Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet potato gnocchi is one of our favorite sweet potato recipes, and they fall into our definition of healthy-ish comfort food.

They have a chewy and irresistible texture, they cook in 1 minute, and you can serve them with your favorite sauce - butter and sage, cream and mushrooms, lentil bolognese or arugula pesto.

Also, they are so easy to make you'll be surprised. All you need are sweet potatoes, flour, and salt.

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

We 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.

And the best thing is that gnocchi cook in about 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water. You can cook them immediately or refrigerate or freeze them for later.

Our favorite sauces for this sweet potato gnocchi recipe are classic butter and sage sauce (we use dairy-free butter), earthy creamy mushroom sauce, and lentil or tempeh bolognese. Let's see how to make them!

This sweet potato gnocchi recipe is without egg and dairy-free and is suitable for the whole family.

Sweet Potatoes

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

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

Flour

We use all-purpose four for this recipe, and it works wonderfully. You can use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour replacement 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

Sage is incredible 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 or olive oil for a couple of minutes.

Other fresh herbs you could use are rosemary and parsley.

Butter

We went for dairy-free butter. There are so many alternatives these days, and most are delicious. However, you can use any unsalted butter for this recipe.

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 regular or dairy-free shaved or grated parmesan on top.

Step 1: Make the gnocchi dough

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave them at full power for 7 to 10 minutes until tender.

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

Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and add it to a large bowl.

Note: 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.

Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork while they are still hot, or pass them through a potato ricer.

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 just a minute to make sure 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. Do not over-knead.

Step 2: Shape the gnocchi

There are several ways to shape gnocchi; we'll show you three. When you shape the gnocchi, sprinkle your work surface with flour as the dough might get moist as 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

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.

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

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

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 board, applying gentle pressure with your thumb. Keep the gnocchi board inclined at a 45° angle.

This method requires more time, as you must go through all pieces individually. We recommend doing this if you make 2 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.

Step 3: Cook the gnocchi

Fresh gnocchi cooks fast, in about 1 minute. 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.

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

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

We use dairy-free butter; consider about two tablespoons of butter per portion of gnocchi.

Toss in the boiled gnocchi, and pan fry on medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes. 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.

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

Creamy mushroom sauce

In a non-stick pan on high heat, cook chopped mushrooms for 5 minutes with olive oil, a crushed clove of garlic, salt, and black pepper.

Lower the heat to medium, add dairy-free cream or cream cheese, a ladleful of the gnocchi cooking water, and simmer for a few minutes until you get a creamy sauce.

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.

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

Reheat on a pan with olive oil or a dash of water.

Can I make gnocchi ahead of time?

Yes, 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 tray 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.

If you are 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