This indulgent and creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi is what fall comfort food dreams are made of. Featuring pillowy soft potato gnocchi simmered in a rich pumpkin pasta sauce, it’s the best dinner for chilly autumn evenings.
Want more savory pumpkin recipes? You’ll love my Pumpkin Pasta Sauce and Pumpkin Pasta Bake as well!
What could be better than gnocchi for dinner? These pillowy and puffy potato pasta “nuggets” are quick and easy to cook and only get better when they’re surrounded by creamy and indulgent sauces. That’s why I’m always making my Tuscan Vegan Gnocchi and Creamy Pesto Gnocchi for comforting weeknight dinners.
Vegan Pumpkin Gnocchi, on the other hand, is perfect for fall and winter meals. Potato gnocchi simmers in an aromatic coconut milk and sage-infused pumpkin sauce before stirring in a handful of kale or spinach for some sneaky nutrients. Every bite is bursting with comforting fall flavors!
What’s even better is that this pumpkin gnocchi recipe is quick and easy, made with a handful of simple ingredients, and comes together in one pan. It’s the ultimate winter or fall dinner that’s best eaten after a long, cold day.
How to make pumpkin gnocchi
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the gnocchi to the pan, along with the coconut milk, vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, dried sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
Bring the pumpkin cream sauce up to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
Stir the chopped kale/spinach into the pumpkin gnocchi and cook until the leaves wilt.
You’ll know the dish is ready to serve when the gnocchi is soft, but not mushy, and the sauce has thickened. Serve right away and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
I was initially surprised when I learned that a lot of gnocchi pasta is vegan-friendly. Most dried gnocchi is made with just two ingredients: riced potatoes and flour. Some recipes also contain eggs but they’re easy to leave out.
If you’re up for the challenge of making your own gnocchi, go for it! The recipe won’t be as quick and easy with the homemade version but the flavors will be upgraded. Try this recipe for Easy Homemade Vegan Gnocchi or this gluten free version to make it yourself.
If you have an aversion to coconut or don’t have coconut milk on hand, make a batch of cashew cream as a replacement. It’s thick and creamy, and won’t affect the flavor of the pumpkin sauce. Unsweetened non-dairy milk, like oat or soy milk, will also work but the sauce won’t be as creamy.
This is a rich and filling dish on its own but you can make it part of a well-rounded meal by serving it alongside fresh bread and vegetable-forward side dishes. For a crowd-pleasing dinner, serve the gnocchi with freshly baked focaccia, Caesar salad, and roasted brussels sprouts on the side.
And if you want to give this dish an elegant presentation, garnish each bowl with vegan parmesan, shredded vegan mozzarella, and/or crispy sage leaves.
The gnocchi is best served when it’s freshly cooked, but the leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen but the gnocchi will likely be mushy after it’s thawed.
Pumpkin Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces gnocchi
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- few shakes ground black pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed chopped kale or spinach
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant.
- Add the gnocchi to the pan, along with the coconut milk, broth, pumpkin puree, dried sage, thyme, salt and black pepper. Stir everything together, breaking up the gnocchi if they're stuck together.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the kale or spinach and cook until wilted. The gnocchi should be cooked through but not mushy, and the sauce thickened.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, and if needed it can be frozen, though the gnocchi will get quite mushy so it's best eaten fresh.
Video
Notes
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You could make your own homemade vegan pumpkin gnocchi instead of potato gnocchi, for an even more pumpkin dish!
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Optional: add 2-3 vegan sausages, sliced. Pan fry them in the olive oil before the garlic.
I have no idea how the pictures look so orange. This tastes and looks like I covered gnocchi in coconut milk and sprinkled some spinach on top. Proportion of pumpkin to coconut milk is waaaaayyyy off.
That’s odd; did you use coconut cream instead of milk by chance? As you can see in the video as well, it always turns out like the video (and photos), a creamy orange hue. I’m not sure what happened, but the sauce should certainly not just look like coconut milk on top of gnocchi.
Comfort food! So good and super easy. I used a bag of frozen California veggies instead of the spinach.
Hi Al. I agree, comfort food for sure! I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe and found it easy and delicious! I love that you used California veggies! It’s always fun to use a variety of veggies! Thank you for sharing your stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This was super easy and delicious! I added a little extra garlic and some smoked cedar seasoning, and some vegan sausage as well. Will definitely be making this again! Perfect easy fall recipe
Hi Cat. I’m thrilled that you loved the gnocchi recipe! Thank you for sharing your ideas and your fantastic feedback! Happy cooking!
I was looking for a way to use up Trader Joe’s pumpkin gnocchi and I stumbled across this recipe! It turned out BEAUTIFULLY, though I did make some changes.
