How to make gnocchi without gluten, eggs, or dairy! This gluten-free gnocchi recipe relies on just 3 simple ingredients (plus salt and water) for a simple, flavorful appetizer or main! Once shaped, boil, then fry or bake the vegan gnocchi to perfection!
Gluten-Free Gnocchi (Without Egg)
Just like so many potato-related recipes (like German potato dumplings, Schupfnudeln, and creamy mashed potatoes), this gluten-free gnocchi is hearty and comforting. More so, making homemade gluten-free, vegan gnocchi is surprisingly simple and less time-consuming than you’d think; just cook the potatoes, add the flours, roll, cut, shape, and cook!
Best of all, these little potato dumplings are gluten-free, egg-free, and vegan while still wonderfully pillowy. Once prepared, enjoy them immediately by boiling or pan-frying in just minutes. Alternatively, store them in the freezer for later, so you can enjoy the potato pasta/dumplings whenever the cravings hit!
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling/ potato pasta (named after ‘nocchio’- which means a knot in wood or ‘nocca’ meaning knuckle) made up primarily of potato. In a classic gnocchi recipe, the potato is combined with wheat flour, egg, cheese, and sometimes semolina or cornmeal.
Obviously, as someone who eats neither dairy, eggs, nor wheat, that leaves me gnocchi-less. However, after months of recipe testing, I’ve finally found the perfect gluten-free, vegan gnocchi recipe. It’s light, doesn’t fall apart, and tastes delicious!
By substituting the wheat flour for chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) and tapioca flour (as I did for these homemade gluten-free tortillas), this vegan potato gnocchi is soft and flexible, yet firm enough not to be ‘sticky. Plus, the chickpea flour helps to add extra nutrients to the dish, including being protein-dense!
Best of all, though, this gluten-free gnocchi is freshly made with no preservatives, additives, tons of salt, etc. Instead, all you require is just a few wholesome ingredients!
The Ingredients
- Potatoes: I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes or other floury potatoes that are dry and starchy – like Russet or Desiree’s (this will depend on where you live).
- Chickpea flour: Also called garbanzo bean flour. This flour is protein-dense and packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Tapioca flour: Also called tapioca starch. Alternatively, use arrowroot flour or cornstarch, though I’ve had the best results with tapioca.
- Sea Salt + Water
Read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
How to Make Gluten-Free Gnocchi Without Egg?
I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for this vegan gnocchi recipe.
Step 1 – Boil the potatoes
- First, peel and chop the potatoes before transferring them to a large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until tender. Then drain the cooking liquid and mash the potatoes using a potato masher or ricer.
You can save the starchy cooking water to add to stocks, soups, etc. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days
Step 2 – Make the dough
- Then, add the chickpea flour and tapioca flour to the potatoes and knead the mixture with your hands until a dough forms.
The dough may still be a little sticky at this point, but fine to handle. If it’s too sticky, add a little more chickpea flour (1 tbsp at a time) and knead again – but try not to add too much, or the vegan potato gnocchi will become tough. Depending on the potatoes used, you may need anywhere between 1 ½-2 cups of flour.
Step 3 – Shape the gnocchi
- Roll the dough into a ball and then separate into 6 pieces and roll into 1-inch logs/ropes dusted with a little additional tapioca flour. To cut the gnocchi, I like to lay all the ‘ropes’ next to one another and use a long, sharp knife to cut across all the ropes 1-inch apart.
- Next, roll each piece into a ball/pillow shape and optionally roll it over the back of a fork or use a gnocchi board for the ‘ridges’ (for the sauce to cling to). Dust with a bit more tapioca flour if needed.
Step 4 – Cook the gnocchi
- To cook the vegan potato gnocchi, add them to a pot of salted boiling water (make sure it’s at a hard boil) and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Then remove with a slotted spoon.
