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In this post
- Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Gnocchi Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Different Ways to Cook Prepared Pumpkin Gnocchi
- Different Sauce Options
- What to Serve with Pumpkin Gnocchi
- Quick Tips for Best Results
- Common Questions

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Gnocchi Recipe
- This easy pumpkin gnocchi recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free
- This post answers commonly asked questions about gnocchi
- This post includes different foods to serve with pumpkin gnocchi
- This homemade gnocchi recipe consists of only 3 ingredients
- This post includes various quick and easy sauce options
- This homemade pumpkin gnocchi recipe does not require you to use eggs or potatoes for the gnocchi

Ingredients Needed
- Oat Flour (Use gluten-free oats if preferred)
- Fresh Pumpkin Puree or Canned Pumpkin Puree
- Salt
- Tapioca Starch (Optional)
If you like this recipe, check out a few other recipes below!
- Vegan Chicken Sandwich
- Mini Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crispy Breaded Vegan Buffalo Tofu (Air Fried or Oven-Baked)

Different Ways to Cook Prepared Pumpkin Gnocchi
Once gnocchi has been boiled, it’s perfectly fine to eat as-is. If you want to cook the gnocchi further to get a crispy texture then try some of the different cooking methods below.
- Air Fryer: Add the boiled gnocchi to a bowl and drizzle with melted butter or oil. Toss the gnocchi to evenly coat. Sprinkle on any spices if desired. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and add the gnocchi. Cook for 12 – 15 minutes until crispy. Add the pumpkin gnocchi to the sauce of your choice or serve without sauce and enjoy!
- Stovetop Skillet: Add oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the pumpkin gnocchi (only enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and cook until all sides are crispy, flipping every few minutes. Serve as desired.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the gnocchi to a sheet pan in one single layer and drizzle with melted butter or oil and sprinkle on any preferred spices. Cook for 10 minutes before flipping the pumpkin gnocchi. Add any vegetables you prefer if desired (vine or cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, sliced onion, etc.) and cook in the oven for another 25 minutes. Serve with sauce or as-is with veggies or any desired side.

Different Sauce Options
Check out the below sauce ideas for your pumpkin gnocchi!
- Brown Butter Sauce: Add 1/4 cup butter to a skillet and stir until it begins to froth and turn brown. Once the butter has browned, add the cooked gnocchi and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste, grated parmesan, and chopped fresh parsley. Serve as desired.
- Sage Butter Sauce: Add 1/4 cup butter and 3 large fresh sage leaves to a skillet. Stir until the butter starts to froth and turn brown. Add the cooked gnocchi along with salt and black pepper, and serve.
- Olive Oil Drizzle: A simple way to dress up cooked gnocchi is to drizzle it with a little olive oil. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice and any desired spices, and serve!
- Garlic Butter Sauce: Add 1/4 cup butter to a skillet and stir until it begins to froth and turn brown. Add 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and continue stirring until the butter has browned. Add the gnocchi, stir to coat, and serve.
- Pesto Sauce: In a blender, add 2 cups basil leaves, 1/2 cup nuts/seeds (pine nuts/walnuts/pepitas/sunflower seeds), 2 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil or cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. Add the gnocchi to the pesto sauce and serve.
- Alfredo Sauce: Soak 1/2 cup of raw unsalted cashews in boiling hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender along with 3/4 cup of vegetable broth or plain unsweetened non-dairy milk, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. Heat the sauce in a skillet and add the gnocchi. Serve with chopped fresh basil or as desired.
- Tomato Sauce: Add homemade or jarred tomato pasta sauce to an oven-safe skillet or baking dish. Add the gnocchi and stir to combine. Sprinkle on grated parmesan cheese and place the skillet/baking dish in the oven at 375°F for 10 – 15 minutes. You can leave the skillet/dish in the oven for a slightly longer amount of time if the cheese isn’t properly melted. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Gnocchi
Pumpkin gnocchi is great for pairing with seasonal produce. The below list of foods are all available in the fall and around the months of September and October, making them ideal for serving with pumpkin gnocchi.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Green Beans
- Kale
- Squash
- Vine Tomatoes

Quick Tips for Best Results
- Tapioca Starch: Use tapioca starch to prevent the gnocchi from sticking if rolling onto a gnocchi board or fork.
- Oat Flour: If you’re making your own oat flour, blend the oats thoroughly so the flour is extremely fine.
- Wrap Gnocchi Dough: While you’re rolling out your pumpkin gnocchi, wrap up the excess soft dough in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. If you plan on rolling out more gnocchi the following day, you can put the excess wrapped dough in the fridge overnight. Do not leave the dough in the fridge for more than one day.

