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Looking for an adorable fall dinner? You have to try these super cute pumpkin shaped gnocchi! Fresh pumpkin gnocchi shaped into little mini pumpkins and served swimming in sauce. This is peak fall!
Are you looking for the PERFECT fall recipe?
You will LOVE these super adorable pumpkin shaped gnocchi!
I first saw these beauties on TikTok so I took my favorite pumpkin gnocchi recipe and turned them into cute adorable pumpkins.
So while the pumpkin gnocchi are adorable they are also super delicious.
Made with pumpkin puree, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and just a touch of sweet fragrant nutmeg.
Trust me, your whole family will go crazy over these cute little edible pumpkins!
Looking for even more delicious gnocchi recipes? Try my Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts, Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Gnocchi, or my Chorizo Roasted Red Pepper Spinach Gnocchi.
Table of Contents
- What is gnocchi?
- Ingredients needed to make pumpkin shaped gnocchi:
- How do I shape my gnocchi into pumpkins?
- Can I make this pumpkin gnocchi in advance?
- What do I serve with pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
- Any tips on making these pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
- How do I store leftovers?
- Love the pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
- Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi Recipe
What is gnocchi?
Traditionally speaking gnocchi is made with potato, flour, and egg and shaped into little soft dumplings.
However, for this recipe, I made ricotta gnocchi which does not include the addition of potato.
Don’t worry though – the dumplings still come out tender and delicious!
I also added pumpkin puree to this recipe to give it a festive fall twist.
Ingredients needed to make pumpkin shaped gnocchi:
- Pumpkin puree – This is a fun fall edition that brings in lots of flavor and color.
- All-purpose flour – This helps bind all the ingredients together.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – A sharp salty cheese that brings in a bite of flavor.
- Ricotta cheese – This helps keep the dough moist and brings in flavor and texture.
- Large egg – It brings richness and helps hold the dumplings together.
- Kosher salt – Everything needs kosher salt!
- Black pepper – Just a hint of flavor and spice.
- Nutmeg – A simple delicious spice that brings in fall flavor.
- Whole cloves – This is used as the cute little stems of the pumpkin gnocchi.
- Toothpicks OR food-safe string – This will help shape the little gnocchi into pumpkins.
How do I shape my gnocchi into pumpkins?
For this recipe, you can use either toothpicks or food-safe string to shape your little pumpkins.
First, you’ll want to roll your gnocchi into 1 tablespoon-sized ball and then either use string to make creases (like in the above photo) or use a toothpick to make the pumpkin lines along the side.
Then gently push down on the ball to create a little squat pumpkin.
Can I make this pumpkin gnocchi in advance?
Yes! You can make them in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
What do I serve with pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
You can serve them in red sauce (like in the photos) or serve them swimming in Alfredo sauce.
They are delicious any way you decide to serve them up!
A great option would be to use the sauce from my Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts for this pumpkin gnocchi. Another great option is the creamy sauce from my Cajun Shrimp Alfredo.
Any tips on making these pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
- Have fun!
- Don’t stress out too much about making these pumpkin shaped gnocchi perfect. Just like in real life no pumpkin is ever identical. Just have fun!
- Don’t overmix the dough
- Keep the gnocchi nice and light by not mixing the dough too much. Once it comes together and looks smooth it’s ready to use!
- Make sure to strain the pumpkin!
- This helps remove any extra moisture in the pumpkin and keeps the dough from being too watery. However, if the dough is having a hard time coming together and seems sticky just add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together.
How do I store leftovers?
You’ll want to store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Eat any leftovers within 3 days.
Love the pumpkin shaped gnocchi?
Why not try a few of my other delicious savory pumpkin recipes?
- Want a warm and hearty soup? Try my Instant Pot Pumpkin Beef Stew.
- Craving pasta? Try my Creamy Pumpkin Baked Ziti.
- Love creamy soup? Try my Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup.
- Hoping to keep things vegan? Try my Vegan Red Curry Pumpkin Noodle Soup.
- Need a hearty fall tomato sauce? Try my Spicy Sausage Pumpkin Pasta Sauce.
Pumpkin Shaped Gnocchi
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pumpkin puree
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Whole cloves, to help mimic pumpkin stems
- Toothpicks or food safe string, for shaping
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, kosher salt, black pepper, and grated nutmeg.
- Add the flour to the wet mixture, one cup at a time, until a soft but pliable dough forms. If the dough is too wet or stick, add additional flour as needed 1/4 cup at a time.
- Sprinkle a little flour on a clean countertop or cutting board.
- Take one tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough between your palms to create a ball shape, set the ball onto your floured surface. Repeat this until all the dough has been rolled.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, season the water with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Using the side of a toothpick or a piece of string to create pumpkin markings on each dough ball, then very gently press down the top just a bit to make the ball a little more squat in shape.
- Once all of the gnocchi are shaped and the water is boiling, carefully slide them into the pot of water.
- Let the gnocchi boil until they begin to float, once they are floating give them another minute or two then take them out of the water.
- Place a whole clove into the top of each gnocchi to look like a pumpkin stem.
- Serve gnocchi with your favorite sauce! It is recommended to remove the clove before eating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these with my daughter last night omg they turned out so so cute. And delicious too!
These are so adorable! What a cute fall recipe!
Made these the other night. I strained the pumpkin puree for 15 minutes beforehand, but the dough was still incredibly sticky and required over twice as much flour as recommended in order to be manageable. This made the gnocchi much more dense than they were probably supposed to be, and they didn’t float to the top when cooked. I left them in the boiling water for 4-5 minutes which seemed more than enough time to cook them through. They tasted delicious with a creamy spinach sauce and were almost too cute to eat!
Made this today for my mom and brother! Turned out great but my gnocchi was a bit doughy, is there anything I can do to prevent this for next time? Thanks so much!