Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Our 3-ingredient sweet potato gnocchi is a delicious, comforting, and cozy Italian-inspired dish excellent for weeknight dinner, meal prep, and freezer-friendly.

You can make this simple and tasty recipe in about 30 minutes and have it for a lovely meal with your family. They are easier than you think.

You’ll love sweet potato gnocchi because they are a wholesome and satisfying recipe with a mild and slightly sweet flavor and a chewy, irresistible texture.

They definitely fall into the healthy-ish comfort food category; they are easy to make with sweet potatoes, flour, and salt and cook in 1 minute.

To prepare them, cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave – it takes 10 minutes max.

Then scoop out the flesh, mash it with a fork, and mix it with flour and salt in a mixing bowl for minimal mess – no flour flying around the kitchen.

Roll the dough into long rope-like pieces, cut it into 1-inch long pillows with a knife, and optionally give them those cute cozy ridges with the back of a fork.

You can cook them immediately, refrigerate or freeze them for later.

You can serve them with butter, sage, and black pepper sauce, or pick your favorite pasta sauces. We recommend mushroom alfredo sauce, lentil bolognese, mushroom ragu, and arugula pesto, among others.

This sweet potato gnocchi recipe is without eggs, dairy-free, easy to make gluten-free, and is suitable for the whole family.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Sweet Potatoes

We recommend using orange sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can find those in most supermarkets.

Purple sweet potatoes are also great, but the gnocchi will be purple.

In some stores in the USA, sweet potatoes are labeled yams, so you might find them under that name.

Flour

We use all-purpose four for this recipe, and it works wonderfully.

Substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for wheat flour to make gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi.

Salt

A teaspoon of salt (sea salt or kosher salt) is all that’s needed to make sweet potato gnocchi delicious.

You’ll also need some salt to add to the cooking water.

This is the simplest way of serving homemade sweet potato gnocchi.

Sage

Fresh sage leaves are delicious with most orange-colored vegetables such as pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.

Its earthy and aromatic flavor is the perfect flavor to match this dish. To enhance its aroma, fry it in butter, vegan butter, or olive oil for a few minutes.

Other fresh herbs you could use are rosemary and parsley.

Butter

You can use unsalted butter or non-dairy butter. There are so many alternatives to regular butter, and most are delicious.

Black Pepper

A few twists of freshly ground black pepper to go with the sage and the butter and add a fragrant, peppery aroma.

Parmesan

Optionally, you can add some shaved parmigiano or dairy-free cheese on top.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Make the gnocchi dough

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, dry them with a kitchen towel, and prick them with a fork.

Microwave them at full power for 7 to 10 minutes or until knife tender.

To check for doneness, pierce them with a knife. The blade should slide in easily.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, and add it to a large bowl. They are piping hot, so be careful not to burn yourself!

Tip: If you don’t have a microwave, bake the sweet potatoes whole in the oven at 400°C or 200°C for 50 minutes or until soft.

Transfer the sweet potato flesh into a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork while they are hot.

Alternatively, you can pass them through a potato ricer or potato masher.

Add all-purpose flour and salt, and mix with a spatula to combine the ingredients.

Transfer the dough onto a cutting board and knead for a minute to ensure the potatoes and the flour are well combined and a soft dough forms.

Add more flour if needed. You should obtain a compact yet soft and slightly moist gnocchi dough.

Tip: don’t over-knead the dough. Over-kneading will develop the gluten in the flour, making the sweet potato gnocchi overly chewy and tough.

Shape the gnocchi

There are several ways to shape sweet potato gnocchi; we’ll show you three.

When you shape the gnocchi, sprinkle your work surface with flour, as the dough might get moist when it touches your hands.

You can shape the gnocchi on a wooden surface, a cutting board, or any clean floured surface, including marble and steel.

Simple gnocchi pillows

Cut the dough into four pieces, then roll each into a long rope-like shape.

Now cut the rope into 1-inch long pieces, and your pillow-shaped gnocchi is ready.

Note: This is the most common method for shaping homemade gnocchi because it is the fastest. We recommend using this method if you make large quantities of gnocchi.

Shape with a gnocchi board

For this method, you’ll need to get yourself a gnocchi board, which you can find for a few dollars online.

Dust your thumb and the gnocchi pillows with flour. Next, roll each gnocchi pillow down the gnocchi, applying gentle pressure with your thumb. Keep the gnocchi board inclined at a 45° angle.

Note: This method requires more time as you go through all the pieces individually. We recommend doing this if you make up to 4 portions of gnocchi.

The advantage of making ridged gnocchi is that 1) they look prettier, and 2) the ridged surface and the cavity from your thumb makes the sauce stick better.

Shape with a fork

You can use a fork if you don’t have a gnocchi board but want to make ridged gnocchi.

