Name: How to Make Pumpkin Gnocchi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 2 lbs
Ingredients: 750 g russet potatoes, about 3 medium potatoes; 2 egg yolks; 250 g pumpkin puree; 1 tablespoon salt; 175 g all-purpose flour

Learn How to Make Pumpkin Gnocchi with a simple step-by-step tutorial to make the easiest pillowy and light gnocchi. This is an easy homemade pasta perfect for creamy or butter-based sauces.

Use these delicious pumpkin gnocchi with some classic sauces like the creamy pumpkin sauce in our Creamy Pumpkin Pasta or an easy sage butter sauce!

A Quick Look at The Recipe

✅Recipe Name: Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi
⏲️Prepared in: 2 hours
👪Makes: 2 lbs of gnocchi
📋Main ingredients: Russet potatoes, pumpkin puree, egg yolks.
⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This gnocchi is soft and pillowy, perfect for making a delicious pasta.

Have a question about the recipe? Ask Ai!

Google AIGrok [feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why This Recipe

The recipe below is an easy step-by-step tutorial with easy-to-follow images.
Use fresh or freeze for up to 6 months.
Absolutely soft and pillowy. Makes it perfect for pairing with creamy sauces.
Pumpkin gnocchi is perfect for adding to soups like Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Sausageor replacing the tortellini in Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage. It's also delicious when served with a braised dish like Easy Chicken Cacciatore.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Russet Potatoes. Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for gnocchi. They're starchy and hold the least amount of water. The less moisture, the more soft and pillowy the gnocchi will be.
Salt. A little bit of salt goes a long way in gnocchi. It will bring out the pumpkin flavor and the flavor of the sauce that you use.
Egg yolks. Some recipes may call for whole eggs, but using egg yolks is preferred to keep the moisture low.
Pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree has a lot of water, so you have to bake some of the moisture out of it before mixing it in the dough.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi

Follow the numbered steps below to make the best Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250℉. Spread the pumpkin out on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside to cool.

Boiling potatoes until tender and peeling.

Step 2: Place 3 potatoes, unpeeled, in a pot filled with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Set them aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, use a fork to scrape off the potato skin. Place the potatoes into a potato ricer while still hot. Press the potatoes through the ricer and spread them out on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Let them sit out to cool for 30 minutes, then place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Ricing potatoes and combining with egg yolk, pumpkin, and flour.

Step 4: Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Combine the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk them together. Pour the egg yolks over the cooled potatoes. Scrape the pumpkin puree into the mixture and sprinkle with half of the flour and the salt.

Cutting flour, pumpkin puree, salt, egg yolk, and potato together.

Step 5: Use a bench scraper to chop the flour into the mixture. Continue to chop until the flour is completely combined.

Step 6: Switch to using your hands and flour the work station with half of the remaining flour. Gently combine the dough by folding and pressing. Try not to knead too strongly so as to avoid the dough becoming tough or overactivated.

Dough rolled into a log and chopped into disks.

Step 7: Roll the dough into a log. Place it on a floured workspace using the remaining flour. Chop the dough into 1-inch disks using the bench scraper. Take one of the disks and, using both hands, slowly roll the dough into a long roll, like a snake. Try to only use the palms of your hands.

Step 8: Then use the bench scraper to cut ¾ inch gnocchi out of the roll.

Homemade pumpkin gnocchi on a cutting board.

Step 9: Continue the process with all of the dough. Toss the gnocchi with a little bit of flour. Then boil fresh or refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can freeze for 6 months.

The best way to freeze homemade pumpkin gnocchi is to separate them out onto a baking sheet and place the whole sheet in the freezer. After 2 hours, transfer the gnocchi into a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

This homemade pumpkin gnocchi is perfect for a Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauceand gorgonzola. Serve it with vegetable sides like Roasted Carrots and Fennelor Chopped Brussels Sprout Salad with Pancetta.

Pro-Tips

Stick with a starchy potato like russet potatoes. They hold the least amount of moisture, which makes them the best for gnocchi. Boil them whole with the skin on to reduce the amount of moisture they absorb.
Add the flour in a little bit at a time. You'll end up using all of the flour to flour the workstation when rolling the dough, but the least amount in the dough, the better.
Work the dough gently to avoid overworking it and overactivating the gluten. The more careful you are with combining the dough, the lighter and pillowy the gnocchi will be.
Use your palms to roll out the dough rather than your fingers. Your fingers will make uneven gnocchi.
Baking the pumpkin before adding it will reduce the moisture in the puree before adding it to the gnocchi.

Recipe FAQs

Is it best to use fresh pumpkin?

No, using canned pumpkin puree is best.

My gnocchi comes out dense and gummy; what am I doing wrong?

You're probably overworking the dough or adding too much moisture. The less moisture, the better. The more you overwork the dough, the more the proteins in the gluten connect, and the gnocchi becomes tougher.

How can I save the gnocchi?

Make as much as you want and freeze the gnocchi for up to 6 months.