Homemade Cauliflower Gnocchi (Trader Joe's Copycat Recipe) 

This easy recipe for homemade cauliflower gnocchi is perfect for all fans of Trader's Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi. A healthy, low-carb gnocchi recipe inspired by the popular store-bought brand. Serve them with my sun-dried tomato sauce! Vegan option included.

So I’ve been hearing all sorts of amazing things about Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi: how they were sold out from all stores within weeks because of how good they were. Also, how they taste just like potato gnocchi, how they’re low carb and gluten-free…basically a major foodie happening.

If you’re also living outside of the USA, and therefore just don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you’ve probably felt left out like me.

So finally, being the gnocchi lover that I am, I decided to give it a whirl in my own little kitchen! And what can I say? These turned out amazing so don't hold back to make your own Trader Joes' s Cauliflower Gnocchi at home!

These easy homemade cauliflower gnocchi are little pillows of pasta deliciousness! I seriously felt like I was eating a big yummy bowl of carbs but in reality, they’re quite low in carbs compared to potato gnocchi.

Do the gnocchi taste like cauliflower?

Since they are only made of cauliflower and flour, the cauliflower taste is here but it’s very mild.

If you are a cauliflower hater, you’re better off with another recipe. That being said, I’m not a huge cauliflower fan either when you can really taste it, and they were delicious to me.

What to serve cauliflower gnocchi with?

Toss them with any sauce you like or add them to a soup. Here are some of my favorite sauce options:

• sun-dried tomato sauce (recipe in the card below)
• marinara,
• pesto
• make a simple sauce made by sautéing olive oil with lots of garlic. Toss this with the pasta then add lemon and your favorite fresh herbs!
• cauliflower bechamel or tofu bechamel
• add them to clear soups like to my Italian Wedding Soup

How to make Cauliflower Gnocchi

Step 1 & 2- Remove the stem from the cauliflower and cut it into florets. You should get about 35 oz / 1 kg.  Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until crumbs remain – you want it to almost look like snow.

Step 3 - Place all of the cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes. Give it a good stir, and microwave for another 3 minutes.

Step 4 - Remove the cauliflower and spread it on a clean kitchen towel to cool.

Step 5 & 6 - Once cool, wrap the cauliflower in the towel and squeeze every last bit of water and liquid out of it over your sink or a bowl. When you think you’re finished, squeeze again! You want all of the moisture out. Take a break if you need to, but get back to it and squeeze.

Step 7,8 & 9 - Place the cauliflower back in the food processor. Pulse and blend it again until the mixture begins to get creamy, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed. Sprinkle in the flour and salt and blend again until a dough comes together. It will be a bit sticky, but resist the urge to add in more flour!

Step 10 & 11 - Transfer the dough to a floured workspace. Have a little extra flour on hand because this is where you can work in a little bit as you roll the dough. Shape it into a ball, then slice it into 4 equal sections.

Step 12 & 13 - Roll each section out until you have a rope that is about 1-inch thick. Slice the dough into squares with a sharp knife – I like to make cuts every ½ inch or so. Repeat with each rope of dough.

Step 14 & 15 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the gnocchi float to the top, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss with your favorite sauce (see creamy sun dried tomato sauce recipe below)

MAKE IT VEGAN:

You can make these cauliflower gnocchi vegan - no problem~use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan. Then, use plant-based milk and make sure the sun-dried tomato pesto is vegan

Can you use normal wheat flour or another blend of gluten free flour?

I highly suggest you stick to the flour mix I used here - so Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free Baking Flour. This gluten free flour mix is made with garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, whole grain white sorghum flour, tapioca flour and fava bean flour. I have seen cauliflower gnocchi recipes using rice flour but the result seems to be a bit more slimey as garbazo flour based recipes.  As for regular flour, I have not tried that so I cannot guarantee it will work but I am afraid the gnocchi would end up being really tough.

Can you use frozen cauliflower rice?

I actually really recommend you use fresh cauliflower here as the frozen cauliflower and thawed cauli rice has even more moisture in it than freshly grated cauli rice.

