Fluffy homemade gluten-free gnocchi made with almond flour and roasted potatoes! Each bite is light, fluffy, flavorful, and stays together without being gummy. In this guide, you'll learn everything from what types of flour to use, the best types of potato for gnocchi, how to cook potatoes for gnocchi, how to shape the gnocchi, and how to cook and serve your gnocchi!
This post is sponsored by Andronico's Community Markets, a long-term partner of Snixy Kitchen, but the opinions are all my own.
Homemade gluten-free gnocchi
This ultimate guide to homemade gluten-free gnocchi will help you achieve fluffy pillowy gluten-free gnocchi that's neither chewy nor dense. In this guide, you'll learn everything from what types of flour to use, the best types of potato for gnocchi, how to cook potatoes for gnocchi, how to shape the gnocchi, and finally how to cook and serve your gnocchi! With these steps, you'll be able to achieve flavorful clouds of gluten-free gnocchi!
If you want a fall variation, this recipe also works well with sweet potatoes and butternut squash, with just a few modifications. Check out my gluten-free sweet potato gnocchi recipe.
What is gnocchi?
Typically thought of as a type of pasta, gnocchi (pronounced 'nyohk-kee') is actually more of a dumpling. Made primarily of potato with a little bit of flour, and sometimes egg, gnocchi are small pillowy soft dumplings with just a tiny bit of chewiness.
What kind of flour for gluten-free potato gnocchi
For gluten-free gnocchi that's light, fluffy, flavorful, and stays together without being gummy, this recipe uses a combination of superfine blanched almond flour, tapioca flour, and sweet rice flour. I recommend using Bob's Red Mill superfine blanched almond flour, Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour, and Koda Farms Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour. Using other brands may result in differences in the outcome.
Almond flour is a crisp flour that keeps the gnocchi from becoming too chewy or dense. However, almond flour alone is too brittle and will turn out gritty and fall apart in boiling water. That's why we add tapioca flour/starch and sweet rice flour to bind the gnocchi together. Sweet rice flour gives it the pliability reminiscent of traditional gnocchi, and tapioca flour adds loft and fluffiness.
Sweet rice flour substitution: While I have not tried it, some readers have tested my almond flour pasta with arrowroot starch in place of the sweet rice flour with success. If you cannot have sweet rice flour, I would try subbing arrowroot starch by weight.
If feel overwhelmed buying multiple bags of gluten-free flours for just one recipe, I've got you covered. You can sort my recipe filter by gluten-free flour type(s) to use up those flours! Once you've stocked your pantry with a few of the basic flours, you can make almost anything. This gnocchi uses three of my pantry staples: almond flour, tapioca flour/starch, and sweet rice flour, and I've got lots of recipes that use all three!
Andronico's: Ingredients for almond flour gnocchi
Gnocchi doesn't require a lot of ingredients, but the key is to use the best variety of potato and brands of flours! If you're in the Bay Area, you can grab everything you need at your local Andronico's Community Market. They've got high-quality produce, organic eggs, and a variety of gluten-free flours. Here I use a combination of Bob's Red Mill flours and Koda Farms Mochiko, all of which Andronico's carries! Here's what you need:
- Potatoes: I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes
- Superfine-blanched almond flour: Use Bob's Red Mill.
- Tapioca flour/starch: Use Bob's Red Mill.
- Sweet rice flour: Also called mochiko, sweet rice flour is distinctly different from white rice flour or brown rice flour. Use Koda Farms Mochiko.
- Salt
- Large egg
- Optional: finely grated parmesan
What kind of potatoes for gluten-free gnocchi
Yukon gold potatoes are the ideal potato for gluten-free gnocchi. They are smooth creamy potatoes that are a combination of starchy and waxy. They're not mealy like russet potatoes, creating an ideal texture to hold the gnocchi together.
Yellow potatoes work interchangeably with Yukon Golds in this recipe, if that's what your store has!
How to cook potatoes for gluten-free gnocchi
The best, most authentic way to make homemade gnocchi is to roast the potatoes whole. Many recipes online call for boiling whole potatoes, but this is more likely to add too much moisture to your dough. Roasting them, on the other hand, will create a lighter, fluffier gnocchi dough because you won't have to knead in as much flour due to excess water.
Instead, rub the outside of your potatoes with olive oil, prick them a few times with a fork, and roast them whole at 400°F until tender when pierced with a knife, about 45-60 minutes.
When they're finished baking and cool enough to handle, half the potatoes, and run them cut-side down through a potato ricer. Remove the skin from the ricer and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Homemade gluten-free gnocchi is super easy to make:
- Roast the potatoes whole then cut and run them through a potato ricer (or mash with a potato masher or fork).
- Sift together the gluten-free flours.
- Measure out the weight of the riced potatoes and top with whisked egg then sprinkle with sifted flour. Mix until the dough forms a ball.
- Dust with tapioca flour and cut into four pieces.
