Sweet Potato Gnocchi Prep: Bake the Sweet Potatoes

Cooking the sweet potatoes in advance is one of the simplest ways to ensure your gnocchi turn out light, tender, and easy to work with. Freshly baked sweet potatoes hold a lot of steam, which adds extra moisture to the dough and can make it sticky or difficult to shape. Allowing them to cool completely (ideally overnight or at least for several hours) helps the potatoes dry out slightly, concentrate their flavor, and create a more consistent, workable dough. If you’re able, bake the sweet potatoes the night before or the morning of your date nite for the best results.