5 Ingredient Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi + video
By Amanda Paa – Last updated: December 3, 2021
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THIS. Is what homemade gnocchi dreams are made of.
I’m not lying when I say anybody can make this gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi recipe. Just 5 ingredients, a little rolling and you’re 20 minutes away from soft, pillowy gnocchi.
It’s vegan too! Because I used roasted sweet potato to not only add flavor, but mimic the binding of eggs in classic gnocchi recipes.
I couldn’t resist popping a few gnocchi into my mouth as they came right off the skillet. Their golden edges and fluffy interiors are exactly what I had envisioned!
The combination of sweet potatoes, millet flour and almond flour give the gnocchi a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. I know some of you might be thinking, “now I have to buy another bag of flour?”
Trust me – I don’t like that either, which is why I shop the bulk bins at local Lakewinds Coop. Coops make gluten-free cooking so much more cost effective, and efficient. The flour for this entire recipe cost me less $1.50. Win.
The gnocchi is great on it’s own with a little butter and fresh herbs, or the Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Sauce below, that I created using my Blendtec. If you’re looking for a more nutrient dense white sauce, this.is.it. So silky and rich like the alfredo sauce made from lots of butter and cheese, but instead it’s the result of cauliflower, soaked cashews and the caramelized garlic.
Here’s the separate post for that recipe because I have more ideas (and photos) for how you can incorporate it into several meals. Wishing you all a great week, and thanks for stopping by. xo
Press play to learn how to make this Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi!
Yield: 2 -3 servings
SCALE:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of mashed & smooth roasted sweet potato (157 grams)
- 1/4 cup millet flour (30 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour (40 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (40 grams)
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk the flours/starch and salt together. Put the mashed sweet potato in a large bowl and add half of the flour mixture. Lightly need it in with your hands, then add the other half and knead just until no flour streaks remain.
- Pull it together into one ball - the mixture should not be too sticky. If it is, add another tablespoon of almond flour and another tablespoon tapioca starch.
- Then flatten into a disc. Cut the disc into fours. Dust a clean surface with millet flour. Roll out each piece with your hands & fingers on the surface until you create a snake-like piece about 6 inches long, and 1/2 inch wide. Then with a knife cut individual gnocchi, about 1 inch long. (You don't want them to be too big or they won't cook through). Press the tines of your fork lightly into them to make the indents.
- Repeat for each piece of dough. Coat the surface lightly with more of the flour mix just so it doesn't stick when you cut it.
- In a medium pot of lightly boiling water, pour half of the gnocchi in. Wait until they begin to float to the top, then let cook for a minute or two. Remove with a slotted spoon and lay on a cutting board.
- Repeat with the remaining gnocchi. Put gnocchi in the refrigerator for 5 minutes, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet. Saute gnocchi for 5-6 minutes on medium heat, stirring, until they are crisp on the outside. Sprinkle with a bit of salt (this is key!).
- Enjoy sprinkled with olive oil and fresh herbs, or this Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Pasta Sauce (vegan).
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Did you make this?
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March 25, 2015
I made these twice, and both times the dough was SO STICKY! I had to add a ton more almond flour and tapioca starch. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?
Hi! it’s likely due to the moisture in the sweet potato, which varies. so mine may have been drier than yours, which is why you would need to add more almond flour and tapioca starch. are you weighing the flours rather than cup measurements? that is the most accurate.
Could I sub buckwheat flour for the millet flour? I want to make this tomorrow and I’m out of millet flour.
Thank you!
yes, buckwheat flour will work great!
These froze so well!
awesome, thank you for letting me know! i’m going to make a double batch and do that!
Pinned this recipe ages ago and tried it tonight! I doubled the recipe (admittedly I wasn’t super careful in measuring the sweet potato, maybe an extra 3T at most), and found that I needed to triple (at least) the amount of flour to make it come together. A non-stick skillet DEFINITELY made life easier when cooking; tried our Le Creuset and made a mess, lol!
It definitely took me a long time from start to finish, but hopefully now that I’ve done it once, the next time will be easier. Do you think I could make ahead to a certain point and cook later? Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. Didn’t make cauliflower sauce and did a sage brown butter instead. Wish I had have doubled. My husband and I are pigs :) Thanks!
Oh, the brown butter sounds like the perfect combination! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. xo
I’m going to give this a try tonight…I’ll let you know how it goes! And, I’ll let you know how my “guest” likes it!
