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    Home » Pasta » Vegan Gnocchi Recipe

    Vegan Gnocchi Recipe

    Published: Apr 23, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    To make vegan gnocchi we follow the authentic recipe for Italian potato gnocchi. They are easy to make at home, and you'll need just three ingredients and a fork.

    Once cooked, gnocchi can be paired with your favorite pasta sauce - from rich vegan bolognese to a creamy mushroom sauce.

    potato gnocchi in a pan with the sauce
    On this page:
    • What to expect
    • Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Tips
    • Questions
    • Similar recipes
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best vegan Italian recipe collection!

    What to expect

    vegan gnocchi coated in a rich tomato sauce

    Gnocchi, pronounced "NYOKEE", is a popular Italian first course, most often made from potatoes and flour, and sometimes with eggs in it. It's often served with a meat-based sauce, or with a butter sage sauce.

    Vegan gnocchi is actually an authentic Italian recipe, as a lot of people in Italy make gnocchi without eggs in it.

    Homemade Italian gnocchi might be different from the gnocchi we are used to eating outside of Italy. They should be very soft, silky, and delicate, and when you put them in your mouth they should almost melt.

    Our favorite sauces for vegan gnocchi are this rich tempeh bolognese and this easy lentil bolognese.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    ingredients for vegan gnocchi
    • Potatoes: in the United States the best potato variety to make gnocchi is medium-sized Russet potatoes. If you don't live in the US or can't find Russet potatoes, then red potatoes are also great.

      In general, old potatoes are best to make gnocchi because they contain more starch and less moisture.

      Avoid new potatoes, as they contain too much moisture and will absorb too much flour.

      If you don't find russet, red, or really old potatoes, then it will be hard to make Italian gnocchi. You can, however, make a more "international" type of vegan gnocchi. To do that, double the amount of flour that I use. Also, double the kneading time. This way you'll get a type of gnocchi that is easier to shape, and that has more bite (but it's not Italian).
    • Flour: regular all-purpose flour.
    • Salt: best would be sea salt or kosher salt, but any other salt is also ok. To make gnocchi gluten-free you can use all-purpose gluten-free flour or rice flour.

    Equipment

    All you need is a clean surface, and a fork to both mash the potatoes, and to shape the gnocchi.

    If you prefer you can also use a ricer to mash the potatoes, and a gnocchi board to shape them.

    Instructions

    Add the potatoes, whole and with the skin on, to a large pot full of cold water.

    Bring to boil and cook until the potatoes are soft. I check by inserting the blade of a small knife into one potato. If it slides in easily, they are done.

    Depending on the size of the potatoes they can take between 20 and 50 minutes to cook.

    It would be best to use potatoes that are similar in size so that they'll require the same cooking time.

    red potatoes in cold water

    Once cooked tender, drain the potatoes and peel them. Since they are hot, I hold them with a cloth with my left hand and remove the peel with a small paring knife with my right.

    boiled and peeled potatoes

    In a large bowl, add the peeled potatoes and mash them with a fork until they are completely mashed. You can also use a potato ricer or masher to do this.

    TIP: if you use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes, you won't need to peel them.

    Just cut them in half instead, put them in the ricer with the cut facing down, and squeeze. The peel should stay in the ricer.

    potatoes mashed with a fork

    Now add the flour and the salt, and knead until the potatoes absorb all the flour and you get a compact but soft gnocchi dough.

    Knead just the time to incorporate the flour with the potatoes. For more info, see the "tips" chapter below. You should not over-knead.

    NOTE: depending on the type of potato, you might need to add more or less flour.

    vegan gnocchi dough

    Shape gnocchi

    Sprinkle your worktop with flour. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into long ropes, 2 cm thick (about ¾ inch), then cut the ropes into 1.5 cm (½ inch) bites.

    Use a knife or a dough scraper to cut the gnocchi.

    shaping the gnocchi

    Now, you have three options to shape the gnocchi. You can either leave them as they are, smooth and looking like small cute pillows.

    This is a popular version in Italy, as most people don't have time (or patience) to shape them further.

    pillow shaped gnocchi

    You can also roll them on the tines of a fork applying gentle pressure with your thumb, creating small ridges that will make the gnocchi look very pretty. The ridges will also grab more sauce.

    Or you can use a gnocchi board that you can find online for a few dollars. It's definitely faster to do gnocchi with a gnocchi board than with a fork. Once shaped, put your gnocchi on a baking sheet.

    vegan gnocchi shaped with a fork

    Cook gnocchi

    Homemade gnocchi cooks very quickly, in a large pot of salted water. Add them to the pot one by one. Like when boiling pasta, the water should be well salted.

    They are quite delicate, so you should only cook one to two portions at a time, without overcrowding the pot.

