Air frying is one of my favorite ways to cook frozen cauliflower gnocchi. Not only is it quick and easy, it creates a crispy exterior that can add texture to dishes or make gnocchi a great snack on its own.
This recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and uses a seasoning combo from one of my most popular recipes of all time. You’re in for a treat!
Air Fryer Cauliflower Gnocchi Recipe Walkthrough
This is a super easy recipe, but I’ll run you through everything with example photos. If you’ve made my air fryer carrot fries or garlic parmesan roasted radishes, you’ll be pleased to know this recipe is basically the exact same. No slicing carrots here, though!
You’ll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. But first, here are a couple things to know:
- The recipe calls for Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower gnocchi but like I mentioned in my chicken sausage and mushroom cauliflower gnocchi recipe, other brands like Green Giant make this product now.
- I used a 6.5qt Ninja Foodi for air frying. Different air fryers may require minor temperature and/or time adjustments.
Okay, let’s get to it.
Step 1: Add frozen cauliflower gnocchi straight to an air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
If you’re using a smaller air fryer and can’t create a single layer of gnocchi, you may want to shake halfway through air frying. This would also apply if you wanted to double the recipe.
Step 2: Mix olive oil with crushed garlic in one bowl, and grated parmesan with black pepper in another.
Like I mentioned in my carrot fries recipe, the oil is an important ingredient in the recipe for both flavor and browning. You can experiment with using less oil, but I’d highly encourage you to leave it as-is if possible! The extra calories are worth it.
And if you have the time, you could infuse the oil with the garlic and herbs. Check out my oven roasted cauliflower gnocchi for a how-to.
How to Crush Garlic
Place the flat of your knife on top of a clove of garlic and carefully use a closed fist to smash the top side of the knife. This should get your started, but you can use the blade to mince difficult pieces. Once the garlic is partially smashed, sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on top and drag the edge of your knife across a cutting board until your create a rough paste.
This doesn’t have to be perfect. And if you’re uncomfortable with crushing garlic, just give it a fine mince and add some salt straight to the oil. No biggie!
Step 3: Toss the partially air fried gnocchi in the olive oil and garlic before coating with grated parmesan.
I like to add the cheese in 2-3 bouts to evenly coat the gnocchi. If you dump everything on top at once, you might end up with a few clumps here and there.
Ingredient note: If you need a dairy free version, you could try using nutritional yeast in place of the grated parmesan. I’ve not tested this, but you’ll get a similar flavor profile.
Step 4: Add the seasoned gnocchi back to the air fryer basket.
It should be smooth sailing from here on. Pro tip for minimizing clean up: Add the basket back to the air fryer before transferring the gnocchi from the bowl.
Step 5: Air fry for another 10-12 minutes until you have golden brown gnocchi.
Use my time recommendations as a guide. If you’re using different equipment, you may want to check on your gnocchi early or at least keep a nose close by to avoid burning.
Step 6 (optional): Mix ketchup with Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba sauce for dipping.
If you’re serving your gnocchi as a snack or appetizer on its own, these two ingredients make a great dip option. If you don’t have any of the pepper sauce on hand, you could try sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or something similar.
On the other hand, if you wanted to serve your air fried gnocchi as a meal, you might pair it with my Instant Pot bolognese, swap it for the potato gnocchi in my Korean beef gnocchi, use it as a pasta substitute in my Italian veggie pasta bake, or as a side with a protein like air fryer chicken tenders.
I’m curious to see what applications you can come up with. Be sure to let me know!
Okay, you’re ready to get air frying. If you have any additional questions about making cauliflower gnocchi in the air fryer or ingredient modifications, drop a comment below the recipe card. You can also join my free Facebook group to ask the 12k healthy home cooks there!
Air Fried Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 12 oz bag Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi, frozen
- 1 Tbsp 16g Olive Oil
- 1 clove 5g Garlic, crushed with a pinch of kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp 15g Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Black Pepper, to taste
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, optional
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower gnocchi to an air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 400F.
- While the gnocchi cooks, mix the olive oil and crushed garlic in a large bowl. Mix the grated parmesan and pepper(s) in another bowl. Set aside.
- After 10 minutes, toss the gnocchi in the olive oil and garlic mixture before sprinkling the parmesan and pepper over the top. Toss or stir to evenly coat the gnocchi before adding back to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for an additional 10-12 minutes at 400F until the gnocchi is as crispy as you'd like.
- Sprinkle dried parsley flakes or freshly chopped parsley over the cooked gnocchi and serve with your favorite dipping sauce*.
These were great! Will make again and again.
These cauliflower gnocchi came out so crisp and delicious! One tip I have is to NOT put more than one package of the gnocchi in the air fryer at a time as it causes them to stick together and throws the cooking time off (that’s what I get for being in a hurry, lol 😀) It all worked out in the end and they were still fantastic! A new family favorite! Thanks for sharing 😊
Guilty pleasure right here… but I don’t think I should feel guilty since it’s air fried, cauliflower and delicious. If you have an air fryer make this stat! And if you’re not blessed to have a Trader Joe’s bear you, I believe the green giant brand makes cauliflower gnocchi!
This recipe was a nice alternative to french fries and/or tater tots. Super quick to whip a batch up, and they come out crispy, hot and delicious. Tons of flavor…I love dipping them in Trader Joe’s tomato truffle ketchup!
For as long as these have existed the cauliflower gnocchi were almost unbearable and you just had to suffer with the gumminess. After making these I have never gone back to another method. You MUST air fry them and coat in parmesan seasoning. No exceptions, Mason has it figured out.
Genius! When I first started making cauliflower gnocchi I hated it bc of the mushy consistency of cooking it the way the TJ’s directions specified…Mason took it to the next level with the air fryer. We love eating these as a snack or mixing them into our weekly dinner rotation. Parmesan on top is next level!
Love this recipe. Super easy and yummy. I love to dip mine in Buffalo sauce for extra kick.