We love the @traderjoes frozen cauliflower gnocchi for a few reasons:
1. Cauliflower, a veggie, is the 1st ingredient
2. All of the ingredients are ones I can get on board with and Paleo-friendly
3. My kids DEVOUR this stuff. Vegetables + my kids devouring them = one happy mama.
But, they are a bit of a bear to cook. Ignore the package directions, you will just end up with a goopy mess of frustration. My tips were so popular, I am finally giving them a permanent home on the blog, including both airfryer and oven methods!
Are Cauiliflower Gnocchi #whole30?
Nope, though the ingredients are compliant, and here’s why from the headmistress Melissa Urban herself:
“This is a hard one because some will say ‘it’s the same as zucchini noodles.’ But these are meant to LOOK, FEEL, and TASTE like pasta, where zucchini noodles are decidedly not. Cauliflower gnocchi is OUT for your Whole30–the only “noodles” allowed are those that are 100% vegetable, noodles in shape only (not texture, flavor, or taste). These are meant to recreate pasta very directly, so it falls under the SWYPO rules.”
So rock it outside of your Whole30.
Also, note – true Italians would probably wince at the way we eat gnocchi – gnocchi is meant to be eaten like pasta. Crispy cauliflower gnocchi is not that, more like a tator tot?! Crime to authentic gnocchi or not, my family LOVES them crispy! Anyone else love these like we do?
Crispy Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 12oz bag frozen Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi see notes for doubling/tripling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt or salt
Instructions
- If using oven, preheat to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (foil will not work with the gnocchi = sticky mess!).
- Prior to opening gnocchi, smash on counter or with kitchen hammer to break apart any gnocchi that are stuck together.
- In a medium bowl, mix frozen gnocchi with olive oil and salt.
- If cooking in the oven, spread on parchment paper. Make sure the gnocci are in a single layer and not touching each other. Any gnocchi that's touching will cook together and not get as crispy. Cook at 425 for 25 minutes, flip, and then cook another 15 minutes until golden.
- If cooking in the airfryer, generously spray the basket with cooking oil. Again, make sure the gnocchi are in a single layer, or you will just get one giant goopy gnocchi nugget. This may mean you might have to cook in batches or consider the oven method instead. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes, flipping/stirring halfway through.
- Enjoy hot and crispy! Our house is divided on how to eat these - half of our family love them dipped in my Date Mustard or Whole30 Secret Sauce, the other half love them smothered in red marinara sauce.
Notes
.
Cook straight from frozen, thawing these first has never gone well for me.
.
These get doughy as they cook. DO NOT touch/stir them until they are golden brown on one side. Otherwise = gooey mess.
.
And the package directions are useless, ignore them unless you like gooey messes and frustration!
Love this cooking method! Tried this in my new air fryer and it was so good!
We’ll never go back to frying these gnocchi. Our household is nightshade free so Joe’s gnocchi have been on rotation here since the early days.. Air frying them is faster, tastier, crispier, easier and more tater-tot like. Thank you, Autumn for your creativity, dedication and generosity. You are appreciated!
WAHOO for this method being a slam dunk for your family needs, so happy to hear that thank you!
I followed this recipe with kale gnocchi in the oven. It is delicious- thank you! Next time I think I will drop the temperature to 400- the kale gnocchi got just a tad brown, but still delicious! Also, I had no parchment so I used a well oiled cookie sheet- worked fine!
Absolutely delicious!!! What a great and non goopy way of making these!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
So happy this helped you get crispy delicious gnocchi! Thank you!
This is my go to recipe for the gnocchi. So easy and hands off.
Thank you, always here for an easy recipe solution!
These tips were a game changers for me! Now my husband loves cauliflower gnocchi!
Hooray for these making all the difference in loving cauliflower gnocchi!
Skip the bag directions and follow this recipe for delicious crispy cauliflower gnocchi.
It’s true, the directions on the bag are terrible but these make it so delicious!
Delicious easy addition to lunch today! Thank you for figuring out how to make them tasty, the first time I picked them up I followed the package directions. Yuck! These will be in the rotation now for sure!
Agreed, the package directions are disastrous – so glad these helped you find a way to love the gnocchi!
Love the TJ gnocchi! The air fryer version is a quick go to! Drizzle olive oil and sea salt. Sooooo good!
Yes, love them cooked this way – so delicious! Thank you!
This changed my whole opinion on cauliflower gnocchi! So delicious and easy! Truly love all your recipes, thanks for keeping it yummy and easy!
I’m so happy these tips were game-changing for you!
Love this for a delicious side – the airfryer method works great!!
Yay! I love this easy side as well, happy it was a hit!
Love this stuff, the kale gnocchi too! Love your blog, I’m a mama of 5 too (all girls)!
Aw, I love that you are a mom of 5! And whew, girls – there’s a world I don’t know, lol!
So helpful and easy to make. Definitely will be following this recipe again.
Great cooking instructions; so true about the directions on the package being useless!
So happy it was helpful! : )