How to get your cauliflower gnocchi extra crispy and eliminate the gummy texture!

Hi, Everyone! I’m finally back home from my long Disney trip, which was a blast by the way! It was an excellent way for me to take a break from the cold weather and escape my computer for a bit. Sometimes when I’m in a rut, a little vacation helps me dig my way out. I’m back home feeling refreshed and ready to work hard. I got home late last night and haven’t had a chance to stop at the grocery store to pick up my groceries. I knew I had bags of vegetables and cauliflower gnocchi in the freezer, so I wasn’t too concerned. I have a couple of appointments tomorrow, so I’ll stop by the store then! As I was making my cauliflower gnocchi for lunch this afternoon, I decided to take a few photos and share with you how I get the gnocchi extra crispy and firm. I get asked this question multiple times a day when I post the dish on my Instagram stories. The trick is to not follow the directions on the bag! I learned that one real quick.

Please follow me on Instagram for more food inspiration! —> @TARALYNNMCNITT



I went on a year hiatus from Trader Joes because I moved so far away from one. Since my tennis group plays near one, I stop by afterward to get all of the goods. A lot of you told me to try the cauliflower gnocchi, and now I’m hooked. Thank you for that. You can eat the gnocchi with any sauce, on top of a salad, or plain. After making this gnocchi extra crispy, I weirdly wanted to dip them into ketchup because they tasted like french fry meets tater tot.



You don’t need an air fryer or any other fancy appliance, but you will put these through the kitchen trio: microwave, stovetop, oven.

The cauliflower gnocchi is going to be frozen. To cook them evenly, you’ll want to microwave (not on the defrost setting) them first. Place the frozen gnocchi on a plate and microwave for 45 seconds. Use a spoon to toss them around and then microwave them for an additional 45 seconds. While you’re doing this, preheat the oven to 435 degrees.

You can choose any oil you want to cook these in. I usually go for a sesame oil when I’m making a spicier dish, or avocado oil when I add Kite-Hill cream cheese. For these, I used sesame oil. I added about two tablespoons of sesame oil with the defrosted gnocchi to a frying pan on high heat. Cook each side until they are golden brown and crispy. This is going to give you a nice crispy outside texture, but cooking them on the stove top isn’t going to take away the doughy and gumminess inside the centers. That’s where the oven comes in!

Once both sides of the gnocchi are golden, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14-16 minutes. When they are done, they’ll feel more like potato wedges and when you press down on them, they won’t be squishy or gooey.

I literally wanted to dip these all in ketchup because they were just like breakfast potatoes! Baking them after frying them is the key to making them super crispy! Now, as for the leftovers, you’ll have to rebake them to get them to crisp back up again, but they will still be more firm in the fridge than normal.

You could try giving them a toss halfway through baking, but I didn’t flip them at all, and they turned out evenly crispy. Since they were already crispy on the outside, I was more focused on firming up the gooey centers.

Of course, everything is better with Everything But The Bagel Seasoning! It’s worth the hype.

I like to keep the frozen french green beans from Trader Joes in the house too because they are so quick to cook up. I eat them with the gnocchi almost every night. Sometimes I’ll cook them in a gluten-free soy sauce or a Kite Hill cream cheese sauce. These green beans are always on my Trader Joe’s grocery list.

I hope this little tutorial brings some extra crispy cauliflower gnocchi to your future! 💜

Questions for you!