This gluten free Irish soda bread is a classic and the perfect side to your St. Patrick’s Day meal. This version includes directions for a dairy free option, which would also make it vegan.
Photos Updated March 2018
Watch the video below (right before the recipe) to see how easy it is to make these! Also, check out the video on Facebook!
Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
This gluten free Irish soda bread is adapted from my grandma’s recipe. Her version calls for butter, buttermilk, and regular flour. I loved it, it’s my favorite and I look forward to hers every year. My grandma’s Irish Soda Bread is hands down, one of the best you’ll ever have. Everyone has their own version. Some are more like a quick bread, and some are like my grandma’s – more like a scone/biscuit.
Since Adam and Kelsey can’t eat the original version anymore, I’ve adapted it to be gluten free and dairy free. I must say though, the version with real butter in it can’t be topped. The butter really is an important part of this dish so if you can have milk/dairy, use the real stuff.
Not that the dairy free version isn’t good. It is. It’s just not quite the same without the butter. If you’re just lactose intolerant, try it with ghee!
My grandma also makes hers with dried currants and a little bit of caraway seeds. The caraway seeds give the bread a slightly savory taste that’s really good. You can skip them if you want, but I do recommend using them. I also really love the dried currants over raisins. They’re sweet, soft, and so much better then raisins. I buy organic ones at my local co-op but you can also get them online. I usually see them this time of year at the grocery store with the raisins so check to see if your stores carries them too.
This Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread is great alongside your corned beef and cabbage. And it’s even better the next day when you toast it and serve it with my favorite ever Corned Beef Hash.
A quick note about this Irish Soda bread recipe, it doesn’t work that great with my Nightshade Free Flour Blend. I think it’s the Arrowroot but it just doesn’t play nice here. I recommend using my Brown Rice Flour Blend or my White Rice Gluten Free Flour Blend here. Enjoy!
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Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 C gluten free all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/3 C butter cubed and cold*
- 1 C + 2 Tbsp buttermilk**
- 1/3 C dried currants or raisins
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar.
- Blend in the butter (or shortening) with a pastry blender with a pastry blender until it resembles course corn meal.
- Add the buttermilk and stir until mixed. Stir in the currants and caraway seeds.
- Shape into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, flatten the dough into a circle (about 7 inches x 2 inches thick leaving it slightly domed in the center). Cut a cross in the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min. Cool on a wire rack, serve warm or room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days. Can be frozen.
Video
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
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Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
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Thank you for the recipe, it looks delicious!
I don’t know what I did wrong. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 (in the blue bag) as I had a large bag to use up.. The dough was so thick and crumbly I ended up dumping it the pan and pushing it into a round shape. The finished bread was so dry it crumbled when I sliced it. It’s the first recipe of yours that hasn’t worked. I love Irish Soda bread and was looking forward to this. Any ideas?
You could have possibly overmeasured your flour. Next time, use the spoon and sweet method if you’re not already 🙂
You can also add a bit more buttermilk as needed, a tablespoon at a time to just bring the dough together with your hands.
Hi,
When I make regular Irish soda bread I melt the
butter. Can I do that with this recipe?
I haven’t tried it like that, only cutting in the butter like my grandmother taught me 🙂
This was the best gluten free soda bread I ever made! Only change I made was to add one egg!
Thanks so much Linda, glad you enjoyed it as much as we do!
Hi Sharon, I was thinking of trying this with 2 eggs. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance
Hi Patty – this recipe doesn’t call for any eggs at all and doesn’t need them. Is there a reason why you want to add 2 eggs?
I’m so glad you got back to me so fast. I’m preheating my oven to try now with no eggs.. Thank you so much
You’re welcome!
Sharon, I don’t have fine sea salt but I have sea salt any difference in the measurements? Thank you. I just realized as i was pulling out everything i that i needed Thanks
Course sea salt should be fine if that’s all you have. If you have kosher salt, that would be a better sub.
yes it’s kosher
i meant it kosher salt thanks again this is my irst time baking anything gluten free hence all the questions thanks for responding to me
no, i guess I’m so use to adding eggs to my non gluten Irish soda bread is why I’m asking
This looks wonderful! Will it work with other flours, such as almond, coconut or flaxseed?
Hi Ashlyn – thank you! Unfortunately, I don’t think this would work with a 1:1 swap of grain free flours, it would take a lot of experimenting and adjusting. If you do try it, let me know what flours you used and what the results are 🙂
I use gluten free flour with xantham gum, do I still more to the bread.?
You can omit the amount I called for if your blend already contains it.
Listed in the ingredients was 2 tsps of xanthan gum, but I don’t see it in the recipe. When do you add it?
Hi Nancy, thanks for catching that – add it in with the flour 🙂
This looks great and I love the suggestion of toasting it later – I never would have thought of that!
Irish Soda Bread is the perfect St. Patty’s day treat!
I always love your recipes! This is no exception…yum!
Can you believe that I’ve never had Irish Soda bread or currants. Where have I been? This looks so good!! Love that you made it GF too.
Love that you took a classic and made a GF version – it looks great!
Absolutely gorgeous Irish Soda Bread!!! I could eat the whole loaf. We grew up with Irish soda bread alongside a boiled cornbeef dinner on St. Patty’s Day. Delicious!
My grandma always made soda bread! I love this twist!
This looks amazing! My family is gf, and one is egg-free so this would be perfect for all of us.
It’s awesome that you’ve been able to convert this old family recipe so everyone can enjoy it. Looks wonderful!
I hadn’t even heard about Irish Soda Bread until a couple weeks ago and since then I’ve probably seen 5 or 6 different recipes…the only bad thing about that is I want to go out and try them all to see which one I like the most! Adding this one to the list 🙂
That looks perfect Sharon! Can’t wait to try it. I’ve never made Irish Soda bread before, and my family is from Ireland 😉
Best,
Chrystal
How festive, timely and it looks so great!
This looks so good! I love Irish Soda Bread but haven’t had any in years! Your recipe looks great ~ I love that you use currants in it.
Here it is! It looks lovely Sharon!