Keto Gnocchi

Name: Low Carb Keto Ricotta Gnocchi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg; 1/2 cup ricotta (120g); 1 tsp xanthan gum; 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder; 2 tbsp coconut flour (20g); 1/3 cup grated parmesan (42g); Salt to taste; 4 tbsp butter; 2 garlic cloves (minced); 10 sage leaves; Salt and pepper

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My keto gnocchi are fluffy, soft and pillowy - just like the real deal! I make them with ricotta and coconut flour instead of potato and wheat. This means they are gluten free, low carb gnocchi with just 4.8g net carbs per portion!

a bowl of buttery fried gnocchi and a spoon

I love Italian food, I miss pasta and gnocchi have been on my to-make list for ages.

There are several ways to make a keto gnocchi recipe:

Fathead gnocchi with a mozzarella cheese & almond flour dough. Yummy and very filling.
Cauliflower gnocchi. Very delicious, just a little work intense as you have to squeeze all water out of the cauliflower. I will post my recipe soon.
Ricotta gnocchi!

My friends, these keto ricotta gnocchi are a total treat. They turned out so fluffy and pillowy that you'll think you're eating gnocchi with potatoes and wheat.

READER REVIEW
"Thank you for this delicious recipe. I had no trouble with the dough and used the classic rolling-on-the-fork technique to get ridges on my gnocchi. These are so good that I now make double the recipe and keep some in the freezer for a quick dinner. I've done them with the browned butter and sage, and also with some crisped prosciutto, a little sauted kale and some cream." (Kathi S)

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Ingredients
Instructions
Other Cooking Methods
Sauces
Recipe FAQs
Storage
More Italian Keto Recipes
Recipe

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need for low carb gnocchi.

Egg - I used a large egg.
Ricotta cheese - This is an Italian soft cheese that's great for cooking and baking. Must be firm and full fat.
Coconut Flour - We are using this instead of wheat flour. And no, you cannot taste the coconut!
Xanthan gum - Non-negotiable. It acts as a binder in place of gluten. Guar gum could used as an alternative but I have not tried it myself.
Psyllium husk powder - Helps the gnocchi to puff up and also binds. Use the powder and not whole psyllium husks (which, confusingly, also looks like powder at first glance, but is coarser).
Parmesan cheese - Best grated freshly.
Salt

For the Browned Butter Sauce:

Butter
Garlic
Sage leaves - must be fresh!
salt & pepper

Instructions

This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Before we get started, a BIG request: I'd like you to make this recipe EXACTLY as I've written it down to ensure it works perfectly. No substitutions or experiments, at least the first time round!

Step 1: Place the egg in a food processor or mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until frothy.

Step 2: Add ricotta, grated parmesan cheese and salt and whisk once more until smooth.

Step 3: Add coconut flour and sprinkle evenly across the surface the xanthan and psyllium husk powder.

ricotta gnocchi dough in a bowl with a spatula

Step 4: Whisk to combine then stir with spatula to bring together. Cool the dough in the fridge for 1 hour. You can speed this up by placing it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Alternatively, this can be made the night before and kept covered in the fridge overnight.

Step 5: Roll the dough into a ball and cut into quarters. The dough will be a little sticky.

Step 6: Oil your hands and roll into a thin log. Cut into 1 - 1.5 inch pieces.

pressing dough onto a gnocchi board with the thumb

Step 7: If using a gnocchi board, slightly round the edges then press down and roll using your thumb. As the dough is more fragile than a regular dough you don't push away hard, more, press and gently roll.

Repeat for all the pieces.

round dough shapes with fork marks and a fork

Don't have a gnocchi board? Just use a fork! Roll each piece into a ball and press with a fork.

Step 8: Now that all your keto gnocchi are prepared, place them on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 20 minutes, or until firm, but not totally frozen. This makes them firmer and easier to fry.

Almost there now!

Step 9: Heat the butter in a pan. Fry the gnocchi shapes and garlic on one side for about 1.5 minutes, then carefully turn each piece over with a spoon, add the sage and cook for another 1.5 minutes or until golden on both sides.

Serve with cracked black pepper.

low carb gnocchi with crispy sage leaves on a plate

Katrin's Top Tips

Gently does it. If using a gnocchi paddle, press each piece gently with your thumb and roll just a little. The dough is more fragile than normal gnocchi dough. Alternatively, roll each piece into a little ball and press with a fork.

Cool the dough. Don't skip this step! If you accidentally leave low carb gnocchi in the freezer for too long (spot the person who did this!) and they set rock hard, simply defrost them slightly before proceeding with the recipe.

Psyllium husk - Some brands turn dough purple when it is baked or fried. This does not affect the taste. I have used BonPom, Green Origins and Just Natural without issues. The NOW brand in the US is also supposed to be fine.

Other Cooking Methods

Air Fryer / Oven: You can cook the gnocchi in an air fryer at 160C / 320F or bake them in the oven at 180C / 250F. Spray them with olive oil or brush with melted butter so they can crisp up and don't dry out. Also, use parchment paper so they don't stick.

Do Not Boil! You cannot boil keto gnocchi in water as you would regular gnocchi. They are more fragile and would disintegrate.

Sauces

In my opinion, nothing beats gnocchi with sage and garlic butter. You can also use olive oil instead of butter.

Other sauces that work well:

Recipe FAQs

Can keto gnocchi be used in a soup?

Yes, but you need to pan-fry the gnocchi first. Drop them into the soup right before serving.

Can I use almond flour instead of coconut?

Probably (but I have not tried it yet). Triple the amount as almond flour is less absorbent than coconut flour.

What if I don't have psyllium husk?

A reader has successfully swapped the psyllium husk 1:1 for egg white protein powder. She said the gnocchi turned out extra puffy. I also think that 1.5 teaspoon of ground flaxseed would be a good alternative.

Storage

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before frying. The gnocchi should be really cold and firm to fry but not frozen solid.

The gnocchi dough can also be prepared and shaped and then frozen raw for up to 3 months.