- For fried gnocchi, you can transfer the boiled gnocchi to a pre-heated skillet with a little oil. Fry until golden-brown and slightly crispy. Alternatively, mix with the sauce of your choice – and serve!
How to Make Ahead and Store
Make ahead: This recipe makes a huge batch, but fortunately, the gluten-free gnocchi can be frozen. Lay the uncooked gnocchi on a tray (with space between) and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag/container for 2 months. You could also store the gnocchi covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.
You can then cook the gnocchi from frozen – but do so in smaller batches. Or allow it to thaw for a few minutes (not too long, or they’ll go mushy) first.
Store: Once prepared, this vegan potato gnocchi is best while fresh within a few hours. However, any leftovers could be stored for an extra day or so in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheat: Reheat the vegan gnocchi either in a skillet (for crispier results) or the microwave until heated through.
How to Serve Gnocchi?
Like pasta, the options for serving this gluten-free gnocchi are plentiful. Here are just a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Combine the crispy gnocchi with roasted chickpeas, mushrooms, and drizzle with vegan cheese sauce.
- With tomato sauce like this gnocchi all’Arrabbiata
- Creamy mushroom Stroganoff
- Alfredo sauce
- Pesto or this kale avocado sauce
- Fried with butter (dairy-free) or olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs (like sage or basil)
No matter what sauce you use, it’s easy to pack in tons of veggies. Just chuck them in the pan and sauté until tender, then sprinkle with some vegan Parmesan. Delicious!
FAQs
How to pronounce gnocchi?
Gnocchi is pronounced in two main ways: nyow-kee (American pronunciation) with a long ‘o’ vowel sound and nyoh-kee/noh-kee, with a short ‘o’ (Italian/British).
Is gnocchi gluten-free/ vegan?
As mentioned before, traditionally, gnocchi is made with potato, wheat flour, egg, and sometimes cheese. So they are neither gluten-free nor vegan. However, this version omits all dairy, eggs, and gluten for delicious vegan, gluten-free gnocchi!
Can I use sweet potato?
I haven’t tried. Though a reader has below and stated, the dough ended up wetter, and so they added dehydrated potato flakes until it reached the correct consistency.
How long to boil potatoes?
This will depend on how large you cut the potato pieces. If you leave the potatoes whole, it can take between 20-35 minutes. For large pieces (like halved or quartered potatoes) 15-25, smaller 1-2 inch pieces around 15. Just check as you go until they’re fork-tender.
Can I use GF AP flour?
I haven’t had brilliant results with other flours. However, readers have reported success using Bobs Red Mill all-purpose GF flour – though slightly more gummy/dense.
Recipe Notes and FAQs
- Bake the potatoes instead: Instead of boiling, you can oven-bake the potatoes. Scoop out the flesh from the potatoes (and save the skins for stuffed potato skins) and reduce the amount of chickpea flour (as they will naturally be less watery when not boiled). Alternatively, boil the potatoes whole (skin on) – then use a ricer to filter out the skins.
- Adjust the flour if needed: It’s hard to control precisely how much water is absorbed by the potatoes while cooking. So the amount of chickpea flour will vary somewhat. Just add the flour until it feels right – when you can handle and shape it without It being super sticky.
- For slightly firmer gnocchi: Immediately after boiling, the gnocchi will be at its ‘gummiest.’ If you’d prefer them firmer, either pan fry until crispy OR allow them to cool for a bit before enjoying (or prepare several hours in advance).
More Vegan Potato Recipes
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Pan-Fried Potatoes (Bratkartoffeln)
- Vegan Hash Browns
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Oven-Baked Wedges
- Vegan Potato Salad
If you try this simple gluten-free gnocchi recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing them.
Gluten-Free Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold), peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups (180-240 g) chickpea flour
- 1 cup (120 g) tapioca flour + more for dusting (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Check the video in the blog post for easy visual instructions.
- Peel and chop the potatoes, transfer them to a pot with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, then drain really well. Transfer them back to the pot and mash with a potato masher (don't use a food processor or blender).