Tips:

• For this recipe, I recommend weighing the ingredients if possible.
• You might have an easier time squeezing out the liquid when using a cheesecloth instead of a dishtowel.
• These can also be pan-fried if you like your gnocchi with a crispy crust. Air frying might also be a neat way to crisp these up.
• Use fresh cauliflower, if possible.
  

  5 from 5 votes

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  Healthy Cauliflower Gnocchi - Trader Joes Copycat Recipe

  This easy recipe for homemade cauliflower gnocchi is perfect for all fans of Trader's Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi. A healthy, low-carb gnocchi recipe inspired by the popular store-bought brand. Serve them with my sun-dried tomato sauce! Vegan option included.

  Course Main Course

  Cuisine American, Italian

  Keyword homemade cauliflower gnocchi

  Prep Time 40 minutes

  Cook Time 10 minutes

  Total Time 50 minutes

  Servings 2

  Calories 552 kcal

  Ingredients

  For the gnocchi:

  • 1 large head cauliflower 35 oz /1 kg
  • 1 ⅓ cups gluten-free flour I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour - / 170 grams – I highly recommend using the same flour here, see notes above in the post
  • ½ tsp salt

  Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
  • ¾ cup milk I used plain unsweetened almond milk + 2 teaspoon
  • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto or pureed marinated chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • salt & pepper to taste

  Optional for serving

  • fresh basil
  • parmesan

  Instructions

  1. Remove the stem from the cauliflower and cut it into florets. You should get about 35 oz / 1 kg.

  2. Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until crumbs remain – you want it to almost look like snow. Place all of the cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes. Give it a good stir, and microwave for another 3 minutes. Remove the cauliflower and spread it on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
  3. Once cool, wrap the cauliflower in the towel and squeeze every last bit of water and liquid out of it over your sink or a bowl. When you think you’re finished, squeeze again! You want all of the moisture out. Take a break if you need to, but get back to it and squeeze.
  4. Place the cauliflower back in the food processor. Pulse and blend it again until the mixture begins to get creamy, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed. Sprinkle in the flour and salt and blend again until a dough comes together. It will be a bit sticky, but resist the urge to add in more flour!
  5. Transfer the dough to a floured workspace. Have a little extra flour on hand because this is where you can work in a little bit as you roll the dough. Shape it into a ball, then slice it into 4 equal sections.
  6. Roll each section out until you have a rope that is about 1-inch thick. Slice the dough into squares with a sharp knife – I like to make cuts every ½ inch or so. Repeat with each rope of dough.
  7. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the gnocchi float to the top, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss with your favorite sauce (see creamy sun dried tomato sauce recipe below)

  Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce:

  1. Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic to the pan. Saute until the garlic is fragrant. Make sure not to brown it. Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  2. Add remaining milk, cornstarch mixture, parmesan and pesto to the pan. Stir until sauce begins to thicken. Turn heat off.
  3. Add cooked cauliflower gnocchi, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with fresh basil and/or parmesan.

  Recipe Notes

  • For this recipe, I recommend weighing the ingredients if possible.
  • You might have an easier time squeezing out the liquid when using a cheesecloth instead of a dishtowel.
  • These can also be pan-fried if you like your gnocchi with a crispy crust. Air frying might also be a neat way to crisp these up.
  • Use fresh cauliflower, if possible

  Nutrition Facts

  Healthy Cauliflower Gnocchi - Trader Joes Copycat Recipe

  Amount Per Serving

  Calories 552 Calories from Fat 144

  % Daily Value*

  Fat 16g25%

  Saturated Fat 4g25%

  Cholesterol 13mg4%

  Sodium 948mg41%

  Potassium 1631mg47%

  Carbohydrates 91g30%

  Fiber 19g79%

  Sugar 18g20%

  Protein 22g44%

  Vitamin A 267IU5%

  Vitamin C 243mg295%

  Calcium 315mg32%

  Iron 5mg28%

  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this cauliflower gnocchi recipe with sun-dried tomato sauce don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

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• Italian Sweet Potato Noodles 
• Dairy-free Fettucchine Alfredo 
• Chicken Broccoli Fettucchine 
• Penne alla Vodka