one of my favorite Trader Joe’s products ever! It’s such an easy, delicious, and versatile meal. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce or on it’s own with a protein!
So, I no longer live near a Trader Joe’s and I’ve been dying for some cauliflower gnocchi! If you’ve tried the Trader Joe’s version, then you know it’s one of their BEST freezer items, and you can easily throw it together to have a quick, easy, and versatile meal.
I wanted to recreate an easy version at home, but only if it was comparable to the real thing. And in my (slightly biased) opinion, it’s almost identical!
When developing this recipe, I really focused only on two factors: 1) the process for making classic potato gnocchi and 2) mirroring the ingredients that Trader Joe’s uses in the frozen version.
Trader Joes uses cauliflower, cassava flour, potato starch, and olive oil. So for my recipe, I left out the potato starch and just used cauliflower, cassava flour, and olive oil. These ingredients are healthy, gluten-free/grain-free, and will just make you feel good.
ingredients needed:
Like I mentioned above, I based this recipe on Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi. Their product is made from cauliflower, cassava flour, potato starch, and olive oil. So for my recipe, I made it very similar, but did not use potato starch.
Cauliflower: The main ingredient when making “cauliflower” gnocchi! Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable, and adds some nutrients this recipe.
Cassava Flour: If your unfamiliar, cassava flour is made from the cassava root vegetable, making it a gluten-free and paleo option. I really like cassava flour because it closely resemble regular all purpose flour in texture making it perfect for a healthier version of gnocchi.
Sea Salt: Just a teaspoon.
Olive Oil: For sautéing.
how to make homemade cauliflower gnocchi:
Step One: Cut and boil the head of cauliflower. Add clean cauliflower florets to a boiling pot of water until fork tender (about 20 minutes).
Step Two: Drain the water and let the cauliflower cool on a clean dish towel until it’s no longer hot to the touch.
Step Three: Squeeze ALL water from the cauliflower using the clean dish towel. Use those muscles and get as much water out as you can!
Step Four: Add the cauliflower to a large food processor along with half the cassava flour. Pulse until a dough ball forms, then add the remaining cassava flour and sea salt.
Step Five: Transfer to a clean, floured surface. Divide into quarters. Using your hands, rolling the quarters into skinny “ropes” then cut the each rope into 1 inch pieces.
Step Six: Heat a saute pan to medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the gnocchi pieces leaving room in between. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes, then add 1/4 cup water and a lid to steam for an additional 2 minutes.
Step Seven: Add your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi (Copycat Trader Joe’s)
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Boiling Pot
- Saute Pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh cauliflower florets 1 head cauliflower
- 1 cup cassava flour plus more for rolling surface
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the cleaned cauliflower florets and boil for about 20 minutes until fork tender.
- Drain the water and add the cooked cauliflower to a clean dish towel. Let it cool for about 10 minutes or until it's no longer hot to the touch.
- Using the clean dish towel, squeeze out ALL water possible from the cauliflower. Use those muscles!
- Once you've squeezed out all the water you can, add that cauliflower to a large food processor along with about half the cassava flour. Pulse until a dough forms.
- Add the remaining cassava flour and sea salt and pulse once again. *If your food processor struggles, remove the dough ball and knead in the remaining cassava flour by hand.
- Transfer the dough ball to a clean, floured surface. Once it's kneaded into a ball, quarter the dough and roll in skinny "snakes" about 1/2 an inch thick.
- Once you have your "snake" pieces rolled, cut into small 1 inch pieces.
- Heat your saute pan on medium heat with a tablespoon olive oil. Add the gnocchi leaving some room in between each piece. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add about 1/4 cup water and a lid to the pan to let the gnocchi pieces steam for about 2 more minutes. Remove the gnocchi, add your favorite sauce, and enjoy!
Lexi, this was fantastic! So east and tastes like old fashioned Italian gnocchi. My husband has said this is going to be a new regular!
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor for this recipe?
Unfortunately I don’t think there is enough liquid in the recipe to use a blender (unless it’s a very high-powered one like a Vitamix) but if you try it and it works for you, let me know! 🙂