Make soft, pillowy sweet potato gnocchi at home with just five simple ingredients and no eggs. This super easy recipe uses everyday ingredients to create the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi, perfect for tossing in a nutty brown butter sauce (or your fave sauce!) It’s quick enough for busy weeknights, but special enough for date nights or holiday dinners – a serious showstopper with minimal effort.
I am kind of shocked at how easy it is to make gorgeous little sweet potato gnocchi. No eggs, no fancy equipment, no need to boil and rice potatoes – just pillowy soft parcels of joy, in under an hour.
These sweet potato gnocchi are a lovely twist on classic potato-based gnocchi, and honestly? I think they’re better. Simple enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for guests (the balance I’m always trying to strike). They’re similar to my high-protein cottage cheese gnocchi in this way.
Plus, you can prep the gnocchi ahead of time and cook them straight from frozen, which is ideal for dinner parties!
I’ll even show you a simple trick to turn these gnocchi into the cutest little pumpkin-shaped gnocchi, which is such a fun, Halloween or holiday season twist.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super soft and pillowy. They’re light and fluffy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, thanks in large part to the ricotta, which helps give the dough structure. No rock-hard pellet gnocchi in sight.
- Perfect for prepping ahead. Make the gnocchi in advance, pop into the freezer, and cook straight from frozen when you’re ready.
- Easier than you’d think, with simple ingredients. Nothing here is tricky to find at a regular grocery store. You can even swap the sweet potato for pumpkin or butternut squash.
- Serve them however you’d like. Swap the nutty brown butter sauce for fresh basil pesto, marinara, or use them in any gnocchi recipe you like. Some of my favorites are one pot ‘Marry Me’ chicken gnocchi, one pot tomato and sausage gnocchi, or baked Boursin gnocchi.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet potatoes. You’ll need 1 lb, which is roughly two large sweet potatoes. Use a scale if you have one to be precise; otherwise, you may find you need more (or less) ricotta and flour to form the dough. You can also use pumpkin or butternut squash. If you do, I recommend following this recipe for the easy way to roast butternut squash, then continue with this recipe.
- Ricotta. This helps keep the gnocchi lovely and fluffy and acts as the binder (usually this would be egg, but I prefer the lightness of using ricotta). Whole-milk ricotta is best, and you can also use whipped cottage cheese.
- Flour. All-purpose flour works perfectly. If you have Italian ’00’ flour, you could use that. The key to light, fluffy gnocchi is to add JUST enough flour for the dough to stick together, and not to overwork it. Overworking the dough = tough gnocchi. Use your judgment – if your dough feels like it’s sturdy enough and you’ve still got a little flour left, you don’t need to add it.
- Nutmeg. I love to use just a little nutmeg here, which pairs perfectly with sweet potato, but you could skip it if you don’t have any.
How to Make Fluffy Sweet Potato Gnocchi
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the gnocchi – the full instructions and ingredient quantities are at the bottom of the page for you.
1. Roast your sweet potatoes until they’re soft and caramelized – you should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
2. Once they’re super soft, scoop the flesh into a bowl, add the ricotta, parmesan, salt, and nutmeg, and then mix well.
PRO TIP: You can mash up the sweet potato after cooking if you like, but I find it’s soft enough, so it mixes perfectly well without this step in the bowl. Don’t worry too much if your mixture isn’t perfectly smooth.
3. Add the flour slowly (about ½ cup at a time), mixing to JUST combine it with the dough before adding more. Try not to handle it too much. It should be soft and slightly sticky.
4. Transfer the gnocchi dough to a floured surface and form it into a rough log. Slice the log into smaller sections, then roll those into ropes.
5. Slice the long ropes into bite-sized gnocchi pieces, then set aside on a lined tray.
6. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until they float, and start the brown butter sauce at the same time.
7. Transfer the cooked gnocchi straight into the brown butter sauce and toss well. Add the rosemary and garlic and toss again to coat.
8. Divide the gnocchi between plates, spooning over the lovely nutty brown butter sauce. Top with the crispy chorizo if you’re using it and serve while hot.
How to Make Pumpkin-Shaped Gnocchi
This is one of the most fun ways to present these gnocchi, especially around Halloween and the holiday season. It’s also INCREDIBLY easy:
- Follow the recipe up until you shape the gnocchi. Then, roll roughly a tablespoon of the gnocchi dough into a flat disc.
- Use a piece of kitchen string to press indents into the disc, working your way around to create lines that resemble a pumpkin. That’s it! Set aside, then continue with the recipe as written.
You can use any gnocchi dough for this technique – my high-protein cottage cheese gnocchi dough works beautifully here, too. I have a whole separate post that breaks down how to make pumpkin-shaped gnocchi in more detail if you’re interested.
Watch How to Make the Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Gnocchi FAQs
Yes! There are a couple of ways you can get ahead in this recipe.
You can roast the sweet potatoes up to 5 days ahead of time and store them in the fridge, or you can freeze the shaped gnocchi and then cook them straight from frozen. I prefer to freeze them.