- One at a time, roll each piece into a long rope about ½ - ¾-inch in diameter, then cut the rope into ¾ to 1-inch long pieces. Toss well with tapioca flour.
- Roll each piece along a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork using your thumb.
- Cook or store gnocchi according to instructions!
How to Shape Gluten-Free Gnocchi
While optional, adding texture to the gnocchi helps trap sauce and flavor when cooked. And it looks pretty too!
- With a gnocchi board: If you can get your hands on a gnocchi board, this is the easiest quickest method. In one motion, use your thumb to gently press and roll the gnocchi down the board. As it rolls, it will create a little divet or crease that rolls up and lightly seals into a closed c-shape.
- With a fork: You can also use the tines of a large fork. Hold the fork upside down, and starting at the top of the tines, use your thumb or fingers to gently press and roll the gnocchi down the back of the fork.
How to cook gluten-free gnocchi
Depending on how you like your gnocchi, you can simply boil and drain the gnocchi or boil the gnocchi and then pan-fry it to crisp it up on the outside. I recommend this latter method.
In batches, drop the gnocchi into a pot of salted boiling water and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, about 2 minutes. At this point, you can strain the gnocchi and top with your favorite sauce. Or, if frying, melt a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat while the gnocchi boils.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer boiled gnocchi to the hot skillet and fry, tossing, until browned on each side. Transfer to a bowl and serve with your favorite toppings or sauce.
I recommend frying fresh sage in the butter alongside the gnocchi to infuse it with even more flavor!
How to serve gnocchi
There are a billion ways to cook and serve gnocchi. I recommend serving them pan-fried and tossed in fresh sage-infused brown butter sauce and a sprinkling of fresh parmesan. Simply fry the gnocchi alongside sage in plenty of butter and olive oil. Sometimes we even toss in crisped pancetta!
You can also toss boiled gnocchi (pan-fried or not!) in pesto (such as this zucchini almond pesto, this sunflower seed gouda pesto, or this green goddess pesto), marinara, or a meaty sauce such as homemade ragu or bolognese.
Parmesan Gnocchi
For a bit of extra flavor, add 1 ounce (¼ cup) finely grated fresh parmesan to the dough. This does not change the texture of the dough at all but adds a bit more salty flavor to the cooked gnocchi.
How to make ahead and store homemade gluten-free gnocchi
Store gnocchi in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, place a small baking sheet with gnocchi in a single layer in the freezer for 15 minutes. Once firm, transfer the frozen gnocchi to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to cook, drop frozen gnocchi straight into the boiling water without defrosting.
Recipe
Soft & Pillowy Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (roughly) medium yukon gold potatoes*
- 125 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- 63 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour, plus more for rolling
- 40 g (¼ cup) sweet rice flour,, also called Mochiko
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, whisked, room temperature
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Making the Gnocchi
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the potatoes a few times with a fork and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size, until tender in the center when pierced with a knife. With the potatoes still hot, but cool enough to handle, half the potatoes, and run them cut-side down through a potato ricer. Remove the skin from the ricer and repeat with the remaining potatoes. Alternatively, scoop out the flesh and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Measure 16oz of riced potatoes (2 cups). It's important that the potatoes are still warm as this will help the dough come together by beginning to cook the starches in the flour.
- While the potatoes roast, prepare the remaining ingredients. Sift together almond flour, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, and salt. If using, mix in the parmesan (optional).
- To the measured riced potatoes, top with the whisked egg and the sifted dry ingredients. Mix with a silicone spatula until the dough is evenly combined and forms a ball. The dough should feel like a soft ball of mashed potatoes, but not be too soft and sticky to handle. Add up to 1 tablespoon more almond flour and/or tapioca flour as needed if the dough is too soft and sticky. Form the dough into a ball and dust it well with tapioca flour.
- Dust your work surface lightly with tapioca flour and turn the ball out onto your surface. Cut it into four pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about ½ to ¾-inch in diameter. Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut the rope into ¾ to 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece along a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork using your thumb and place gnocchi on a baking sheet dusted with tapioca flour (see pictures above).
- See below for how to store or cook gluten-free gnocchi.
Storing or Cooking Gnocchi
- Store potato gnocchi in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, place a small baking sheet with gnocchi in a single layer in the freezer for 15 minutes. Once firm, transfer the frozen gnocchi to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to cook, drop frozen gnocchi straight into the boiling water without defrosting.
- To cook, you can simply boil and drain the gnocchi or boil and then pan-fry the gnocchi to crisp it up on the outside (this, do this). In batches, drop the gnocchi into a pot of salted boiling water and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, about 2 minutes. Either strain the gnocchi and top with your favorite sauce, or, if frying, melt a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat while the gnocchi boils. Use a slotted spoon to transfer boiled gnocchi to the hot skillet and fry, tossing, until browned on each side. Transfer to bowl and serve with favorite toppings or sauce. Tip: fry fresh sage in the butter alongside the gnocchi to infuse it with even more flavor!
Katherine -
Best potato gnocchi recipe I've tried!