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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe! Made with only 6 ingredients this delicious homemade pasta is gluten-free, grain-free & dairy-free! It’s boiled then browned in olive oil for an extra special, rich flavor and perfect texture!

Overhead view of a plate of Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Clearly, fall.  has. arrived. here at JoyFoodSunshine! This Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe is a meal that everyone in my family absolutely adores. From my sweet Naomi all the way to my meat-and-potatoes husband, no one even notices the fact that there is no meat involved when I bring this gnocchi to the table!

I have made many varieties of gnocchi over the years. However, this paleo version has me so giddy I can’t wait to share it with you.

It only takes 6 ingredients to make this delicious and nutritious Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi, however there are a number of {easy} steps involved in the gnocchi-making process, so I thought we’d walk through it together!

How to make Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Step 1: Make the dough

Start by baking and mashing the sweet potatoes. Add the egg and dry ingredients and mix until a dough is formed. This dough will be different than the traditional gnocchi dough, as it is a bit tacky and sticky. Do not be worried if the dough is sticky, that is totally normal!

However, the stickiness makes it a tad messy to work with. So, you will need extra tapioca flour to roll out your gnocchi. Coat your your work surface and your hands with flour as you form the gnocchi.

Step 2. Make the Gnocchi (no rolling)!

Due to the sticky nature of this dough we will not be rolling it out into logs. Instead simply take about 2 tsp of dough at a time and it roll it into balls with your hands! (I personally do this anyway even with regular gnocchi dough, because I like round gnocchi and it saves me a step)! 🙂

Once the gnocchi is rolled, use a fork (dipping it in more tapioca flour), to make the cute little ridges on the gnocchi!

Step 3. Let it rest. 

Let the gnocchi sit for at least 20 minutes and for up to 6 hours (if you want to make it ahead of time). This gives the Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi to become firmer!

How to freeze Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

At this point the gnocchi can be frozen! Simply flour a large baking sheet and evenly space the gnocchi on it, then toss it in the freezer. Once the gnocchi is frozen, remove it from the baking sheet and place it in an airtight, freezer-friendly container.

Cooking gnocchi from frozen

To cook frozen gnocchi simply follow the same steps below for boiling and browning. Just be aware that putting frozen gnocchi into a pot of boiling water will cause the temperature to drop (and therefore cause the water to stop boiling). It will take longer to cook the gnocchi from frozen, but not much (maybe 5-6 minutes instead of 2-4).

Step 4. Boil 

Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top. I use a slotted/skimmer spoon like this one to remove the floating gnocchi from the boiling water and transfer to a strainer. The Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi will cook very fast because it is so fresh, expect it to take only 2-4 minutes to float to the top!

Be sure to stir the gnocchi int he boiling water so it doesn’t stick together or to the bottom of the pan!

Step 5: Brown!

Next comes the most important of all the steps….crisping the gnocchi! Sure, you can eat it without sautéing it in some delicious olive oil or butter (or a mixture), but why on earth would you do that when the crispy outside and chewy inside takes this Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe up 1,000,000 notches (not that I’m exaggerating).

Heat your oil, butter or ghee (I use half butter half olive oil) over medium heat and add one layer gnocchi to your pan. Stir to coat with oil and cook on one side until it’s golden brown (about 10 minutes). Flip and cook on the other side.

Step 6: Serve! 

Serve this Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi with some roasted veggies (below are parmesan roasted red and green peppers, YUM) and your favorite pasta sauce. This dish truly is the perfect meatless Monday meal option that even non-veggie folks will enjoy!

Serving size 

This recipe feeds my family of 5 (and my baby can EAT) perfectly. I remember the days when I could freeze half the batch and save it for later….not so anymore! 🙂 But if you aren’t cooking for a small army of little people and one giant person, this gnocchi freezes beautifully (as mentioned above).

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Ingredients & Substitutions 

Here are a few notes about this recipe!

  • Sweet potatoes. regular potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, and even butternut squash can be substituted for the sweet potatoes in this recipe!
  • Almond flour. I don’t recommend messing with the flours, however I imagine all-purpose gluten-free flour would work in place of both the almond & tapioca flours, however I’m guessing you would need less than four cups.
  • Tapioca flour. Cornstarch or arrowroot starch can be used in place of tapioca flour/starch.

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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe! Made with only 6 ingredients this delicious homemade pasta is gluten-free, grain-free & dairy-free! It's boiled then browned in olive oil for an extra special, rich flavor and perfect texture! 

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword paleo gnocchi, Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi, sweet potato gnocchi, sweet potato gnocchi recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 32 oz (8 servings)
Calories 344 kcal
Author Laura

Ingredients

Instructions

To cook sweet potato:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Pierce two medium/large sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
  3. Wrap potatoes separately in aluminum foil.
  4. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Potatoes are done when they are soft to the touch.
  5. Remove from oven, open aluminum foil and let potatoes cool completely.

