Sweet Potato Ricotta Gnocchi in Cheese Sauce

The challenge with sweet potato gnocchi is that sweet potato is drier than regular potato, which means the gnocchi needs something that adds moisture back in. Ricotta does exactly that, as well as adding a little bit of fat, keeping the mixture soft and giving the finished gnocchi that melt-in-your-mouth quality that a flour-heavy dough can never achieve. The flour goes in a little at a time, stopping the moment the dough holds together rather than adding a fixed amount, because every extra tablespoon works against the tenderness the ricotta is there to create.

Chilling the dough for at least an hour before shaping is not optional. Warm dough is too soft to roll cleanly and the gnocchi will lose their shape in the water. Cold dough firms up just enough to be workable, and the shaping goes much faster. Once the gnocchi float to the surface, in a boiling pot of water, which takes about 1-2 minutes, they are done. Transfer them immediately onto a baking sheet or into the cheese sauce rather than leaving them in the water, where they will continue absorbing liquid and eventually fall apart.

Why You’ll Keep Making This

Because once you have the dough ratio right, this is a recipe that rewards you every time. The gnocchi are soft in a way that store-bought can never replicate, the cheese sauce comes together in minutes while the gnocchi cook, and the whole dinner is on the table in under an hour. Sweet potato gives the gnocchi a natural sweetness that works with the Gruyère in a way plain ricotta gnocchi don’t, and the combination is distinctive enough that it never feels like a fallback. It is also endlessly adaptable: change the cheese in the sauce, add sage brown butter instead, or serve them as a side dish alongside roasted chicken. The base recipe stays the same.

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Key Ingredients in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.

FOR THE GNOCCHI

• Sweet potato
• Ricotta cheese – whole milk or low fat
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
• All-purpose flour
• Sage

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE

• Cream
• Gruyere cheese – or any other melting cheese that adds flavor to the creamy sauce.
• Nutmeg (optional)

How to Make Sweet Potato Ricotta Gnocchi in Cheese Sauce

• Step 1 – Cook the sweet potato. Do that in a way you are comfortable with. I cook my sweet potatoes in the microwave, using the sweet potato setting in this case. After that I wrap the potato in aluminum foil and rest for approx. 10 minutes. Cut the potato in half, allow it to cool and scoop the flesh in a bowl and mash it.

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• Step 4 – Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the gnocchi and boil until the gnocchi rise and start to float. Do this in portions, not all gnocchi at the same time. You don’t want the water to cool down and then take a long time to boil again. This may result in the gnocchi falling apart. When you cook them in portions it take 1-2 minutes for the gnocchi to rise to the top.
• Step 5 – Transfer floating gnocchi onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Make sure they do not touch each other. Continue with the rest of the gnocchi.
• Step 6 – While cooking the gnocchi, create the cheese sauce, by heating cream, with some salt and pepper in a skillet. Add grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Step 7 – Transfer the gnocchi to the sauce, and warm them up for a minute or two.

• Scoop the gnocchi with the sauce onto 2 heated plates or bowls. Sprinkle with a little bit of chopped sage and serve.

Sweet Potato Ricotta Gnocchi in the cheese sauce are a delicious main dish, but you can also serve them as a side dish. Enjoy!

Alternatives & Substitutes

• Sweet potato – Butternut squash or pumpkin can replace the sweet potato. Both are higher in moisture, so drain them thoroughly before mashing and start with less flour.
• Ricotta – Cottage cheese blended smooth is the closest substitute. Cream cheese works but produces a denser, richer gnocchi.
• Sage – Try thyme or rosemary instead. Rosemary is more assertive, so use sparingly.
• Gruyère – Any melting cheese with flavor will work in a cheese sauce: fontina, comté, aged gouda, or white cheddar. Avoid mozzarella alone as it lacks the depth the sauce needs.
• Cream -Half-and-half produces a lighter sauce; whole milk works but the sauce will be thinner, but both will take more time to thicken.

How to Serve Sweet Potato Gnocchi

These gnocchi are rich enough to stand alone as a main course. If you want to add a vegetable alongside, a simple green salad or roasted broccolini with lemon are good counterpoints to the richness of the cheese sauce.

Storage Note

Fresh gnocchi are best cooked and eaten straight away; they don’t store well once shaped. If you want to prep ahead, make the dough, refrigerate it overnight, and shape and cook the gnocchi fresh the next day. The cheese sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheats gently on the stovetop with a small splash of cream to loosen it.

Other Gnocchi Recipes to Try

_{Updated 12.04.25}