Homemade vegan gnocchi made without eggs for an easy-to-follow 3-ingredient recipe. Toss it with a mushroom cream sauce for a rich and decadent meal.
This weekend I tried something new.
I made homemade gnocchi, friends! It took me several attempts to get it right but eventually, I ended up with perfectly pillowy pasta dumplings and, once again, I learned the lesson that homemade is always better. It was a good weekend!
Up until now, I have been so intimidated by homemade gnocchi and pasta recipes that I've never attempted them on my own. If you are like me and find the whole process overwhelming, I'm here to make it easier for you. By breaking it down step by step, I'll show you how to make homemade vegan gnocchi in under 30 minutes with perfect results.
Are you ready? Let's dig in!
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Russet Potatoes
- All-Purpose Flour – For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 baking blend
- Salt
- Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Non-Dairy Milk - Use a neutral flavored, unsweetened milk like soy, macadamia nut, or cashew milk.
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Toppings (optional) – I like to top this recipe with fresh parsley, ground pepper, and vegan parmesan.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe you will need a large soup pot, a colander, a potato masher, a sauté pan, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Dome Dough Maker
With the absence of eggs, we need to make a special effort to develop the gluten protein in our dough. This helps bind the flour to the potatoes and gives us the gnocchi texture we know and love.
To do that, I suggest using one of my newest kitchen tools, the Dome Dough Maker. This is a simple, affordable tool that allows you to perfect all sorts of doughs, pastries, bread, and more. With a simple design, this tool can do so much!
Beyond its ability to develops gluten (with less flour!), the Dome Dough Maker can help shape pastries and pizza dough (hallelujah!), spread butter into sheets for flaky pie crusts, knead bread with ease, and stretch and fold looser dough that requires minimal handling.
Because gnocchi is typically made with eggs to bind together the potatoes and flour, I used the Dough Dome Maker for this vegan gnocchi and it worked beautifully. I had no issue with the texture of my dumplings and beyond that, it required less flour and made far less mess.
How to Make Vegan Gnocchi
Traditional gnocchi is made with eggs. So how do we make vegan gnocchi?
By omitting the eggs and developing the gluten protein in the flour, we can make vegan gnocchi with flour, potatoes, and salt - three ingredients that you probably already have on hand - with no compromise on taste or texture.
Step One - Make the dough
Peel and cut the potatoes into ½" cubes. Place them in boiling water for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Make sure even the biggest pieces are soft!
Strain the water through a colander, shaking off any excess liquid, and place the potatoes in a medium-sized bowl. Now, with the Dome Dough Maker, mash the potatoes until they are completely smooth, using the sides to scrape the bowl as you mash.
Once the potatoes are smooth, add the flour and salt and knead together until a soft dough has formed. You want a dough that is soft without being sticking.
Step Two - Roll and Cut
Divide the gnocchi into four pieces. Flip it out onto a floured surface and roll each quarter of the gnocchi dough into long ropes (about ½" in diameter). Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into 1" gnocchi pieces.
Traditionally, gnocchi has indentations made with a fork or cheese grater. This is to give the dumplings cavities to hold the sauce. If you would like, you can gently press indentations on the front and backside of the gnocchi with a fork, although this step is completely optional.
Step Three - Cook the Gnocchi
Cook the gnocchi in boiling water for about 60 seconds. When the dumplings start to float to the top of the water, the gnocchi is done. Scoop them out and set aside. Repeat until all the gnocchi has been boiled.
That's it! A step-by-step guide on making vegan gnocchi at home.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Top the meal with fresh parsley and pepper. Alternatively, you can lightly sauté the gnocchi in butter to give it a golden shell. Serve immediate with a fresh salad and artisan bread for a fully satisfying vegan meal.
Storing - Once cooked, this meal does not store well. If you won't be eating it all at once, store the gnocchi and the sauce separately. Toss the gnocchi with olive oil to prevent the gnocchi from clumping together and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To serve, simply toss the chilled gnocchi with warm sauce in a saucepan.
Make in Advance - Gnocchi is a great meal to make in advance. To freeze the gnocchi, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet before boiling and let them freeze all the way through. Once they are frozen, place the gnocchi in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To prepare frozen gnocchi, add it to boiling water straight from the freezer. Frozen gnocchi will take longer to cook but, just like before, look for the first ones to float to the top to know when the gnocchi is done.
Variations of Vegan Gnocchi
Vegan Gnocchi with Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Vegan Gnocchi
- 1 pound russet potatoes, (2 medium-sized potatoes)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp. salt
Mushroom Cream Sauce
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp. vegan butter, divided
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vegan creamer or non-dairy milk
- ½ pound shiitake mushrooms, chopped
Toppings
- a few sprigs of fresh parsley
- freshly ground pepper
- vegan parmesan, optional
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes into ½" cubes and place them in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for 12-15 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork.
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the mushroom cream sauce. In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a low simmer. In a separate saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter over medium heat. Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, and mix with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated making a roux. Cook for 30-60 seconds stirring constantly.
- Add the vegetable broth, one-half cup at a time, whisking vigorously to avoid the flour from clumping. Whisk until all the vegetable broth is incorporated. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Once thick, remove from heat, whisk in vegan creamer or non-dairy milk, and set aside while you prepare your gnocchi.
- Once your potatoes are soft, strain them through a colander shaking off any excess water. Place them in a metal bowl. Using your Dome Dough Maker, mash the potatoes until they are completely and thoroughly mashed.
- Add the flour and salt to the mashed potatoes and gently knead it together with the Dome Dough Maker until it forms a soft dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- On a floured surface, divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each one out evenly into a long rope that is ½" - ¾" in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut the rope into 1" pieces. Make indentations with a fork on the front and back of each dumpling (this is optional).
- In small batches, place the gnocchi in boiling water and boil for about 60 seconds. The gnocchi is done when the pieces float to the top. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Repeat until all the gnocchi has been cooked.
- To finish the sauce, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Strain the thickened velouté sauce through a fine mesh strainer and add to the mushrooms. Stir in the gnocchi and serve immediately with fresh parsley, freshly ground pepper, and vegan parmesan (optional).
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Simone says
Delish! added zucchini and Beyond Meat Vegan Sausage for a little more protein.
Jessica Flory says
These look soooo good! It looks like you pan-fried your gnocchi but I don't see that in the instructions. How did you get them to look so crispy and tasty??
Sarah says
Thanks! I mention it under the "Serving and Storing" section. I do just lightly sauté the gnocchi for about 2 minutes in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
joe says
I made this and added 1tsp italian seasoning and 1 tbsp vegan butter to the dough. Loved it.
Carol says
Loved making this! It was so easy and really delicious! I can't wait to make these again!
Lisa V says
Hi,
Are you able to use gluten free flour for the gnocchi's? I cannot have gluten for health reasons.
Sarah says
It may work if you use a 1:1 GF flour blend. Bob's Red Mill has one I like. However, because developing the gluten is an important part of making egg-free gnocchi, I imagine any gf flour would affect the texture a bit.