Making the Gnocchi:

  1. Put 2 cups of mashed sweet potato into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add egg and beat well.
  3. In a separate, smaller bowl mix together tapioca flour, almond flour and salt.
  4. Add dry ingredients to sweet potato/egg mixture and mix until combined. Your dough will still be slightly tacky.
  5. Spread large work surface with extra tapioca flour. Roll dough into a ball and let sit in the flour for about 20-30 minutes.
  6. Coat your hands in tapioca flour and roll dough into balls (I use about 2 tsp dough for each gnocchi, but it is up to you to determine how large or small you want them to be)!
  7. Set rolled balls on floured surface and continue until you use all your dough.
  8. Dip a small fork in tapioca flour and lightly press on each gnocchi on one side to give it the “ridged” look!
  9. Set gnocchi aside for at least 20 minutes, but for up to 5 hours (if you’re making the dough ahead)
  10. ***At this step you can freeze the gnocchi! Simply put the uncooked gnocchi on a floured baking tray and pop them in the freezer for at least 3 hours. Remove from tray and put in a plastic bag.
  11. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half of the gnocchi to the boiling water to form a single layer in the pot. Stir the gnocchi to be sure that they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  12. Once the gnocchi floats to the top of the water (after about 2-3 minutes), use a slotted spoon to remove gnocchi from the pot into a strainer.
  13. After all gnocchi have been removed, add the rest of the batch and repeat.

Crisping the Gnocchi:

  1. Add 2 TBS of your cooking oil/butter to a large sauté pan. Melt/warm over medium heat. Add ½ of your batch of gnocchi and stir to coat with oil.
  2. Cook gnocchi on one side for about 5-10 minutes until golden-brown.
  3. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes on the second side until golden brown.
  4. Repeat with the rest of your gnocchi.
  5. Serve with your favorite sauce and some roasted veggies!
  6. ***To Cook frozen gnocchi:
  7. Do NOT thaw. Simply add gnocchi to boiling water and boil until it floats to the surface.
Nutrition Facts
Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Amount Per Serving (4 oz)
Calories 344 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 1.7g 9%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.7g
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 291mg 12%
Potassium 247mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4.7g 19%
Sugars 4.3g
Protein 7.8g 16%
Vitamin A 61%
Vitamin C 12%
Calcium 8%
Iron 9.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

That’s all she wrote folks! This week is a busy one for us! We have family pictures tomorrow night (so grateful for our amazing photographer), and a few other things on the schedule that just add up!

Question: Have you ever made homemade gnocchi? What’s your favorite kind? What does your week look like this week? 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole

    November 26, 2017 at 7:18 am

    I’m confused about the cooking part. You list boiling then crisping. Are both necessary or can I skip the boil and just crisp them? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Laura

      November 26, 2017 at 2:40 pm

      Hello Nicole! Boiling is absolutely necessary, as it is what actually cooks the gnocchi. Crisping is optional but it takes the flavor up 1,000 notches {in my opinion}!

      Reply

  2. Jen

    August 30, 2017 at 3:28 pm

    Suggestion to substitute for almond flour while still avoiding wheat based flour, due to nut and gluten avoidances??

    Reply

    • Laura

      August 31, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      You could try a gluten-free all-purpose flour but I cannot guarantee great results since I have never tried it! I recommend searching for a regular gluten-free variety that is not necessarily paleo!

      Reply

  4. Miz Helen

    September 23, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    We love Sweet Potatoes and I can’t wait to try your Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Thanks so much for sharing with us today at Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  7. Rusty Ryan

    September 21, 2016 at 4:03 pm


    As a true carnivore, these tasty cushions of sweet potato goodness work well on Meatless Monday, even with non-paleo flour…Also works well with a side of meatballs or Italian sausage… I’m just sayin’

    Reply

  12. Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands

    September 21, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Love it! We haven’t made sweet potato gnocchi in so long, or any gnocchi for that matter. We usually make a double or triple batch when we make it so we can freeze it for later. Your beautiful post has me craving it now and we need to make it soon! I love how you paired it with veggies.

    Reply

  13. Sonali- The Foodie Physician

    September 20, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Gnocchi is definitely one of my favorite dishes- if it’s on a menu, it’s a pretty safe bet that I’m going to order it. These sweet potato gnocchi look amazing! The first time I ever made sweet potato gnocchi was in culinary school. We served it with brown butter and sage…so good!

    Reply

    • Laura

      September 20, 2016 at 8:37 pm

      Making gnocchi is SO easy! This dough is a little stickier than gnocchi made with regular flour…however keeping your hands coated in tapioca flour ensures perfect little balls of gnocchi goodness! 🙂

      Reply

    • Laura

      September 20, 2016 at 8:34 pm

      LOL YES! the older my kids get (and the more they eat) the more my foodie selfishness rears it’s ugly head! I don’t want to share…but they’re my kids so I DO want to share. A mother’s love….

      Reply

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