Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Posted Sep 19, 2016, Updated Jul 14, 2024
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This paleo sweet potato gnocchi recipe is made with 6 ingredients! It is gluten-free, grain-free & dairy-free.
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: Ingredients & Substitutions
- 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.
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.
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.
Let the Gnocchi Rest
Let the almond flour sweet potato 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.
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.
Brown the Gnocchi
Next, brown the boiled gnocchi. You can eat it without sautéing 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 layer 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.
Serve
Serve this paleo sweet potato gnocchi with some roasted veggies and your favorite sauce like marinara or pesto.
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).
Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe FAQs
Yes! The sweet potato is filled with many good vitamins for your body.
Gnocchi should be soft, not chewy or hard.
If you have added the egg, it might have been over-incorporated. Try using a sifter to deliver the flour gradually.
2-4 minutes until it floats to the top.
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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil (or butter, divided)
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 “ridged” look!
- Set gnocchi aside for at least 20 minutes, but for up to 5 hours (if you’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 sauté pan. Melt/warm over medium heat. Add ½ 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
- 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.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Laura, these are so cool!! The perfect way to get into the fall season. I’ve never used tapioca flour before, but i’ll have a look for it next time i’m at the bulk food store. thanks for sharing these!!
Thanks Beverly! I LOVE baking with tapioca flour! It’s so mild and versatile!
I love Gnocchi and have never made it with sweet potatoes. This looks so good and just the kind of flavors I crave this time of year.
Yes! As soon as fall hits I want all things sweet potato and squash! 🙂 You can also use butternut squash in this recipe with great results! 🙂
These really look delicious! Such a great recipe!
Thanks Lindsay! 🙂
This is just such a creative idea! I’ve never thought of making these with sweet potato, it’s genius!
Thank you Emily! I love using sweet potato!
Totally scheduled this on pinterest and added it to my list of MUST MAKES. I love gnocchi but thought I had to give it up since going GF. This is brilliant!!!
Definitely not!! I have also just substituted all purpose gluten-free flour in my regular gnocchi recipe and it has worked well also! 🙂
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’
LoL yes…of course you CAN add meat if you wish…. 😉 But this is on the (short) list of vegetarian meals Ritch loves!
Ahh I LOVE gnocchi!! Never tried to make it at home but what a fabulous recipe to start with! Another fabulous Laura-recipe added to my list 🙂
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.
Yes! Making extra is such a great idea to have some stored for later! 🙂
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!
Oh my! Brown butter sage sauce sounds delicious! My favorite way to eat it is with veggies in a balsamic reduction! YUM!
Oh goodness! These look like little bites of sweet potato perfection! I need these in my life.
Agreed! 🙂