Make soft, sweet potatoey pillows of deliciousness with this super simple sweet potato gnocchi recipe and serve with a speedy caramelized brown butter and sage sauce.
You're just a few simple steps away from having a scrumptious bowl of homemade sweet potato gnocchi. Just cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave in 10 minutes. Then incorporate with flour to form a dough, cut into gnocchi pieces, boil for a few minutes and serve with a speedy sage butter sauce.
Sweet potato gnocchi are a little sweeter and also more nutritious than regular potato gnocchi. Plus they contain complex carbs that keep you full for longer. But if you'd prefer recipes using regular store-bought potato gnocchi, my Baked Gnocchi and Fried Gnocchi with Feta and Spinach recipes are also very tasty and easy to put together.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
5 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- Soft pillows of sweet potato goodness
- Quick, easy and attainable on any day of the week
- So many serving options
- Make ahead and freezer friendly
- A vegan and carnivore-friendly crowd pleaser
🛒 Key ingredients:
With just two ingredients, this has got to be one of the simplest recipes you'll ever make.
Sweet potatoes
I allow for one medium 7oz (200g) sweet potato per person. If your potatoes are larger you'll need to add more flour to make them into gnocchi dough.
I have tested the recipe with Beauregard sweet potatoes, which is the most common type you'll find in the grocery store. They're also the ones I use to make my Sweet Potato Casserole (no marshmallows), but you can use another variety that is suitable for roasting and mashing.
I've found the most effective and convenient way to cook the potatoes is in the microwave. I have also included oven and air fryer instructions but advise against boiling. It adds too much moisture to the potatoes, which really doesn't make for good gnocchi dough.
Flour
I have only tested the recipe with all-purpose/plain flour. You should be able to substitute for the same volume of gluten-free flour.
Optional sage butter sauce
There are lots of serving options, but a brown sage butter sauce is often my go-to because it can be whipped up in a few minutes and the caramelised brown butter and crispiness of the fresh sage leaves pair up nicely with the gnocchi.
If you're a fan of the brown butter and sage combo you should try my Roast Pumpkin Pasta with Sage next.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
Step 1: The quickest and easiest way to cook the sweet potatoes is in the microwave. Simply prick each potato a few times with a fork and microwave on high power for 8-10 minutes. They're done when you can easily put a fork into them.
Air fryer and oven cooking methods:
Oven: cook at 400°F (200°C) for 45-50 minutes until you can easily get a fork through them.
Air fryer: cook at 400°F (200°C) for 30-40 minutes until you can easily insert a fork into them.
Note, that the times given above are for medium sweet potatoes and larger potatoes will take longer.
Step 2: Leave the potatoes to cool for a few minutes, slice vertically and peel off the skins. Pour the flour onto a large chopping board or clean counter and make a well in the middle for the sweet potato. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes, letting them fall into the flour. Then bring the flour and sweet potato together to form a dough.
Top tip: If you don't have a potato ricer you can finely grate them to get a similar effect.
Step 3: Form the dough into gnocchi by rolling the dough into ½ inch (1.5cm sausages) and chop into 1 inch (2cm) pieces.
Step 4: Bring a pan of generously salted water to boil and add the gnocchi. After a few minutes you will see the gnocchi rise and float on the top. This means they are ready and should be removed from the pan immediately using a strainer or sieve.
Step 5: Place a medium to large frying pan on a medium heat and add the butter. Add the sage leaves once the butter gets hot and starts to sizzle and cook for a few minutes until the butter turns brown and the sage leaves become crispy. Serve immediately with optional Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
🍽️ Serving suggestions
Carmelized sage butter sauce is quick, easy and tastes great with the gnocchi. It's often what I choose when I'm in a hurry and fancy a quick dinner, but there are lots of other tasty ways to enjoy these soft, sweet little pillows of deliciousness.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Pan-fried mushrooms
- Toasted crunchy nuts like pine nuts or walnuts
- Use the sweet potato gnocchi to make my Fried Gnocchi with Feta and Spinach recipe
- Serve with a meat ragu like Pork Bolognese
- A simple and classic marinara sauce
- Sun-dried tomato pesto
👍 Expert tips
- Prick the potatoes with a fork before cooking them to ensure they cook evenly and quickly and prevent them from bursting.
- Microwave the potatoes. It's so easy and quick. You can also cook them in the oven or air fryer but do not boil them because it will make the gnocchi wet and mushy.
- Salt the cooking water generously. It should be salty like the ocean. This may seem like a lot of salt but remember that most of it will be poured away.
- Remove the gnocchi from the pan as soon as they float. This means they are ready and cooked to perfection. They will sink again when they are overcooked.