Just arrange them on a single layer on a baking paper lined tray, then pop them into the freezer and transfer to ziplock bags when solid. They’ll still only take a couple of minutes to cook. You can make the brown butter, then store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and the chorizo can be cooked a couple of days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
You can use any sauce you like – roasted tomato sauce or marinara would be great, as would fresh basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto. You can swap pasta for the gnocchi in any pasta recipe you like – I love them with creamy gochujang sauce or in place of fettuccine in this creamy mushroom fettuccine Alfredo. Try them in this ‘Marry Me’ chicken gnocchi for a very cozy dinner.
It has a subtle sweet potato flavor, but it’s not super strong. You really get a lovely deep, savory sweetness, thanks to the roasting so they pair particularly well with salty or spicy flavors.
Like this recipe? Here are more comforting favorites you might enjoy
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
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5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Make soft, pillowy sweet potato gnocchi at home with just five simple ingredients and no eggs. This super easy recipe uses everyday ingredients to create the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi, perfect for tossing in a nutty brown butter sauce (or your fave sauce!) It’s quick enough for busy weeknights, but special enough for date nights or holiday dinners – a serious showstopper with minimal effort.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato gnocchi –
- 1 lb (500g) sweet potatoes (roughly 2 medium)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the brown butter sauce –
- 2oz (50g) chorizo, casing removed and diced (optional)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 sprig of rosemary, stem removed
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C fan) and line a sheet pan tray with parchment paper. Slice your sweet potatoes in half, then drizzle the exposed sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place them cut-side down on the prepared tray, then transfer them to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until you can easily pierce them right through with a knife.
- Mix the gnocchi dough. Scoop the sweet potato flesh straight from their skins into a large bowl, then add 1 cup of ricotta, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Mix the sweet potato through the other ingredients, using your spatula or spoon to break up the flesh into a semi-smooth mixture (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth).
- Add the flour. Working with about 1/2 cup at a time, add the flour to the bowl. Mix it through the dough until it’s JUST combined, then keep adding, until the dough is less sticky and able to be handled.
- Shape the gnocchi. Lightly flour a flat, clean surface, then transfer the dough onto it. Form it into a chunky log, then cut off a roughly 1-inch piece from the short end. Roll the piece into a long rope, then use a knife to slice pieces off, about 1 inch long, and transfer to a parchment paper lined tray or plate. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Make the brown butter sauce. If you’re using chorizo, add it to a high-sided pan or skillet, then set the heat to high. Cook the chorizo, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until super crispy. Transfer to a plate, but keep any chorizo oil in the pan. Add the butter and let it melt, stirring as it starts to foam up, develop little brown spots, and smell gorgeously nutty. This is your brown butter. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Cook the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of water to the boil (I literally boil my kettle and pour that into the pot to save time), then add the gnocchi. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the gnocchi float to the top of the water. At this point, they’re ready.
- Add the gnocchi to the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi straight into the pan with the brown butter (don’t worry if some of the cooking water gets in the pan – this helps to form a lovely luscious sauce). Turn the heat back on to medium, then toss the gnocchi through the brown butter, letting it sit undisturbed on one side for a few minutes, to crisp up the bottom.
- Finish the sauce and serve. Add the crushed garlic, flaky salt, and rosemary leaves, then toss them through the gnocchi and remove the pan from the heat. Divide the gnocchi between plates, making sure to spoon over lots of the lovely brown butter sauce. Top with the crispy chorizo and grated parmesan. Enjoy right away.
Notes
TIME SAVER: You can cut down cooking time by piercing the sweet potatoes with a fork, then popping them into the microwave on high for around 7 to 8 minutes, until super soft.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The gnocchi is best served right away, but leftovers can be reheated in the microwave and will keep for 3 days in the fridge. You can freeze the uncooked gnocchi and then cook it straight from frozen if you like – arrange them on a lined tray on a single layer, then freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer to ziplock bags. You can make the brown butter up to 2 weeks in advance (store it in the fridge) and the chorizo can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Skip the nutmeg if you like, and you can use 00 flour if you have it. If you want to keep this vegetarian, you can cut out the crispy chorizo garnish. You can replace the sweet potatoes with pumpkin or butternut squash if you like – it’s a great way to use up any leftover holiday season pumpkins.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: If you don’t use the brown butter sauce, you can use the gnocchi in any pasta recipe you like (just replace the pasta with the gnocchi). I love it with creamy gochujang sauce, basil pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, mushroom Alfredo sauce or spicy tomato ‘nduja sauce.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SHAPED GNOCCHI: This is one of the most fun ways to present these gnocchi, especially around Halloween and the holiday season. It’s also INCREDIBLY easy. Follow the recipe up until you shape the gnocchi. Then, roll roughly a tablespoon of the gnocchi dough into a flat disc. Use a piece of kitchen string to press indents into the disc, working your way around to create lines that resemble a pumpkin. That’s it! Set aside, then continue with the recipe as written.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: pasta
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 350g
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 8.5g
- Sodium: 1027mg
- Fat: 27.8g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5.3g
- Protein: 20.9g
- Cholesterol: 69mg
