An easy gluten-free biscuits recipe made Southern style with buttermilk. Flaky and tender. The recipe has a dairy-free and Vegan option.
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Gluten-Free Biscuits
If you have been following my blog you probably already know that my husband is from the South- Knoxville, Tennesse to be exact. We spent many years living there and both of my oldest children were born there.
I adore Southern cooking. One of the main food groups in a Southern’s diet is buttermilk biscuits.
In the South, biscuits hold an honored place at your table, no matter which meal is being served. Biscuits are eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
One of the things my husband misses the most since we both went gluten-free is biscuits. For years I was able to buy a gluten-free drop biscuit mix that was pretty good and helped with his biscuit cravings.
Well, I can no longer find the Martha White’s gluten-free buttermilk biscuit mix. So it was time for me to get in the kitchen and work on a gluten-free Southern buttermilk biscuit recipe.
It’s taken me some time to perfect my gluten-free biscuit recipe and I am very excited to share it with you all!
How To Make Gluten-Free Biscuits- Step By Step
The first thing you are going to want to do is Preheat oven to 450° F. I know my oven takes forever to heat up and you want your oven to be nice and hot.
Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
If you do not have buttermilk you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also make buttermilk out of dairy-free milk.
In a large bowl add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it like the Pillsbury gluten-free flour) baking powder, salt, sugar, and give it a quick whisk or stir to combine the ingredients. (photo 1)
Cut in the butter (or Smart Balance or shortening for dairy-free) into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork into until it looks like the size of small peas. (photo 2 and 3)
Add in the buttermilk and the whisked egg (I whisk the egg right in the buttermilk) and stir until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky. (photo 4)
The key is to not over mix the dough because over-mixing causes the dough to yield tough biscuits. There is nothing is worse than a flat, tough biscuit!
Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. Please do not roll out the dough.
Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour. (photo 5)
Gently fold the dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time. (photo 6)
With your hands form a dough round that is about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with hard, flat biscuits. (photo 7)
Cut out 2-inch biscuits using a biscuit cutter, the mouth of a glass or the lid of a mason jar. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this will crimp the edges of the biscuit causing it not to rise well. (photo 8)
Reform the dough scraps into a dough round and cut out more biscuits.. ( photo 9 and 10)
Put the biscuits in a greased large cast iron pan or a greased baking sheet. You will have 12 biscuits to bake. (photo 11)
Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes at 450° F. At the 15-minute point please check your biscuits to see if they are golden brown. Please watch your biscuits because all ovens are different.
I like to brush melted butter on top of the warm biscuits. Serve warm and enjoy! (photo 12)
Pro Tip For Freezing The Biscuits
You can batch make the biscuits and save some for later. Flash freeze the cut biscuits (unbaked) for 30 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag and putting them back into the freezer. When you are ready to make your biscuits bake the frozen biscuits for 15-20 minutes at 450° F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
The Best Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour For Making Biscuits
These gluten-free biscuits are made with an all-purpose rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has xanthan gum it.
Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.
Make sure to check to see if the brand of gluten-free flour you are using has xanthan gum in it. If it already has xanthan gum in the blend, do not add any extra xanthan gum to the recipe or you will get gummy baked goods!
My favorite brand of gluten-free flour is Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
I test baked with the Pillsbury Gluten-Free, Betterbatter, Bob’s Red Mill Cup for Cup, and Great Value Gluten-Free Flour. The Bob’s Red Mill flour and the Great Value Flour has sorghum flour in it, which is different from the Pillsbury gluten-free flour.
The biscuits made with Bob’s Red Mill and Great Value Brand were not as fluffy and the dough was wetter. I have been also told by a reader that if you use King Arthur gluten-free flour you will need to reduce the amount of buttermilk to 1/2-3/4 cup. I have not personally tried this recipe with King Authur gluten-free flour.
I have not tried this recipe with either almond or coconut flour. These gluten-free biscuits should only be made with a gluten-free rice flour blend.
Almond flour does not have the same taste and texture of rice flour. Almond flour biscuits are also denser than biscuits made with rice flour. Gluten-free rice flour mimics the taste and texture of traditional wheat flour better than almond or coconut flour.
If you are looking for a biscuit recipe that is made with almond flour try Wholesome Yum’s Low Carb Paleo Almond Flour Biscuits recipe.
Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Friends, please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup.
There are so many ways to eat these tender and flaky gluten-free buttermilk biscuits. I love to drizzle them with honey or slather them with strawberry jam. I also like a savory sausage biscuit or a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit.
