Dive into a plate of homemade gluten-free gnocchi in less than 30 minutes! Made with only a handful of ingredients —whole milk ricotta cheese, gluten-free flour, olive oil, egg, and a little parmesan cheese — I love the simplicity of ricotta gnocchi because it’s fast and easy to throw together for dinner. Toss with desired sauce, and enjoy!

overhead shot of gluten free gnocchi on a white plate with red sauce
This is the recipe that took me all the way back to my Italian roots. Now we all can enjoy homemade gnocchi just as good as Gramma made!

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Well-Tested Gluten-Free Gnocchi Recipe

Being raised in a first-generation Italian household meant shunning store bought-pasta. My Italian Gramma and mom cut fresh pasta for everything from simple family dinners to celebratory holiday meals.

Many of these Italian recipes have been adapted our family’s own gluten-free versions just as good as I remember them, such as homemade gluten-free lasagna that is never mushy, baked ziti, and my gramma’s favorite focaccia made gluten-free.

While sadly Gramma was never able to give this authentic version of gnocchi made with gluten-free flour her stamp of approval, Mom and I give it an emphatic thumbs up and enjoy it with gusto! I particularly like it, because unlike Gramma’s gnocchi, there are no potatoes to peel, boil, or mash.

Instead of trying to replicate my family’s gnocchi recipe and swapping in GF flour (believe me, I tried!), I transitioned to a ricotta cheese gnocchi. Why?

Through recipe testing I found that GF gnocchi made with mashed potatoes tasted like, well, mashed potatoes. I believe this is due to the make up of GF flour blends, which rely heavily on rice flours. There wasn’t enough variance of the starches.

Using a base of gluten-free flour, mixed with ricotta, a little olive oil, egg, and parmesan decidedly improved both the taste and texture. Also, potato gnocchi adds a long extra step, plus the varying moisture content of potatoes doesn’t make for the best results.

As an added bonus, using ricotta in gnocchi also means the prep is fast and easy. All the ingredients are mixed together in one bowl, roll, and then cut. It’s now possible to enjoy a homemade gnocchi recipe in less than 30 minutes.

Made this tonight for my son with celiac. He loved it as did the rest of the family. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for a great recipe!

—Chris

Ingredient Notes

  • Whole Milk Ricotta – I recommend whole milk ricotta, versus part skim, because the added fat makes the gnocchi more tender.
  • Egg – Acts as a binding agent for the ingredients
  • Olive Oil – Helps coat the GF starches to eliminate any gritty or graininess. You just need a touch.
  • Parmesan Cheese – Also helps with binding and adds a nice salty flavor.
  • Gluten-Free Flour – This gnocchi was tested with a variety of gluten-free flours with varying results. Therefore, I’ve included important recommendations and notes in the gluten-free flour section.

Watch This Recipe

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Quick and easy dough

First whisk together the ricotta, egg, olive oil, and parmesan. Stir in the GF flour until it’s well mixed and the dough comes together. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. If it’s too stiff add a dash of warm water. If it’s too loose add a tablespoon of flour at a time.

ingredients in a bowl to make gnocchi.
all the ingredients stirred together.

Start shaping

First turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it becomes a smooth ball. I like to work the dough in four smaller sections, so flatten the ball into a thick disc and cut crosswise to get 4 pieces.

the dough shaped into a ball.
the dough flattened into a disc and cut into fourths.

Roll and slice

So, a little tid bit about me – I’m the queen of efficiency. Why cut one rope at once when you can knock out two? Therefore, I roll two sections into long ropes and then cut them at the same time in ½” pieces.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can also use the tines of a fork to make ridges. It doesn’t need the ridges pressed into them, but it is done so the sauce seeps into the groves.

My Gramma never did this, and I don’t either because it’s just an extra step and time. However, if you do want authentic-looking homemade gnocchi, use the tines of fork or a gnocchi board.

two logs rolled out and cut.
a fork pressing into the dough to make grooves.

Everything You Need To Know About Cooking

I don’t recommend adding very much salt to the boiling water when cooking GF pasta. The salt absorbs in the starches too much, making an overly salty dish.

When cooking gnocchi, they are normally pulled from the boiling water as soon as they float to the top. However, with GF gnocchi it’s best to let them boil 30-45 seconds longer after floating to the top to ensure they’re fully cooked. Undercooked gnocchi will taste grainy and unpleasant.

After being cut, you also have the option of freezing them. Spread in a single layer on baking sheets to freeze, then transferred to a ziplock freezer bag once solid. When ready to cook, add less dumplings to the water than with freshly made gnocchi. Too much frozen pasta at once will reduce the water temp, so they will become mushy as they cook longer.