    When they float to the top, they are done. It should take about 1 minute. Since gnocchi is very soft, they might lose their shape if you drain them in a strainer.

    vegan gnocchi boiling in salted water


    It's best to scoop them out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the pan with the sauce.

    vegan gnocchi in a pan with vegan bolognese

    Serving suggestions

    Once your gnocchi is ready, it's quite an easy dinner since you just need to choose a sauce and toss them in.

    • Keep it simple and serve with a tomato sauce, a sundried tomato pesto or a quick basil pesto.
    • Make it earthy with a tempeh bolognese, lentil bolognese or vegan mushroom sauce.

    For a side of veggies add one or more of these sides:

    • Cucumber and tomato salad
    • Brussels sprout salad
    • Roasted broccoli
    • Roasted Brussels sprout
    • Oven-baked veggie tray

    PSST! Gnocchi are also delicious served with a simple vegan butter and sage sauce.

    gnocchi with tomato sauce

    Variations

    • Sweet potato gnocchi: you can easily replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes.

      The recipe stays exactly the same, however, sweet potatoes are wetter than regular potatoes, so you might want to dry them in the oven for 20 minutes at 180C (360F) after you boiled them and before mashing them.
    • Ricotta gnocchi: to make gnocchi with ricotta you can first follow our recipe for making dairy-free ricotta at home from soy milk.

      Then replace the potatoes with ricotta, and follow the recipe. Depending on how wet your ricotta is, you might want to add two to three tablespoons of additional flour.
    • Gluten-free gnocchi: you can make these with gluten-free flour such as rice flour or a gluten-free flour mix.

      When you make gluten-free gnocchi you don't have to worry about over-kneading as there's no gluten.

    PSST! If you're also a big fan of vegan Italian recipes, we hear you! If we missed one of your favorite Italian recipes on our site, let us know in the comments below.

    Comments and ratings help us improve our content, so leave us a note below if you like what we do ❤️.

    Tips

    • Use the right potatoes: the best potatoes for making homemade gnocchi are floury potatoes, rich in starch and low in water content.

      They will make for a dry, fluffy, dough. The best variety are Russet potatoes, red potatoes, and most types of very old potatoes.

      If your potatoes are really watery, then you can first boil them, then cut them in half and bake them in the oven at 180C (360F) for 20 minutes.
    • Cook potatoes with peel on: this is done to prevent water from entering the potato. Do not cut the potatoes before cooking them.
    • Peel and mash the potatoes while hot: be careful and do not burn yourself. To prevent myself from burning, I take a cloth on my left hand, put the potato in it, and peel it with my right hand. Alternatively, I stick a fork in it to hold the potato.

      Potatoes should be mashed while hot because as they cool down, the starches will go through a process called retrogradation, where they will make the potatoes sticky and hard to work with.
    • Don't over-knead: over-kneading will activate the gluten network in the flour, making the gnocchi gummy and chewy.
    • Cook immediately (or freeze): gnocchi should be cooked straight after you make them, because when they sit around, they loose their texture and shape. If you want to make them in advance, it's best to freeze them.

    Questions

    Do you have to use russet potato for gnocchi?

    The russet potato is great for gnocchi because it contains a good amount of starch and less water than regular potatoes.

    However, if you can't find Russet potatoes, you can use red potatoes or old potatoes. In any case, try to avoid new potatoes.

    Why is my gnocchi mushy?

    Probably because there is too much water in the gnocchi dough.

    This happens either because you cooked the potatoes without their peel, or chopped. It can also happen if you picked the wrong type of potato.

    How can I fix mushy gnocchi?

    Do not add flour directly to the dough. Transfer the gnocchi to a clean worktop, dust the worktop with flour, and gently work the dough there.

    Do more of a rolling, compacting movement, than kneading.

    Is gnocchi the same as dumplings?

    Gnocchi is basically an Italian dumpling and is different from other types of pasta. Traditional pasta is made from wheat flour mixed with water (and sometimes eggs), and since gnocchi consists primarily of potatoes, it can be categorized as a dumpling.

    homemade potato gnocchi

    Similar recipes

    If you love this potato gnocchi, have a go at one of these quick and easy pasta recipes:

    • Vegan carbonara
    • Trofie pasta (easy homemade recipe)
    • Creamy mushroom pasta
    • Boscaiola Pasta
    • Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
    • Penne all arrabbiata
    • Lemon Pasta with spinach

    Storage

    Can gnocchi be made ahead of time?

    Yes, they can, as long as you follow some simple tips for storing them. The best way to store homemade gnocchi is to freeze them straight after you shaped them in freezer bags.

    How to freeze homemade potato gnocchi?

    To freeze homemade gnocchi, put them as a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper.

    Freeze them on the tray, then after an hour or so, when they are hard, you can transfer them to a freezer bag to save space. Keep for up to three months.

    How to cook them from frozen?

    To cook vegan gnocchi from frozen, just add them to plenty of salted boiling water and cook till they float on top.

    Cooked gnocchi can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a day. To reheat them, jump them on a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Or bake them in the oven with some extra dairy-free cheese on top.