Dairy-Free Baking
I have also included a dairy-free option to this gluten-free biscuit recipe. My husband, myself and youngest son are all dairy-free as well. So now you too can enjoy a gluten-free and a dairy-free biscuit.
For this recipe, I tested it with both Smart Balance butter and shortening. I preferred the Smart Balance butter over the shortening.
I also used almond milk when baking the dairy-free version of this recipe. Almond milk is my preferred. dairy-free milk.
I also really like baking with cashew and coconut milk. If you need to be nut-free you could also use soy milk in this recipe.
Egg-Free Baking
Recipe updated December 2018
We recently found out that my husband has an egg sensitivity. My husband LOVES biscuits, so I knew that I had to try and make my biscuits egg-free.
I used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, which is also gluten-free. They turned out great! They were not as fluffy as my regular biscuits but they were just as flaky and delicious.
I made them both dairy-free and egg-free, so they would also be Vegan gluten-free biscuits. So if you also need to be egg-free or are Vegan you too can enjoy my gluten-free buttermilk biscuits!
Now my family can enjoy authentic Southern buttermilk gluten-free biscuits. I can’t tell you how happy my husband is.
I’ve also turned my gluten-free buttermilk biscuits into Gluten-Free Cinnamon Biscuits {Dairy-Free Option}!
Check out some of my other easy gluten-free breakfast recipes! Below are some of my reader’s favorites.
- Easy Gluten-Free Pancakes {Dairy-Free & Vegan Option}
- Easy Gluten-Free Blueberry Banana Muffins {Dairy-Free and Refined Sugar Free Option}
- Easy Gluten-Free Waffles {Dairy-Free & Vegan Option}
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones {Dairy-Free Option}
- Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Crumb Muffins {Dairy-Free Option}
These gluten-free biscuits are flaky on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside- which equals perfection in my book. They are easy to make from scratch, I promise!
★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below in the comments!★
Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum ,leave out if your flour already contains it
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk. Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to stay cold.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter dairy-free/Vegan use Smart Balance butter, shortening, or Earth Balance butter
- 1 egg (room temperature) egg-free/Vegan use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (I Like Pillsbury gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- In a large bowl add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and give it a quick whisk or stir to combine the ingredients. I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. If you do not have buttermilk make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold. You can also make buttermilk out of dairy-free milk.
- Cut in butter (or shortening for dairy-free) into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like the size of small peas.
- Add in the buttermilk and the whisked egg (or egg replacer) and stir until a soft dough forms. (I whisk the egg right in the buttermilk) The key is to not over mix because over-mixing causes the dough to yield tough biscuits. The dough will be sticky.
- Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. PLEASE DO NOT ROLL OUT THE DOUGH.
- Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time.
- With your hands form a dough round that is about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with hard, flat biscuits.
- Cut out 2-inch biscuits using a biscuit cutter, the mouth of a glass or the lid of a mason jar. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this will crimp the edges of the biscuit causing it not to rise well. Reform the dough scraps into a dough round and cut out more biscuits. Put the biscuits on a greased large cast iron pan or baking sheet. You will have 12 biscuits to bake.
- Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes at 450° F. At the 15-minute point please check your biscuits to see if they are golden brown. Please watch your biscuits because all ovens are different.
- I like to brush melted butter on top of the warm biscuits. Serve warm and enjoy!
- The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container. They are best enjoyed warm.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- I test baked with the Bob's Red Mill Cup for Cup, Great Value Gluten-Free Flour and Pillsbury Gluten-Free flour. The Bob's Red Mill flour and the Great Value Flour has sorghum flour in it, which is different from the Pillsbury gluten-free flour.
- The biscuits made with Bob's Red Mill and Great Value Brand were not as fluffy and the dough was wetter. I have also been told by a reader if you use King Arthur gluten-free flour you will need to reduce the amount of buttermilk to 1/2-3/4 cup. I have not personally tried this recipe with King Authur gluten-free flour.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Friends, please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup.
- For dairy-free option use Smart balance butter or shortening, almond, cashew or coconut milk.
- For egg-free use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. The egg-free biscuits were not as fluffy as the regular biscuits but were still flaky and delicious!
- If Vegan use egg replacer, shortening/Earth Balance butter, and dairy-free milk. The Vegan biscuits were not as fluffy as the regular biscuits but were still flaky and delicious!
- You can batch make the biscuits and save some for later. Flash freeze the cut biscuits (unbaked) for 30 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag and putting them back into the freezer. When you are ready to make your biscuits bake the frozen biscuits for 15-20 minutes at 450° F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
- I have the K&S Artisan Complete Pastry Cutter Set
- Mama says, "Check all of your labels!"
