Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe - Grain Free + Paleo Option! (2024)

FAQs

Are sweet potatoes allowed on a Paleo diet? ›

Yes — sweet potatoes are generally considered a paleo-approved food, however, some paleo dieters prefer to limit their consumption to avoid consuming too many carbohydrates that spike their blood sugar levels.

Gnocchi Alternatives

For recipes that call for the gnocchi to be tossed in sauce or added to broths or soups, you can swap in a thicker-style pasta, like Orecchiette or Shells. The flavor and texture won't be quite the same, though. You will also need to adjust the cook time.

The most common reason for mushy sweet potato gnocchi is boiling it too long; once it's floated for 30 seconds, it should be promptly removed and drained well. Drain Off as Much Water as Possible.

Traditionally, gnocchi dough is made of semolina or plain wheat flour, egg, and mashed potato. That being said, gnocchi ingredients may vary, with the additional ingredients or substitutions including cheese, vegetables, and herbs.

Fruits and Vegetables

Pasta can be replaced with veggie noodles, traditional rice can be swapped out for cauliflower rice and any starchy vegetable like the sweet potato is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates.

Paleo-Friendly Sweeteners

Raw honey might have been most prevalent to cavemen so this would be approved if you're going the paleo route! Maple syrup and molasses are also paleo. Maple syrup, in its purest form without any additives, is a naturally occurring sugar extracted from maple trees.

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

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.

Chewy gnocchi are the result of too much flour and over kneading the dough. It's important to knead the dough just until it comes together into a smooth ball and no more. This is because you don't want to encourage too much gluten development which makes them tough, chewy and rubbery.

How to store gnocchi. Store covered in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze uncovered and separated on a tray until solid, then transfer to freezer bags or containers for up to three months.

Why did my homemade gnocchi turn to mush? ›

Your gnocchi may be mushy because of any or all of the following reasons: boiled the potatoes instead of baked them. used waxy new potatoes with too much moisture in them. not used eggs to help texture.

The Gnudi, or spinach and ricotta gnocchi, is a typical recipe from Tuscany, usually served with a simple tomato sauce or with butter and sage.

pasta, neither is really the better option. Regular pasta is higher in protein and has small amounts of some nutrients, while gnocchi is lower in calories and carbohydrates. But because gnocchi is smaller and denser, it's likely that you'd end up eating bigger portions than if you were eating regular pasta.

The word gnocchi may be derived from the Italian word nocchio, meaning a knot in wood, or from nocca, meaning knuckle. It has been a traditional type of Italian pasta since Roman times.

If you want to eat unprocessed potatoes, you can. They are paleo-friendly, though some people don't eat them. The key to following this diet is to eat fresh, natural foods. This means you'll have to avoid potatoes cooked or fried with processed oils, refined sugar, or other additives that aren't paleo-friendly.

Unprocessed potatoes are paleo

Generally, unprocessed potatoes of all types can be part of a paleo diet. Similarly to grains, which are off-limits on paleo, potatoes are starchy and rich in carbohydrates. However, potatoes are actually a type of starchy vegetable that grows underground, known as a tuber ( 2 , 3 ).

Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, which can help support an anti-inflammatory eating pattern when paired with whole grains, proteins like fatty fish and nourishing vegetables.

These are beans, lentils, and peas. Legumes are not paleo because they were only introduced into the human diet about 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. Legumes are difficult to digest and can contain unhealthy fats.