    Recipe

    vegan gnocchi coated in a rich tomato sauce

    Potato Gnocchi Recipe

    Author: Nico
    Our vegan gnocchi is an authentic Italian gnocchi recipe that is the perfect comfort food. This is a really easy gnocchi recipe to make, you'll need just three ingredients and a fork.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    4.82 from 11 votes
    Prep Time 40 mins
    Cook Time 1 min
    Total Time 41 mins
    Course First Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 310 kcal

    Equipment

    • To mash the potatoes you'll need a fork, or a potato ricer, or a rotary vegetable mill.

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the gnocchi

    • 2.2 pounds potatoes Russet or red potatoes.
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour this can vary greatly based on the type of potato so be ready to add more.
    • 2 teaspoons salt + 1½ tablespoons for the water to cook the gnocchi.

    Instructions
     

    Make the gnocchi dough

    • Boil potatoes with skin on in boiling water till soft. It should take 40 to 50 minutes. Pierce one potato with the tip of a knife to check doneness.
      Drain potatoes and peel them while still hot. Cloth on left hand, knife on right hand, so that you don't burn yourself. Do not let potatoes cool too much or they'll get hard to mash.
      TIP: usually while I wait for the potatoes to cook, I make the sauce. Link in the notes below.
      peeling the potatoes
    • Add the potatoes to a bowl and mash them with a fork, potato ricer, rotary vegetable mill or potato masher. I do it with a fork.
      mashing the potatoes with a fork
    • Add the flour and the salt, and knead until the potatoes absorb all the flour and you get a compact but soft potato dough.
      adding the flour to the mashed potatoes
    • Knead just the time to incorporate the flour with the potatoes. For more info, see the "tips" chapter below. You should not over-knead.
      NOTE: depending on the type of potato, you might need to add more or less flour.
      gnocchi dough

    Shape the gnocchi

    • Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into long ropes, 2 cm thick (about ¾ inch), then cut the ropes into 1.5 cm (½ inch) bites.
      You can use a knife or a dough scraper to cut the gnocchi.
      shaping the gnocchi
    • You have three options to shape the gnocchi. You can either leave them as they are, smooth and looking like small cute pillows.
      pillow shaped gnocchi
    • You can also roll them on the backside of a fork applying gentle pressure with your thumb, creating small ridges that will make the gnocchi look very pretty. The ridges will also grab more sauce.
      fork shaped gnocchi
    • Or you can use a gnocchi board that you can find online for a few dollars. It's definitely faster to do gnocchi with a gnocchi board.
      gnocchi board shaped gnocchi

    Cook the gnocchi

    • Add the gnocchi, one by one, to a pot with plenty of salted boiling water. When they float to the surface, they are cooked. It should take about 1 minute.
      cooking the gnocchi in salted boiling water
    • Scoop them out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the pan with your favourite sauce.
      gnocchi with tempeh bolognese

    Video Recipe

    Notes

    Our favorite sauce for homemade gnocchi is this tempeh bolognese. You can make it while the potatoes boil.
    This recipe can serve between 4 to 6 people. If eaten as a main meal, then it serves about 4 people. If used as a first course, then you can serve about 6 smaller portions. 
    Nutritional values are for 1 out of 6 servings of gnocchi, without sauce.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Potato Gnocchi Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 310 Calories from Fat 9
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1g2%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Potassium 755mg22%
    Carbohydrates 67g22%
    Dietary Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 3IU0%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 33mg40%
    Vitamin E 1mg7%
    Vitamin K 3µg3%
    Calcium 28mg3%
    Folate 118µg30%
    Iron 4mg22%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 49mg12%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane

      April 24, 2022 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      Can these be made w gluten free flour?

      Reply
      • Nico

        April 24, 2022 at 8:10 am

        Hi Diane! Yes they can - you can make them with gluten-free flour such as rice flour or a gluten-free flour mix.

        When you make gluten-free gnocchi you don't have to worry about over-kneading as there's no gluten. Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    2. Joana

      March 06, 2022 at 1:24 am

      5 stars
      These are the tastiest and softest gnocchis I've made so far, so easy to make too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙏🧡

      Reply
      • Nico

        March 07, 2022 at 8:42 am

        Thanks very much Joana! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    3. Joana

      March 05, 2022 at 8:04 pm

      5 stars
      These were the tastiest and softest gnocchis I've made so far. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe 🧡

      Reply
      • Nico

        March 07, 2022 at 8:42 am

        Thank you Joana, I'm so happy you are cooking my recipes! Thanks for taking time to comment! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    4. Melina

      November 21, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!! My boyfriend who is always sceptical about plant-based cooking loved it too.

      Reply
      • Nico

        November 23, 2020 at 6:37 am

        Ciao Melina, so happy you and your boyfriend liked it 🙂
        Thanks for the comment! Have an amazing week!

        Reply

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