- Add 1 1/2 cups of chickpea flour and the tapioca flour, and knead with your hands until a dough forms.
- The dough might still be a bit sticky, but it should be fine to handle. However, if the dough is too sticky, then add more chickpea flour and knead again. It depends on the type of potato whether you will need 1 1/2 cups or 1 2/3 cups or up to 2 cups of chickpea flour.
- Cut the dough into equally sized pieces and dust with a little bit tapioca flour.
- With your fingers, roll each piece to strands. Use a knife to cut the dough into 1-inch pieces and form them into small balls with your hands. You can roll every ball over the back of a fork if you want ridges on your gnocchi (this step is optional). Watch the video above to see how easy it is.
- Add the gnocchi to a pot of salted boiling water. Once the gnocchi rise to the surface (after only 2-4 minutes), remove them with a slotted spoon.
- You can now serve them with a sauce of choice (e.g. Mushroom Stroganoff / check the post for more serving suggestions) or fry them for a few minutes in a pan with a little bit of vegan butter or vegetable oil. They will turn crispy and even more delicious. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use arrowroot flour, potato starch, or cornstarch instead of tapioca flour. I had the best result with tapioca flour, though.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!IF YOU ARE USING PINTEREST, FEEL FREE TO PIN THE FOLLOWING PHOTO:
Simply… great!
I even skipped the salting and both my wife and I think they are delicious
Here in Argentina it’s a tradition to eat gnocchi every 29th.. We just put 3 servings in our freezer (we wanna try them with mushrooms and tomato sauce) but there is no chance they’ll last till March 29th
I’ve been vegan for almost 2 years and my wife started a gluten-free and dairy-free food last year… so we are really glad to have found your blog! Btw, congrats!! And thanks for this amazing recipe!
Aww, that’s awesome, Adam! I am so glad you both loved it. 🙂
Thanks for your lovely feedback!
Absolutely perfect!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I will never buy gnocchi again! Wondering if you can keep in refrigerator for a few days or if they must go straight to the freezer?
Hi Elizabeth! I am so glad they turned out delicious. Yes, a few days should be fine covered in the fridge. 🙂
Hey Ela! Thanks for the nice recipe. Could i use Cauliflower or pumkin instead of the potatoes? The starch and the chickpeaflour are really sticky as i know. Could it work.
Lg Yella
Hi Yella! I tried it once with half potatoes and half pumpkin and the mixture was too sticky, so I had to add a lot more flour. I don’t think it would turn out that good because you would need a lot more flour then. 🙂
Hey! I have a question regarding the potatoes! Mine are always still way too hard to mash at the end of 15 minutes on medium. Should I be cutting the potatoes up before boiling them or do I maybe need to change the temperature to high?
Yes, I cut them as you can see in the video. Otherwise, just cook them longer until they are soft. 🙂
Hi Ela, made the gnocchi with all the ingredients you’ve penned here except the potatoes, as you don’t get variations here in India . I used the local produce and followed your recipe. You are an amazing chef and you have made this recipe simple to understand and use ( as a vegetarian ). Thanks a tonne .. this was my first and was perfect with the mushroom stroganoff ❤️
I am so glad you liked it, Deepika! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
What do you have drizzled on these in the picture?
Hi Diana! It’s my Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce Recipe 🙂
I made a big batch of these and they were SO yummy!! After freezing them and trying to make another dish for lunch, the gnocchi balls all mushed into one and disintegrated in the boiling water 🙁 I know you mentioned above that this is a freezable recipe, and I’d love some more insight on how you go from frozen gnocchi to delicious gnocchi again!
Hello Carly! Did you let them thaw or did you put them into the boiling water when they were still frozen? You can cook them without letting them thaw but it’s also possible to let them thaw for some minutes (not for too long, otherwise, they get mushy). It’s important that the water reaches a hard boil before you put the gnocchi into the water. Hope this helps!
