Soft, tender and delicate dumplings, gluten free potato gnocchi make for a hearty meal no matter how you serve them.
Baked potatoes make the best (gluten free) potato gnocchi
Many recipes for gnocchi call for preparing the potatoes by boiling them until fork tender. That’s just silly to me. They absorb way too much water that way, and then you’ll have a heck of a time rebalancing the moisture in the mixture to make proper dumplings.
Baking the potatoes in a dry, hot oven just until they’re soft will dry them sufficiently. That means that you’ll need to add less flour to the mashed potatoes and your gnocchi will light and flavorful. Be sure you bake them until they’re truly soft inside, though, or you won’t be able to mash them properly and the dough will be very hard to shape without its falling apart.
Once they’re baked, allow them to cool just until you can handle them comfortably. Then, use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove the skin plus any harder outer layer that formed during baking.
When potatoes are boiled properly, the skin should nearly just fall off the potato. It will be a little more challenging to remove the skins from a baked potato, but the end result of tender and flavorful potato gnocchi makes it all worthwhile.
How to mash the potatoes for authentic gluten free gnocchi
If you’ve ever made mashed potatoes, you know you want them to be smooth but never sticky or glue-like. You never want to mash potatoes in anything like a blender or food processor, which will heat the potatoes and either liquify them or turn them into a thick glue.
The best tool for making light and fluffy mashed potatoes is a potato ricer, which looks a bit like a citrus juicer. It forces the cooked potato through small round holes and makes a rice-like product. I have a simple one from Priority Chef brand that I bought online.
I’ve also used a food mill to make mashed potatoes, which is sort of like an old-school, hand crank food processor. If you don’t already have a food mill, though, don’t bother buying one. It takes up way too much space and is awkwardly-shaped, making it difficult to store. Its utility is limited, too.
If you don’t have a potato ricer, a large fork will work just fine. Make sure you don’t leave any hard bits of potato that haven’t been riced or somehow processed. It’s those larger bits of potato that tend to make the dough crumbly.
A sneaky mashed potato shortcut for making gluten free potato gnocchi
So… I make the entire Thanksgiving meal myself from top to bottom, almost entirely from scratch. Last October, in anticipation of the Eating Olympic holidays, I decided to try the frozen mashed potatoes from my local Trader Joe’s, in case I needed a little help.
Well, I was thrilled to find out that those little frozen nuggets can be turned into the most perfect mashed potatoes you’ll ever have. I plan to use them for holidays until the end of time, so I was curious to see if I could make those mashed potatoes into potato gnocchi. And it worked!
I recommend using a ratio of 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) of defrosted mashed potatoes in place of the 2 pounds of raw potatoes that we use in this recipe. You won’t need the butter or salt, either, since the prepared mashed potatoes already have both in them. Add the flour slowly, and proceed with the recipe as written.
Tips for shaping the perfect gluten free potato gnocchi
Using too much flour in your potato gnocchi dough will make your dumplings tasteless and tough, not tender. Add the flour slowly, since you can always add more, but you can’t remove it once it’s been mixed into the dough.
They say that making really good potato gnocchi takes practice, which I guess it does. But mostly it takes proper technique, which can be learned in theory before you ever put it into practice. That’s where I come in!
Make your gf gnocchi in smaller batches
I’ve found that rolling shorter ropes, rather than long, snaking pieces of dough, makes shaping gnocchi much easier to handle. I recommend working with about a handful of dough at a time. If your mashed potatoes are smooth and not lumpy, and you add the flour slowly, you’re going to be successful.
Make sure your gf gnocchi dough has no lumps
If you find that the dough is crumbling as you try to shape it, you can add a drop of water to the dough, or you can try using a large fork to mash the dumpling mixture to ensure that there aren’t any large lumps. It’s mostly the lumps that will make the dough crumble.
