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 (or dairy-free 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, King Arthur, Pamela’s, and Great Value Gluten-Free Flour. The Bob’s Red Mill flour, King Arthur, Pamela’s and the Great Value Flour have sorghum flour in it, which is different from the Pillsbury gluten-free flour.
The biscuits made with Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur, Pamela’s and Great Value Brand were not as fluffy and the dough was wetter. If you use the King Authur measure or measure you will need to add more flour to the biscuit dough, so you will need 2 ½ cups of their 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.
To make dairy-free buttermilk add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of dairy-free milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold.
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 Gluten-Free 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.
- ½ 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 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. Dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk and add the vinegar to make dairy-free buttermilk.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter dairy-free/Vegan use Smart Balance butter, shortening, or Earth Balance butter
- 1 large egg 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, King Arthur, Pamela's, Better Batter and Pillsbury Gluten-Free flour. The Bob's Red Mill flour, the Great Value Flour, King Arthur and Pamela's has sorghum flour in it, which is different from the Pillsbury gluten-free flour.
- The biscuits made with Bob's Red Mill, Great Value Brand, King Arthur, and Pamela's were not as fluffy and the dough was wetter. If you use any of the above gluten-free flour you will need to add ½ cup more flour to the recipe. So you will need 2 ½ cup of 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 Gluten-Free 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!"
Arlene Phillips says
I’ve made these three times in as many days. there’s no reason I should be eating this many biscuits. I’ve been sharing them, sharing the recipe, and making sandwiches, eating them with butter, freezing them…these are so much like “regular” biscuits that my non-GF wife eats them, too. WHEW AMAZING! I don’t have a picture because I eat them so fast. I have been making them square because I like that shape better for sandwiches, but no matter…either way is amazing.
Karen says
These are the best gluten free biscuits I have ever eaten. My husband and I love them very much. I will definitely be making them again 🤤❤.
Anna Reeder says
I was very pleasantly surprised with these biscuits! I did have to add about a half a cup extra of my gf flour blend and was terrified that I had ruined them at first, but they came out pretty good. we baked them for about 18 minutes, but should have taken them out a couple minutes sooner as they came out just a tad bit too dry. Lesson learned! Thank you so much! I will be making these again. I missed buttermilk biscuits so much!
Barbara Barnhill says
Thank you Audrey! These were fantastic! I added an extra tablespoon of sugar and after the butter on top, also put a sprinkling of sugar. I used these for strawberry shortcake. I will make these again for savory purposes without the added sugar for sure!!
Vernisia says
good morning, I will say that this recipe is a success and I am so happy I can have breakfast sandwiches again and no abdominal discomfort! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I used the King Author gf flour added the additional 1/2 flour, I also used buttermilk from when I made butter so it didn’t go to waste. I love this! Thank You Thank You!!!!
Jen says
These are so tender and flaky! I froze my second batch because I ate the whole first batch in one day! I have bought your cookbook Audrey and I am enjoying it very much ♥ thank you for creating such delicious GF recipes and sharing them with the world!
Jen says
So tender and flaky! I froze the second batch because I ate the whole first batch in one day! They bake better when fresh, but taste the same both ways. I have bought your cookbook, Audrey! Thank you so much for creating these wonderful GF recipes and sharing them with the world!!! ♥
Gena says
You nailed that!!!!!!
Deidre says
I doubled this recipe and shared with a large group, and the people who are not gluten free commented how fluffy and delicious these were. Everyone loved them! I used Trader Joe’s gluten free flour and they came out great. I did have to add extra as mentioned about sorghum flour. Thank you for such a detailed recipe with great results!
Marcis says
use this recipe to make a gf biscuit crust for a breakfast pizza. family can’t get enough. it is so good. my wife is gf so I frequent this website to try and make homemade gf goodies. thank you for sharing all of your hard work developing recipes.
Sue says
I just pulled these out of the oven. oh my! delicious!!! they are soft, flaky, and airy. I used 1 cup king arthur flour and 1 cup Anson mills flour. it’s been 8 years since I’ve had a biscuit. amazing!!
Laura Migliore says
My sons children are gluten and dairy free. I have been cooking and baking for many years. Baking gluten free has been a challenge. I had pretty much mastered cookies and cake, but biscuits, yeast breads, pie crust etc were difficult. This biscuit looked so good, so yesterday I made these, actually got 13 biscuits, so I froze 12 for them and baked one off for me. I had it hot out of the oven with butter and raspberry preserves. I was amazed how good they were. I told my daughter in law, she could also use them to top a casserole or simply have sausage biscuits for breakfast . I did have to use almond milk for them, and it worked well with the white vinegar. I had king arthur gluten free flour, that one did not contain sorghum, so I used the 2 cups listed in the recipe. I told myself that if they tasted as good as they looked I was going to get your cookbook, and I am. Thanks again for all the notes, these really help.
Susie Thompson says
Soo good!
Vernisia says
good morning,
I will say that this recipe is a success and I am so happy I can have breakfast sandwiches again and no abdominal discomfort! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I used the King Author gf flour added the additional 1/2 flour, I also used buttermilk from when I made butter so it didn’t go to waste. I love this! Thank You Thank You!!!!
Sloane says
Just finished breakfast and had to share how I made these biscuits. I didn’t have the right flour so I improvised. I did 1 cup bob red mill 1-to-1 baking flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup gluten free Bisquick pancake mix, and 1/2 tsp xanthum gum. For the eggs I used Bobs red mill egg replacer and for butter I used shortening. we had it with Gravy ( tastes great on its own too) and the whole family loved it and I’m the only one that’s gluten free! oh and I made my own buttermilk using the instructions above. I did the vinegar not the lemon juice. super yummy! Definitely recommend!
