Homemade Vegan Gnocchi Recipe

These homemade vegan gnocchi are soft, pillowy, chewy, and perfect to serve as an impressive meal! But they're also easy to make from scratch using just 4 simple ingredients. You can panfry them, serve with a sauce of your choice, or freeze for later.

If there's one meal I always say yes to, it's gnocchi. Specifically, homemade gnocchi because a meal made from scratch always tastes better and the whole process is so rewarding. But what I love about vegan gnocchi specifically is that it's probably the easiest pasta variety to make. Given how great my sweet potato gnocchi recipe turned out, I knew it was time to share my go-to plain eggless gnocchi recipe.

When you serve vegan gnocchi with a rich, savory sauce or simply panfry them, the final result is outrageously impressive and delicious. But all you need to make them from scratch is four simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already. In terms of preparation, there are some nuances to keep in mind for best results. But overall, it's super uncomplicated.

I'd recommend picking some time at the weekend to make a huge batch of homemade vegan gnocchi, enjoy a huge portion immediately and freeze the rest for later. It's a perfect freezer-friendly food that you can use to get dinner on the table in less than 5 minutes. Give them a try, and I'm sure you and your dinner guests will love them as much as I do.

Ingredients for vegan gnocchi

The great thing about vegan gnocchi is that in terms of ingredients, you don't need a lot. In fact, it's just 4 ingredients altogether, meaning no overwhelming shopping trips or cluttered kitchen surfaces.

• Potatoes. The potato variety you use will make a huge difference to the texture of the gnocchi. Use a dry and starchy potato variety, such as Yukon Gold, Russet, or Maris piper.
• Salt. Adding a small amount will really help to bring out the flavor of the gnocchi.
• Semolina. This adds extra starch and therefore makes the gnocchi more fluffy and firm.
• Flour. Everyday plain flour, sometimes labelled as 00 flour, works great for this recipe.

How to make vegan gnocchi from scratch

Prepare the potatoes

Start by preheating a conventional oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F. Wrap each potato tightly in a piece of foil and arrange them on a baking tray. Bake for 55 minutes - 1 hour, or until fully softened and cooked through.

When cool enough to handle, mash the potatoes by either passing them through a ricer, or peeling and mashing them by hand using a potato masher or a fork. If following the latter option, make sure that no lumps remain.

Mix and knead the dough

Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt. Next, add the semolina and flour and mix thoroughly by squeezing the dough with your hands. If it's sticky, add extra flour until it no longer sticks to your hands. If the dough doesn't stick together, then add either a splash of water or olive oil.

When done, add a little bit of flour to a flat work surface and transfer the dough onto it.

Shape the gnocchi

Divide the dough into around 10 equal segments by cutting it horizontally, and roll each section out into a rope around 1 ½ cm in diameter. Then, proceed to divide the rope into smaller segments around 1 ½ cm length each.

To make groves in the gnocchi, you can either use a gnocchi board or a fork. To make them using a fork, place it face down on the flat surface and use your thumb to roll each gnocchi down the tines of the fork, forming a grove in the middle.

Cook and serve

Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer over a low-medium heat. Working in batches, submerge the gnocchi in the water and allow to cook for around 3 minutes, until they float to the surface. When they do so, remove them using a slotted spoon. You can now serve the gnocchi immediately with a sauce of your choice, or panfry them for an additional 3-4 minutes in olive oil to achieve perfect crispiness.

Tips and tricks for success

• It's really important to use a starchy and dry potato variety. Waxy potatoes contain too much moisture and will therefore not work in a gnocchi recipe.
• I would recommend baking the potatoes because this will result in the best texture and ensure that they don't absorb moisture during the cooking process. If you boil the potatoes, leave the skin on while doing so.
• It's important to keep in mind that it may be necessary to adjust the amount of flour that you use. A good indication that extra flour needs to be added is that if the dough sticks to your hands.
• Adding groves to the gnocchi helps them look more authentic, but isn't necessary.

How to freeze homemade gnocchi

The great thing about gnocchi is that they're very freezer-friendly, just like homemade vegan wontons. To freeze, lay out uncooked gnocchi on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then, transfer them to ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

You can then cook the gnocchi directly from frozen by either simmering them in a saucepan for an extra minute, or adding directly to a sauce of your choice and stirring over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Serving suggestions for vegan gnocchi

• One of my favorite things to make with gnocchi is a crispy gnocchi bake with oyster mushrooms.
• You can also go ahead and make a gnocchi soup for a comforting dinner.
• Gnocchi and a homemade vegan 'cheese' sauce is always a good idea.
• A simple tomato sauce, whether homemade or store-bought, is another brilliant option.
• Mix them with dairy-free sour cream for deliciousness!

If you give this homemade vegan gnocchi recipe a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating. I love hearing from you!