How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe (2024)

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A Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe made easy thanks to simple ingredients for a soft, flakey, and buttery taste. Prepare them ahead of time for dinner, or serve them fresh for breakfast or holiday brunch! Egg free option.

How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe (1)

Why You’ll Love Gluten Free Biscuits

If you didn’t already know, I’m originally from Texas, and that means I grew up eating all kinds of really good foods. As a result, although I’ve traveled and lived all over the world, I often still find myself craving some of the traditional comfort food recipes from home such as mac and cheese, Creamy Sweet Corn Cauliflower Grits, and One Pot Shrimp Jambalaya Lentil Bowls. No matter what season I’m in or what occasion I’m cooking for, these meals always hit the spot! Not to mention, they’re always a hit with guests, too!

However, I noticed that while I have created lots of main dish recipes inspired by the Southern comfort foods I love, I don’t have a ton of side dishes or appetizers. So, obviously, that had to change as soon as possible, especially with the holiday season rolling around! Wasting no time, I got in the kitchen to create a gluten free biscuit recipe!

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After many rounds of testing, I’m happy to say that these gluten free buttermilk biscuits are soft, fluffy, and made with simple ingredients for the best allergy-friendly addition to breakfasts, dinners, holiday brunches, and more! Keep reading to find everything you need to know to create your own.

Are Biscuits Gluten Free?

Traditional biscuit recipes are made with whole wheat or regular flour, both of which contain gluten. However, this recipe includes all-purpose gluten free flour instead, making a completely gluten free biscuits recipe!

What Are Gluten Free Biscuits Made Of?

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Unlike other options, this gluten free biscuit recipe is very similar to traditional biscuit recipes, making it super easy to create! In fact, you likely already have everything you need waiting for you in your kitchen. All we did was make a few simple swaps using gluten free flour, xanthan gum, eggs, butter, buttermilk, and a few pantry staples!

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Foodie Swap: For an egg-free biscuit, skip the egg, and mix ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar in with the dry flour.

So what’s the key ingredient for flavorful biscuits? Buttermilk!

Buttermilk is a slightly thicker milk that has been soured, which allows the proteins to curdle. As a result, buttermilk is lower in fat than traditional milk or cream. However, it’s a crucial ingredient to baked goods! When baking soda is combined with the lactic acids in buttermilk, the acid neutralizes the metallic taste that can sometimes occur with baking soda. It also gives the bread a nice tang!

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Nutrition Tip: Did you know you can make your own buttermilk? Dairy free option too! If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by combining 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk (or dairy-free milk), and let it stand in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

Can Buttermilk Biscuits be Made Vegan?

Yes, they will still be delicious! However vegan gluten free biscuits will have a slightly different taste and texture than the original recipe due to the ingredient swaps. For instance, plant-based butters do not grate as easily into the dough as dairy-based butters. Therefore, vegan biscuits won’t be quite as flaky. For the best results, I recommend using a plant-based buttermilk made with coconut milk and a soy-free plant-based butter.

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Baking Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Flakey Biscuit

In all honesty, this recipe couldn’t get much easier. However, we’ve tested it out too many times to count to make sure you get the best gluten free biscuits ever. As a result, we decided to share a few of our best baking tips! These pointers will get you started, but don’t forget to take a look at the directions below for the full recipe!

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How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe (9)
  1. Grate the Butter. The secret to creating the flakiest biscuits ever is to grate the butter into the dough!

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Baking Tip: The easiest way to grate butter is by freezing it solid and using a cheese grater to grate it into pieces. Then, the butter stays cold while you’re preparing the biscuits and melts into the dough as they bake for irresistible texture and flavor!

