Homemade Vegan Einkorn Gnocchi | Easy Recipe to Make
This delicious vegan Einkorn gnocchi uses the ancient grain, Einkorn, as the flour, making for a healthy alternative to the original. This is my new favorite pasta alternative!
I do love to make fresh pasta, however sometimes you just want something a little different and these little gnocchi are just what I crave on those evenings!
If you are a pasta love, you will fall for this pillowy gnocchi recipe! Once you make your own gnocchi, you will make it over and over again.
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What are Gnocchi?
If you are not familiar with Gnocchi, they are little potato dumplings. They are a wonderful addition to soups as well as a stand alone dish with some veggies and olive oil!
They use simple ingredients and are quite easy to pull together for dinner time.
The first time I had Gnocchi was at Olive Garden. I had the Chicken Gnocchi soup and knew I had to learn how to make these little gems!
Mind you, my husband and I are not Vegan, however, I love to add some plant based options into our diet. This homemade gnocchi hits the spot!
Having said that, we always keep Nutrional Yeast on hand as a cheese alternative. We eat dairy, but, sometimes you want a lighter option.
What is Einkorn?
These Gnocchi are also made with Einkorn flour. Einkorn is an ancient grain that is easier to digest than modern wheat varieties. It also imparts a nutty flavor to the Gnocchi.
I love using Einkorn flour because it has a much weaker gluten strand which leads to easier digestion for those who have minor issues when eating modern day wheat.
If you are gluten sensitive and want to try using Einkorn flour, talk to your doctor to see if it is an option for you!
I use freshly ground Einkorn, but, you can purchase it on Amazon if you don’t have a grain mill. You can also use all purpose Einkorn flour.
To mill my Einkorn Berries, I use the Nutrimill Grain Mill (psst…use my coupon: rose20 for $20 off!)
Looking for more Einkorn recipes? Click here!
How to make a Flax Egg
A substitute for the egg is Flax! Simply take 1 tbsp ground flax seed and add 2 tbsp water. Mix well and let sit for at least 5 minutes so it can thicken up.
Ingredients for making Vegan Einkorn Gnocchi
- 3 medium Potatoes (peeled)
- 1 Flax Egg (see below) – If you want to use an egg, that works great as well:)
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 3/4 cup Einkorn Flour – You can use fresh milled flour or Einkorn all purpose flour for this recipe. I prefer whole wheat flour. This recipe would also be so good made with Spelt flour!
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
Full ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card below
Looking for a homemade pasta recipe? Click here!
How to make this recipe for Vegan Einkorn Gnocchi
First, peel the potatoes and cut into uniform cubes. I use russet potatoes for reference.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a teaspoon of salt added.
Pour in the cubed potatoes and cook for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.
After the Potatoes are cooked through, drain them and add them to a large bowl.
Alternatively, you could use a potato ricer.
Take a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes.
Add in the flax egg, flour, nutritional yeast, and salt. Mix and shape into a ball of dough.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll each portion out into a log.
Cut the log into small pieces of dough.
Optionally, you can roll the gnocchi dough pieces on a Gnocchi Board. It gives the gnocchi ridges that will hold on to sauce or soup.
You can also achieve the ridges by rolling them off the back of a fork.
I like to put my shaped gnocchi on a baking tray lined with a piece of parchment paper in a single layer and bring it over to the stove to cook.
Bring a medium pot to a rolling boil and add a bit of salt, a pinch will do.
The gnocchi cooks in the boiling salted water until the it rises to the top of the water. Use a slotted spoon to remove them.
Take them out as soon as the gnocchi float for a light and airy texture.
Note: Only boil a handful at a time for even cooking.
Once the gnocchi are done, simply add to your soup, or you can make a sauce and veggies to serve them with. They are delicious on their own, but, pair so well with sauces.
You can make this recipe without it, however it does had quite a bit of flavor. If you leave it out, add a bit more flour to bring the dough together to a workable ball of dough.
Absolutely! You will need up to 1/2 cup more flour if you interchange with all purpose flour.
Yes, this is totally optional! The ridges do help to hold on to sauce, however they are still just as delicious without the ridges.
Yes! Sweet potato gnocchi is absolutely delicious and makes a completely different flavor profile. These style gnocchi pair well with parmesan cheese and olive oil with a bit of black pepper and sea salt!
Serving Suggestions
Serve tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs for a delightful spring or summer meal.
Add to your favorite soups to make them more filling.
Toss in a simple tomato sauce and serve with fresh sourdough bread!
For a sweeter alternative, try using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.
Storage
Store leftover gnocchi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the gnocchi in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Vegan Einkorn Gnocchi
Equipment
- 1 Gnocchi board optional
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 flax egg
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup einkorn flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into equal cubes.
- Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until cooked through.
- Drain and put potatoes in a mixing bowl.
- Mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
- Make flax egg by adding 1 tbsp ground flax and 2 tbsp water to a small bowl. Mix it well and let sit for 5 minutes until thick.
- Add to mashed potatoes along with the nutritional yeast, flour, and salt.
- Mix until it becomes a ball of dough.
- Cut the ball of dough into 4 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a long log.
- Cut the log into small pieces of dough.
- Optionally, you can roll the pieces on a gnocchi board to give them ridges so they will hold sauce or soup.
- Cook the gnocchi in salted boiling water in small batches. When the gnocchi rise to the top of the water, they are done.
- Serve with soup or make a sauce with veggies to serve them with.