Can’t wait!
xo
Hey! looks so good! wondering if you can substitute anything for the almond flour as I can’t do nuts? thanks! Alexis
Hi Alexis! I have not tried substituting anything for the almond flour. It is crucial for it to create structure, and a crispy exterior.
My god this was tasty. I am 12, so I asked my mom to make this for me (I helped with whisking the flour). After refrigerating she sauteed it in olive oil with garlic, salt and sage then added a lot of miyoko butter. We both loved it, and my non-vegan brother and father went crazy over it.
Lucia, you made my day! I’m so glad the whole family liked the recipe. xo
This was delicious! I made this recipe last night except substituted fava bean flour for the millet flour. Still came out great- very good with homemade pesto! Thanks for an awesome and healthy recipe! Definitely will be making this gnocchi again soon!
yay! so glad you liked the recipe Regina. and great to know that fava bean flour is a viable switch for the millet. have a great week! xo
Hi, I’m not much of a flour person so the only flours I keep on hand are: almond, oat and coconut. I don’t suppose the millet flour can be replaced with any of these can it?
i think it should work great to replace the millet flour with more almond flour. i haven’t test it, but have a good feeling it shouldn’t affect the results.
Great! I am planning to make these for dinner tomorrow night. :) I do have another question however: can the tapioca starch be replaced with cornstarch (I happen to have it at home)? I don’t want to make too many substitutions since yours look amazing and I want mine to turn out! But if you think that cornstarch and tapioca starch are interchangeable…
Hello! I haven’t tried making it with cornstarch, but it reacts much the same in a recipe like this. I would give it a try, just make sure to weigh it so that grams are equal.
It looks so good! I was wondering if that recipe would work as a ravioli Dough? The thing is I have been looking EVERYwhere for a gluten free ravioli pasta dough recipe made from sweet potato and this looks like it could work just fine…(I got inspired by Udi’s gluten-free sweet potato raviolis and ever since i’ve wanted to do some homemade)
Hi Meg-Anne! Unfortunately I don’t think you’d be able to roll this dough thin for ravioli sheets. The gnocchi is great though!
Gnocchi is my FAVORITE. And this looks divine. I’ve always been intimidated to make it but you’ve made it seem so simple!
I think it might be easier than regular! We love this, even plain with butter and herbs. xo
Just made this tonight. It was wonderful! I weighed everything and did need to add considerably more of the flour mix. I was worried about tinkering with the specifics (can be disastrous with gf) but it ended up amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe. I added it to my rotation!
Great to hear Jasmine! Yes, the dough/amount of flour can all depend on how much moisture is in your sweet potato, so way to go on making it work. Have a great weekend.
This was so delicious! I’m so happy I made it. The recipe was super easy to follow, and I got SO many compliments on it! I tossed it with some panchetta and parmesan cheese and it was such a hit. I can’t wait to make it again (and my partner has asked me to make it for a work party!)
Cheers! xx
Tisha, RHN
Holy crap. I need this in my life. Right now.
Thank you for posting such a yummy sounding recipe. I’ll definitely be trying it!!
thanks for stopping by Kelly! love this gnocchi too. :)
Made these tonight. YUM. Really good… everyone was eating them before I had a chance to complete the dish with the sauce, even the nay-saying meat-eaters! LOL. I had to add way more of the flour blend as it was too sticky to roll the dough. Maybe I had too much sweet potato. The final result was well worth the time of the recipe. SO good. Thank you!
So glad you liked it Nancy! And yes, if you used more sweet potato than called for, or didn’t measure, that’s probably why you needed to add more flour. As well as the fact that the moisture content of potatoes can vary greatly.
This looks like a great thing to keep in the freezer for a healthier and cheaper option to dining out.
definitely! i use make the recipe through the boiling stage, then freeze them and saute after defrosting.
Amanda.. these look amazing. As I am grain-free I am curious as to what made the balance of millet and almond flour work as I am trying to think of a sub for the millet. Do you think (or did you try) all almond flour or a mix with coconut flour?
Thanks for any wisdom you can provide,
Iris
i would not use coconut flour, as it is way too absorbent. a balance of almond + tapioca starch might work, but i haven’t tested it this with. i am confident that subbing cassava flour for the millet would work very well though!
