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Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits {Dairy-Free Option}

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An easy gluten-free biscuits recipe made Southern style with buttermilk. Flaky and tender. With a dairy-free and Vegan option.

Gluten-Free Biscuits in a basket with a white and blue towel.

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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.

gluten-free biscuits recipe steps-1-4

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!

gluten-free biscuits recipe steps 5-8

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)

gluten-free biscuits recipe steps 9-12

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.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

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 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.

Pro Tip

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.

a gluten-free biscuit with honey being drizzled on it

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 the 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 used almond milk when baking the dairy-free version. I also really like baking with cashew and coconut milk.

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!

a gluten-free biscuits with a bite out of it to show the texture with biscuits in a basket in the background

Now my family can enjoy authentic Southern buttermilk gluten-free biscuits. I can’t tell you how happy my husband is.

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!

I’ve also turned my gluten-free buttermilk biscuits into Gluten-Free Cinnamon Biscuits {Dairy-Free Option}!

a gluten-free cinnamon roll biscuit with a bite out of it to show the texture and cinnamon biscuits in a cast iron pan behind it

Check out my other gluten-free breakfast recipes!

Gluten-Free Biscuits Pinterest pin

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★Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below in the comments!★

5 from 27 votes
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Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy Gluten-Free Biscuits recipe made Southern Style with buttermilk. Flaky and tender. With a dairy-free and Vegan option.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword gluten-free biscuits, gluten-free buttermilk biscuits
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 143 kcal
Author Audrey from Mama Knows Gluten Free

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)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450° F.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper.  PLEASE DO NOT ROLL OUT THE DOUGH.

  7. 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.

  8. 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. 

  9. 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.

  10. 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. 

  11. I like to brush melted butter on top of the warm biscuits. Serve warm and enjoy!

  12. The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container. They are best enjoyed warm. 

Recipe 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!"
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 143 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 270mg 11%
Potassium 133mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 3g
Protein 3g 6%
Vitamin A 4.6%
Calcium 8.3%
Iron 4.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I waited longer than necessary to write this review! These biscuits are so good! I followed the recipe exactly.. using Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour. Use her advice guys! Do not twist! I made one recipe using the twist and one using a mason jar and not twisting! They will rise almost double if you don’t twist! Literally takes 15 minutes to make this recipe! I won’t lie, they do taste gluten free but this is definitely my go to recipe when I’m craving biscuits! They are soft and flaky and satisfying! Delicious with sausage and gravy as well! Can’t wait to try the cinnamon roll biscuits!! Must try this recipe guys!!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. I hope you try and enjoy the cinnamon biscuits. Thanks again!

      Reply

  2. I am just baffled how this worked so well!?!!!! They are delicious! I used Trader Joe’s gluten free flour-worked great! Here is my question….for convenience purposes….could you make this dough, cut out biscuits and then freeze before you bake in oven? If yes, how would I adjust the cook time? Pre-gluten/dairy/egg free days I would buy Mama Ree’s frozen biscuits…so I thought perhaps I could make my own stockpile…any thoughts??? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Liz. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am happy to hear that Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour worked with the recipe. I have never tired their flour, I need to check it out! Yes, you can premake the biscuits and freeze them in freezer bags. I flash freeze them first for 30 minutes on a cookie sheet (so they won’t stick together) and then place them in the freezer bags. Just bake them at 450° for 15-20 minutes, but watch them. They may need to go longer depending on how hot your oven runs. Thanks again!

      Reply

  3. Fantastic. Used cup4cup, and it needed a lot less milk–should have started with 1/2 cup–so we ended up having to add more flour to have a dough instead of a batter (yikes!). My daughter was all doom and gloom since Audrey says that will toughen the biscuits, but I gotta tell you, they were still light, fluffy and delicious! I haven’t had such a good biscuit since I went gf. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Hi Katie. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits and they were light and fluffy. I know why you needed less milk with the Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, that blend already has milk powder in it. I am glad to hear that you were able to add more flour and have the biscuits still be light and fluffy. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!

      Reply

  4. A friend of mine made these last night for a meal we had, with gf sausage gravy….and let me tell you, if I hadn’t been in a room full of people, I would have cried!!! I am a southerner who can’t live without biscuits, and now I don’t have to! You did an amazing job with this recipe, I just can’t thank you enough!!

    Reply

    • Hi Amy thank you so much for the amazing 5-star recipe review! You just totally made my day! I totally understand, as my husband is a southerner and he missed biscuits so much. I worked really hard at getting his southern stamp of approval. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again for your kind words and for the awesome review!

