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These homemade Grain-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi require only 3 ingredients, are absolutely delicious and couldn’t be easier to make. Serve them with some garlicky mushrooms for a cozy and hearty meal or enjoy with your favourite sauce. The gnocchi can be prepared in advance, are Paleo-friendly and won’t leave you feeling weighed down or bloated.
Ingredients You Need for Sweet Potato Gnocchi
These gnocchi require only 3 ingredients!
- Sweet Potato: Roast the sweet potatoes in an oven or on your Traeger grill for around 1 hour or until they’re completely fork-tender. Slice them in half immediately after they’re finished cooking and let as much steam escape as possible. If you want a very smooth consistency, you can scoop the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a food processor and blend it. Or, you can simply push the flesh through a wire rack to quickly break it down into smaller chunks. If you’ve cooked it all the way through it should be tender enough to easily mix together with the flour and egg.
- Cassava Flour: For best results and texture, I recommend using cassava flour in this recipe. When boiled, it gets a bit fluffy and springy, which is great for gnocchi. Some brands of cassava flour have a slightly gritty texture, but for the most part, when it’s mixed with the sweet potato and boiled, the grittiness is hardly noticeable. I usually purchase Bob’s Red Mill or Otto’s Cassava Flour. Thrive Market also carries a great cassava flour.
Cassava flour is made from peeled, ground and dried whole cassava root, as opposed to tapioca starch, which is made from the same root but with a different process. Cassava flour is naturally grain-free, gluten-free and highly versatile, so it’s great for Paleo recipes. - Egg: For every 1.5 cups of flour, you’ll need one large egg. If there is an allergy in the family you can also make these sweet potato gnocchi without egg by combining the sweet potato and cassava flour. The dough will be a bit more crumbly and slightly harder to work with but it is still doable.
What You Need for the Garlicky Mushrooms
- Assorted Mushrooms: I like to use a mix of cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms here, but you can substitute just about any variety you like. You can also just use a single type of mushroom. You’re looking for about 12 ounces in total.
- Garlic: As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much!
- Fresh Chili: I like using red finger chilis because they’re not overly spicy, have a vibrant red colour, and their shape make them perfect for slicing into small rings. You can substitute any variety of chili you like or use dried crushed red chili flakes instead. Use as much or as little as you desire, or omit entirely if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
- Fresh Thyme: A little goes a long way in this recipe so just a few small sprigs is all you need. The thyme adds an incredible, woodsy aroma to the mushrooms and really elevates the flavours of the dish. You can substitute other woodsy herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, tarragon or sage. But thyme is my favourite here. If using dried thyme, be sure to use only half the amount called for fresh.
- Butter: This recipe does not call for cream, but it does make use of some good quality, grass-fed butter. The secret here is to add the butter near the very end along with the garlic, chilis and thyme. Once it’s just melted, add in the cooked gnocchi along with some of the cooking water and vigorously toss everything together to create a creamy and velvety sauce.
What Are Sweet Potato Gnocchi?
Although technically a dumpling, gnocchi are usually tossed with a sauce and enjoyed in the same way as pasta. Think of these Sweet Potato Gnocchi as a modern adaptation of traditional Italian potato gnocchi. Instead of using starchy potatoes and wheat flour, this recipe calls for using sweet potato and cassava flour to keep things entirely grain-free and gluten-free, as well as low-glycemic. The idea is to keep the same look and texture of traditional gnocchi, but to make it a more suitable option for people following grain-free or gluten-free diets.
How to make Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi
This recipe follows the same basic technique used to make classic potato gnocchi.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in an oven or on your Traeger grill until they’re completely fork-tender. Then slice them open, let them cool to room temperature and let as much of the steam escape as possible.
- Knead together the sweet potato flesh, cassava flour and egg. I like to use a bench scraper for this part because it helps to lift the flour off of the work surface.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll them into long ropes. Cut the ropes into bite-sized gnocchi and, if desired, roll them across the back of a fork to create some small ridges and an indentation to better hold the sauce.
- Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface. Then let them cook an additional 2-3 minutes until they’re just cooked through and springy in texture.
- Toss the sweet potato gnocchi with the garlicky mushrooms to create a delicious marriage of flavours. Or serve them with your favourite marinara, pesto or meat sauce.
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh chives, and maybe a snowfall of grated pecorino, and enjoy!
Looking for More Healthy Italian-Ispired Recipes?
- Grain-Free Cauliflower Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage
- Cioppino
- Osso Buco with Gremolata
- Spaghetti alle Vongole
- Sausage, Fennel and Kale Ragù
- Sausage, Greens and Beans
- Dairy-Free Penne alla No Vodka
- Easy Porchetta Recipe
Grain-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Garlicky Mushrooms
These homemade Grain-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi require only 3 ingredients, are absolutely delicious and couldn't be easier to make.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, around 1.5 cups
- 1.5 cups cassava flour, plus more, as needed
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, roughly sliced and stems trimmed
- 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, roughly sliced and stems trimmed
- 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, roughly torn and stems trimmed
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, substitute ghee
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- ½ red finger chili, plus more, as desired, thinly sliced, substitute ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven or Traeger grill to 450F.
- If using the oven, place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and transfer it to the oven. If using your Traeger grill, place the sweet potatoes directly on the grill grates. Roast the sweet potatoes until they’re completely fork-tender, around 1 hour. Remove them from the oven or Traeger, transfer them to a board, slice them in half to let steam escape and set aside until they come to room temperature.
- Place the cassava flour on a large cutting board or clean countertop and make a deep well in the middle. Push the sweet potato flesh through a wire rack and discard the skins. Add the egg and, using your hands or a bench scraper, continuously fold the mixture over onto itself from all sides until all of the flour is incorporated and a ball of dough forms. It should be smooth, soft and hold its shape when pressed with your finger. If the dough is too sticky or wet, add a small amount of cassava flour and repeat.
- Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces and roll into individual balls. Roll each ball of dough back and forth into a ¾-inch-thick rope. Cut the rope into individual gnocchi around 1-inch long and dust with a little bit of cassava flour to prevent sticking. If desired, gently roll each gnocchi against the back of a fork to create indentations and set aside.
- Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the water and carefully add the gnocchi. Cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, around 2 minutes. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the gnocchi are cooked through yet still a little firm and springy.
- Meanwhile, preheat a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add all of the mushrooms and spread them out into a single layer. Cook the mushrooms, undisturbed, until golden brown, around 6 minutes. Toss and cook until the other sides are slightly golden, around 3 more minutes. Add the butter, garlic, chilis and thyme and season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, around 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the mushrooms along with 1 cup of the cooking water. Toss or stir the gnocchi vigorously to emulsify the butter with the water and create a creamy sauce. Taste the gnocchi for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer the gnocchi to individual serving bowls, garnish with chives and serve immediately.
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About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
