Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocci

This recipe is awesome. Can we just start there?

I have been a long time dumpling fan, though since going gluten-free, rockstar dumplings and decadent treats like gnocchi don’t happen too often.

The trick in making gnocchi without white potato is the starch factor. White potatoes are naturally starchy, which helps with the binding and texture. Add to that the gluten-free factor, and we’re dealing what could quickly become a crumbly excuse for Gnocchi.

After several attempts, I feel super confident in sharing this version, one that I am calling Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi Perfection so you’re going to want to give this a go.

There is a catch. This recipe definitely doesn’t fall into the “quick and easy” category. You may need to put on your best “back-in-the-old-country” apron, set aside at least an hour (if not a little extra), turn on some tunes and pour yourself a glass of organic red or kombucha.

I do believe you are now ready and set to embark on this culinary adventure.

Gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi

I have been a longtime fan of sweet potatoes, and as we settle into the winter, there is not better time to celebrate their diversity in application!

Cubed Sweet Potato

The key with making sweet potato gnocchi is that you don’t want your sweets too moist. In the past I had attempted this with steamed sweet potatoes, which made the whole dough way too wet and sticky. Roasting them was a grand realization and allowed the dough to actually form without needing loads of extra flour and starch.

Gnocchi dough in process

Once the dough is formed, it will still be slightly sticky but with a little flour on the hands and on the counter, you’ll be ready to roll- literally!

Rolling Gnocchi

The next step once you’ve rolled, is to cut into gnocchi size pieces.

gluten-free gnocchi

Now that you’ve got your cute little gluten-free gnocchi cut to size, use a small fork to make that little imprint that we know gnocchi to have. If anyone knows why we do this – please share!

Gnocchi ready for boiling

The gnocchi are then dropped into a pot of boiling water, and once they slowly make their way to the surface, you pull them out and allow them to drain.

Boiled Sweet Potato Gnocchi

You can absolutely devour them as is, boiled and ready to go. The next step is an extra one, appropriately named because it is extra delicious!

pan-fried sweet potato gnocchi

Once they are drained, I heated a little oil in my pan and gave these little nuggets a quick pan-fry to make them extra crispy and awesome.

I enjoyed my gluten-free and dairy-free sweet potato gnocchi with a a drizzle of cashew cream sauce and a sprinkle of fresh pea shoots.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocci gluten-free-gnocci-recipe dairy-free-gluten-free-sweet-potato-gnocci

And now, you’re ready to make your own!

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Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocci

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi


  • Author: Meghan Telpner
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Description

The best gluten-free and dairy-free sweet potato gnocchi.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cubed (needs to make 3/4 cup of puree)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/3 cup arrowroot starch
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • ghee, coconut oil or avocado oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 and roast cubed sweet potato and garlic for 45 minutes.
  2. Once roasted, remove and allow to cool before transferring to a food processor and mixing until smooth.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine together the pureed sweet potato and garlic, along with the brown rice flour, chickpea flour, arrowroot starch and sea salt. You may need to use your hands to get it mixed fully.
  4. Lightly dust counter surface and hands with brown rice flour. Separate about 1/3 cup of the mixture and roll into a 3/4 inch thick roll (see photo above for reference). Cut into 1 inch pieces. These are your gnocchi. Repeat until all of the mixture is used up.
  5. Use a small fork to imprint the top of the gnocchi.
  6. Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add about 10-15 pieces to the water using a slotted spoon. Move them around a little to prevent sticking. Once they rise to the top, using the slotted the spoon remove from the water and place in a colander to drain. Repeat with remaining dough until all are cooked.
  7. Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in your pan and pan fry gnocchi for 3-4 minutes on each side. This is an optional step but helps to brown them up and give them a bit of a crispy outside. Repeat until all of the gnocchi have been browned.
  8. They are now ready to serve with your favourite sauce.
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Cuisine: Entree

If you are looking for some dairy-free inspiration for a sauce, check out the following:

34 Comments

  1. Meghan-

    I’m so glad you put this recipe up for us-

    I’ll be sure to share, thank you!

    My mother-in-law came from a small town in Italy, San Pietro Avellana.
    She would roll the fork across the top of the dumpling, in essence, causing the dumpling to flatten out, jus a little) and curl inward. The dumpling became curled from the pressing of the fork against the dough.

    Perhaps the reason for the fork curling technique is to catch the tomato sauce?

    Warm hugs!

    Maria

  2. Yep! As Maria said, The fork imprint (or using a finger like my husband’s Nonna did) is For optimal sauce saturation!
    These look delicious. Can’t wait to try them :) Thanks for sharing!

  3. The sweet potato gnocchi look amazing! I’m wondering if I can prep them early in the day, leave them in the refrigerator for several hours, and cook just prior to serving. Do you think the dough can sit and rest, or will too much moisture be lost?

  4. I will solve the mystery behind the indentations to home made gnocchi…The main reason gnocchi are indented with a fork is because this allows the sauce (traditionally red tomato sauce) to get caught in the crevasses, making each morsel extra delicious. This is a must try recipe for sure!

  5. I just made gnocchi for the first time this weekend. My dad was my kitchen assistant. He had not made it before but had watched his mom, my nonna make it. He too said the fork marks are too ‘catch’ the sauce.

    The gnocchi will last a few days in the fridge. Just make sure they are kept covered and set flat on a tray. To freeze, put the tray in the freezer. Once frozen you can stack them in a airtight container.

  6. Hi Meghan, I’m so excited to try these out!!! I’m making them today so will let you know how they go. BTW: I think they put grooves in the gnocchi to allow the sauce to stick better to it

  7. Hi Meagan,

    I am so excited to try this recipe for my little guys who both have a dairy and wheat intolerance. Do you think it would work with Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 flour instead of the chick pea flour, rice flour and arrow root powder ? The different flours confuse the heck out of me so I usually just keep lots of 1:1 flour in hand.

  8. This looks so yummy! I’m wondering about the chickpea flour since I’ve never heard of it- do you make your own or is there a brand that soaks, cooks and dehydrates it? Can I ask if you ate foods like this while you were healing? Thanks!

  9. I tried a similar recipe … however your idea of roasting the sweet potato really hits the spot. I am looking forward to this and will be toasting in my fry pan!!! Awesome.

  10. The answer, as I know it, about making indents in the gnocchi is because it help capture and keep the sauce it’s in.

  11. I also wanted to know if there is a substitute for rice flour. Have you ever tried making this recipe with cassava flour?

  12. This recipe was amazing! We made this for a guest who can’t have eggs or gluten and I thought it was better than the traditional one we made! Very light and fluffy and delicious. We served it with a pesto cream sauce, I will definitely be making this again!

  13. In the first step, when you say “Preheat your oven to 350 and roast cubed sweet potato and garlic for 45 minutes,” do you mean just put the cubed sweet potatoes on a sheet, dry? Not in a covered dish, not with some oil or ghee on them, just plain, dry cubes? I see where you said that other methods were too moist, so I get that you want to keep them dry, but they won’t get too hard? I just want to make sure. Thanks in advance?

  14. Gnocchi is traditionally rolled lightly down a fork or ridged board to create an indentation in the middle with ridges on the outside so that the sauce would get caught up or stay with it more easily! From my Italian family tradition.

  15. I just made these with buckwheat and gram flour and corn flour instead of arrowroot. They were delicious! Thank you x

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