These pillowy soft and cloud-like vegan gnocchi are truly perfect and taste just like the classic gnocchi recipe! Super easy to make with only 3 ingredients and a gluten free option, these homemade gnocchi are loved by all eaters, kids and adults alike!
Gnocchi is truly the definition of comfort food. It makes up the base of gnocchi soup and in my Marry Me Tofu with Gnocchi and cheesy gnocchi bake, I mean, it’s unreal.
But did you know it’s so easy to make at home?! Way better than store bought and quicker than running to the store. Just wait, you’re going to love this recipe!
3 ingredient gluten free vegan gnocchi
If you’re a pasta lover like me (especially if you’re Italian!), then you know how amazing gnocchi are. Soft, pillowy clouds of potato that are boiled and so absolutely perfect in just about any sauce.
My great grandpa, whom I always credit with every Italian recipe on here, as he was from Sicily, was an incredible pasta maker. Sunday dinner with Andrea was always the best dinner growing up.
Fresh pasta is just the best (and you can really make homemade pasta so easily at home!).
However, not all of his recipes were vegan, so I’ve taken on the challenge of veganizing all of my childhood favorites. This vegan gnocchi recipe only requiresthree ingredients:
- Potatoes:I used Yukon Gold potatoes here, but you can also use russet potatoes if that’s all that you can find in your stores!
- Flour:I recommend using Tipo 00 or oat flour (if you’re gluten-free, use oat flour!). That being said, you can also use all purpose flour if that’s all that you have on hand! These gnocchi will also work great with einkorn flour, which is a low gluten lower processed flour (good for people just looking to reduce their gluten intake).
- Olive oil:This will help to add flavor and help our gnocchi bind a bit better!
As you can see, these pillowy and perfect vegan gnocchi can also easily be made gluten free with two different flours.
You’re just going to absolutely love how fun and easy these vegan gnocchi are to make, and you’ll be shocked at how delicious they are!
Perfect for any vegan dinner that kids and adults love, or even as a main dish for the holidays, like Christmas or Thanksgiving!
I love it with this homemade cherry tomato sauce or even my vegan vodka sauce or basil pesto, with a few dollops of vegan mascarpone. It’s even good when tossed into my creamy garlicky tomato butter beans for a full meal that gets all of your nutrients in!
You can even use it in this easy 25 minute baked gnocchi recipe 🙂
Are gnocchi vegan?
This is hard to say, as not every traditional gnocchi recipe is the same. However, most traditional gnocchi recipes do contain eggs, and therefore the gnocchi would not be vegan.
However, there are some store bought options that I’ll recommend in the next section! That being said, this is a homemade vegan gnocchi recipe, and I have to say- homemade gnocchi is far better than anything store bought!
Where to buy vegan gnocchi?
Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell vegan gnocchi that you can purchase either frozen or sealed in the pasta section. There is one Italian brand that I know of that sells vegan gnocchi at Whole Foods, and Whole Foods themselves have launched their own cauliflower gnocchi (not as good as the classic potato dumplings in my opinion).
Trader Joe’s also sells both sweet potato gnocchi and cauliflower gnocchi. However, neither are as good as the real deal (aka this recipe!).
What is an egg yolk sub for vegan potato gnocchi?
Do you want to know a secret? You actually don’t need to sub out the egg yolk for something else! Yes, we’re using olive oil, and it does add to the binding aspect of these gnocchi, but the flour (both gluten free and regular) hold the potatoes together enough when boiled.
Different types of flour for homemade gnocchi:
There are a few different types of flours I recommend using for these homemade gnocchi.
- Tipo 00: Also know as double zero or doppio zero, this flour is preferred for pastas, pizza, and bread! It hasmore protein in it than all purpose flour(about 13-15% vs 10-12%) producing fluffier and softer gnocchi.
- All purpose flour: Also know as plain flour in the UK, if you can’t find Tipo 00 in the grocery stores, you can just use all purpose flour!
- Einkorn flour: This is one of my all time favorite new flours to work with. It’s sold by Jovial foods, and contains the least amount of gluten, aside from an entirely gluten free flour (meaning if you have Celiac’s disease, youstill shouldn’t use Einkorn flour as it does contain some gluten).
- Oat flour: This is my all time favorite flour to use for gluten free gnocchi.
- Gluten free 1:1 baking flour:
Overview: How to make vegan gnocchi:
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
Here’s how to make easy vegan gnocchi:
- Start by boiling the potatoes:
The potatoes need to be fork tender and super soft. This will help with kneading the dough.
- Cool & peel the potatoes:
This is super important! As soon as you finish boiling the potatoes, they will be very hot. Allow them to cool before you begin to peel them (or if you’re using a potato ricer, like me, it will peel them for you).
- Make the gnocchi dough:
Knead the riced potatoes into the flour until a soft and slightly tacky (but definitely not wet nor sticky) dough forms. You can add as much flour as you need to achieve this, but start with the recommended amount first.
- Shape the gnocchi:
We’ll go over this more in depth in the next section!
- Boil the gnocchi:
We’ll go over this more in depth in the next section!
- Cook the gnocchi in your desired sauce.
