Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi
Vegan pumpkin gnocchi are the ultimate fall comfort food. Easy to make, these gluten free pumpkin gnocchi are crispy on the outside and pillow soft on the insides. Just 4 ingredients and about 30 minutes to make these from start to finish!
Why you will love this recipe
- Fun and easy to make – if you are intimidated by the idea of making your own pasta or gnocchi, this is the recipe for you. There are just a few ingredients and all you need is a spoon and a bowl to get the dough together. Simply roll these out with your hands and cut the gnocchi with a knife. This is a great beginners recipe!
- Packed with flavor – the pumpkin, sage and nutmeg create the perfect fall combination of flavors that you are going to love! Serve simply just sauteed in olive oil with some fresh sage or serve with creamy alfredo sauce or pesto for a fun twist!
- Perfect for meal prep – These vegan pumpkin gnocchi freeze well. You can easily make a second batch of these and freeze them before cooking so they are ready for another night!
- Great for small parties or hosting company – These pumpkin gnocchi are vegan, gluten free, budget friendly, egg free and easy to make. You can even make the dough ahead and freeze it so all you have to do is boil the gnocchi from frozen for your guests!
Ingredients
- Oat flour – oat flour is a flour made from ground oats. You can make your own or buy it store bought. If you need this to be gluten free, be sure to get certified gluten free oat flour or use gluten free oats.
- Pumpkin puree – pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) is simply just pureed pumpkins. Each brand is a bit different with how much water you will find in the pumpkin puree. Because of this each brand of pumpkin puree will likely need a different amount of oat flour.
- Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil helps to make the dough more supple and easy to work with. You can also sauté the gnocchi in olive oil (or butter or ghee) after boiling it if you want to create a crust on the gnocchi.
- Salt – salt helps to elevate the flavor of the gnocchi. Even if you wanted to make these sweet, you would want to add at least a pinch of salt to help elevate the pumpkin flavor.
- Optional: Ground sage, ground nutmeg – these spices give the pumpkin gnocchi the fall comfort food flavors. You could also use fresh sage in place of the dried if you have it on hand.
- Optional: Fresh sage – if you decide to crisp up the gnocchi, this is a great addition to the dish.
How to make vegan pumpkin gnocchi
Check out the step by step story on how to make pumpkin gnocchi vegan and gluten free.
Start by adding water to a pot and putting it over high heat to bring to a boil.
Add the pumpkin puree, 1.25 cups of oat flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and spices to a large bowl.
Stir well until all the flour has been well combined into the pumpkin mixture. This is the starting point for your gnocchi.
Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch and easily forms a ball without leaving a ton of dough on your hands. If you don’t notice a lot of water in the pumpkin puree you will likely need 2 tablespoons of flour, if you notice a lot of water, you will need 4 tablespoons.
Once you have the dough make, take out a small handful at a time and roll it into a ball. The dough doesn’t need any extra flour on the surface and should not be sticking to your hands either.
Roll the ball into a long log with both hands on a clean cutting board or countertop. Start in the center and lightly push the dough out to the sides as you roll it. You want the log to be about ½ inch tall (think of a roll of pennies).
Use a knife, cut the gnocchi into 1 inch pieces and move them to the side.
Repeat this process until all the dough has been made into gnocchi.
Drop the gnocchi 3-4 at a time using a slotted spoon into the boiling water. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot (you may need to work in batches depending on how large your pot is). Stir occasionally,
Once the gnocchi are floating, cook the pumpkin gnocchi for 3 minutes in the boiling water.
After 3 minutes, remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, ensuring you are draining off as much water as possible.
Repeat with the rest of the gnocchi if needed.
If you want a crispy crust on the gnocchi, put a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the cooked gnocchi (use the spoon so they can be spread out as needed).
Let the gnocchi cook for 3 minutes before trying to move them around in the pan. They should easily release and should not be sticking. Sprinkle them with salt and fresh sage and stir well. Take the time to flip each gnocchi over and cook on the other side for an additional 3 minutes.
Top tips
- Each brand of pumpkin puree is different and has different amounts of water. Because of this, you will have to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time at the end to ensure you get the right consistency. I have tested this with many brands and most need at least 2 tablespoons of flour and many need up to 4.
- If you are serving this with a sauce, you can pour the sauce over the gnocchi right after boiling it, there is no need to saute the gnocchi first, however you may want to add ridges to the gnocchi before boiling.
- How to add ridges to the gnocchi. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Roll the dough over the back of the fork to add ridges.
- These vegan pumpkin gnocchi are best fresh. Because of this, if you want to prep these ahead, it’s best to freeze them before cooking them. Simply freeze them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag. Add the frozen gnocchi to boiling water and cook as stated in the recipe.
- If you don’t plan on adding a sauce, you can saute the vegan pumpkin gnocchi to get a crispy crust on the outside. You can also put them in the air fryer to crisp up the crust. Both methods are delicious!
What sauces can you serve this with
- Pesto – tahini pesto or arugula cashew pesto would be delicious with this vegan pumpkin gnocchi
- Whole30 Spaghetti Sauce – this is a very classic way to serve gnocchi
- Creamy dairy free alfredo – this sauce pairs so well with pumpkin and butternut squash flavors!
What to serve with gnocchi
These gluten free pumpkin gnocchi are super filling thanks to the oat flour + pumpkin puree. This could be served as a side dish or the main dish, depending on your preference. Here are some ideas for side dishes
- Creamy Balsamic Brussel Sprouts Salad
- Simple Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
- Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mustard Dip
- Roasted Vegetable Bisque
- Butternut Squash Soup
How to crisp pumpkin gnocchi in the air fryer
- After boiling the gnocchi, drain them of any excess water and add them to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (optional). Stir well.