  1. Measure Carefully. Make sure to measure the flour carefully for these biscuits. Using too much will make them too dense!
  2. Don’t Overmix! Mix the dough ingredients until they are just-combined. Overmixing will cause it to become tough.
  3. Freeze the Butter. For extra flakey gluten free biscuits, freeze the butter, and use a cheese grater to grate it into the flour.
  4. Coat the Dough in Flour. To prevent the dough from sticking to the table, your hands, or itself, coat it in flour when cutting the biscuits.
  5. Prevent Waste. If you have leftover dough scraps, piece them together and roll them out to form more biscuits and reduce the amount of dough wasted.
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Storage & Preparation

These gluten free buttermilk biscuits are best served warm and fresh. However, if you want to make them ahead of time, there are several ways to prepare and serve them!

Room Temperature: Keep leftover gluten free biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Fridge: For longer-lasting results, place your biscuits in an airtight container or sealable bag, and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Freezer: To store biscuits, first make sure they are completely cool. Then, wrap them in foil, place them in an airtight container, and keep them in the freezer for 2-3 months.

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Meal Prep Tip: Freeze the dough for quick, warm biscuits whenever you need them! To do so, flash freeze the prepared dough by placing the cut biscuits on a baking sheet, and placing them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Then, place them in a sealable freezer bag, and store them in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake them, place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

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A Few of Our Favorite

Serving Suggestions

This gluten free biscuit recipe is delicious all by itself topped with melted butter, warm honey, jam, or homemade nut butter. However, it also forms a great base for many delicious meals including:

  • As a side with sausage
  • For biscuits and gravy
  • Layered on breakfast sandwiches

Print

How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe (19)

How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuits Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 79 biscuits 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

These gluten free biscuits are fluffy, flaky, and delicious for an allergy-friendly addition to your favorite breakfasts, casseroles, and more!

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 2 ⅓ cups all purpose gluten free flour (290 – 300 g) *
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum (See notes)
  • 2 teaspoons raw sugar or honey
  • 6 Tablespoons cold butter *
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk plus extra for brushing
  • 1 large egg (See notes for egg-free option)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and sugar.
  2. Grate the cold butter into the flour, and using two hands, gently combine the batter.
  3. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Whisk the egg into 1 cup (240ml) of buttermilk. Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the well of dry flour.
  4. Fold everything together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough!
  5. Place the dough on a floured work surface or parchment paper. The dough will be sticky at first but should come together with the added flour.
  6. With well-floured hands, gently form the dough into a ball. *Note, depending on the brand of flour you use, you may need to work more flour into dough in order to roll into a ball . Dust the top of the dough with a tablespoon of flour, and gently roll it out into a rectangle about 7 inches wide.
  7. Cut the dough horizontally into 3 even sections. Stack each section on top of the other. Firmly press the sections together. Repeat the process by cutting, stacking, and pressing the dough together once more.
  8. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ½″ thick.
  9. Using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits.*
  10. Place the biscuits onto a lined baking sheet, cover them with cling film, and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  11. Once the dough has chilled, place the biscuits on the baking sheet slightly touching each other.
  12. Brush the tops of the biscuits with extra buttermilk or whisked egg.
  13. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes at 425° Fahrenheit. Check their progress at 15-minutes to see if the biscuits are rising and golden. Baking times vary depending on the type of oven being used.
  14. Serve warm or store in an airtight container for later.

Notes

  • For egg free biscuits skip adding the egg, and mix ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar in with the dry flour batter instead.
  • If your flour doesn’t already include xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon vs ⅛ teaspoon.
  • Extra flakey Tip! Freeze the butter, and use a cheese grater to grate the butter into the flour.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • chill time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Category: breads
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 biscuit
  • Calories: 243
  • Sugar: 2.6 g
  • Sodium: 333.9 mg
  • Fat: 10.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Fiber: 4.4 g
  • Protein: 5.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 70.6 mg

That’s it, y’all! In my opinion, these gluten free biscuits are the perfect addition to holiday dinners, weekend breakfasts, and more! If you make them, I would love it if you let me know how it went and how you used them in the comments below!