Common Questions
- Can you freeze pumpkin gnocchi? Yes! Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place the sheet pan in the freezer for 3 – 4 hours or overnight. Once frozen, put all gnocchi pieces into a resealable freezer bag. Keep gnocchi in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook the pumpkin gnocchi again, take them out of the freezer and place them into boiling water as you normally would until cooked (no need to defrost).
- Can you cook gnocchi without boiling it? No. Gnocchi needs to be boiled before further cooking.
- Is gnocchi healthier than pasta? No, gnocchi is no more healthy than other forms of pasta. Gnocchi is a form of pasta with many of the same ingredients. The pumpkin gnocchi in this recipe is made from oat flour instead of traditional all-purpose flour. This recipe also doesn’t require eggs or potato.
- Can I substitute sweet potato puree for the pumpkin puree? Yes! Sweet potato puree is an excellent substitute for this recipe. This recipe requires 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree (approximately 2 cups). Use equal parts sweet potato puree for this recipe to make sweet potato gnocchi.

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Pumpkin Gnocchi (with Sauce Options)
- Yield: 4 – 5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
With only 3 ingredients, this easy pumpkin gnocchi is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and can be made with fresh or canned pumpkin puree. This recipe doesn’t require potatoes or eggs.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups Oat Flour*
- 1 (15 oz.) Can Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tbsp. Salt
- 1 – 2 tsp. Tapioca Starch (Optional)
Instructions
Making the gnocchi:
- Make the dough: Add all ingredients to a large food processor and blend until well combined and a dough forms.
- Divide the dough: Place the dough onto a cutting board and divide into two equal balls. Pat the dough into a round disk and cut into 8 equal pieces. You should have a total of 16 pieces of dough.
- Roll the dough: Wrap all of the dough in plastic wrap or put into a storage container and place in the fridge to keep from drying out. Take one piece of dough at a time and roll into a long rope approximately 10 inches in length and 1/2 inch in thickness.
- Cut the dough: Cut the dough in half so that each piece is equal length (about 5 inches long). Line the dough up one above the other and cut each rope into 6 pieces each. You should have a total of 12 gnocchi pieces per 10 inch dough rope.
- Shape the gnocchi**: To get a spiral gnocchi shape, use a gnocchi paddle or the back of a fork and roll each piece to make indentations. For best results, use your finger to press the dough piece and drag it across the fork or gnocchi paddle and continue rolling while lightly pressing the dough until all sides of the gnocchi have indentations.
- Make remaining gnocchi: Cut, roll, and shape the remaining gnocchi until all of your dough is gone. You can sprinkle the finished gnocchi with tapioca starch if you want to prevent them from sticking together.
Cooking the gnocchi:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high to high heat. Once boiling, add the gnocchi in batches. I recommend boiling the gnocchi in 4 or 5 batches. Make sure to give the water a stir every minute or the gnocchi may stick to the bottom of the pot.
- When the gnocchi floats to the top and stays there, it’s done cooking. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the floating gnocchi onto a clean, dry surface or onto a fine wire rack. Try to avoid letting the gnocchi sit in its drained liquid.
- Add the cooked gnocchi to whichever pasta recipe you prefer and serve! I recommend using this gnocchi sooner rather than later. I have used this gnocchi up to three days after making it, but I have not tried using it beyond that.
Notes
*Oat Flour: If you want to make your own oat flour for this recipe, simply put 3 1/2 cups of oats into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend into a fine flour.
**Shaping the gnocchi: You can choose whichever gnocchi shape you prefer. You can also leave the gnocchi as is and not shape it at all. Either way, they will cook the same.


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