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
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Hi Ela
Gnocchi came out great!
I want to use the recipe as an alternative to vegan matzoh balls which never turn out right. How long can these stay floating in hot soup before they would fall apart?
Hi Lisa, I am so glad you like the recipe! That’s a good question and to be honest, I never tried it, so I really don’t know.
Please report back if you try it. 🙂
Hello! Should these be boiled/sautéed immediately or can I keep them in the fridge for a few days until I cook them? Either answer is fine! 😊 just curious
Hi Lex, you can keep them in the fridge for a few days. 🙂
I’m curious if you have tried the recipe with steamed potatoes? We had friends that made this recipe and LOVED IT!
That should be fine! So glad you love it. 🙂
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them for my husband who is recently GF and missing his Gnocchi!
May I use the GF all purpose flour with the same results?
And are these the pillowy consistency?
Thank you!
Hi Diane, I never tried a GF all-purpose flour blend, so, I am not sure how they will turn out.
Thanks for this recipe! I did make sweet potato gnocchi using a big can of yams and used gluten free all-purpose flour. They came out great!!!!!
how many cups of Mashed potatoes…I had some leftovers so not sure of the pounds!
I am not sure, as I did not measure the potatoes in cups. 1 cup is about 250 grams, though.
Hi Ela, have you tried using cassava flour instead of chickpea? I am sensitive to chickpeas, gluten etc. and have been trying to find ways to make gnocchi. Lmk!
Hi Megan, no, I haven’t. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Turned out pretty well! I used carrot puree instead of potatoes and added some dried basil flakes in the dough, turned out just fine!
It was great with some fresh lettuce and a tofu-thyme cream sauce!
Thank you so much:)
You are welcome! Potatoes work better, though, as they contain more starch than carrots. Glad it still turned out fine. 🙂
Mine came apart when rolling it out. Is that too much flour or liquid?
Sounds like you had too much flour.
I am sensitive to chick peas, almonds, oat and rice as well as wheat and gluten. Is there a different flour I can use along with the tapioca flour?
Maybe buckwheat or quinoa flour, but I haven’t tried it in this recipe.
This recipe was very exciting, but unfortunately after boiling turned out to be totally mushy! In the end, they lost their shape and became more like mashed potatoes.
Any advice for this? Is there something I can do next time that won’t cause this again?
Hi Tara, did you use the same ingredients and quantities? Is it possible that you boiled them too long? Also, did you use Yukon Gold potatoes? Unfortunately, I don’t know what went wrong, as this never happened to me.
Hi, Can you please tell us the Brown Mushroom is with the pan fried Gnocchi? I did not see it anywhere in the recipe and it looks yummy. Thanks
Sorry, Brown Mushroom Sauce
Hi John, that’s my Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff recipe. It’s also linked in the post. 🙂
I’m not super knowledgeable about gluten-free cooking and was just curious: Is there a reason this recipe uses two different kinds of flour? Is it possible to only use one of the two?
The combination of both flours will yield the best result. Using only chickpea flour won’t make the gnocchi as good.
Yes, sunce there is no gluten there has to be a binding flour, which is the tapioca. Typically GF cooking uses multiple types of flour, with about a 1/3 or more being a starch of some kind. In my experience almond flour is really the only flour that you can replace cup for cup with whole wheat, otherwise a blend of flours is required.
Hi,
Did you weigh the potatoes before or after cooking them?
Hi Natalie, I weigh them before cooking (after peeling). Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Ela,
Can you cook these in the air fryer and if so how long and what temperature.
Hi Jenny, you need to boil them.
Hi Ela , great recipe worked out perfectly. As I am on a diet I would need to track macros.
Could you please advise the amount of grams per serving shown on the nutritional guide above ?
Thank you
Hi Elena, I am so glad they turned out great! Unfortunately, I didn’t measure the amount of grams per serving, so I am not sure.
Roughly 220g ????
Great recipe by the way!
BEST gnocchi EVER!!! Thank you for this super simple but incredibly delicious recipe. It’s my go to and one that I share with all of my friends, gluten free and non-gluten free. A great recipe for the freezer so there is always gnocchi just moments away.
Yay, that’s awesome, Lee Ann! I am so happy you like the recipe. 🙂
I really liked the flavor. We used some leftover pizza sauce to top them with. But they appeared pretty dry (with minimal amount of flour) while rolling but when boiling and frying, they appeared very doughy. We had different sizes, but even the smaller ones seemed doughy. Did we go wrong somewhere?
Gnocchi are always quite doughy when freshly cooked, that’s pretty normal though. Did you ever try store-bought gnocchi?
Thanks for sharing this recipe Ela! I made these for dinner using Yukon gold potatoes and they were so delicious and easy to make. I thought that they would be a lot more challenging and time consuming, but they weren’t too bad. I love that they use chickpea flour, but are still quite soft. I cooked them in olive oil, basil, lemon juice, and garlic/shallots. I would definitely make them again!
Sounds wonderful, Christeen! So glad you loved them. 🙂
Best gnocchi I have ever had! Amazing recipe and so easy. My potatoes were a bit powdery and the dough had a few potato pieces, but it came out so well after boiling. Fried them in vegan butter, truffle oil and thyme and had them with a cashew cream with mushrooms and cranberries! Incredible! Thanks Ela!
That sounds amazing! I am so glad they turned out delicious, Ally. 🙂