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I pulled a batch of this homemade pumpkin gnocchi out of the freezer the other night for a quick weeknight meal and was reminded how simple ingredients can create such an amazing meal. This homemade gnocchi with pumpkin is one of my favorite recipes I’ve made in the past year. So I must share it!
I created this recipe for a meal to share with my husband as an at-home date night. We eat pasta together on Friday nights after our children are settled. It’s a tradition. One thing I do to make Fridays more leisurely is to have a sauce or a pasta prepared in advance, or a recipe that takes minutes to prepare and is special. So, in the mindset of being easy to prepare, I crafted this recipe to be made a day ahead. And as this is a sourdough recipe, I also wanted the benefits of fermentation.
My Potato and Pumpkin Gnocchi’s Secret Ingredients
The dough comes together pretty quickly in this recipe. All the wet ingredients, including the discard and pumpkin, are combined with potato flakes, my secret ingredient. The moisture from the wet ingredients revives the potato flakes, and the mixture becomes more airy with their addition. I keep potato flakes in my pantry, not for making mashed potatoes–but for adding to other recipes to add texture or as a binder. In this recipe, the potato both binds and adds that traditional gnocchi feel.
Substitutions for Homemade Gnocchi with Pumpkin
If you don’t have or want to use potato flakes, using leftover mashed potatoes or microwaving a russet potato would be fine. You’d want to add more than the 30g of dried flakes, however, and you would want to up the flour a bit to deal with the excess moisture from the potato.
I use fresh pumpkin puree in this recipe. I defrost and drain my pumpkin puree. You can also use fall squash or sweet potato. Canned pumpkin and sweet potato or also acceptable, but you may have to adjust the flour if your puree is really wet.
Sourdough Pumpkin Gnocchi Dough Consistency
After the potato flakes revive, you can gently fold in flour and make a dough. Make sure to gradually add the flour, as you don’t want your dough to become too stiff. Your dough should be soft like playdough. The dough comes together quickly, and then I like to wrap it in parchment and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Overnight Sourdough Pumpkin Gnocchi Rest
Resting the homemade pumpkin gnocchi dough in the refrigerator does a few things. It allows the gluten to develop and become pliable and cohesive. You need a dough that is ready to roll and cut into pumpkin gnocchi shapes, and not fall apart. And it allows the sourdough to ferment the additional flour that was added. The fermentation time enhances flavor and allows the flour to hydrate fully, making the pumpkin gnocchi easier to handle and more flavorful.
Cooking and Serving Pumpkin Gnocchi
There are all kinds of different methods for rolling and cutting gnocchi. I like to roll the dough into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter. Then use a pastry scraper to cut it into about 3/4 inch pieces. If I want to go to the extra effort, I’ll roll them on a fork so more sauce will cling to them. Food Republic has a good description of how to use a fork to achieve grooves in gnocchi.
Honestly, these pillowy pumpkin gnocchi or so delicious, I don’t think it matters too much how they are shaped. Just make sure not the overwork the dough to keep them nice and airy. Simmer them in salted water for 1-2 minutes until they start to float and then immediately transfer them to a pan with the sauce of your choice.
Sauce Ideas for Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sourdough Discard
My go to sauce for this homemade gnocchi with pumpkin is to brown butter and throw in a few teaspoons of sage. Toss the gnocchi to coat and top with some grated parmesan or pecorino and enjoy!
Pumpkin gnocchi has a naturally sweet, earthy flavor that plays well with a wide range of sauces beyond brown butter and sage. Here are some other ideas for sauces:
Creamy Mushroom + Thyme Sauce
Earthy mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or chanterelle) sautéed with garlic, fresh thyme, and a splash of cream.
✅ Pairs beautifully with pumpkin’s sweetness and adds umami depth.
Gorgonzola Cream or Goat Cheese Sauce
Melt crumbled gorgonzola or chèvre into warm cream with cracked pepper. Two-ingredient gorgonzola sauce is simple, fast, and decadent!
✅ Balances sweet gnocchi with a rich, tangy sharpness.
Brown Butter + Toasted Hazelnut or Walnut + Parmesan
A twist on the classic sage version, this uses chopped nuts for crunch.
✅ Great if you want texture contrast without herbs.
Caramelized Onion + Balsamic Reduction
Toss gnocchi with sweet caramelized onions and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar.
✅ A bit gourmet and great for cooler months.
Pancetta + Sage Cream Sauce
Crispy pancetta in a sage cream or Parmesan sauce.
✅ Salty, savory, and indulgent — a more filling option.
Play with textures and balance to bring out different sides of the gnocchi.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Gnocchi
The pumpkin gnocchi recipe below is a small batch for 2 people (or it could be used as an appetizer for more). I suggest doubling or tripling the recipe and freezing some so that you can have a super-fast fancy dinner on a whim in the future.
- Flour lightly: After shaping, dust the gnocchi lightly with flour so they don’t stick.
- Spread on a tray: Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board. Make sure they’re not touching.
- Freeze solid: Place the tray in the freezer for 1–2 hours, or until gnocchi are firm and no longer tacky.
- Transfer to bags/containers: Once frozen, move them to an airtight freezer bag or container.
- Label with date
- Freeze for up to 2 months
How to Cook Sourdough Pumpkin Gnocchi from Frozen
- Do not thaw — cook directly from frozen
- Boil salted water, drop the gnocchi in
- Wait for them to float — this usually takes about 1–2 minutes
- Cook until they float + 30–60 seconds
- Drain and finish in your sauce of choice
If you are looking for other decadent pasta that you can pull from the freezer, I suggest making a huge batch of my bolognese sauce and storing some in the freezer as well!
Sourdough Pumpkin Gnocchi (Cold-Fermented)
Equipment
- gnocchi pasta board optional
Ingredients
- 200 g pumpkin purée well-drained if homemade
- 30 –40g sourdough discard
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp nutmeg optional, but great for flavor
- 100 g 00 flour
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g potato flakes for a lighter texture
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix pumpkin purée, sourdough discard, egg yolk, salt, and nutmeg.200 g pumpkin purée, 1 egg yolk, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 30 –40g sourdough discard
- Stir in potato flakes and let sit for 5 minutes to hydrate.30 g potato flakes
- Gradually add the flour mix (00 + AP) and gently fold until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Avoid overmixing!100 g 00 flour, 100 g all-purpose flour
- Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead just until smooth (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).
- Wrap the dough in parchment/plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12–24 hours to cold ferment.
Cooking (Day of Serving)
- Remove from the fridge and let sit at room temp for 10–15 minutes.
- Roll into ropes, cut into gnocchi-sized pieces, and shape if desired.
- Boil in salted water until they float (about 1–2 minutes).
- Sauté in butter or serve with your sauce of choice.
Notes
- Cold Fermentation Benefits: The 12–24 hour fermentation time enhances flavor and allows the flour to hydrate fully, making the gnocchi easier to handle and more flavorful.
- Pumpkin Purée: If using homemade, be sure to drain it well to avoid excess moisture. Canned purée works great!
- Potato Flakes Substitute: If you don’t have potato flakes, you can replace them with an equal weight of mashed potatoes for a similar effect.
- Serving Ideas: Sauté the cooked gnocchi in butter with sage, toss them in a brown butter sauce, or pair them with a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce for an extra indulgent meal.
