This homemade sweet potato gnocchi recipe is seriously the best. My method ensures the lightest gnocchi possible and it's really fun to make. A cozy Fall inspired pasta that is perfect served with a crispy sage brown butter. A lighter and healthier gnocchi with much less flour than many other recipes.
Hi! I am so happy to be writing this homemade sweet potato gnocchi recipe up after MANY trials. As I explain further below I settled on a piping bag straight into a large pot of salted water method. It's really a much cleaner way to make gnocchi and you use much less flour. I love that with a few simple ingredients, magic is made.
I'm sure many of you have tried the Trader Joe's version but this is so much better for you. If you want a more traditional homemade gnocchi then make sure you check out my recipe for Homemade Potato Gnocchi. I also have a recipe for a Hand Rolled Gnocchi Sardi which is a flour and water dough and REALLY easy to make for beginners.
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Ingredients
Sweet Potato - It doesn't matter what size they are but make sure they are all roughly the same so they cook evenly.
Flour - I just use plain flour (all purpose flour). Use 00 if you prefer. I use a smaller amount of flour for a super tender dough.
Egg Yolk - You could leave this out if you want to make vegan gnocchi.
Sea salt - Use closer to 2 teaspoons if using a kosher salt.
Special equipment
Potato ricer - It isn't compulsory but if you have made your own gnocchi before you'll know it does a much nicer job than a masher.
Piping bag - I use a reusable one but plastic disposable ones are really cheap to buy. Use something like a snaplock bag with the end cut off if you need to but it won't be as sturdy.
Slotted spoon or spider strainer - For transferring the cooked gnocchi to a tray from the water.
How to make light and fluffy gnocchi
If you have made traditional gnocchi from scratch before you have probably mixed the dough, kneaded it then rolled it out into ropes before cutting into pieces. This requires more flour to make the dough workable.
More flour = tougher and heavier gnocchi. My method for this sweet potato version uses much less flour with the dough going straight into a piping bag (or any plastic bag with corner cut off). The dough is squeezed out over the boiling water and cut off with scissors. It's so fun!
I personally think this method is actually easier as there is no guess work with how much flour to add. It's so much cleaner and even if it takes slightly longer, the final product is SO much better. It's become one of my new favorite things to do!
Expert tips
- Bake the sweet potatoes, don't boil. You want them as dry a possible!
- Don't overcook the sweet potatoes. You want a knife to just be able to slide in, you don't want them to get mushy.
- Use a potato ricer if you can, it helps to get rid of the stringy fibrous bits that sweet potatoes have.
- Don't over work the dough, mix until just combined.
- The gnocchi will have to be boiled in batches, the easiest way to remove them from the water is with a spider strainer.
- Try and pipe equal pieces but it honestly doesn't matter too much.
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How to make sweet potato gnocchi
The full ingredient measurements and more detailed instructions as well as a tutorial video are in the recipe card below. The video will be really helpful to watch!
Making the dough
ONE: Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven until a knife slides in, then peel and scoop out the potato flesh while still warm.
TWO: Use a potato ricer and make an even layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Use a potato masher if you don't have a ricer and make a nice even thin layer on paper towels or tea towel.
THREE: Leave to cool completely then transfer to a large bowl.
FOUR: Mix in the egg yolk just very briefly then sprinkle the salt and flour on top. Use a fork and with a cutting back and forth motion mix together.
FIVE: It won't be a smooth mixture, don't overwork, mix until just combined and a soft dough forms. It might not seem like enough flour once mixed in but it is.
SIX: Transfer to a piping bag. If you aren't ready to boil them it can go in the fridge like this for 1 - 2 hours.
Cooking the gnocchi
This does have to be done in batches, which I know is slightly annoying but I stand by it! Lighter gnocchi wins!
SEVEN: Push the dough to the bottom of the bag and twist the top. You want to squeeze from the top of the bag, not near the tip. Get a large pot of water boiling.
EIGHT: Continuously squeeze the bag and cut 2cm pieces off (they can be any size!) with sharp scissors. Do that for about 30 seconds then let them float to the top, giving them an additional 30 seconds before removing with a slotted spoon to a sheet pan.
Crispy sweet potato gnocchi
For an extra delicious step you can crisp those little pillows up until golden brown! Check out my Pan Fried Potato Gnocchi in Brown Butter for detailed instructions.
Once they are all boiled I like to crisp them up in olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat before adding to the sauce. It does work SO well with a brown butter sage sauce and lashings of parmesan cheese, just saying!
Another Fall Favorite!
Check out my delicious butternut squash mac and cheese next!
Recipe FAQs
You can but you'll need to add so much more flour which will change (ruin!) the texture. Dropping straight into the water really is a great way!
You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate for a few hours. You can store the boiled gnocchi in the fridge in an airtight container for 1 - 2 days. Alternatively store in the freezer and boil the frozen gnocchi when ready to eat.
The classic pairing is a brown butter sauce with crispy sage. They will work with any sauce you like though!
Some other pasta shapes to try
If you loved making this delicious sweet potato gnocchi then head to my recipe section for all sorts of other pasta dishes. I have a section specifically on pasta shapes and guides too. My Homemade Pasta Dough is the best ever!
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
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Equipment
- Potato ricer (or potato masher)
- Baking tray
- Piping bag
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram sweet potatoes (try and use ones the same size to make the weight up)
- 1 egg yolk (leave it out to make it vegan!)
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 150 grams plain flour
Instructions
- Check out the step by step photos above and more importantly the video below, it will help a lot! Halve the dough for two people.
- Preheat your oven to 400f (200c).
- Pierce each sweet potato with a sharp knife a few times on all sides.
- Bake in the oven for 45 mins - 1 hour, turning half way through until a knife slides through. Don't overcook as they can go mushy.
- When still warm scoop the insides out. I usually just cut a slice down the middle and the skin comes away easily.
- Pass through a potato ricer onto a tray lined with paper towels. If you don't have a ricer then mash with a potato masher and lay in an even thin layer on the paper towels.
- When the sweet potato has completely cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the egg yolk and mix through roughly.
- Add the salt and flour and with a fork mix it through (watch the video below!) I use the fork to cut back and forth through the mixture to keep it light.
- Transfer to a piping bag or snaplock bag with a hole about 1.5cm. It can be refrigerated like this in the bag if you are making dough ahead.
- Get a big pot of salted water boiling. Hold the bag so the tip is over the water (just the tip, not your hand or else the water will splash up on it)
- Continuously squeeze the bag and using a pair of sharp scissors, cut the gnocchi off so they drop into the water. Do any length gnocchi you like, I normally aim for about 2cm.
- This will have to be done in batches, I normally squeeze and cut for about 30 seconds then let them boil. You'll get faster the more you do it.
- Let each batch boil until they float to the top then give them another 30 seconds before removing with a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Transfer to a tray and continue with the rest of the dough.
- The gnocchi might seem slightly fluffy on the outside but that is because there is minimal flour used, it's a good thing!
- Add them to any pasta sauce you like. I love crisping them up in a little olive oil in a non stick pan first then serving with a crispy sage brown butter. Check out my pan fried gnocchi in brown butter recipe!
Anna says
This was surprisingly straight forward to make. So much lighter than store bought ones and was fun to make!