- Once coated in oil, add the gnocchi to the air fryer basket (be sure not to overcrowd, you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer).
- Cook at 390F for 6 minutes.
Common questions
What is gnocchi
Gnocchi are soft little dumplings typically made from potatoes, eggs and flour. The potatoes are typically cooked then riced and mixed with eggs and flour to make soft little pillows.
Often times you will find ridges on the gnocchi, which are added to the gnocchi before cooking to help allow sauce to stick to the ridges. If you plan on adding sauce to your vegan pumpkin gnocchi, you can add ridges with the back of a fork after cutting them into 1 inch pieces.
Can you prep vegan pumpkin gnocchi ahead of time?
Yes, there are a number of options on how you can prep the gnocchi ahead of time.
- You can make the dough about 2 hours in advance and simply leave it out at room temperature until you are ready to boil/serve.
- You can make the dough and store it in a covered container overnight in the fridge. Be sure the when storing that they are in a single row or have parchment/wax paper dividing each layer so they don’t start to stick.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Once the dough is made, store it in the freezer in a single layer until frozen. Once frozen, transfer the dough to a freezer safe bag or container. When ready to serve, add the gnocchi frozen to the boiling water and cook at directed in the recipe.
Storing leftovers
This gluten free pumpkin gnocchi is best the day of but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I would recommend serving leftovers with a sauce since the gnocchi dries out a bit in the fridge after cooking.
Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree – you can also use butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree in place of the pumpkin puree.
- Oat flour – oat flour is easy to make at home from rolled oats or quick oats. You can also try whole wheat flour (not gluten free) or cassava flour (grain free).
- Olive oil – you can also use avocado oil in place of the olive oil.
- Spices – the spices are optional so if you don’t have them, you can simply leave them out.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi
$2.94 Recipe/$0.74 ServingIngredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree - $1.00
- 1.5 cups oat flour (see notes, you may not need all of this) - $0.90
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - $0.22
- 1 teaspoon sea salt - $0.05
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage (optional) - $0.05
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) - $0.03
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional) - $0.44
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage (optional) - $0.25
Instructions
- Start by brining a large pot of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl combine pumpkin puree, 1.25 cups of oat flour, 1 tabelspoon olive oil, salt and spices.
- Stir well to incorporate the flour into the pumpkin puree. The dough will be sticky.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of oat flour at a time (up to 4 tablespoons total) to the dough until you have a dough that easily forms into a ball and is not sticky when you roll it in your hands. See notes below.
- Once the dough is ready, take a small handful at a time and roll it first into a ball.
- Roll the ball with both hands on a flat surface into a long log. You want the log to be about 1/2 inch high. To do this lightly press out from the center to the outside, easily creating a longer circle from the dough.
- Cut 1 inch pieces of gnocchi from the dough. Put them to the side and repeat until you have all your gnocchi formed.
- Once the water is boiling, slowly drop 3-4 gnocchi at a time to the water with a slotted spoon. Don't just drop them in or the boiling water could burn you. Add as many gnocchi as you can without overcrowding the pot. You may need to work in 2 batches.
- Stir the gnocchi occasionally when you put them in. When you notice they start to float, set a timer for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes of cooking, remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, trying to get rid of as much water as possible.
- From here you can either serve the gnocchi with sauce or go on to saute them.
- To saute gnocchi, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a hot skillet (over medium heat). Use your spoon to distribute 3-4 at a time so they don't need to be moved much as they will stick in the beginning.Add the gnocchi and cook 3 minutes on one side.
- Sprinkle with salt and add the fresh sage. Stir well (the gnocchi should easily release). Once coated in salt, use your spoon or tongs to carefully flip each gnocchi so they are all golden brown side up.
- Cook 3 more minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- Each brand of pumpkin puree is different and has different amounts of water. Because of this, you will have to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time at the end to ensure you get the right consistency. I have tested this with many brands and most need at least 2 tablespoons of flour and many need up to 4.
- If you are serving this with a sauce, you can pour the sauce over the gnocchi right after boiling it, there is no need to saute the gnocchi first, however you may want to add ridges to the gnocchi before boiling.
- How to add ridges to the gnocchi. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Roll the dough over the back of the fork to add ridges.
- These vegan pumpkin gnocchi are best fresh. Because of this, if you want to prep these ahead, it’s best to freeze them before cooking them. Simply freeze them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag. Add the frozen gnocchi to boiling water and cook as stated in the recipe.
- If you don’t plan on adding a sauce, you can saute the vegan pumpkin gnocchi to get a crispy crust on the outside. You can also put them in the air fryer to crisp up the crust. Both methods are delicious!
- After boiling the gnocchi, drain them of any excess water and add them to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (optional). Stir well.
- Once coated in oil, add the gnocchi to the air fryer basket (be sure not to overcrowd, you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer).
- Cook at 390F for 6 minutes.
- You can make the dough about 2 hours in advance and simply leave it out at room temperature until you are ready to boil/serve.
- You can make the dough and store it in a covered container overnight in the fridge. Be sure the when storing that they are in a single row or have parchment/wax paper dividing each layer so they don’t start to stick.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Once the dough is made, store it in the freezer in a single layer until frozen. Once frozen, transfer the dough to a freezer safe bag or container. When ready to serve, add the gnocchi frozen to the boiling water and cook at directed in the recipe.
