• Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Baking + Sweet
      • Bread
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Cookies
      • Cakes
      • Muffins
    • Breakfast
      • Toasts
      • Oats
      • Granola
      • Pancakes
    • Beans + Grains + Bowls
    • Dips + Spreads + Toppings
    • Pasta
    • Salads + Soups
    • Snacks + Sides
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian Proteins
    • Fish
    • Special Diets
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
  • Index
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Me

Justine Doiron

just real good food

Dairy Free, Pasta, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian · July 9, 2022

Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sometimes I just get in the mood for a project – and when it’s a cooking project, that usually means sweet potato gnocchi. Homemade gnocchi is by far my favorite form of pasta – it’s so easy, definitely the most forgiving, and also the only kind of pasta that encourages you to knead less, not more. At this point I basically equate it to adult play-dough, and I LOVE that about it.

Homemade sweet potato gnocchi is relatively simple, but definitely different than your typical potato-based gnocchi. Sweet potatoes naturally have more moisture, so the dough kneading and shaping is a bit more delicate, but you are always left with a light, pillowy, picture-perfect batch of little potato pockets. After you’ve made them, you can either freeze them and use them for later, boil and use them right away or even crisp them in the oven to add to meals throughout the week. I know I might not be the most traditional way to use gnocchi – but when it comes to potatoes, c’mon, there are no rules!!

Table of contents

  • Ingredients you need for this sweet potato gnocchi
  • How to make homemade sweet potato gnocchi
    • Prepping the gnocchi
    • Shaping the gnocchi
  • How to use your homemade sweet potato gnocchi
  • Looking for similar recipes?

Ingredients you need for this sweet potato gnocchi

  • 20 ounces raw sweet potato – 2 medium potatoes or one very large one
  • 1 large egg
  • 200 grams all-purpose flour – about 1 & 1/2 cup, plus more as needed
  • 60 grams all-purpose flour – about 1/3 cup for kneading and rolling
  • 1/2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 tsp if using Morton’s

*Why are all these ingredients by weight?

In my baking recipes, you notice I prefer using weight for accuracy. But sometimes in my non-baking recipes, I’m a bit more lenient with measurements. This is because some recipes rely heavily on personal taste, and you can really flex ingredient measurements without changing the final product too much.

In this recipe, the gnocchi is (of course) a dough, so I use weight as a tool to help ensure you get the best result! This dough is by feel, so you can get away with eyeballing the ingredients, but if you have a small kitchen scale, I definitely suggest measuring by weight as the way to go!

How to make homemade sweet potato gnocchi

Now for the fun stuff – if you go into this thinking that gnocchi is a fun project and not a scary cooking technique, then there’s no way you’ll feel like you messed it up. I mean look at mine! The picture below is by no means perfect, and that’s why I love it. Have your gnocchi be mis-matched sizes, some wrinkly, some smooth, anything! They’ll all come out fluffy and delicious, and in the end that’s all that matters 🙂

Prepping the gnocchi

  • So first, cook the sweet potato until fork tender. You can do this either in the microwave, by boiling it or by roasting it in the oven. I prefer pricking my potatoes with a fork and then microwaving them for 6-8 minutes or until they are soft.
  • Peel and mash the potato until it is completely mashed, you don’t want any chunks remaining.
  • Whisk an egg into the mashed potato. You can do this either in a bowl or on the counter. Mix until it is fully combined.
  • Whisk together the 200 grams of flour and salt. Gradually add it to the potato mixture in about four parts. First stirring, and then kneading with your hands.
  • Move the dough to the counter and knead it for about 1-2 minutes, or until it is smooth. It will be sticky, so add flour as needed, but remember the softer the dough, the fluffier the gnocchi will be.
  • Form the dough into one large ball and wrap it in cling wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes.