Lynn says
These biscuits are absolutely delicious! The double fold method is great to not over work the dough and your step by step instructions are perfect. And the picture showing not to have the biscuits touch in the pan helped me, as I normally have mine touching. They rise much better not touching. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Lynn for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and that you found the step by step instructions to be perfect. You really made my day. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
Shannon and Lori says
These biscuits are so light and fluffy! They are a staple in our house. I always have them in the freezer ready to bake! Best recipe for biscuits I ever made. Thank you!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Shannon and Lori for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that these are the best recipe you have made and they are so light and fluffy. You really made my day! I always keep a batch in the freezer too. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
Edith O says
I’ve always struggled with making homemade biscuits, but not with this recipe! They came out very tasty! I made these on Sunday, I use Bob’s 1 to 1 baking flour. The only thing was, that they came out a little crumbly, like they fell a little apart as I was slicing them. I’m new to GF baking so I was too scared the dough would be too runny lol, maybe I didn’t add enough Buttermilk? I will definitely try this recipe again! And can’t wait to try more of your GF recipes!!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Edith for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. When I test baked with Bob’s 1 to 1 flour the taste, texture, and rise was different than the biscuits I make with my preferred flour Pillsbury gluten-free. The Bob’s Red Mill has sorghum flour in the blend and I have found that it does not absorb liquid the same and dough was “wetter”. I wrote about this in the post. I highly recommend the Pillsbury gluten-free flour and I buy it from Walmart or order it online from Walmart for less than $5 for a 2 lb bag. I know you are new to gluten-free baking and I would love to help you enjoy the same biscuits I make for my family every week. I have had a lot of trial and error over the years and it really does make a difference on what brand of gluten-free flour you use, because they are all made differently. If you can’t find the Pillsbury I always recommend finding a flour with similar ingredients. If you are going to make them again with Bob’s, please make sure you still add the same amounts in the recipe. I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions. I am here to help! Thank you again.
Sandy Harris says
Excellent! My mother is GF so I made these for her but my husband and I couldn’t resist tasting them fresh out of the oven. They are delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Sandy for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed the biscuits. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again you really made my day!
Jewel Traver says
this is the best gf bread recipe I have tried. enjoy
Audrey says
Thank you so much Jewel for the awesome 5-star review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and that they are the best gluten-free bread recipe you have tired. You really made my day. Thanks again!
Vikki says
I made these last night thinking I was not going to like them as previous other recipes have left me disappointed. But, not these! My biscuits were flaky and buttery. I’ve already added this to my gluten free list of must makes. Thank you so much!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Vikki for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits, they were flaky and buttery, and these are now on your gluten-free list of must makes. You really made my day! You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Kristen Wood says
This is one thing I miss the most since going on a gluten-free diet. I’m definitely going to give this recipe a go!
Audrey says
These biscuits are my family’s favorite! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Thanks Kristen!
Marsha says
Excellent recipe! Mine turned out fluffy, light and flaky with Cup for Cup GF blend and cashew milk which is what I had in the fridge. This was a test run for a dinner party later this week to pair with corn chowder with butter poached crab and creme fraiche. I’m going to add finely grated cheddar to the biscuits. But this was also a test run for my sweet GF grandkids who LOVE biscuits! They will be thrilled.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Marsha for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and they were light and fluffy. I wish I was going to be at your dinner party, your corn chowder sounds amazing. I hope your grandkids love the biscuits as well. I have never tried the biscuits with cheddar cheese in them. Please let me know how the cheese biscuits turn out. Thank you again!
Colleen says
This is a great recipe for biscuits! I’m so excited because I haven’t had a real biscuit in so long and I have to be gluten free. My results were great and delicious. I am trying very hard not to eat more. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Colleen for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits, especially after not having one in a long time. You really made my day! You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Daddy Acorn says
I made these for my wife today along with some gluten free sausage gravy. I’m not gluten free myself and usually just have the GF alternative for her. These were by far the best GF biscuit/bread that I’ve had in the several years of trying various recipes as well as store bought and restaurant products. The biscuits and gravy were fantastic! I rarely make a recipe for the first time that I don’t tweak the next, but there is nothing to change here.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Daddy Acorn for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your wife enjoyed the biscuits and they are the best you have tried and they were fantastic. You really made my night! My family loves biscuits and sausage gravy too. Thank you again!
