These gluten free and keto ricotta gnocchi are a classic favorite here at gnom-gnom! Expect pillowy-soft gnocchi, perfect to pair with a classic marinara or a refreshingly simple mediterranean yogurt sauce.
Gluten Free & Keto Ricotta Gnocchi
Pillowy-Soft!
These keto ricotta gnocchi, sans the wheat flour, are different from the original. But (and it’s a big but!) I like to think they’re just as good. And given that the Italian work gnoccho literally translates as lump, gnocchi are actually made out of a wide variety of ingredients (not just potato and flour); so I’m still confident in calling these guys gnocchi (😜!).
Also, while traditional ricotta gnocchi are boiled in water and sometimes subsequently lightly fried in sage butter, these go straight for the frying (grain-free flours turn to mush in water!). This way you’ll get a nice bottom crust, a pillowy-soft center and ridiculously aromatic results (on account of the sage).
And the ideal pairing? A fresh mediterranean yogurt sauce. It’s for real one of the best sauces for these guys, creating a beautiful and refreshing contrast against the cheesy gnocchi. The other highly suggested pairing is steamed spinach, and if you’re looking for even more freshness add-in a handful of cherry tomatoes.
Oh, and these guys also freeze great. So think meal prepping ideal.
The Flours
These keto ricotta gnocchi, aside from the cheeses and egg, also require a mixture of almond flour, coconut flour and a touch of xanthan gum.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the coconut, we always favor Anthony’s (honestly best taste by a mile!)
The Method
Making these keto gnocchi couldn’t be simpler. All the ingredients are mixed together until they form a (rather sticky!) ball, refrigerated for an hour, formed into rounds, flattened with a fork, and cooked in sage butter.
I also find that these work best when fried only on one side, forming a bottom crust and keeping the rest pillowy-soft. You will, however, want to baste them with the sage butter throughout cooking. Couldn’t be simpler really.
Gluten Free & Keto Ricotta Gnocchi
Ingredients
For the keto ricotta gnocchi
- 128 g almond flour
- 14 g coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 210 g ricotta cheese
- 75 g Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 egg lightly beaten
For the sage butter
- 3-4 tablespoons grass-fed butter as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for cooking
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 8-10 sage leaves
- black pepper freshly ground to taste
For the mediterranean yogurt sauce (two servings)
- 140 g Greek-style yogurt
- 1 clove garlic ran through a press
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2-1 teaspoon red wine vinegar to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground to taste
Serving suggestions
- spinach steamed
- cherry tomatoes
Instructions
For the keto ricotta gnocchi
- Add almond flour, coconut flour and xanthan gum to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Add ricotta and parmesan to a large bowl and mix with a spoon until well combined. Add in flour mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and mix in the egg. The dough should be sticky, but form into a ball easily. If it doesn't (different moisture levels in cheese etc), feel free to add in more almond flour a little at a time. Wrap in cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Remove dough from the fridge and form into rounds (roughly 1 inch big). The dough will be soft and still lightly sticky, but should form into rounds with ease. Place in a tray and press down with a fork to lightly flatten them. Freeze for 15 minutes before frying, and the gnocchi can be frozen at this point for up to two months.
- Heat up butter and oil in a skillet or pan over medium/low heat. Once warm, add in garlic slivers and sage leaves. When the garlic is just lightly golden, add in the chilled gnocchi flat-side down along some freshly ground black pepper. Move the pan around to keep them from sticking, basting them throughout the cooking. They will be fragile, so handle with care. When ready, the bottom will have formed a deep-golden crust (see pictures), about 4-5 minutes.
- Serve right away atop a bed of steamed spinach, yogurt sauce and a handful cherry tomatoes (optional).
For the mediterranean yogurt sauce
- Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.
Notes
Nutrition
So as far as gnocchi in a soup, this wasn’t what I was looking for. I did find another recipe online at low carb-nocarb that works beautifully. I wanted a soft boiled gnocchi for my copycat keto Olive Garden soup. BUT I did end up flattening this dough into little rounds and frying on both sides until crispy golden…and GUESS WHAT I GOT?!?!? Chick Fil A hash browns!!!! I’m currently eating them with some sugar free ketchup!! AMAZING!!
Not sure that its keto friendly with potato flour..
Decided to give this recipe a try because I’ve been craving pasta with pesto and that’s not a craving I can easily satisfy while doing keto – or so I thought. These are delicious!! I cooked the gnocchi in the butter/Olive oil mixture minus the garlic and sage. Once they were nicely browned I tossed them with pesto and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. So freaking good! Do they have the same texture as traditional gnocchi? No clue – it’s been forever since I’ve had regular gnocchi! All I know is I enjoyed them thoroughly and can’t wait to make (and eat) them again.
🙂
I’ve made these before and loved them. Instead of the yogurt sauce, I’ve used them to make “chicken and dumplings” and a copycat version of Olive Garden’s Chicken Gnocchi soup. I’m trying to enter the recipe into Carb Manager but I really need the nutrition information for just the gnocchi without the sauce. Is there any way you could provide this information? Thanks for all you do to help us with great recipes!
Do you have recipes for the chicken and dumplings or the Olive Garden copy cat soup?
Great and easy recipe! Will definitely make again!….just throwing this out there, I did a test and baked 3 pieces brushing with butter at 300 degrees and it changes the texture not in a good way, so much better on top of the stove, and I didn’t have to freeze mine before cooking maybe because I rolled the dough into 4 logs, wrapped in plastic wrap over night, thank you for a great recipe!
Made these tonight and the flavors were good but the gnocchi themselves were dry. Might add some mozzarella and a little cream next time. Otherwise yummy.
Can you make these and reheat them for lunch day after?
This was a really great dough and easy to work with. I rolled it into 4 long rolls and cut it to make the gnocchi. Easy to do and the dough tasted to good.