Vegan Gnocchi

Vegan gnocchi is a fun middle-of-the-week meal idea that’s easy to make and can be planned ahead. Serve them with tomato sauce or sage-spiced brown butter; it’ll be the best homemade gnocchi you'll ever try!

Is gnocchi vegan? No, not the traditional recipe as it uses eggs. But my recipe doesn’t, so it’s perfectly vegan-diet friendly. In case you're looking for a gluten-free option, do check out my gluten-free gnocchi. The result, I promise you, will be scrumptious.

Plates-licked-clean tasty. 

You get these tiny little morsel-sized dumplings that hold just the right amount of tomato sauce. If you’re not a fan of marinara, pesto is another great way to serve this gnocchi.

Or you can go the classic way and toss it with brown butter and sage.

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Reasons to try vegan gnocchi

Vegan gnocchi recipe

Tips for homemade gnocchi

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Why is this the best homemade vegan gnocchi ever!

Easy recipe

Uses just 2 ingredients (not counting salt and pepper)

Pillowy, tender, and hearty

Great make-ahead recipe...frozen gnocchi is a life-saver for busy or lazy days!

How to make vegan gnocchi? 

Its a really good idea to bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. So, they don’t absorb any water, making sure the gnocchi dough holds together really well. 

I highly suggest you do the same. 

Step 1: Clean the potatoes thoroughly. Don’t peel them. Simply prick with a fork all over and then bake for 45–50 minutes till cooked through.

Step 2: As soon as the potatoes are cool enough that you can handle them, peel them. You don’t want them to get completely cold because then they clump together!

Step 3: Next, either grate the flesh (using the thicker side of a box grater) or press it through a potato ricer. While grating or pressing, spread out the strands on the work surface so they don’t stick to each other.

Step 4: Sift flour, salt, and pepper on top of the grated/pressed potatoes and, with your hands, bring it together to form a soft dough that’s not sticky. It comes together rather easily, like pastry dough. 

Step 5: Cover the dough and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. 

How to shape vegan gnocchi?

Step 6: Divide the dough into pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll it back and forth under your hands to form a rope. 

Step 7: Cut each rope into small pieces of equal size. At this point, the vegan gnocchi is ready to cook, but you can choose to shape it further. 

Step 8: To shape, use a fork or a wooden gnocchi roller. If you pick a fork, push the fluffy dough piece into the tines with your thumb very gently. And you’ll see those signature ridges forming. They help the sauce cling to the gnocchi! 

Step 9: Arrange the gnocchi in an even layer on a tray or sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle flour and let them rest for about 20 minutes. 

Cooking gnocchi

Step 10: Bring salted water to a rolling boil and slide your gnocchi into it. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Mine could comfortably hold about 15 at a time. 

Step 11: Cook until the pieces float to the surface. I like to use a slotted spoon and put the vegan gnocchi straight from the pot into the sauce. You can choose to transfer them on a tray greased with olive oil till all the gnocchi are cooked. 

Final step: Toss with some delicious homemade tomato sauce. Top with cheese and parsley and serve! 

My tips for making gnocchi

What makes good gnocchi? It cannot be mushy. It cannot be dense. And it cannot be chewy. 

So, how do you get homemade gnocchi that’s creamy, light, and airy? You follow these tips:

• Pick potatoes of the same size so they bake evenly. How long it takes to bake them will depend upon their size.
• Bake the potatoes, don’t boil them. It’ll keep them starchy, which helps hold the dough together. When you boil potatoes, you increase the moisture quotient. Not what you want.

• Steam them ( unpeeled) in your microwave or stovetop if you like. 
• If you have no other option but to boil, keep the peel on. It’ll stop them from absorbing water. Peel them afterward. 
• Never mash your potatoes using a food processor when making homemade gnocchi. You’ll end up with a gummy mass. What you’re looking for is light and fluffy gnocchi. That’s why I recommend a grater or ricer. It helps aerate them. If you don’t have either, try a fork.
• Avoid using too much flour to form the dough. Else, it’ll develop the gluten network, making the gnocchi hard and chewy. 
• The quantity of flour should always be less than the quantity of mashed potatoes. The trick I used was to add a bit and wait for it to be completely combined before sprinkling more. 
• If you opt to shape the homemade gnocchi, don’t worry if the first couple of them look wonky. Keep going; by the second dough rope, you’ll get the hang of it.

Can vegan gnocchi be frozen?

It’s rather easy to store vegan gnocchi. In the freezer, they last a long time. After you complete step 9 and have decided not to cook it the same day, place them to a tray and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then transfer the frozen gnocchi into a Ziplock and freeze them for later use. 

Whenever you’re ready to make the gnocchi, simply drop them into simmering water. You don’t need to thaw them.  

• I wouldn’t recommend freezing cooked gnocchi. The texture becomes quite gummy.
• Also, if you’re making the gnocchi in the morning and cooking them in the evening (like I did), keep them in the refrigerator. They stay fine for 3-4 hours.

More easy and tasty dinner recipes

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Mushroom Quiche

Kung Pao Cauliflower

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No-Yeast Stovetop Pizza

Baked Sweet Potato