You may cook the dumplings in a sauce, rather than boiling water, but it works best if you used Cup4Cup gluten free flour . When I tried this with pasta made from other flours, it broke down and became mushy.

close up of a fork resting on a plate with gnocchi
Don’t be intimidated by making gluten-free gnocchi from scratch! You can be enjoying fresh pasta in little as 30 minutes.

Recommended Gluten-Free Flour

Not all gluten-free flours are created equal and perform differently because of the varying starches they are made of. When testing this homemade gnocchi recipe, I wanted to make sure the results would be consistent depending on the flour. Unfortunately they were not.

THE RESULTS:

King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten Free Flour – Came together and rolled nicely. However, it tasted doughy and grainy after boiling with an unpleasant taste. When I tried cooking it in a sauce, the gnocchi was mushy and did not hold shape.

Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour – Similar results as King Arthur. The shape held together, but the ricey, grainy taste was very unpleasant.

Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour (winner) – Came together and rolled nicely. The first time I added a little too much flour and the bite was a little gelatinous, even though the taste was good. The second time I only added about 1 tablespoon additional flour, just enough so the dough wasn’t sticky. The texture was much better and the taste had no hint of “gluten-free.” The gnocchi also performed well in boiling water or cooked in a sauce.

Cup4Cup gluten-free flour also works well for other GF Italian recipes. I use it to make gluten-free crespelle for manicotti and my homemade GF fresh pasta noodles.

overhead shot of gnocchi on a white plate with a fork resting on it
Even though making homemade gnocchi appears impressive, it’s easy enough to throw together for a weeknight dinner. You can even cook it in your sauce. No separate boiling necessary!

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overhead shot of gnocchi on a white plate with a fork resting on it
4.80 stars (20 ratings)

Soft, Tender Gluten-Free Gnocchi with Ricotta

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Dive into a plate of homemade gluten-free gnocchi in less than 30 minutes! Made with only a handful of ingredients —whole milk ricotta cheese, gluten-free flour, olive oil, egg, and a little parmesan cheese — I love the simplicity of ricotta gnocchi because it’s fast and easy to throw together for dinner. Toss with desired sauce, and enjoy!
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Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together ricotta, egg, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Stir in 2 cups flour until well mixed and the dough comes together.
    15 ounce whole milk ricotta, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or silicone rolling mat. Knead the dough together until it becomes a smooth ball. If necessary, sprinkle a little more flour in (1-4 tablespoons) until the dough just no longer sticks to your hands.
  • Flatten the ball into a thick disc and cut into 4 sections. Roll two sections into long ropes, about 1 inch thick.
  • Carefully rub a little flour on a sharp knife blade and cut 2 ropes at one time in ½" pieces. If desired, use the tines of a fork to make indentations. Transfer the cut gnocchi to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 2 sections.
  • If preparing straight away, transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator while a large pot of water boils. Otherwise, transfer the baking sheets to the freezer to freeze until solid, then transfer to airtight ziplock bag.
  • Boil the gnocchi in small batches, about 1/8 of the recipe at a time. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water, give a brief stir to prevent sticking, and then cook until they rise to the top. TIP: For gluten free gnocchi, it's best to leave them in about 30-45 seconds longer after rising to make sure they are cooked through.
  • Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lift the cooked gnocchi out into a large colander. Repeat with the remaining pasta. Immediately serve or toss with desired sauce.

Notes

How Much Does it Make?
Store bought gnocchi is often sold in one pound packages, which is what most recipes call for. This recipe makes 2 pounds, but you can always freeze half for later!
Important tips:
  • Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour is highly recommend and yields the best taste and texture. However, the pasta will become a little gelatinous if too much flour is added, so add just enough so the dough losses it stickiness, about 1-2 tablespoons more. 
  • Freezing – After being cut, the gnocchi may be frozen on baking sheets and then transferred to a ziplock freezer bag once solid. Freeze up to 3 months. TO COOK: add less gnocchi to the water than with freshly made gnocchi. Too much frozen pasta at once will drastically reduce the water temperature, so they will become mushy as they cook longer.
  • Can I cook fresh in a sauce? Yes, but this works out best if you used Cup4Cup gluten free flour to make your ricotta gnocchi. When I tried this with pasta made from other flours, it broke down and became mushy.
 
Adapted from Food 52
Calories: 306kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 134mg, Potassium: 90mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 391IU, Calcium: 224mg, Iron: 2mg
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