Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sometimes I just get in the mood for a project – and when it’s a cooking project, that usually means Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Gnocchi is by far my favorite form of pasta – it’s so easy, 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!

Ingredients you need for this sweet potato gnocchi

• 2 medium (20 oz) sweet potatoes
• 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 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 teaspoon 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 mismatched sizes, some wrinkly, some smooth, etc. They’ll all come out fluffy and delicious, and in the end, that’s all that matters.

Prepping the gnocchi

• 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.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the 200 grams of flour and salt. Gradually add in the potato mixture in two parts. First stirring, and then kneading with your hands until you have a tacky dough.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15-30 minutes.
• 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 the flour reserved for dusting as needed, but remember the softer the dough, the fluffier the gnocchi will be.

Shaping the gnocchi

• When the dough is a smooth ball, 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-inch pieces. If you prefer larger pieces, keep them as-is, but sometimes I like to cut the 1-inch 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 and 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, 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.
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!

And that’s it for this Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi!

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.