Shaping the gnocchi

  • When the 20 minutes are up, divide it into 4 even pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a long, smooth tube.
  • Use a bench scraper to cut the gnocchi into 1″ pieces. If you prefer larger pieces, keep them as-is, but sometimes I like to cut the 1″ pieces in half again to create more bites of pasta. Note that they will grow in size when you cook them.
  • After the gnocchi are cut, sprinkle with one more dash of flour and then you can either transfer them to a plastic bag to be frozen for future use, or immediately cook them.
  • If cooking them, bring a pot of water to boil, salt it generously. Cook the gnocchi in four batches, adding it to the water and then removing it with a slotted spoon when the gnocchi begin to float.
  • Then just prepare as you would your favorite pasta!

How to use your homemade sweet potato gnocchi

Now that you have gnocchi – you have options. Here are my three favorite ways to use my gnocchi:

  1. Boil and use as you would any pasta – just like a normal pasta recipe, gnocchi is amazing with a good sauce, some pasta water, and some butter to finish. Sweet potato gnocchi thrives in a brown butter sauce, a quick pesto, or even a lemon ricotta sauce. Just so so good.
  2. Boil first, then bake! – You will see this in my crispy gnocchi and cucumber salad recipe, but I love crisping up gnocchi and throwing it in unexpected meals. When it gets all crispy, it turns into such a fun addition that automatically makes any meal more filling and satisfying.
  3. Freezing it and saving it – if you aren’t in the mood to immediately go from making your gnocchi to using it, feel free to freeze it. It just turns into a gnocchi that you can easily thaw and use when you want to! And it lasts in the freezer for up to six months.

Looking for similar recipes?

I have a few for you! First, I’ll link the companion recipe to this post, where I show how I like to make my crispy gnocchi salad. Then there are a few other pasta recipes for some inspo!

Crispy Gnocchi & Cucumber Salad
You've heard of pasta salad, you've heard of potato salad – but now, it's time for gnocchi salad. Sometimes I want that filling, comforting bite of crispy gnocchi, but I also want it balanced with the wholesome and refreshing crunch of some vegetables. This salad is the best of both worlds.
Check out this recipe
Spring Pea Lemon Tahini Pasta
This kind of pasta is good for the soul. Creamy, easy, tastes like spring. It's everything about simple cooking that I love.
Check out this recipe
Tempeh Salad with Broccoli, Peas, Basil & Mint
This crispy tempeh salad is a flourish of green mixed with some incredibly bright and vibrant flavors. It's simple, it's filling, and it builds upon layer and layer of fun, fresh ingredients. Most of the work is done on your cutting board, and the sheet pan takes care of the rest, making it a really simple, really fulfilling weeknight meal.
Check out this recipe
Beet Ricotta Gnocchi
These are fluffy, cozy little pillows of pink pasta goodness. Gnocchi does not just below to the potato and this recipe proves it. It's bright pink, so easy and so fun to make!
Check out this recipe

And that’s it for this homemade gnocchi recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.

Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is so fun, it's one of my all-time favorite kitchen projects. This sweet potato gnocchi is easy to make, super versatile and relatively quick for the fact that you are technically making fresh pasta from scratch!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:30 minutes mins
Cook Time:20 minutes mins
Rest Time:30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: gnocchi, sweet potato
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 20 ounces raw sweet potato 2 medium potatoes or one very large one
  • 1 large egg
  • 200 grams all-purpose flour about 1 & 1/2 cup, plus more as needed
  • 60 grams all-purpose flour about 1/3 cup for kneading and rolling
  • 1/2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1 tsp if using Morton’s