Avoid any gaps in your gf gnocchi dough
I recommend squeezing the dough periodically as you roll it, to ensure that there aren’t any gaps in the dough. It should be solid all the way through. Otherwise, the dumplings won’t hold together when you cut them from the ropes.
Shape the gf dumplings with the tines of a fork
If you plan to make gnocchi often (have you tried my recipe for zucchini ricotta gnocchi?), you may want to buy a gnocchi board. It’s just a small rectangular piece of wood with ridges that are made to create the proper ridges in your dumplings. It’s those ridges that help the dumplings hold onto whatever sauce you serve them with.
I don’t own a gnocchi board. Although my family loves these little dumplings, I only make them every couple of months. I simply use the back of the tines of a large dinner fork to create the proper ridges. It’s a little more difficult to create prominent ridges, but it does the job.
You can also create ridges by pressing down on both sides of each dumpling with the tines of the fork as the dumplings lay flat on the counter. But that compresses the dumplings into flatter pillows, which isn’t the shape we want.
Gluten free potato gnocchi: Ingredients and substitutions
Potato gnocchi are made with very few ingredients (really just mashed potatoes and flour), so there aren’t too many possible substitutions to discuss.
Gluten free dairy free potato gnocchi
In place of butter, try using virgin coconut oil or Earth Balance buttery sticks. If you use Earth Balance, omit the salt in the recipe as it’s already very salty. It has more moisture than butter, as well, so you may need to add a bit more flour to the dough.
Russet potatoes
Instead of russet, you can use Yukon gold potatoes. I would avoid using waxier potatoes like red skin as the dumplings will become gooey when boiled.
Gluten free egg free potato gnocchi
This recipe for potato gnocchi is made without eggs, which is traditional. But the truth is that adding an egg white to the dough will make it easier to handle.
If you plan to double the recipe, I recommend adding an egg white. Just expect to add a bit more flour to rebalance the dough.
How to make perfect gluten free potato gnocchi
Authentic Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 4 large (2 pounds) russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend plus more as necessary (I used Better Batter; click thru for details)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- Tomato sauce for serving (optional)
- Shredded cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wash, pierce and bake the potatoes in their skins for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they give when you squeeze them.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly, then peel them. I use a vegetable peeler but a carefully wielded sharp knife will do.
- Mash the peeled, cooked potatoes. If you have a potato ricer or food mill, use it to mash the potatoes until smooth. Otherwise, mash with a fork until as smooth as possible.
Prepare the gnocchi dough.
- Place the mashed potatoes in a large bowl, add the butter and salt, and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator to chill until no longer warm (about 20 minutes).
- Remove the potatoes from the refrigerator, uncover the bowl, and add almost all the flour and xanthan gum, reserving a few tablespoons.
- Mix with a spoon and then switch to kneading the dough together with clean hands. It should hold together well when squeezed and feel firm but not dry.
- If the dough seems too soft, add more flour by the teaspoonful and knead it in. You can always add more flour, but you can’t remove it so proceed carefully.
Shape the gnocchi.
- Pull off pieces of dough about a handful at a time and place on a very lightly floured flat surface.
- Squeeze the dough firmly between your palms and then roll either between your palms or with your palms on the flat surface, pushing away from your body.
- Squeeze together any cracks in the dough with your fingers and roll into a cylinder. After you have rolled a few ropes, let them sit undisturbed for a few minutes to give the dough a chance to absorb the moisture of the potatoes.
Cook the gnocchi.
- While the dough is sitting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water has boiled, cut the ropes into approximately 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife, and then mark each with the back of the tines of a large fork to make ridges.
- In batches of about 20, gently drop the dumplings into the boiling water and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 3 minutes, or until they all float to the top.
- Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on serving dishes. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- Serve immediately with tomato sauce, grated or shaved cheese, and fresh herbs, if you like.
Make ahead ideas.
- The raw, shaped individual dumplings can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet, then sealed in an airtight container for later use.