First, I used 2/3 of the pumpkin can. Personal preference, I found the flavor could get overwhelming.
Second, I needed to add TONS of extra spices. I added heaping amounts of S&P, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, chili onion crunch, a dash of hot honey, Italian seasoning, etc. That was my personal preference !!
Everyone was very impressed with me even though the recipe was so quick and I will definitely make this again!! I love that the gnocchi cooks in the sauce. A beautiful one pot recipe.
Hi Felicity. I loved reading about your recipe experience and all your ingredient ideas! I love one pot recipes, and this is a warm and delicious one for sure! Thank you for your glowing review and feedback!
We made this tonight, and it was delicious! We would typically have everything in this recipe on hand, except for the spinach, but we did have some left from another recipe that needed to get used, so this was perfect. We also happened to have Trader Joe’s pumpkin gnocchi, so of course that is what we used. It was one of the easiest dishes we’ve ever made, and so very tasty – highly recommend!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Stacy! Thank you for your glowing review and feedback! I love easy and delicious! Wishing you happy cooking!
This was so creamy and tasted amazing! For protein I replaced the gnocchi with lentil pasta and added some tinned beans, it was perfect!
Thank you again, Gem, for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I freaking love this recipe! It’s such a crowd-pleaser for veggie and meat eaters. I happened to be out of garlic and had onion and I think I love the onion slightly more. But maybe next time I’ll add both!
Hi Kristina. I”m so glad you are loving the recipe! Onion & garlic are always wonderful together! Thanks for sharing your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking to you!
This is AMAZING!!! I’m not even the best cook and it turned out wonderfully. Saving to my recipe file 🙂
I love this recipe as well, Sarah. Easy and delicious! I’m thrilled it will be part of your meal rotation! Thanks for your fantastic review and feedback! Happy cooking!
This recipe is now in my regular rotation because it’s delish!! Didn’t change a thing and the flavours are simply awesome.
I’m so glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your awesome feedback and review! I’m thrilled this is on your meal rotation list! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I love this dish!
I like to add grilled onions, mushrooms, and trader Joe’s vegan sausage.
Thanks for all the GREAT recipes Nora.
They work as a perfect foundation and inspire me to get creative with Vegan cooking.
Much Appreciated
I basically doubled the liquids (2 cans of low fat coconut milk, 2 cups pumpkin puree, 1 cup broth) to turn it from a pasta sauce into a soup. It turned out very well!
Great idea, and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your great review and idea! Happy cooking!
I LOVE this recipe. It’s fantastic and came together so fast and easy. I did add fresh thyme and fresh sage(quite a bit) instead of dried and I added more Kale (baby kale). I also added some red pepper flakes because it felt like it just needed a little something else. I added sweet Italian chicken sausage. I crumbled the sausage in the oil and cook through then added the garlic and followed the rest of the recipe as is. I think next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I’m going to roast some fresh pumpkin and serve on top. I’m pumpkin crazy. I’m going to try this with cauliflower gnocchi too. I doubled the recipe to make a big pot that would last us a few days. I think for next time since I double this recipe I’ll substitute one of the full-fat coconut milk cans for a reduced fat can of coconut milk to get the fat and calories down a bit though it’s still not super high in calories the way it is. Thank you for sharing this recipe. My whole family loved it.
Hi Debra. Thank YOU for sharing your great review and cooking experience and ideas! I’m so glad that you loved the recipe! This is a meal that I think is even better on day 2! Wishing you lots of happy cooking.
I really enjoyed this, loved the silky sauce and was super-fast too! I did modify this, and for those wondering like I was, you use uncooked (not precooked) gnocchi! I didn’t have dried sage, so I fried some fresh sage in the oil along with the garlic. I used maybe 1/4 of the requested coconut milk, to reduce the fat content. I ended up having to use more than 2 cups of water to thin out the sauce over the course of cooking this dish.
So easy, fast, and delicious! I made cashew cream but otherwise followed the recipe exactly as written. My non-vegan husband loved it too! I can’t wait to make it again 🙂
Hi Kristi. I love that you found the recipe easy and delicious! Two of my goals! Thank you for your awesome feedback and review! Happy cooking to you!
Very satisfying & quick meal to put together. Creamy & delicious & we love pumpkin!
Our little dog sat next to the stove, watching me prepare this recipe & wagging his tail.
I bet he’s had pure pumpkin before 🎃 Thanks for this great recipe.
So easy to make and both my fiancé and I loved it! I’m a bit hesitant that the recipe made enough for 5 meals, so I recommend making extra if needed. It’s amazing regardless, and a great recipe to make in the fall season! Definitely recommend!