Thanks Amanda.. I haven’t worked with cassava flour yet but I will try a blend of almond flour and starch. I do have sweet potato flour/starch here as well as tapioca. I wonder how that would work?? Hmmmm
Iris, how did it go? I cannot find tapioca starch… would corn flour/starch be an OK substitute? When I used to make gnocchi (I love my mum’s recipe, we are Italians and love gnocchi) we kept the potatoes resting for a while, so that they would not absorb much flour: that is the secret to keep them moist. I wonder if this will be the same with sweet potatoes… I look forward to making them!!! thank youuuu
Hi Amanda! Your site is just gorgeous! I came across this recipe while searching on Pinterest!
I would like to include you sweet potato gnocchi recipe in a sweet potato round up I’m doing for Parade Magazine this month. If that’s fine with you, could I use one of your pictures, with a link back to this original post (https://heartbeetkitchen.com/2015/recipes/gluten-free-sweet-potato-gnocchi/)?
Thanks so much & let me know your thoughts!
Felicia
Hi Felicia! I’d be honored – all I ask for is the photo credit and link to the post as you mentioned. Have a great week :)
Hi Amanda!
I wanted to let you know that the sweet potato round up is now up on Parage Magazine (http://communitytable.parade.com/435596/felicialim/the-8-best-sweet-potato-recipes-youll-ever-make/).
Would love if you could share it with your followers as it’s getting quite a bit of traction!
Thanks so much once again for letting me include you recipe!
terrific, thanks so much felicia!
I scrolled up and found a similar qestion, and can’t wait to try these
Thank you!
Great! And yes, many people have had success substituting other gluten-free flours, as long as they keep the weight the same. Enjoy!
I am alergic to almonds, do you have a recommendation for a substitute flour?
Hi!
Great recipe. Thanks for sharing! Mine came out a little dry, do you think it’s because I added too much flour? I was hoping they’d kind of melt in my mouth… they were soft, but I think I’d like them a little more gooey. What do you think? Less flour, add oil? Would love your recommendation.
Thanks!
Hmmm… Did you measure by weight? I find this makes sure that the final product is soft and chewy, giving the right ratio of liquid to dry ingredients. It sounds like you may have added a little too much flour. It really can vary each time you make them depending on the humidity and how much moisture your almond flour has, that’s why it’s best to use a scale and weight to measure the flours. Hope that helps!
Awesome! Will make sure to measure by weight.. and to go easy on the flour! Thanks!
Amanda – these gnocchi look so pillowy and perfect. Brian’s such a lucky guy! I also love your list of five things about love – in particular the honesty piece. Things are always much stronger when you share everything out in the open.
I’m definitely going to make these gnocchi – and that sauce? My goodness – that picture is making my knees weak! So pretty!
Cheers to Brian for eating ally that squash! you’ve GOT to have a man that will eat your cooking! EVERY time I make a meal, Patrick tells me it’s the best meal he’s ever had – smart guy!
Also, I’m still jealous of all the co-ops you have in the Twin Cities, we have none in Denver – sad face!
He is smart – and he’s telling the truth! You are a great cook. I’m surprised you don’t have better co-ops there. I always thought Denver was a hipster food town. Maybe you should just move back!
Wow this is such a fabulous idea! Never thought of changing up the flour for gnocchi. Also – couldn’t agree with you more – laughter is so important!
Hi can you freeze them?
Hi Jan! I have not tried freezing them since it makes a relatively small batch, but if you do let me know how it turns out. If I did freeze them, I would not boil them. I would roll them, cut them and then freeze them on a sheet pan so they didn’t stick together. Then I would add them to a plastic bag and store in the freezer.
Hi! This recipe looks awesome, thanks for sharing!
I am thinking about preparing these on Sunday, to cook and eat later in the week (Wednesday or Thursday) – do you think they would store in the fridge OK that long? Or should I try freezing them the way you’ve suggested here?
Thanks!
Hi Jenna! That should work great. There are no ingredients like cheese, eggs or milk in the recipe that could go bad. Here’s how I would do it: Make the recipe through the boiling of the gnocchi. Let the gnocchi cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When you want to eat them, complete the recipe, sautéing them until crisp and cooked through. Enjoy!
Thanks for your quick response!
I’ve given it a go … but also had to sub some of the millet flour for buckwheat as I ran out half way through! Heres hoping it turns out OK!