Dust your thumb and the gnocchi pillows with flour. Next, roll each gnocchi pillow down the back of the fork, applying gentle pressure with your thumb.

Note: this is the prettiest but slowest method. The deep ridges help the sauce hold onto the gnocchi.

Cook the gnocchi

Fresh gnocchi cooks fast, in about 1-2 minutes. So make sure you have your sauce ready before you start boiling them.

Boil the gnocchi in a large pot of water, salted (just like pasta), until they float to the surface.

When they are all floating, scoop them out with a spider, strainer, or slotted spoon and toss them straight into the pan with the sauce.

We recommend cooking the gnocchi in batches, two servings at a time.

Butter and sage sauce

Try sweet potato gnocchi as a main dish with simple butter, fresh sage leaves, and black pepper sauce.

To a large skillet, melt butter or non-dairy butter and pan-fry a few leaves of fresh sage for a couple of minutes.

Consider about two tablespoons of butter per portion of gnocchi.

Toss in the boiled gnocchi, and pan fry on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or more if you want a slightly toasted, crispy, and golden brown coating.

Sprinkle with a few twists of black pepper and a pinch of salt, and serve.

Optionally, you can add parmesan cheese or dairy–free cheese.

Other sauces that go well with sweet potato gnocchi

• Marinara sauce
• Lentil bolognese
• Mushroom ragu
• Mushroom alfredo
• Vegan pesto
• Creamy kale and ricotta
• Cherry tomato pasta sauce
• Lemon ricotta pasta sauce

For a side dish to serve with gnocchi, we recommend a simple side salad or one of our veggie side dishes, such as:

• Green bean salad with mustard dressing and crumbled feta
• Air fryer green beans – super easy and tender-crisp
• Simple side salad – fresh, light, and crunchy
• Air fryer asparagus or grilled asparagus
• Buttery and nutty steamed artichokes
• Air fryer cauliflower with a squeeze of lemon and parsley
• Mediterranean-inspired lentil cauliflower salad
• Oven roasted broccoli
• Sautéed kale

Salads

Green Bean Salad

Sides

Air Fryer Asparagus

Sides

Roasted Cauliflower

Sides

Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Gnocchi with mushroom alfredo sauce

Rich and creamy mushroom alfredo sauce is excellent with sweet potato gnocchi.

To make it, sauté the mushrooms first with olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Then add your favorite dairy or non-dairy butter, cream, parmesan, and grated or ground nutmeg.

Check out our mushroom alfredo recipe.

Then add finely chopped parsley and toss in the boiled gnocchi. Finish cooking them on the pan for two minutes until they are coated in the sauce.

Serve on a plate with freshly chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Potato gnocchi

Our homemade gnocchi recipe makes soft and delicious potato pillows with three simple ingredients and one fork.

The recipe is straight from my Italian family recipe notes, and you’ll love it for its simplicity and taste.

Check out our homemade potato gnocchi recipe.

Gnocchi alla sorrentina

You can make gnocchi alla sorrentina with potato gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi.

This is a classic Italian comfort food recipe of baked gnocchi in a tomato basil sauce, melty fresh mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

Check out our gnocchi alla sorrentina recipe.

Store cooked gnocchi in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Cold gnocchi can get sticky; we recommend tossing them in a drizzle of oil before storage so they won’t stick together.

Reheat on a pan on medium heat with olive oil, a sauce, or a dash of water.

Can I make gnocchi ahead of time?

You can prepare the gnocchi ahead of time and freeze them straight after you shape them.

Alternatively, you can store them uncooked in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

How to freeze sweet potato gnocchi?

To freeze sweet potato gnocchi, arrange them on a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Freeze them on the tray; then, after one hour, when they are hard, transfer them into a freezer-friendly bag to save space in your freezer.

You can keep them frozen for up to 3 months.

How to cook frozen sweet potato gnocchi?

Add the frozen sweet potato gnocchi to a large pot with salted boiling water and cook them until they float on the water.

Looking for other wholesome and delicious sweet potato recipes? Check out our:

• Easy sweet potato muffins.
• Air fryer sweet potato (diced, hole, and fries).
• Roasted sweet potatoes and sweet potato wedges.
• Mediterranean-inspired lentil sweet potato salad.
• Tasty and nutritious sweet potato salad with mustard dressing.
• Crispy and game-night-friendly Sweet Potato Chips.
• Microwave sweet potatoes – the easiest sweet potatoes ever!
• Mexican-inspired black bean salad with corn and roasted sweet potato cubes.

Recipes

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Breakfast

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sides

Sweet Potato Wedges

Salads

Lentil Sweet Potato Salad

Mains

Microwave Sweet Potato

Sides

Sweet Potato Chips

Salads

Sweet Potato Salad

Salads

Black Bean Salad

For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.