Keli from Oklahoma says
Best gluten free biscuit recipe and very easy to make. So thankful for the comparisons of other GF flour mixes and how to alter accordingly if using one of them. I used Pamela’s Artisan Flour, as it was the closest I had to the Pillsbury GF Flour. They were light, fluffy and very filling. Thank you for taking the time to post your recipe and share all your insight!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Keli for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits, that they were light, fluffy, filling and easy to make. Thank you for sharing which flour you used, as I know it will help others. I have not tried Pamela’s flour. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Kristina says
I have made this biscuit recipe twice this week. They are amazing and work great with Namaste gf flour blend. I followed the directions exactly with the exception of the brand of flour because this is what I had in hand.
Thank you for sharing!
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the awesome recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. You really made my day! Thank you for sharing what brand of flour you used, I know it will help others. I have never tried the Namaste brand before. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
Dawn Beachy says
I have tried for years to make a good and soft gluten free biscuit. They usually end up like a hard hockey puck! Until now….. I used this recipe for the first time tonight (with sausage gravy), and the biscuits were amazing!!! I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Mix. I mixed the flour and frozen butter cubes in my Ninja blender, and then baked biscuits in cast iron pan. Delicious!!!! Thank you. 🙂
Audrey says
Thank you so much Dawn for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and they were amazing. Thank you for sharing what flour you used and that you used your Ninja blender to mix the flour and butter together. I know it will help others. I always bake my biscuits in a cast iron pan too. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Dawn Beachy says
Amazing recipe!! The best GF biscuits I ever made! Thank you!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Dawn for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that these were the best gluten-free biscuits you have ever made. You really made my day! You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Harmonie Smith says
These are so good! I have been on a kick for the past year to recreate southern comfort items. Every biscuit recipe I’ve tried has failed. Not this one! I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour. These are not dry and have the right amount of crumble. The only thing I would probably tweak is to use salted butter instead of unsalted. I like my biscuits a little more salty. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Harmonie for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. Thank you for sharing that you used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour successfully in the recipe, as I know it will help others. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Beverly says
Love this recipe! Made some modifications:
*Used 2 cups… blend of GF King Arthur all purpose flour and GF Bisquick (1 box of each).
*1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup Crisco shortening.
*1 tablespoon psylliam husks.
I did not add the egg. Otherwise I followed recipe.
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. I glad that the recipe worked with your modifications, thank you for sharing your modifications. Thanks again!
Diane Arthurs says
Oh-my-word! These are better than regular biscuits for their light, moist texture. Thanks especially for the tips about not over mixing, over handling and cutting out each biscuit. I tried using half plain Greek yoghurt, half milk with a teaspoon of white vinegar combined instead of buttermilk. Worked just fine.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Diane for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and they were better than regular biscuits. You really made my day! I am so glad that you found my tips to be helpful and thank you for sharing your buttermilk substitution. Thank you again!
d falco says
I missed bread so much! In the past, gluten free baking left SO MUCH to be desired. But lady, you’ve changed my world with this recipe!! I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. Otherwise I stuck closely to your recipe. I used slightly more than 2 cups flour since it already had the xanthan gum in it. I used very cold butter like you said. I didn’t get over-zealous with cutting the butter in. I didn’t roll them. I tenderly patted the dough and folded it like you said. I brushed them with butter. I cooked those precious biscuits at 450. All just as you said, though I’d “never done it that way before.” And THEY ARE AMAZING!! Thank you so much for the time and effort you put in on perfecting your recipe and posting for us all. Now, what’s that about a cookbook you’ve written?! Checking it out!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Donna for the awesome 5-star recipe review! Your comments really made my heart happy! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and that they were amazing. You really made my day! You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. I am super excited about the release of my cookbook on 10/29, thank you for checking it out and thanks again for taking the time to for the amazing recipe review!
Debbie Klein says
I used your biscuit recipe to make chicken pot pie and served it to my family. The biscuits were the best I’ve had in the 32 years I’ve been eating gluten free! Four of the five adults enjoying the meal were not Celiacs and commented repeatedly at how delicious the biscuits were.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Debbie for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed the biscuits. You really made my day saying that they were the best you have had in 32 years of eating gluten-free! Thank you again!
Lisa P says
Wow! I am so happy I found this recipe. I’ve been missing good biscuits ever since I was diagnosed. Most gf biscuit recipes yield rock hard lumps or super crumbly messes, but these are perfect! I made them yesterday and sat and ate two of them right out of the oven. I can’t wait to make them for my sister on Thanksgiving!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Lisa for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and that they were perfect. I hope your sister enjoys the biscuits on Thanksgiving. Thanks again!