Instructions

  • Cook the sweet potato until fork tender. You can do this either in the microwave, by boiling it or by roasting it in the oven. I prefer pricking my potatoes with a fork and then microwaving them for 6-8 minutes or until they are soft.
  • Peel and mash the potato until it is completely mashed, you don't want any chunks remaining.
  • Whisk an egg into the mashed potato. You can do this either in a bowl or on the counter. Mix until it is fully combined.
  • Whisk together the 200 grams of flour and salt. Gradually add it to the potato mixture in about four parts. First stirring, and then kneading with your hands.
  • Move the dough to the counter and knead it for about 1-2 minutes, or until it is smooth. It will be sticky, so add flour as needed, but remember the softer the dough, the fluffier the gnocchi will be.
  • Form the dough into one large ball and wrap it in cling wrap. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
  • When the 20 minutes are up, divide it into 4 even pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a long, smooth tube.
  • Use a bench scraper to cut the gnocchi into 1" pieces. If you prefer larger pieces, keep them as-is, but sometimes I like to cut the 1" pieces in half again to create more bites of pasta. Note that they will grow in size when you cook them.
  • After the gnocchi are cut, sprinkle with one more dash of flour and then you can either transfer them to a plastic bag to be frozen for future use, or immediately cook them.
  • If cooking them, bring a pot of water to boil, salt it generously. Cook the gnocchi in four batches, adding it to the water and then removing it with a slotted spoon when the gnocchi begin to float.
  • Then just prepare as you would your favorite pasta!

Posted In: Dairy Free, Pasta, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegetarian

Get exclusive Justine Snacks content

You’ll Also Love

Espresso Blondies
Tomato, Kale & Ricotta Toast
Peach & Ginger Hot Honey Halloumi

Comments

  1. Sierra Boettner says

    July 20, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    JUSTINE – you are a cooking goddess. Made this and then crisped it up following your other recipe. Knocking a gals socks off over here.

    • Justine says

      July 20, 2022 at 9:05 pm

      I AM SO THRILLED YOU LIKED IT! All caps because I mean it, hope it was delicious!

Trackbacks

  1. Crispy Gnocchi & Cucumber Salad - Justine Snacks says:
    July 9, 2022 at 1:20 pm

    […] the vegetables perfectly pairs with a fluffy, crispy, slightly sweet gnocchi. Plus I know I made my gnocchi from scratch, but you can easily get some gnocchi from the store, and this recipe turns into a simple 15-minute […]

Next Post >

Scallops on Roasted Tomato Chickpeas

Hey! I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, bread enthusiast and overall carb queen. It's a lot to fit into one bio, I know. But I'm so glad you're here! This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!

Reader Favorites

  • Blueberry Cookies | Vegan & Naturally Blue!
  • Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
  • Brussels Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas

hey there

I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, bread enthusiast and overall carb queen. It's a lot to fit into one bio, I know. But I'm so glad you're here! This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!

trending now

  • Single-Serving Craftsman & Wolves ...
  • Brussels Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini...
  • Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
  • Blueberry Cookies | Vegan & Naturally...

Latest on Instagram

Over a year after our queen Emily Mariko put Craft Over a year after our queen Emily Mariko put Craftsman & Wolves on the radar of everyone outside of SF, it’s finally time for an homage recipe! (mostly because I’ve been craving it for a year tbh…I am very behind)

This isn’t a recreation, but instead a vegetarian (the original has pork sausage), sinlge-serving, almost cheesy-tasting variation. I used cornmeal for a little more substance and density, more spices than I can count (they’re all worth it, I promise), and a 6-minute egg, which when enclosed in the batter, stays jammy even after baking 🥚

The full recipe for this single muffin is on the site, and I hope it might make it into your long weekend somewhere 💚 Happy Saturday everyone

https://justinesnacks.com/single-serving-craftsman-wolves-the-rebel-within-muffin/
.
.
.
.
#egginahole #muffins #baking #singleserving
The reason why I am always telling my friends to s The reason why I am always telling my friends to sharpen their knives 🥺

https://justinesnacks.com/lemon-poppy-salad-with-stracciatella/

#lemonsalad #stracciatella #poppyseedsalad
SNACKS + CHEF! Today @ayesha_rare invited me int SNACKS + CHEF! 

