Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Rosemary Garlic Butter
This vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi is soft, pillowy, and delicious, especially when it’s finished with a fabulous rosemary-infused garlic butter sauce! This is a restaurant-quality dinner that’s easier than you think.
It took me a long time to come around to making my own gnocchi because I thought it was going to be fussy and difficult. But making Cauliflower Gnocchi showed me just how wrong I was! So this homemade sweet potato gnocchi was next on my list and I don’t think my family will ever let me buy it from the store again. The dough comes together with just a handful of ingredients, letting the natural sweetness of the potatoes shine. The gnocchi is lightly crisped in rosemary garlic butter, studded with toasted walnuts, and finished with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan for one of those meals that you eat sloooowly because you just don’t want it to end!
Why You’ll Love Making Sweet Potato Gnocchi From Scratch
Trust me: it’s so worth it.
- Satisfying to make. The meal itself is satisfying, but so is the process! If you love that feeling of satisfaction you get from making your own crusty French Bread or Almond Milk from actual almonds, you’ll appreciate this sweet potato gnocchi recipe too.
- Simple ingredients. No egg substitutes required for this vegan gnocchi—just sweet potatoes, flour, oil, and salt.
- Restaurant-worthy flavor. The rosemary garlic sauce is rich, fragrant, and makes this gnocchi dish taste like it came straight out of a restaurant kitchen. Perfect for a date night at home!
Notes on Ingredients
While this dish delivers big flavour, the ingredient list is shorter than you might expect! Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Gnocchi:
- Sweet potatoes – Use orange sweet potatoes for making this sweet potato gnocchi. White and purple varieties are starchier, so the potato-to-flour ratio would be different.
- All-purpose flour – You’ll need some for the gnocchi and some for dusting your work surface.
- Sea salt
- Olive oil – Adds richness to the dough.
For Serving:
- Vegan butter – I love using my Homemade Vegan Butter.
- Olive oil
- Fresh rosemary – Earthy and fragrant rosemary is a fantastic pairing with sweet potatoes, but thyme or sage would also work if you prefer them.
- Garlic
- Walnuts – For a crunchy contrast to the pillowy gnocchi. Hazelnuts or pecans can be used as an alternative, or try pepitas for a nut-free option.
- Salt and pepper
- Vegan Parmesan – Optional. You can use store-bought if you want it to melt a bit, or my Vegan Parmesan Cheese for the flavour without the melt.
How to Make Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Here’s a step-by-step guide showing you the process.
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Pierce and roast the potatoes in a 400ºF oven until tender. Scoop out the flesh and mash until smooth.
- Make the dough. Mix the olive oil and salt into the mashed sweet potatoes, then gradually add the flour until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the gnocchi. Roll the dough into 4 ropes, cut each rope into pieces, and shape them using the tines of a fork.
- Boil the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi in a pot of salted water. Once they float, boil 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Make the sauce. Melt the vegan butter with the oil. Sauté the garlic and rosemary, then toast the walnuts.
- Toss and serve. Add the sweet potato gnocchi to the skillet, crisp lightly, then season and serve warm with the vegan Parmesan, if you’re using it.
Tips for Success
I have a few additional pointers for perfect sweet potato gnocchi!
- Don’t over-flour the dough. Too much flour makes dense gnocchi—keep it soft and slightly sticky for the best results.
- Use roasted sweet potatoes. Some recipes will have you boil or microwave the sweet potatoes, but after testing this recipe, I’ve found that roasted potatoes are worth the extra time. They have much more flavour!
- Bonus points: brown the butter. If you use my homemade vegan butter, good news: it browns! (Not all store-bought varieties do.) So you can go the extra mile and brown the butter before adding the gnocchi.
Perfect Pairings for Gnocchi
Serve your sweet potato gnocchi with a simple salad to balance the richness. My Beet Feta Salad would be fantastic, as would this Pear and Gorgonzola Salad. You can also pair the gnocchi with a veggie side dish like Grilled Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts or Balsamic Roasted Vegetables.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the sweet potato gnocchi and sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cooked and sauced gnocchi. Instead, freeze uncooked gnocchi on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Boil from frozen, then make the sauce as directed in the recipe.
- To reheat: Sauté leftovers in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil or butter until warmed and lightly crisp. The microwave also works, but the texture won’t be as good—they’re likely to get mushy.
More Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this sweet potato gnocchi, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Ingredients
For the Gnocchi
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 1 pound – 450g
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting – 210g
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, 6g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, 30mL
For the Rosemary Butter Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter, 42g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, 15mL
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped – 2g
- 1 clove garlic, minced – 3g
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts, 30g
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: vegan parmesan, for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet Potatoes
- Pierce the sweet potatoes several times with a fork and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45–50 minutes, or until very tender.
- Let them cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh into a large bowl and mash until completely smooth.
- Stir in the olive oil and sea salt. Gradually add the flour, starting with a spoon, then switching to your hands. Mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Add a little extra flour only if needed, but keep the dough soft.
Make the Gnocchi
- Lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a long rope about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Cut the ropes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- To create gnocchi ridges, place each piece at the top of the fork tines and gently press down, rolling it forward with your thumb.
- Place the shaped gnocchi onto a lightly floured baking sheet.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil.
- Drop in the gnocchi in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Once the gnocchi float (2–3 minutes), cook for 30 seconds more, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Make the Rosemary Butter Sauce
- In a large skillet, melt the vegan butter with the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and rosemary; sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the walnuts and toast for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
- Add the cooked gnocchi directly into the skillet and toss gently to coat, allowing the edges to become lightly crisp.
Serve
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Top with vegan parmesan if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store the sweet potato gnocchi and sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cooked and sauced gnocchi. Instead, freeze uncooked gnocchi on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Boil from frozen, then make the sauce as directed in the recipe.
- To reheat: Sauté leftovers in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of oil or butter until warmed and lightly crisp. The microwave also works, but the texture won’t be as good—they’re likely to get mushy.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
