5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Make soft, pillowy sweet potato gnocchi at home with just five simple ingredients and no eggs. You’ll use everyday ingredients to create the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi, perfect for tossing in a nutty brown butter sauce (or your fave sauce!) Easy enough for weeknights, but special enough for date nights or holiday dinners – a serious showstopper with minimal effort.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi, at a Glance

⏰Time: 55 minutes

🍽️Makes: 4 servings

🛒 Key Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, ricotta, all-purpose flour, parmesan

🍳 Cooking Method: Mix, boil, then pan-fry and toss with your sauce.

🍝Why it Works: Easier than regular potato gnocchi, light, fluffy, fabulous with all kinds of sauces.

💃Perfect For: Cozy season dinners, holiday entertaining and dinner parties

Homemade Gnocchi Easier Than You Might Think

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 littlepumpkin-shaped gnocchi, which is such a fun Halloween or holiday season twist.

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 butternutsquash. 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.

1. Once they’re super soft, scoop the flesh into a bowl, add the ricotta, parmesan, salt, and nutmeg, and then mix well.

1. Add the flour slowly, 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.

1. 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.

1. Slice the long ropes into bite-sized gnocchi pieces, then set aside on a lined tray.

1. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until they float, and start the brown butter sauce at the same time.

1. Transfer the cooked gnocchi straight into the brown butter sauce and toss well. Add the rosemary and garlic and toss again to coat.

1. 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:

1. Follow the recipe up until you shape the gnocchi. Then, roll roughly a tablespoon of the gnocchi dough into a flat disc.
2. 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

Can I make the sweet potato gnocchi in advance?

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 in a single layer on a parchment paper lined tray, then pop them into the freezer until solid. Transfer to ziplock bags to store. 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.

What other sauces could I pair with the sweet potato gnocchi?

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.

Does the gnocchi taste like sweet potato?

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.

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 @Zageer on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

Make soft, pillowy sweet potato gnocchi at home with just five simple ingredients and no eggs. You'll use everyday ingredients to create the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi, perfect for tossing in a nutty brown butter sauce (or your fave sauce!) Easy enough forweeknights, but special enough for date nights or holiday dinners – a serious showstopper with minimal effort. Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 55 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

For the sweet potato gnocchi –

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, 500g, (roughly 2 medium)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup ricotta
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

For the brown butter sauce –

• 2 oz chorizo, casing removed and diced , 50g, (optional)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 sprig of rosemary, stem removed
• 1 teaspoon flaky salt
• Parmesan cheese, grated, to serve

Method

1. 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.
2. Mix the gnocchi dough. Scoop the sweet potato flesh straight from their skins into a large bowl, then add 1 cup of ricotta, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ 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).
3. Add the flour. Working with about ½ 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl
Calories: 574kcal
Carbohydrates: 58.2g
Protein: 18.5g
Fat: 29.8g
Saturated Fat: 15.8g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g
Monounsaturated Fat: 10.5g
Trans Fat: 0.8g
Cholesterol: 77mg
Sodium: 1236mg
Potassium: 598mg
Fiber: 4.9g
Sugar: 5.6g
Vitamin A: 18300IU
Vitamin C: 3.8mg
Calcium: 254mg
Iron: 1.8mg

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.