I love gnocchi. Those pillowy pasta-potato hybrids make dinner more interesting … and filling. Plus, they are so darn quick and easy to make. Just boil water, pop those little dumplings in, and they’re ready in three minutes. But I really wanted to up my game to homemade potato gnocchi.
It isn’t too hard to find dairy-free gnocchi, but some store-bought brands do contain milk or cheese. And they’re often made with fillers and preservatives. When you make your own, it’s easy to keep the ingredients clean and simple.
Homemade Potato Gnocchi that’s Naturally Dairy-Free & Vegan
Unlike most store-bought varieties, gnocchi recipes typically use egg. Some also call for parmesan. But this recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly.
How to Serve Your Dairy-Free Potato Gnocchi
Just like pasta, feel free to add in your favorite cooked vegetables or protein. But we really like it with the following sauces.
- Tomato Sauce – I created this Tomato Basil Cream Sauce Recipe to go with gnocchi. But even store-bought marinara is great.
- Buttery Spread – Just like pasta, potato gnocchi and dairy-free buttery spread are a match made in heaven. But you can take it to the next level with some easy dairy-free Parmesan alternative.
- Pesto – My husband isn’t a big pesto fan, but even he admits it’s delicious with gnocchi. I use a simple recipe, like this Basic Dairy-Free Pesto.
- Alfredo – This Dairy-Free Alfredo Recipe is a personal favorite, and it’s wonderful with gnocchi I like to sprinkle on a little crushed red pepper too!
Special Diet Notes: Homemade Potato Gnocchi
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 1½ lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (can sub all-purpose flour), plus additional as needed
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste, plus additional for the pot
- Black pepper, as desired (optional)
- Place the cut potatoes in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain the cooked potatoes, return them to the pan and mash with a potato masher or fork until fluffy.
- Add the flour, olive oil, baking powder, salt, and pepper (if using), and mix well to form a dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board and knead the dough until smooth, dusting with extra flour if needed to prevent sticking.
- Pull off pieces of the dough that are about the size of a cherry tomato, and roll each one into a ball.
- Flatten the balls with the back of a fork, using the tines to create ridges. Then fold them in half, with the marks on the outside. The overall size should be approximately 1 inch in length but it's not too important, just make sure the sizes are more or less even.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, and cook until they float to the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi when they float up.
- Serve immediately with your favorite sauce (see the post above for dairy-free suggestions).
For More Dairy-Free Staple Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!
2 Comments
You mention these freeze well. Would you freeze them cooked or uncooked and then would you need to defrost before cooking and/or heating? Not being able to obtain all my ingredients in one shop lately and would love to have some gnocchi on hand.
Freeze them uncooked. You can cook from frozen, they just need a minute or two more, but will float still when ready.