I made them exactly as the recipe, they turned out amazing. Thanks heaps
Happy they turned out delicious! 🙂
Thank you for posting this recipe! My 11 yo daughter made the dough while I prepared the rest of the meal. Together we rolled and cut them out.
So delicious, like eating little pillows of yum. Much better than any other gnocchi I have tried and so much easier to make than I thought it would be.
That makes me so happy! Thanks so much for your great feedback. 🙂
Can you share your recipe using rice flour? I know you mentioned in the beginning the chickpea/tapioca was more successful but we are low food chemicals on an elimination diet
Hi Rebecca, the last recipe with rice flour I have written in my notes is the following one. Please note that I haven’t tested it any further in the last 3 years, and the chickpea flour version turned out much better. Therefore, please experiment with it.
600 g potatoes
80 g rice flour (white)
60 g potato starch
2 chia eggs (2 tbsp ground chia seeds mixed with 6 tbsp water)
Salt
Hello! This recipe looks great. Can you clarify whether you are using actual tapioca flour (cassava) or tapioca starch? I’m assuming it’s the starch because of the starches you mention can be substituted in the notes. However, I don’t want to use the wrong one and end up with a mess. Thank you!
Hi Dee, tapioca flour and tapioca starch are the same. I am not using cassava flour. 🙂
Hello, can i use different flour instead of the tapioca?
Yes, and it’s actually mentioned in the recipe notes:
Will try them this week! thanks ELA
I’ am paleo a d like your re ipes
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! At proper pasta shops in Italy they don’t need egg and neither does this recipe. Soft, pillowy gnocchi and super quick and easy to make. I served mine with a homemade rocket pesto and can’t wait to make this again with a marinara sauce. Thank you!
Awesome! I am so glad it turned out incredible! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Although not vegan, I added an egg and it turned out phenomenally! Rolled just like it was made with regular flour! I will be making this again!
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Hallo Ela,
ich liebe deine Rezepte!! Jetzt hätte ich ein frage: Kann ich bei Kichererbsenmehl einfach Kichererbsen im Mixer zermahlen & bei Hafermehl Haferflocken & etc.? 🙂
LG, Benita
Hallo Benita, bei Haferflocken geht das auf jeden Fall, so mache ich es immer. Bei Kichererbsen musst du schon einen extrem guten Mixer haben, der die klein bekommt, ansonsten rate ich eher dazu gekauftes zu kaufen. 🙂
LG, Ela
Made this few nights ago and it worked out great. After boiling all the pieces I fried them in batches which removed any gumminess and gave a nice flavour (no chickpea flour taste). Every piece held together perfectly and I’ve tried freezing and unfreezing leftovers with success. Will use this recipe again!
That’s awesome, Lea! I am glad they turned out amazing and that you were able to freeze and unfreeze leftovers! Thanks for your great feedback.
Had to add more than 1 extra cup of flour and the dough was still extremely wet and could not be formed.
Hey, Kaylee! Did you use potatoes that were quite watery instead of Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes? I never used more than the amount of chickpea flour indicated in the recipe even when using a different potato type that contains less starch. So many people tried this recipe with success, so I guess something must have gone totally wrong.
I was so skeptical… Gluten free gnocchi with chickpea flour? But they turned out delicious!! I had to use corn starch but will fur sure be buying tapioca for the future when I will make them. Will make a bigger batch for freezing. I was also surprised by how quickly these are made! Thaaank you for this recipe!
My pleasure, Laura! I am very happy they turned out great! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I printed out this recipe a couple days ago and I finally took the time to make them. And it was a lot quicker and easier than I thought. I fried them after boiling, they turned out nice and crispy. Added some tomatoes and fresh avocados and they were delicious!!! Gonna make them next week again 🙂 Thank you for the amazing recipe,
That’s awesome, Monika! I am so glad they turned out delicious. 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!