This homemade cauliflower gnocchi is crispy on the outside and has a warm, rich, pillowy taste on the inside. It reminds me of the Trader Joe's frozen kind I was slightly obsessed with. This gnocchi is even better though because it's mixed with a tangy buffalo sauce that gives it all the right flavors that will keep you satisfied and not feeling guilty!
So, this buffalo cauliflower gnocchi with homemade blue cheese was all made on a whim. I had made cauliflower mash the day before and had some leftovers. I was sitting there thinking what can I do with these leftovers to change them up. Incoming the cauliflower gnocchi.
I had also had a party the day before and made my homemade blue cheese that I'm literally obsessed with and wanted to include that into my meal. What goes with blue cheese the best? Anything buffalo is my thought process.
If you also love buffalo as much as I do then you MUST try my Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites or my Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes!
Ingredients for this dish
- Cauliflower - you will need one head of cauliflower. Before you boil the cauliflower you want to make sure all the leaves are discarded. Boil just the white parts.
- Unsalted Butter - I prefer unsalted for this recipe because you can add as much salt as you desire if you find the flavor just isn't there when you make your cauliflower mash. I try to use as less sodium as I can for health reasons. Too much sodium is a no-no!
- Buffalo Sauce - I love the taste of buffalo sauce. It changes up your regular old gnocchi to a fun, tangy, tasting party in your mouth. I prefer using an organic brand like Tessemae's, but any brand will get the same outcome.
How to make buffalo cauliflower with homemade gnocchi
So, keep in mind I already had my cauliflower mash from the day before, but it's still super easy to make. I've added the steps below on making cauliflower mash.
Once you have your cauliflower mash these are the next steps, the fun part 😉
Step 1 - Mix in ²⁄3 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Stir until a dough is formed. Place dough on a floured work surface. Cut into four sections. Roll each section into a rope. Cut each rope into gnocchi pieces, about ½ inch long.
Step 2 - Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to start. Can add more if needed while cooking. Add in cauliflower gnocchi and move around while cooking to crisp all sides. Add a splash of water at the end to steam. This will help the gnocchi finish cooking through to the inside. Also, if you happen to have an air fryer, placing these in there instead of on a cast iron skillet as a fun option to try.
Helpful tip - cover with foil to prevent grease spraying.
Step 3 - Toss the buffalo sauce into the pan and sprinkle with celery salt and garlic powder. I also just used jar buffalo sauce, but you can always make your own. It is obviously way healthier to make your own buffalo sauce, but when you are short on time I just use a jar. I used my favorite Tessemae's Mild Buffalo Sauce. Serve with celery, carrots, and homemade blue cheese.
How to make cauliflower mash
If you decide to make the cauliflower mash from scratch, instead of buying, then here is what you will do.
Step 1 - Start off by boiling 6 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. Chop up 1 head of cauliflower into small pieces, discarding the leaves.
Step 2 - Add cauliflower pieces to boiling water and boil for 10 - 15 minutes. Drain and add back into the pot.
Step 3 - Mash the cauliflower. My favorite product to use for mashing cauliflower is the Cuisinart Hand Blender.
Step 4 - Once the cauliflower is mashed mix in 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, ⅛ tsp. kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp. ground black pepper.
Ingredients for the blue cheese
This is the list you'll need to make the homemade blue cheese to pair with your buffalo gnocchi. You will need the following ingredients!
- 1 cup light mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp minced onion
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley diced
- ½ cup Chobani plain greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- celery peeled and chopped (for dipping)
- carrots peeled and chopped (for dipping)
How to make homemade blue cheese
Mix all ingredients together and voila! This recipe is my go to whenever we are having people over. I think my Mom asks me to make it for every holiday she hosts! It's pretty easy and very quick to put together.
I have added the recipe to this post for you to print. I love eating it with celery and carrots and whenever I'm eating anything that is buffalo flavored I make this blue cheese for dipping!
Substitutions for the gnocchi
Cauliflower - I do always feel that fresh is best, but if you find that opening a bag of frozen cauliflower is easier for your lifestyle then by all means you do you! I totally understand not wanting to chop up and boil an entire cauliflower 😉
Unsalted Butter - feel free to use salted butter if that's all you have on hand. The gnocchi will still have the same texture, but will have more sodium.
Whole Wheat Flour - you can sub in gluten-free flour using a 1:1 ratio and still get that same pillowy result. I wouldn't recommend using almond flour or another nut-based flour as the final product won't be as crispy.
Buffalo Sauce - I just happen to be buffalo sauce's #1 fan, but the flavors of sauce you can use for this recipe are endless. Some that I have tried and loved are vodka sauce, tomato sauce, a creamy homemade pesto sauce, or you can completely omit the sauce and eat them naked 😉
Tips and FAQ's
You can reheat your gnocchi by either heating it up in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes, turning on your toaster oven and toasting it for about 1 to 2 minutes (the outsides will get crispier), or heat a pan to medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil, then add in your gnocchi and stir until heated through.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It most certainly does! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can always make this dip ahead of time, as well, then when your gnocchi is done just pop it out of the fridge and it's ready to eat.
Other buffalo dishes you MUST TRY
If you give this dish a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!
Buffalo Cauliflower Gnocchi
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- cutting board
- butchers knife I've found this is easiest tool to use to chop up a cauliflower head.
Ingredients
- For The Cauliflower Gnocchi
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into pieces, leaves discarded
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil use more if needed
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp celery salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup buffalo sauce store bought or homemade
- For the Homemade Blue Cheese
- 1 cup light mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp minced onion
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley diced
- ½ cup Chobani plain greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- celery peeled and chopped (for dipping)(optional)
- carrots peeled and chopped(for dipping)(optional)
Instructions
- Heat 6 cups of water to a boil. Add cauliflower and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, mash, and mix with butter, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Mix in whole wheat flour and 1 tsp salt. Stir until dough is formed. Place dough on a floured surface and cut into 4 sections. Roll each section into a rope. Cut each rope into gnocchi pieces, about ½ inch long.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add oil. Place gnocchi onto heated skillet. Move mounds around to make sure each side of cauliflower gets crispy. Can cover balls cooking on skillet with foil to prevent grease from spraying. Add a splash of water at the end to steam. This will help the gnocchi finish cooking through to the inside.
- Toss the buffalo sauce into the pan and sprinkle with celery salt and garlic powder.
- Meanwhile to prepare the homemade blue cheese dip. Mix all ingredients together until mixed well. Mix mayo, minced onion, garlic, plain greek yogurt, lemon juice, white vinegar, blue cheese crumbles, salt, and pepper. Once mixed well pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley.
- To serve, plate the gnocchi and serve with chopped celery and carrots. Scoop some blue cheese on the side for dipping!
- Enjoy!
Yummy!!! Delicious!!!
Thank you 🙂