Today @ayesha_rare invited me into her kitchen at @shukettenyc, one of my favorite places in NYC (and on the NYTimes top 100 list, NO BIG DEAL). 

If you haven’t been to Shukette, they are famous for their small plates, shareable menu and signature “rip & dip” style. Ayesha shared her famous pita recipe (look for that PUFF) and their smoked Arctic char dip - which, yes, I do pick favorites, and yes, that one is it 😍

I’m by no means a professional, so whenever I get to cook with one it’s the most fun thing in the world. As for the recipes, well, you’ll have to check in with Ayesha for those 😎 

**PS the audio might be less than great, but we were in a professional kitchen! With professionals! I’d sacrifice audio for pita any day 🙏

#shukette #cookingvideos
The re-done (and much better!) Gideon’s Cookie r The re-done (and much better!) Gideon’s Cookie remake recipe! Part 1 & 2 will be up in my stories - but long story short, I took one of the worst recipes on my blog, and after painful trial and error, turned it into one of my best.

This video is the culmination of about a week of testing of the iconic @gideonsbakehouse cookie, with various flours, bake times, chocolate and ratios thrown in the mix. 

I’m nowhere near a professional baker, just an enthusiast, so the full journey is on TikTok and reshared in my stories, just in case you want to see but don’t have that app! 

Plus the recipe will be linked in bio, after this much work I would never withhold it from you 💚🍪

https://justinesnacks.com/gideons-bakehouse-copycat-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/
.
.
.
#chocolatechipcookies #bakingscience #gideonsbakehouse
Olive oil muddled strawberry Paper Plane - and I’m so so excited to say this is #sponsored by my loves over at @getgraza!

You can check my stories for more info about why I love Graza and why you see them in *almost* every video, but when it comes to olive oil, they have one of my favorite systems. You can subscribe to get two bottles, the larger (The Sizzle) made specifically for cooking, and the smaller (The Drizzle) meant for finishing, dipping, swirling, whatever. And idk how to say this and not sound cheesy, but they’re more than just that brand you see everywhere on social media. Their team is great, their process is great, and their level of quality and flavor. is. great. Their product is all single-origin Spanish olive oil, so I can’t vouch for them more 🫡

And if you don’t want to subscribe, they’re now in Whole Foods! As someone who has known the founders from early on, I felt like a proud child.

Ok, I’m getting emotional. But this cocktail itself could not be easier (recipe in video!), and strawberries marinated in Graza’s single origin drizzle add a peppery note that you have to try at least once.

And last but not least, my code!! JUSTINESNACKS for $5 off your first Graza Duo (Sizzle and Drizzle). Buy Graza in my name to avenge me and I’ll love u forever 💚

Ok, oil on my children - and plz make this drink 🍹 

https://justinesnacks.com/strawberry-paper-plane/
What is essentially Pizza Toast, but all-grown-up. What is essentially Pizza Toast, but all-grown-up. Because a singular anchovy makes everything better. (Also my sourdough was just dying to be put to use)

The full recipe is on the blog, done in 15 minutes or less, and just really delicious. Although tbh my younger self would probably still prefer the microwaved version, which tbh I respect. 

And if there are any nostalgic recipes you made that you’d want recreated, let me know, I’m always down for another savory toast 🍕 

https://justinesnacks.com/pizza-toast/

#cherrytomatoes #pizzatoast #healthyrecipes
A peanut butter cold brew birthday cake! Gift gi A peanut butter cold brew birthday cake! 

Gift giving is not my love language, I’m more of a words of affirmation girl, so I wanted to make this video (and this cake!) my birthday present 🥹

This is the “Ashley’s Birthday Cake” recipe from @joannebchang’s book, Pastry Love. I used just traditional buttercream recipes for the chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla bean buttercreams. Oreo crumble was added, because you all insisted 😌

Happy Birthday @e_lipk4 💚

#cake #cakedecorating #birthdaycake
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2023 Justine Doiron · Theme by 17th Avenue