Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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This paleo sweet potato gnocchi recipe is made with 6 ingredients! It is gluten-free, grain-free & dairy-free.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi on a plate

This paleo sweet potato gnocchi is a delicious homemade pasta, perfect for fall!

It only takes 6 ingredients to make this recipe, then the sweet potato gnocchi is boiled and browned in olive oil for a rich flavor and perfect texture.

Serve it with homemade marinara sauce or pesto sauce for a delicious meal.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi on a plate

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi: Ingredients & Substitutions 

overhead photo of the labeled ingredients in this Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe
  • Sweet potatoes.ย regular potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, and even butternut squash can be substituted for the sweet potatoes in this recipe.
  • Almond flour.ย 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.ย Cornstarch or arrowroot starch can be used in place of tapioca flour/starch.
Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi in a fry pan

How to Make Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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 work surface and your hands with flour as you form the gnocchi.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi dough in a round disc

Form the Paleo Sweet Potato 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.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Let the Gnocchi Rest

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

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi on a wire cooling rack before cooking

Boil the Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

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 them 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 in the boiling water so it doesn’t stick together or to the bottom of the pan.

2 Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchis on a slotted spoon after boiling

Brown the Gnocchi

Next, brown the boiled gnocchi. You can eat it without sautรฉing it, however, browning it after boiling makes it taste amazing – with a crispy outside and soft center.

Heat oil, butter or ghee over medium heat and add one layerย of 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.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi after browning in a sautรฉ pan.

Serve

Serve this paleo sweet potato gnocchi with some roasted veggies and your favorite sauce like marinara or pesto.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi on a plate with vegetables

Store

Store leftover cooked gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Freeze

I suggest freezing this almond flour sweet potato gnocchi before cooking. To do this, lightly flour a large baking sheet and evenly space the gnocchi on it, then put 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 Frozen Gnocchi

To cook frozen paleo sweet potato gnocchi, follow the same steps listed int he recipe card 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 (5-6 minutes instead of 2-4).

up close photo of cooked almond flour sweet potato gnocchi

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe FAQs

Is sweet potato gnocchi healthy?

Yes! The sweet potato is filled with many good vitamins for your body.

Is gnocchi supposed to be chewy?

Gnocchi should be soft, not chewy or hard.

Why is my gnocchi dough so sticky?

If you have added the egg, it might have been over-incorporated. Try using a sifter to deliver the flour gradually.

How long should you boil gnocchi?

2-4 minutes until it floats to the top.

Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi on a plate with vegetables

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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Laura
This paleo sweet potato gnocchi recipe is made with 6 ingredients! It is gluten-free, grain-free & dairy-free.
5 from 12 votes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 344
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

Cook Sweet Potato

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Pierce two medium/large sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
  • Wrap potatoes separately in aluminum foil.
  • 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.
  • Remove from oven, open aluminum foil and let potatoes cool completely.

Make the Gnocchi

  • Put 2 cups of mashed sweet potato into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add egg and beat well.
  • In a separate, smaller bowl mix together tapioca flour, almond flour and salt.
  • Add dry ingredients to sweet potato/egg mixture and mix until combined. Your dough will still be slightly tacky.
  • Spread large work surface with extra tapioca flour. Roll dough into a ball and let sit in the flour for about 20-30 minutes.
  • 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)!
  • Set rolled balls on floured surface and continue until you use all your dough.
  • Dip a small fork in tapioca flour and lightly press on each gnocchi on one side to give it the โ€œridgedโ€ look!
  • Set gnocchi aside for at least 20 minutes, but for up to 5 hours (if youโ€™re making the dough ahead)
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • After all gnocchi have been removed, add the rest of the batch and repeat.

Brow the Gnocchi

  • Add 2 Tablespoons of your cooking oil/butter to a large sautรฉ pan. Melt/warm over medium heat. Add ยฝ of your batch of gnocchi and stir to coat with oil.
  • Cook gnocchi on one side for about 5-10 minutes until golden-brown.
  • Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes on the second side until golden brown.
  • Repeat with the rest of your gnocchi.
  • Serve with your favorite sauce and some roasted veggies!

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • Sweet potatoes.ย regular potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, and even butternut squash can be substituted for the sweet potatoes in this recipe.
  • Almond flour.ย 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.ย Cornstarch or arrowroot starch can be used in place of tapioca flour/starch.

Store

Store leftover cooked gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Freeze

I suggest freezing this almond flour sweet potato gnocchi before cooking. To do this, lightly flour a large baking sheet and evenly space the gnocchi on it, then put 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 Frozen Gnocchi

To cook frozen paleo sweet potato gnocchi, follow the same steps listed int he recipe card 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 (5-6 minutes instead of 2-4).

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7.8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.7g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 4.7g | Sugar: 4.3g | Vitamin A: 3050IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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58 Comments

  1. I adore gnocchi — who doesn’t?! — and this sweet potato version looks fantastic! I love how easy it is and that I can make extra to freeze (cause I’m sure we wouldn’t have any leftover either!) Yum!!

  2. I have never made gnocchi, but it is one of my favorite italian dishes. And with sweet potatoes?! This is going on my must-make list for sure. Can’t wait to finally make my own!

    1. 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! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Ooooh this looks amazingly ridiculously good! I even have a little gnocchi roller thing so I think I need to put it to use!

  4. These look delicious. Homemade gnocchi has been on my bucket list for ages, and using sweet potato sounds even better than traditional.

    1. 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….

    1. It’s really fun to make homemade pasta! And gnocchi is the easiest of them all (in my opinion) because it doesn’t require a pasta roller/cutter!

  5. I’ve never tired making gnocchi because i thought it was way too hard, but this actually looks really doable! Thanks for the kiea!