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You can make this Sweet Potato Gnocchi at home with just 3 simple ingredients. It is easier than you think to make sweet potato gnocchi that is paleo!
Can I make sweet potato gnocchi at home?
No offense to Trader Joe’s, but you can finally stop wasting your money on those bags of premade gnocchi. This recipe will teach you how to make your own sweet potato gnocchi at home with just 3 simple ingredients. This recipe is paleo, and technically the ingredients are Whole30 compliant, it just might be considered SWYPO.
I like to use cassava flour for this recipe because it is a smooth, fine, grain-free flour that mixes into the dough easily. If you are not worried about eating grain free you can always replace the cassava flour with a traditional all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten free flour.
What should I serve with my sweet potato gnocchi?
I love this homemade gnocchi recipe because it is SO versatile! You can easily just use a jar of marinara to make a quick and easy dinner or you can make a homemade sauce.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy this gnocchi is with a lemon butter sauce and wilted spinach. I pan fry my gnocchi then I remove it from the pan and add some garlic and butter to the pan. Once the butter and garlic are soft I squeeze in a cheek of lemon.
Finally, I add in a big handful of spinach and allow it to wilt slightly. I add the cooked sweet potato gnocchi back to the pan and toss until it is coated in the sauce and spinach. Then, I add it back to a bowl and top with some parmesan cheese
What kitchen tools will I need to make this homemade gnocchi?
What ingredients will I need to make this sweet potato gnocchi recipe?
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this gnocchi with just 3 ingredients. The store bought version is loaded with extra ingredients and fillers, but when you make it at home its very simple
- Sweet potato
- Egg (can sub 1 flax egg)
- Cassava flour (Can substitute regular AP flour, whole wheat flour or gluten free flour)
How do I make sweet potato gnocchi?
Step 1: Steam the sweet potato
First, peel and cut the sweet potato into large cubes. Add sweet potato to a pot and steam until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Then, place the cooked sweet potato in the refrigerator to allow the sweet potato to cool completely. Mash the sweet potato down with a potato masher or the back of a fork.
Step 2: Make the dough
Then, place 3/4 cup mashed sweet potato on a cutting board and shape into a ring. Next, crack an egg into the center of the ring and whisk with a fork. Then, mix the egg into the sweet potato.
Pour flour on top of egg and sweet potato mixture. Then, mix flour into sweet potato and egg. Knead dough until a smooth even ball of dough remains.
Step 3: Roll and cut into gnocchi
Next, cut dough into quarters. Take one quarter of dough and place on a floured cutting board. Then, roll the dough into a long tube.
Take the tube and cut into 1″ long pieces of gnocchi. Roll each piece on a pasta board or the back of a fork. Continue this process until you have used all four quarters of the dough ball.
Step 4: Boil and pan fry the gnocchi
Next, boil salted water. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once the gnocchi rises to the surface it is cooked. Remove floating gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon.
You can eat the gnocchi after it is boiled or pan fry it. To pan fry add butter or oil to a frying pan over medium heat and cook the gnocchi in batches until crisped on each side. Cook in batches as to not crowd the pan and get an even crisp.
Step 5: Enjoy!
How long will this homemade gnocchi recipe keep in the fridge?
I like to enjoy my gnocchi immediately after cooking. If you want to prep your gnocchi ahead of time you can prepare the dough and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before rolling into gnocchi and cooking.
Can I freeze sweet potato gnocchi?
Yes! If you want to prepare a big batch of gnocchi and freeze for later I suggest preparing the gnocchi dough, roll and cut into pieces and then freeze. Once you are ready to enjoy your gnocchi allow it to thaw slightly on the counter and then boil and pan fry.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Simple homemade sweet potato gnocchi made with 3 ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large sweet potato (about 1/2 lb)
- 1 egg (can sub 1 flax egg)
- 1/2 cup cassava flour (can sub 1 cup regular AP flour)
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potato and cut into large cubes
- Place sweet potato in a sauce pan with a little water and steam until soft enough to easily pierce with a fork – about 10 minutes
- Remove sweet potato from pan and place on a plate
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour until the sweet potato is completely cold
- Smash the cold sweet potato with a potato masher or the back of a fork
- Take 3/4 cup of the mashed sweet potato and place on a cutting board and shape into a ring (see chart below to see how you should do this)
- Crack an egg into the center of the ring and whisk with a fork
- Mix the sweet potato and egg together
- Pour flour on top of the sweet potato and egg mixture
- Mix flour into the egg and sweet potato and knead until a smooth, even dough ball remains ***If using all-purpose flour add 1/2 cup of flour to the mixture first and knead. Then, add 1/4 cup of flour at a time and continue kneading the dough until an even dough forms – you should use close to 1 cup of flour total***
- Cut dough ball into quarters
- Take one quarter and place on a floured cutting board
- Roll into a long tube and cut 1″ gnocchi pieces from the tube
- Roll each piece on a pasta board or the back of a fork
- Repeat this process until all 4 quarters of the dough are used
- Boil salted water and add gnocchi to the boiling water
- Once the gnocchi floats to the top it is cooked
- Remove the gnocchi from the pot with a slotted spoon
- Enjoy the gnocchi boiled or pan fry by heating butter or oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the gnocchi in batches until browned on all sides
Notes
If you want to freeze this dough for later I recommend freezing after you cut into gnocchi, but before you cook.
Keywords: sweet potato gnocchi, sweet potato gnocchi recipe, paleo sweet potato gnocchi
This is not a vegan recipe, it includes egg and no substitution is recommended
My apologies! I forgot to write in about using a flax egg instead!
Hi! I suffer from 2 autoimmune related issues, and am always going back and forth between good and bad health. Recently, I’ve read a lot about how gut health can help with the immune system. Your blog has given me so many cool recipes to try during quarantine, and I’m slowly starting to feel better. I’m taking this odd time we’re in to re-train the way my body eats, and I just wanted to thank you for your blog. Thank you for making all of your recipes accessible to everyone, and thank you for sharing them. I hope you’re staying safe and healthy!
I am sorry to hear that you are suffering but glad that my blog could be helpful! Its not easy to change eating habits, but does make me feel much better. Thank you for sharing your kind words!
The end product was great, although I need some practice to beautify! I used all purpose flower and needed closer to a cup to get the dough to come together. Also remember the gnocchi will expand when you boil, so make them smaller than you want the end product!
★★★★★
Oh amazing thank you for sharing those tips!!
I made these with AP flour, it was my first time ever making gnocchi, and I was so happy with how they turned out. Fried them and coated in Cholula and ate like mock chicken wings. Just made them a second time with cassava flour and served with pesto and Parmesan and they’re delicious! Love the picture diagram. Can’t wait to try with a different sauce next time.
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing, Shelly! I HAVE TO TRY WITH THE HOT SAUCE! Wow
Had some leftover sweet potatoes so gave it a try! Definitely struggled making the dough and shaping, it was very sticky, but the final product was delicious!! And very few ingredients which is awesome.
★★★★★
I’m so glad!! It can be difficult to get the dough to come together so I’m glad you stuck with it!
I made this last night with a regular egg and AP flour. I used 1 cup of AP flour. I’ve never made any type of gnocchi so I am not sure if it was correct. When I tried rolling a quarter of the dough into a tube, it wouldn’t really roll out on the floured cutting board. I had to kind of pick it up and squeeze it to get the shape. Does that mean it needed more/less flour?
probably slightly too much flour. the difference between the AP and cassava is that AP has gluten which can be springy