Are you ready to make homemade vegan black gnocchi? This easy recipe takes about 30 minutes. Despite the color, there’s no squid ink—food-grade charcoal powder gives the gnocchi its dramatic black hue. The recipe is plant-based, oil-free, and can be made gluten-free, making it a comforting, fun option for weeknight dinners or a spooky Halloween meal.
I first fell in love with fresh gnocchi as a vegetarian — potatoes dressed in pesto or tomato sauce quickly became a revelation. Gnocchi is a versatile dumpling made from potatoes and flour that can be served as a main course, in soup, or baked in sauce for an easy one-dish meal.
This version uses simple ingredients: cooked and mashed peeled potatoes, a flour of your choice (gluten-free blend, wheat, oat, or other), salt, and optional food-grade charcoal powder to achieve the black color. If you prefer traditional white gnocchi, simply omit the charcoal and use a bit more flour.
Why color it black?
Squid ink pasta and gnocchi are popular for their striking appearance and subtle briny flavor, but squid ink is not vegan. Food-grade charcoal powder creates the same dramatic color without changing the neutral potato flavor, so it’s ideal for vegan and Halloween-themed dishes. I’ve also used charcoal in a Halloween potato chip seasoning blend.
Coloring gnocchi black serves two purposes: keeping the dish vegan and creating a fun, spooky presentation perfect for Halloween or a Gothic dinner party. If you don’t want black, you can easily make other colors.
Can I make gnocchi in different colors?
Yes. Replace the charcoal with dry powdered vegetables (carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, or greens) or use purple or red-fleshed potatoes to change the dough’s color. Note that some colored potatoes only have colored skins and won’t tint the dough—cut one open to check. You can also add a few drops of food coloring if desired.
What is gnocchi?
Gnocchi are small potato dumplings typically made from mashed potatoes and flour. They can be served with sauces, added to soups, or baked in a casserole. For this recipe, the gnocchi are shaped with cookie cutters and baked directly in tomato sauce to preserve the shapes and simplify the process by skipping the boiling step.
Why use squid ink in pasta or gnocchi?
Squid ink is traditionally used for its deep color and subtle oceanic umami. To keep a dish vegan while maintaining the dramatic look, food-grade charcoal provides the same visual impact without altering the mild potato flavor. If you want a hint of brininess in a vegan version, try adding a splash of olive brine or a pinch of ground seaweed.
Is gnocchi vegan friendly?
Some store-bought gnocchi are accidentally vegan, but traditional recipes often include eggs and sometimes cheese. If you’re buying prepared gnocchi or ordering it at a restaurant, check labels and ask about ingredients. This recipe is intentionally vegan.
Is all gnocchi gluten-free?
No. Many gnocchi recipes use wheat flour. However, you can find gluten-free gnocchi in stores or make your own using a gluten-free flour blend, oat flour, or rice flour. Adjust the flour quantity according to the flour’s texture so the dough remains workable.
What flour should I use?
Gnocchi works with all-purpose wheat flour, a gluten-free baking blend, whole wheat, oat flour, or rice flour. Different flours absorb moisture differently, so you may need to vary the amount. Aim for a dough that holds together but stays soft and pliable.
What’s in this gluten-free vegan gnocchi recipe?
Key ingredients are cooked, peeled potatoes; a flour of your choice (I used a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, but oat flour works well too); salt; and optional food-grade charcoal powder to color the dough. Tomato pasta sauce is used for baking the gnocchi, and optional vegan cheese can be added before baking.
How to make gnocchi
Make the dough
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, then boil until tender. Drain thoroughly so the mashed potatoes aren’t waterlogged. Transfer the cooked potatoes to a large bowl and mash to a creamy, but not gummy, texture. Add 1/2 cup of flour and the salt, then mix with your hands, adding the remaining flour in 1/2-cup increments until the dough forms a smooth, moldable ball. If you want black gnocchi, incorporate the food-grade charcoal with the flour.
Rolling and cutting
Flour a large cutting board and turn out half the dough. Pat it flat to about 1/3 inch thick, then cut shapes using small cookie cutters for a festive look. Use a dough scraper or thin spatula to transfer the cut shapes to a baking dish layered with sauce. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Boiling or not
Boiling is the usual method for gnocchi, but boiling delicate cookie-cutter shapes can blur or destroy them. For this recipe, the cut gnocchi are baked in tomato sauce, which preserves shapes and saves time. Preheat the oven to 350°F, spread a thick layer of sauce in a casserole dish, arrange the uncooked gnocchi on top, and place the dish on a baking tray for easier handling.
Tips
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly to avoid a wet, sticky dough.
- Mash rather than purée the potatoes; puréeing can make the dough gummy.
- Dip cookie cutters in flour for white gnocchi; for black gnocchi, dust cutters with a little charcoal powder to keep shapes uniformly colored.
What to serve with black gnocchi
A crisp green salad is an excellent pairing; for a Halloween touch, use pumpkin-shaped cutters on carrots or orange peppers. Steamed vegetables tossed with nutritional yeast and a splash of balsamic are also great sides. Finish the bake with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan if desired.
Make ahead and freezing
You can prepare the dough and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Alternatively, cut the gnocchi and freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet; once frozen, transfer them to a resealable bag or container to preserve shapes.
How to serve vegan Halloween gnocchi
Layer tomato sauce in a casserole dish, place the shaped gnocchi on top, sprinkle with vegan cheese if you like, and bake until the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Serve straight from the dish so everyone can enjoy the presentation. Any sauce works — marinara, creamy vegan sauces, pesto, or a vegan cheese sauce — so use your favorite.
More vegan pasta ideas
If you enjoy making pasta at home, try gluten-free quinoa noodles, simple homemade vegan pasta, or a quick one-pot vegetable vodka sauce. Hearty sauces like lentil-quinoa bolognese or a meatless sausage and mushroom ragu also pair beautifully with gnocchi.
Vegan Gnocchi Colored Black with Charcoal – No Squid Ink!
Kathy Hester
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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rectangle casserole dish
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potato masher or potato ricer
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Halloween cookie cutters or other cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 2 large russet Idaho® potatoes or try purple Idaho® potatoes for a fun color!
- 1½ cups gluten-free baking blend wheat flour, or oat flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons food-grade charcoal optional
- Tomato pasta sauce jarred or homemade
Instructions
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Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Boil until tender, and drain well in a colander.
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Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash well.
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Add in ½ cup of flour and salt. Mix well with your hands, adding the other 1 cup of flour a ½ cup at a time.
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Flour a large cutting board and turn out half the dough. Pat flat, about ⅓˝ thick.
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Cut out festive and spooky shapes with small cookie cutters. Repeat until all dough is used.
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Spread a thick layer of tomato pasta sauce in a large casserole dish, place gnocchi on top, then add a sprinkle of vegan cheese if you want.
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Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble.
Notes
Nutrition