- Boil them from frozen, simply adding a minute or two to the boiling time.
Notes
Authentic Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 4 large (2 pounds) russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend plus more as necessary (I used Better Batter; click thru for details)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- Tomato sauce for serving (optional)
- Shredded cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the potatoes.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wash, pierce and bake the potatoes in their skins for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they give when you squeeze them.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly, then peel them. I use a vegetable peeler but a carefully wielded sharp knife will do.
- Mash the peeled, cooked potatoes. If you have a potato ricer or food mill, use it to mash the potatoes until smooth. Otherwise, mash with a fork until as smooth as possible.
Prepare the gnocchi dough.
- Place the mashed potatoes in a large bowl, add the butter and salt, and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and place the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator to chill until no longer warm (about 20 minutes).
- Remove the potatoes from the refrigerator, uncover the bowl, and add almost all the flour and xanthan gum, reserving a few tablespoons.
- Mix with a spoon and then switch to kneading the dough together with clean hands. It should hold together well when squeezed and feel firm but not dry.
- If the dough seems too soft, add more flour by the teaspoonful and knead it in. You can always add more flour, but you can’t remove it so proceed carefully.
Shape the gnocchi.
- Pull off pieces of dough about a handful at a time and place on a very lightly floured flat surface.
- Squeeze the dough firmly between your palms and then roll either between your palms or with your palms on the flat surface, pushing away from your body.
- Squeeze together any cracks in the dough with your fingers and roll into a cylinder. After you have rolled a few ropes, let them sit undisturbed for a few minutes to give the dough a chance to absorb the moisture of the potatoes.
Cook the gnocchi.
- While the dough is sitting, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water has boiled, cut the ropes into approximately 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife, and then mark each with the back of the tines of a large fork to make ridges.
- In batches of about 20, gently drop the dumplings into the boiling water and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 3 minutes, or until they all float to the top.
- Remove the cooked gnocchi with a slotted spoon and place on serving dishes. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- Serve immediately with tomato sauce, grated or shaved cheese, and fresh herbs, if you like.
Make ahead ideas.
- The raw, shaped individual dumplings can be frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet, then sealed in an airtight container for later use.
- Boil them from frozen, simply adding a minute or two to the boiling time.
Liz Nowotny says
I cannot wait to try your recipe. I plan to purchase you book after payday. Must say that the videos are so helpful. Thank you. I am sharing your website with my dear friends that MUST stay free of gluten. I avoid it by choice.
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much, Liz, for the kind words. I’m so glad the videos are helpful!
Sandy C. says
Nicole, these look fantastic! Would it be best to freeze them raw or boiled? How should they be reheated! After all if that work I don’t want to ruin the batch!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Sandy, please see the section of the post about making them ahead. All of your questions are answered there!
Cathy.Burkhart says
These look great. I can’t wait to try them!!
Julie L says
Hey Nicole, do you think I may successfully substitute (gasp) instant mashed potatoes? I would love to stock up my freezer with several batches and the extra shortcut would be nice.
Nicole Hunn says
Haha, Julie, I’ve wondered the same thing myself! I’m afraid that I don’t think that would work but I’m still curious. Maybe try a very small batch, and don’t hesitate to add an egg white to help it hold together? If you can get your hands on some frozen mashed potatoes like the ones I mention in the post from Trader Joe’s, I know for sure that will work and is a great shortcut.
Rita says
Instead of peeling the baked potstoe, how about scooping out the middle to use for the gnocchi and using the skins for baked potato skins with cheddar and bacon. A 2 for 1 meal!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Rita, you’d definitely need more potatoes if you were going to do that, Rita, since you leave more flesh behind in the skin for potato skins. But it’s a good idea!
judy simons says
Do you also have a recipe for ravioli?
Nicole Hunn says
I sure do, Judy! Here’s a link to homemade gluten free ravioli. FYI, you can always type whatever recipe you’re looking for into the search bar and find most things.