🙋 Recipe FAQs
Overcooking and having too much moisture in the dough are the most likely causes. Remove the gnocchi from the pan as soon as they float. This means they are ready. Leaving them in the pan for longer will cause them to overcook and become mushy. Boiling the sweet potatoes instead of microwaving or baking will cause them to absorb water, resulting in wet and mushy gnocchi dough.
Sweet potato gnocchi are classified as a carbohydrate because the two key ingredients, sweet potato, and flour, are sources of carbohydrates. However, sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate. This means they are digested more slowly and keep you full for longer. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre, making them a healthy alternative to potato gnocchi.
If you're not a fan of sweet potato you can try making gnocchi with pumpkin or squash instead. However, my recipe has only been tested with sweet potato so I would recommend finding recipes for these alternatives instead of adapting mine.
Using floating as a sign of doneness for homemade gnocchi is generally very reliable. However, there are a few exceptions. Very large pieces of gnocchi might not float and cooking at a high altitude will affect how long the gnocchi cook before floating. If in doubt try a piece to be sure.
📦 Storage
Cooked gnocchi
Cooked gnocchi can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just put them into an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate as soon as they are cool. You can then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Uncooked gnocchi
Uncooked gnocchi will keep in the fridge for 24 hours. Ensure you dust with flour first to prevent them from sticking together. Then put them into an airtight container and refrigerate. You can then cook them in a pan of generously salted boiling water as normal.
Freezing instructions
Thankfully, gnocchi freeze well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you have extra time on your hands, it's worth making a large batch and freezing a few portions for some super speedy weeknight dinners.
Place the gnocchi onto a tray that is lined with parchment paper, making sure there is space between them so they do not stick together. Put the tray into the freezer. Once the gnocchi are frozen you can transfer them to a freezer bag or plastic container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can then cook the gnocchi in a pan of boiling water straight from frozen (there's no need to defrost first).
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
Don't forget to tag #knifeandsoulrecipes on Instagram or @knifeandsoul on Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Sage
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes approx 7oz or 200g each (Note 1)
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose/plain flour
- salt for cooking
Optional sage butter sauce
- 60 g (¼ cup) butter
- 20 fresh sage leaves
To serve (optional)
- grated Parmesan
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cooking the sweet potato
- Wash the sweet potatoes and prick each one with a fork and microwave on high power for 8-10 minutes until you can easily get a fork through them. (See note 2 for oven, air fryer and steaming instructions).
Gnocchi dough
- Leave the cooked sweet potatoes to cool for a few minutes, then peel off the skins.
- Pour the flour onto a clean surface and make a well in the middle.
- Mash the potatoes using a ricer so they fall into the flour. (See note 3 for a potato ricer alternative)
- Use your hands to bring the mashed sweet potato and flour together to form a smooth dough. If your dough is still sticky, add a little more flour.
- Divide the dough into 8 even pieces and roll the first piece into a log 1.5cm / ½ inch log and cut into 2 cm / 1-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Optional: use a fork or gnocchi board to create ridges on each piece of gnocchi.
Cooking the gnocchi
- Bring a pan of generously salted water to boil and add the gnocchi.
- Leave to simmer for a few minutes, giving them a quick stir every now and then to ensure they are not sticking to the bottom.
- When the gnocchi rise to the top and float they are ready. Remove them with a slotted spoon or strainer.
- Optional sage brown butter sauce
- While the gnocchi are cooking, place a frying pan on a medium heat and add the butter.
- Add the sage leaves when the butter starts to sizzle and cook until the butter is brown and the sage leaves are crispy.
- Toss the cooked gnocchi in the pan with the sage butter, fry for a few minutes and serve topped with optional Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
- Sweet potato: This recipe has been tested with medium-sized sweet potatoes that weigh approximately 7oz or 200g each. If you are using larger potatoes, you will need to cook them for longer and add more flour to form the gnocchi dough.
- Oven and air fryer instructions: Oven: cook at 400°F (200°C) for 45-50 minutes until you can easily get a fork through them. Air fryer: cook at 400°F (200°C) for 30-40 minutes until you can easily insert a fork into them.
- Potato ricer alternative: If you don't have a potato ricer you can finely grate the sweet potato to get a similar effect.
I’m making the sweet potato gnocchi now, but it’s still winter so my “fresh” sage doesn’t look so great. I harvested some before and dried it. Will that work as is or should I rehydrate the leaves before using them?
Dried sage will work fine! You don’t need to rehydrate it—just crumble it between your fingers. Since dried sage is more concentrated than fresh, you might want to use a little less.
If you were planning to fry the dried sage in butter, it won’t crisp up the same way as fresh leaves, but it will still add great flavour. Let me know how the gnocchi turns out!