Once the gnocchi are cooked, you can add them to your favorite sauce and cook!
How to shape gnocchi:
There are a few ways to shape the gnocchi.
Once your dough is made, you’ll divide it into four even sections. Then roll the dough out to be a long rope, about 1″ wide in diameter.
Use a bench scraper or sharp and floured knife to slice the gnocchi into 1″ pieces.
Then you have a few options:
- Slightly pinch the gnocchi to leave as smooth potato dumplings
- Run the gnocchi down a ribbed wooden board
- Press the gnocchi down the back of a fork
Any of these options will work for shaping your gnocchi!
How to serve vegan gnocchi?
After you’ve cooked these vegan gnocchi, you can serve them however you’d like!
I love a classic dish that uses homemade marinara sauce and fresh basil. I also top with freshly grated dairy-free vegan cheese (Violife and Forager Project are my favorite!).
Here are some other options:
- Vegan pesto
- Vegan garlic sage sauce
- Use in this baked gnocchi recipe!
- Easy nut-free cacio e pepe
- Vegan alfredo
- Tossed in vegan butter and vegan parmesan
- With a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, and sea salt
- Sautéed with garlic and mushrooms
- In gnocchi soup!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these vegan gnocchi without oil?
I wouldn’t recommend it, as the oil will help to bind and give the gnocchi some flavor. That being said, itispossible to make these vegan gnocchi with an equal amount of water. I just recommend the olive oil!
Can I use another gluten-free flour other than oat flour?
Unfortunately, this homemade vegan gnocchi recipe will not work with coconut flour, almond flour, chickpea flour, or brown rice flour. I recommend sticking with the oat flour or the gluten free 1:1 baking flour if you need gluten free gnocchi.
Is it possible to divide this recipe in half?
Yes! If you don’t need 8 servings of gnocchi, please cut the recipe in half.
Could I use a potato masher instead of a potato ricer?
If you only have a potato masher, not a problem- you can also use that as well! Simply mash the potatoes in a bowl before adding them to the flour.
Can I bake my potatoes instead of boiling?
I’ve tried this in the past just to see, and would not recommend it. The potato will be much too dry and crumbly.
Will these homemade gnocchi work in vegan gnocchi soup?
Absolutely! I would cook the gnocchi in vegetable broth instead, as then the gnocchi can absorb some of the flavor.
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Vegan Gnocchi
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 5 reviews
- Author: Britt Berlin
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These pillowy soft and cloud-like vegan gnocchi are truly perfect and taste just like the classic gnocchi recipe! Super easy to make with only 3 ingredients and a gluten free option, these homemade gnocchi are loved by all eaters, kids and adults alike!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 3/4 – 2 cups (200–250 g) all purpose flour, tip 00 flour, oat flour, or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Your favorite sauce: cherry tomato sauce, garlic sage sauce, cacio e pepe, vegan pesto, etc.
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes: Run the potatoes under cold water, and scrub any dirt off of them.
- Boil the potatoes:Fill a large pot with cold water. Add the potatoes to the pot. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to medium, and cover. Cook the potatoes until you can easily pierce a fork through the entire potato, about 12-15 minutes. Once boiled, strain the water, and allow the potatoes to cool until they’re able to be handled without burning one’s hands. While the gnocchi are cooling, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will be where we place the finished gnocchi dough.
- Make the gnocchi:On a clean surface or large cutting board, pour the flour into the middle, and sprinkle with the sea salt. Create a crater in the middle of the flour. This will be where we place the potatoes. Take your potato ricer, and place one potato into the ricer. Press the potato through the ricer- it will automatically remove the skin of the potato. If you’re having trouble with the skins of the potato, however, you can remove them prior to ricing the potatoes by simply pinching the skin off of the potatoes. Rice all of the potatoes into the flour, and begin to knead the dough, adding more flour as needed to help the dough become less sticky, along with the olive oil. The dough should be smooth and just slightly tacky. This should take about 10 minutes total.
- Shapethe gnocchi: Divide the gnocchi dough into 4 even sections. Place three of the sections aside, and roll out one section to be one long strip, making sure to flour the surface so that the dough doesn’t stick. The dough should be about 1″ thick in diameter. Use a a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the long rope of dough into 1″ gnocchi. Then to further shape the gnocchi, roll each down a fork or using a gnocchi mold (see photos above). Place the finished gnocchi onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough.
- Boil the gnocchi: After you’ve made the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil again. At this time, I also suggest warming your sauce of choice in a large skillet. You’ll transfer the cooked gnocchi immediately into the sauce. Use a large wooden spoon and swirl the water. Then drop about 1/3-1/2 of the gnocchi into the water, and allow them to cook. They will sink to the bottom, then rise to the top of the water when they’re done, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked gnocchi and place them into the sauce. Repeat for the remaining gnocchi until none are left.
- Cook the gnocchi in yourdesired sauce:Now you can cook the gnocchi in your desired sauce until finished. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Gluten free:You have two options for gluten free: gluten free 1:1 baking flour and oat flour. I personally love the oat flour gnocchi.
Don’t need as much gnocchi?You can easily divide the recipe in half to serve less.