      Reply

  5. I made these for several fiends that are gluten free as I am. One said that she was in hillbilly heaven. I have already made a second batch yesterday and my husband said he couldn’t tell they were gluten free (that was after eating a gluten loaded biscuit earlier that morning). Your recipe is amazing. I have not eaten a biscuit for over 8 years. I am now doing my happy dance every time I eat one. I am taking a couple of biscuits to another friend tonight so he can enjoy them.

    Reply

    • Hi Dorothy thank you so much for the wonderful recipe review! This makes my heart so happy to hear, you just totally made my night! I completely understand, my husband is a southerner and he really missed biscuits too. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!

      Reply

      • Love Love these biscuits !!! Just follow the directions and they turn out perfect. I have frozen a batch also but I prefer to thaw before baking instead of from frozen.

        Reply

        • Thank you so much Lenora for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. That’s a great tip to thaw the dough before you bake them if you froze a batch. Thanks again!

          Reply

  6. I have been gluten free for 25 years. Have been baking gluten free all along. This is the first biscuit recipe that doesn’t turn out like hockey pucks. They Schuylkill and taste like a real biscuit. Well done you!! My husband and I are very happy campers. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Connie for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! It really means a lot to me that you are an experienced gluten-free baker and enjoyed the biscuits. I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try. Thank you again!

      Reply

  7. Great GF biscuits!

    I like blending my own flours. In place of a cup-for-cup flour, I used 1 c. brown rice flour, 1/3 c. white rice flour, 1/3 c. millet flour, 1/3 c. corn starch, plus millet flour for dusting.

    I look forward to trying more of your recipes!

    Reply

    • Thank you Joshua for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I love that you make your own flour blend. I have not tired to make my own flour yet. Thank you so much for sharing what you used for your blend. I really need to try making my own flour blend. I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits! I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try. Thank you again!

      Reply

  8. I am excited to try these as an alternative to my White Cheddar Sage Biscuits. What would be a substitute for Vermont White Cheddar?

    Reply

  9. Loved them! I used Krusteaz Gluten free flour, homemade cashew milk and the vinegar, and Crisco for shortening. I also put the sugar in, but wonder if it is necessary. Baked for 17 minutes total. Thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Lp for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the biscuits. I’ve always added the sugar so, I’m not sure what leaving it out would change. I’ve made the recipe with both Crisco and Smart Balance butter for the dairy-free option. That’s awesome that you make your own cashew milk! I like baking with cashew, almond or coconut milk for a dairy-free option. You are so welcome I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!

      Reply

  10. I haven’t made these yet but will be making them tomorrow for sure. I am hesitant about the Pillsbury flour. I have three bags of the stuff but I tried making their bread recipe and it turned out horrible! I see though by the reviews for your biscuits that everyone loved them and I do love a good biscuit! Can’t wait till I try one.

    Reply

    • Hi Ruth! The Pillsbury gluten-free flour is my favorite and all of my recipes use it. My biscuits are one of my most popular recipes and I make them several times a week for my family. Just make sure to follow the directions closely, and they will turn out just like mine.😊 I have a bread recipe and dinner roll recipe that uses the Pillsbury gluten-free flour that you might want to try. I hope you enjoy the biscuits as much as my family and I do. Here are the links for the other bread recipes I have.
      https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/homemade-gluten-free-bread
      https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-dinner-rolls

      Reply

      • well I did try the biscuits today and wow….all I can say is wow. These are FANTASTIC!!! Finally a bread product that is wonderful while being gluten free. I couldn’t believe it when I took them out of the oven. They looked nice and light and high. So I tried one and they taste amazing! I even made a mistake and nearly forgot the egg and had to mix it in at the last minute so the dough got mixed more than it should have and they’re STILL light and fluffy. Only thing is the dough wasn’t sticky like you said. it was quite dry so I had to add about another tablespoon or 2 of milk. Thank you so very much. I’ve seen recipes where the recipe writer claimed the end product was delicious and it turned out not to be. These lived up to what you said and to my hopes and dreams for a good bread product. Now I can’t wait to try your bread. Oh they didn’t get very brown either but I can sure live with that.If I could I’d give these biscuits a rating of 10

        Reply

        • Thank you so much Ruth for the amazing 5-star (10 star) recipe review! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that you enjoyed the biscuits. Thank you so much for your kind words, it really blessed me, and you really made my day. I hope you enjoy the bread recipe as well. Thank you again!

          Reply

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