Is Gnocchi Gluten-Free And Vegan?

Gnocchi is a traditional and loved food all over the world, but is gnocchi gluten-free and vegan?

Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling, which is often confused with pasta. It’s technically not a pasta although the ingredients are very similar. Sadly, traditional gnocchi is neither vegan or gluten-free. Although both vegans and gluten-free can eat gnocchi if willing to put in the work. There are a few ways to prepare your own gnocchi that adhere to your diet, but don’t buy them. I don’t recommend that you purchase gnocchi from regular stores or restaurants as these are almost always with gluten and non-vegan ingredients. Although, there are a few methods to buy gnocchi that’s ready to be boiled.

So what exactly is gnocchi made out of? Why can’t vegans and gluten-free dieters eat this tradition food? There’s a few reasons for this, but also some ways to get your own gluten-free and vegan gnocchi.

---

What is Gnocchi?

Gnocchi is an Italian cuisine that consists of small soft dough balls. It’s often referred to as a potato pasta, as it’s very similar to pasta. Although gnocchi is not an actual pasta but rather a dumpling. The confusion is very understandable as both taste and ingredients are very similar. In fact, the only difference between the two’s ingredients is that gnocchi contains potatoes. Gnocchi is made with three simple ingredients. These are potatoes, flour, and eggs. So in conclusion, gnocchi is a dough dumpling that’s similar to pasta, but not quite.

Is Gnocchi Gluten-Free?

Gnocchi is a wildly popular food in many parts of the world. It has gained a lot of momentum in recent times, with many recipe bloggers taking them up. In fact, that’s why I’m writing this article! Although there are a few reasons, you might want to avoid them. Many people see significant benefits following a gluten-free diet, while others get stomach pains from gluten. So it’s imperative to avoid gluten for these people, which begs the question; is gnocchi vegan?

Traditional gnocchi is not vegan, as it’s made with flour. In this case, that means regular flour made from wheat. So that means that you need caution when purchasing gnocchi either at a restaurant or in a store. Since almost all of these contain gluten.

Although gnocchi can be vegan. The newly gained knowledge about the benefits of a gluten-free diet means that many gluten-free flours are available. This can be anything from almond flour to teff flour. So you can easily make your gluten-free gnocchi at home. Use any of these flours, as listed by Healthline.

However, buying gluten-free gnocchi is difficult, but not impossible. Read along to learn how you can buy gluten-free gnocchi ready to boil.

Is Gnocchi Vegan?

Many traditional foods are made using animal products. It was necessary to make many foods, as they couldn’t alter foods as we do today. Sadly, the same is true for gnocchi, but why is that?

Traditional gnocchi is not vegan because it contains eggs. Vegans cannot eat eggs as they come from an animal. Even though egg production doesn’t require animal death, it’s still considered non-vegan. Mainly because chickens are kept in confinement, and many harmful practices are used in the process.

However, vegans can make their own gnocchi at home. I have found multiple vegan recipes for gnocchi online, and some of them are quite good. So vegans can eat gnocchi, but it’s not the traditional kind. The difference being that vegan gnocchi is free from eggs. Although I don’t recommend buying gnocchi from restaurants or regular stores. These are almost always made with eggs. Either make it yourself or buy online. So where can you buy vegan gnocchi?

Buy Gluten-Free Gnocchi That’s Also Vegan

Regular stores are most likely not the place for you, although it highly depends on your options. Some stores could have it, while most don’t. However, I found that it’s actually quite easy to find gluten-free gnocchi options online. The same goes for vegan gnocchi options, although it’s much rarer. Massive online stores as Amazon have so many products, gluten-free gnocchi included.

An example of this is Le Veneziane Gnocchi. Have a look at this particular gluten-free gnocchi by clicking here. So this means that you can have gnocchi without making it yourself. That’s excellent if you want to try it, without the hassle of making it.

Is Gnocchi Vegetarian?

Vegetarianism is more of a diet than a lifestyle. It’s a diet that excludes everything from an actual animal. This means the meat and anything related, while eggs, milk and etc. is free game. So is Gnocchi vegetarian?

Yes, gnocchi is fully vegetarian. The traditional ingredients of gnocchi itself is entirely vegan, as it excludes meat. It contains eggs which are not vegan, but it’s completely vegetarian. Although there are a few things, you should be aware of.

Gnocchi dumplings are vegan, but the dish is often not. That’s because gnocchi usually comes with some kind of sauce, which could be non-vegetarian. So make sure that your gnocchi dish is free from meat at all times. Make sure it’s free from meat broth and anything related. You can safely eat gnocchi as a vegetarian if that’s the case.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Gnocchi is traditionally neither gluten-free or vegan, but luckily it can be. Although it requires a little effort, as you need to make it. It’s not that much of an issue though. Trust me, homemade gnocchi, tailored to your diet, can be amazing -and it’s not that hard. That being said, it’s possible to buy both vegan and gluten-free gnocchi, but do it online. There are much more options online that makes the process easier and more reliable.

Also Check Out: My 24 Favorite Vegan Chips