Cheers,

LC

How to Make the Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best gluten free flour for baking biscuits? ›

WHICH GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND WORKS WELL FOR BISCUITS? We have tested this recipe with Cup 4 Cup flour blend, Grandpa's Kitchen, Better Batter, King Arthur All Purpose Gluten Free Blend, and Bob's Red Mill 1:1. Cup4Cup yielded the best results with Better Batter coming in at a close second.

Why won't my gluten free biscuits rise? ›

Moisture content: If you have too much or too little liquid, then your biscuits will either not rise or be very dense. You want a sticky dough that holds its shape when pressed. Sour cream with just a bit of extra milk provides the perfect moisture for gluten free biscuits!

How much xanthan gum for gluten free biscuits? ›

If your gluten free flour blend does contain xanthan gum:

Cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies: you don't need to add more. Pastry (like flaky pie crust and similar, where slightly more elasticity is required): 1/4 teaspoon per 120g of gluten free flour blend (per about 1 cup)

What does gluten free flour do to biscuits? ›

Adding sorghum or tapioca flour to a blend increases softness and absorbency, which is ideal for lighter cakes and pastries. Gluten-free oats and oat flours add texture, which works well in biscuits and breakfast muffins.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

What to avoid for gluten-free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:
  • Wheat.
  • Semolina.
  • Spelt.
  • Durum.
  • Emmer.
  • Einkorn.
  • Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
  • Barley.
Mar 29, 2021

What is the secret to getting gluten-free bread to rise? ›

An easy way to create a good environment for gluten-free bread to rise is to turn your oven to 200 F; when it reaches this temperature, turn off the oven and place a shallow baking pan partially filled with hot water on one of the shelves.

How do you make gluten-free flour rise better? ›

Extra Leavening: Sometimes you may find that adding a bit more baking powder will help, when converting a recipe to gluten free.

Will yeast work with gluten-free flour? ›

The best type of yeast to use when making Gluten Free bread is the kind we use at Mom's Place—it comes in little pre-measured packets—it's Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast.

What happens if you don't use xanthan gum with gluten free flour? ›

Xanthan Gum adds thickness and viscosity to gluten-free breads and other baked goods. Without xanthan gum, your gluten-free baked goods would be dry, crumbly and flat. Because xanthan gum is gluten-free and vegan, it's the preferred thickener for those home bakers with food allergies.

What to use instead of xanthan gum? ›

9 Substitutes for Xanthan Gum
  • Psyllium husk. Psyllium husk is made from the husks of Plantago ovata seeds and is sold ground for baking purposes. ...
  • Chia seeds and water. When soaked, chia seeds form a gel much like xanthan gum. ...
  • Ground flax seeds and water. ...
  • Cornstarch. ...
  • Unflavored gelatin. ...
  • Egg whites. ...
  • Agar agar. ...
  • Guar gum.
May 13, 2020

What are the side effects of xanthan gum? ›

Xanthan gum is safe when up to 15 grams per day are taken. It can cause some side effects such as intestinal gas (flatulence) and bloating. People who are exposed to xanthan gum powder might experience flu-like symptoms, nose and throat irritation, and lung problems.

Which gluten-free flour is best for baking? ›

Best Overall: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

This mix, which has all recognizable ingredients (including sweet white rice flour, which is the main ingredient in mochi, a nice light, powdery, starchy flour that doubles as a binder), worked well in all three of our tests.

Do gluten free biscuits taste different? ›

Baking with gluten-free flour will produce some slight differences in taste or texture. Millet flour tends to have a mild flavor while buckwheat flour lends itself to a more earthy taste.

How to make gluten-free taste better? ›

Most gluten-free flours will have a unique taste, which can be hard to get used to eating. That's why we recommend adding extra vanilla. Adding more vanilla or other spices/flavorings will help cover these unfamiliar flavors.

What gluten-free flour is best for dough? ›

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

What gluten-free flour is closest to regular flour? ›

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

What gluten-free flour thickens best? ›

Tapioca flour: ideal as thickener or for healthy baking.

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