I’ve also given them a glug of Olive Oil to live in as they were looking like they might stick together while they wait for cooking later in the week.
Cheers :-)
Oh, I love buckwheat flour! I bet it will taste great with that too. And great idea to toss them in olive oil so they don’t stick while they’re in the refrigerator.
The last time I tried to make sweet potato gnocchi it was… well, a hot mess, haha! I have a feeling that this recipe is going to save my butt (and dinner) the next time I try to make sweet potato gnocchi. Super excited to try it!
Oh I hope this one works out for you! I found that a lot of the time I had trouble was because of the egg mixture in traditional gnocchi, so that’s why I tested until I got one right that didn’t include them. Let me know how you like them!
What would be a good flour to substitute for the almond flour? I have a sensitivity to almonds, also dairy and eggs.
hi Ann! I did not test it with something other than the almond flour, which helps keep the structure of these, as well as help them crisp up. But here’s my suggestion: Can you do hazelnut or chestnut flour? I think that would work great. Bob’s Red Mill sells it I know.
I was about to ask the same as i can’t seem to tolerate nuts these days! I guess i will try chestnut flour. Thank you for this as i really look forward to trying it.
Do you suppose it would work to substitute tigernut for the almond flour and ivory teff flour for the millet?
Hi Laura! The teff flour would for sure work as a sub for millet. Tigernut may not have as much fat, so they won’t get as crispy on the outside. But should still work. Have not tested this way, so if you do, let me know your results.
Beautiful! I’ve not had much luck with gluten free gnocchi in the past but these look perfect. Can’t wait to try this recipe as soon as possible!
It took a few tries to get them so they would crisp up, but the almond flour really helped that. Just a balance between grains & starches! Really fun, and delicious to have though. xo
Thank you!! I can’t wait to make this and that looks like my kind of sauce!
Hope you enjoy! And yes, that sauce is dreamy.
Thank you for this recipe!!! I’ve been craving sweet potato gnocchi since the fall and you’ve inspired me to get on it!! This looks so delicious!! xx
I love gnocchi and it’s been too long since I’ve made some, time to change that!
I’ve never worked with millet flour so an keen to try it. These look mighty tasty. Perfect love celebration. :-)
Susan, I’ve really come to love millet flour in gluten-free cooking. It’s not starchy so you don’t have to worry about it getting gummy, and has a nice nutty flavor. It works especially well in gf blends too. Thanks for stopping by!
I must make these right soon. They look so delicious! The sweet potato/millet flour combination sounds so good.
to the kitchen we go! :)
Just wondering why this recipe is incompatible with your healing journey? I see that it doesn’t have and considerable protein source, but could it not be a side dish or is there something else that eliminates it from AIP?
Hi Sarah! Unfortunately on the Autoimmune Protocol I can’t have any grains or nuts, which this has both :( But hopefully fast healing ahead. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Amanda! I am so excited to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!!
I was wondering if it would be possible to sub rice flour for almond flour?
Hi Bethany! You will need the almond flour. Rice flour doesn’t have enough fat for the desired texture.
What a gorgeous gnocchi! The color is so vibrant. And happy anniversary!
Thank you Laura! Yes to a little vibrancy at the end of winter :)
What a lovely post! Happy anniversary and many more! This dish looks divine!! These are two of my favorite things — sweet potato and gnocchi! Love!
This seriously looks SO amazing, I need to try it sooner rather than later. And I adore (and agree) with your 5 ingredient recipe for love. :)
I’m so glad you shared these! I can’t wait to try them. I made sweet potato gnocchi with all-purpose flour when I was first getting really into cooking and they were dense as bricks. Then I slathered them in this painfully heavy gouda cream sauce. Oy. That was actually one of the first meals-made-from-recipes I cooked with Bret. Haaa!
I’m excited to have a sweet potato gnocchi remix three years later! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration. That cauliflower sauce sounds incredible.
This looks fabulous. And I have all the ingredients at home to make it for dinner! Thank you!
Yay! Hope you enjoy Kirstie, let me know what you think. I always test one of the gnocchi on the pan to make sure they’ve cooked through, and if not just keep them on medium high heat for a little longer. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m just in love with this recipe! I can’t wait to try it soon… bet my family will love it!
;) Megan
PS- Your photography is beautiful, Amanda!