Roz says
I hadnt had GF biscuits since I went gluten free 10 years ago, what a treat this was!!! Light, fluffy but crispy on the outside, just delicious!
Sheilah Gibson says
Thank you for the recipe! These biscuits turned out great, I have tried 5 different gf recipes and none were as good. I need to add more salt next batch. I also used Pillsbury gf flour instead of gf king Arthur.
JENNIFER JONES says
Best recipe ever. Family eats them faster than I can make them.
Rachel says
These biscuits are SO good! It’s hard to have any leftovers every time I make them. Thanks for sharing!
That Allergy Life Mom says
This recipe is a winner. The biscuits were so good that my husband couldn’t believe they were gluten free. I made another batch the next day. I followed the recipe exactly.
Maddison says
I quite liked these!! So good! Mine came out a bit stodgy/wet, but yummy! THEN I caught the tip about using an extra 1/2 cup for bobs red mill cup for cup haha, of course, only after. I still love them, and now I know and will need to cook them for about 20-25 minutes for my oven. I’ll probably only use one TBSP sugar next time because you can tell they’re made with sugar and could be used as a dessert biscuit in my opinion but I’m pretty sensitive to sweet flavors. I also used almond milk and made my own buttermilk, which I would say for sure leave for 10 minutes.
Overall, lovely recipe! I don’t do a lot of bread but sometimes I get a craving for biscuits and gravy after having working in a breakfast restaurant three years (double bummer because I’m dairy and gluten free). So I finally made biscuits and gravy from scratch and these are SO yummy without my tummy being in pain lol. I highly recommend making it to recipe for the first time, and then adjusting based on results for your altitude, taste, etc.
Kailyn says
These are such a good GF biscuit! Pretty quick and easy to make. The dough was very sticky, but turned out great
Mary says
I only had bobs red mill gf flour and they turned out great! If your husband has a sensitivity to eggs, he may be able to tolerate duck eggs. My tenant is also chicken egg intolerant but he can handle duck eggs well.
Liz SJ says
Terrific gluten free bisquits that were moist and delicious. I did not add the sugar, and added grated cheddar cheese and they were delicious savoury bites. Great instructions. Very clear.
Donna Herberger says
These are so delicious! They are light and flakey. You’d never kniw they are gluten free. They are my go-to for homemade biscuits.
Katie says
These were delicious! I used Better Batter gf flour and it turned out perfectly! We just found out my daughter has celiac disease so this is encouraging to find a good recipe for biscuits to go with our favorite soups. 🙌🏼
Kendra Stiwich says
Made these this morning to rave reviews. We have a local woman who makes a super GF flour – Bake My Day. I also grated the butter before putting in the freezer. Already shared recipe with my neighbour. Thanks!
Elaine says
These were excellent! Will definitely be making these again. Thank you.
Jon Marcotte says
I made these biscuits for biscuits and gravy Sunday morning. Rave reviews all around! Your recipes have saved my sanity as I struggled to make gluten free items for my partner. Thank you for your creativity and easy instructions. You are my go-to resource every time. Jon
Ashby says
Practically perfect.
Cathy C says
Thank you, Audrey, for posting this recipe. I’ve been disappointed in gluten-free biscuits until I tried your recipe. These were absolutely THE BEST biscuits!! One day, out of the blue, I became allergic to wheat and was diagnosed with celiac. Gluten is not an option for me and it took me years and many trials and errors to make palatable recipes. This one is now on the top of my list for gluten free things that taste the best. (Even my hubby raved about them.)
Thank you for taking the time to post this so we can finally enjoy them again.
Carolyn B says
My GF/DF son LOVED these biscuits. He assured me they were “the best you’ve ever made.” We used GF flour, DF butter, and almond milk curdled with lemon juice. The dough was very soft, so I was initially concerned it would be too goopy to make into flaky biscuits, but this was not a problem at all! The dough was easy to work with. It’s so nice to be able to offer something fun and yummy to my kid that normally doesn’t get flaky buttery biscuits!
GlutenFree&Happy says
Hello, could you tell me when you mention the King Arthur flour in the notes for the biscuit recipe. Are you referencing the King Arthur all purpose flour or the King Arthur one to one flour? I ask because I want to know if I’m gonna need to add extra of the all purpose, flour, or that note is specifically for the one to one, which as you mentioned, has sorghum flour. thank you!
Audrey says
Hi! I tested the recipe with the King Arthur measure for measure. I had to add an extra 1/2 cup of their gluten-free flour to the dough. I hope you enjoy the biscuits!
GlutenFree&Happy says
Thank you, Audrey! They were amazing! I used the King Arthur All Purpose Flour and added xanthum gum. The biscuits were so big and fluffy and with layers. Like no other GF biscuit I’ve tried! I also loved your pancake recipe. Wow, truly the best and easiest GF pancakes I’ve ever had!! So thankful for your expertise. Sincerely. 🥰
Sherry says
The best gluten-free biscuits 👍
Wendy Watson says
I have made these many times and they turn out great every time. They are fluffy and no one would guess they are gluten free. They are actually super easy to make so I double the recipe and follow the instructions to freeze them between parchment paper sheets. They bake from frozen just as beautifully as they do from fresh. A family staple we have all the time!
Penny says
Being from the South, getting biscuits right is a big deal. My family loves these biscuits especially when I wrap them around a hunk of cheese before baking. They are the perfect vessel for bacon, egg & cheese biscuits. Thank you!!