These simple gluten free buttermilk biscuits are light and flaky with a soft interior and crisp bottoms. They’re quick and easy to make any night of the week.
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Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Biscuits made with tangy buttermilk are always a crowd pleaser. Put a bread plate, bowl, or platter of buttermilk biscuits on the table and you’ll have one happy group of eaters.
I spent a little time tweaking my original recipe for gluten free biscuits (which is already great, by the way!) to make another classic – gluten free buttermilk biscuits. These biscuits are LIGHT, flaky, and beautifully golden. That gorgeous color comes from a little buttermilk brushed on top before baking 🤫
I experimented with different gluten free flour blends in this recipe and there was one clear winner. I’m not going to sugar coat it, there’s only one flour blend that really mades these gluten free biscuits seem like they weren’t gluten free. They rose higher and had a better texture. My gluten free flour suggestion for this recipe is listed in the “Key Ingredients” section of this post below!
I also changed up my mixing method a bit too so be sure to read the directions carefully before you make these biscuits. I do a quick laminated-like process when rolling out the dough which helps create those layers we’re after. I’m not rolling layers of butter into the biscuit dough but I am stacking and folding the dough a few times which I didn’t do in my original recipe.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Another thing I do different with these biscuits? I don’t roll the scraps back together and re-roll it to make more biscuits. Instead, I stack the scraps into a little pile and gently press out enough to get a couple biscuits until I don’t have enough dough to continue.
Usually, all that’s left is just enough for one more biscuit, which I lightly press into the biscuit butter to get a somewhat round shape.
Key Ingredients for Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
- Buttermilk – the acidity in buttermilk gives these biscuits flavor and makes them tender, light and fluffy.
- Baking Soda – I add baking soda to my buttermilk biscuits. It reacts with the buttermilk
- Cup4Cup – Alright, I admit it. I’m recommending a pre-made gluten free flour blend over my own. I’ve tested these gluten free buttermilk biscuits with many different gluten free flour blends. While I still love my own Gluten Free Biscuit Mix and my Brown Rice Flour Blend for biscuits, Cup4Cup produced biscuits with the lightest texture, they tasted the best, and they browned better than any other blend.
Equipment Needed to Make Gluten Free Biscuits from Scratch
- Biscuit Cutter – I use a 2-inch biscuit cutter. The size of the biscuit cutter you use will determine how many biscuits you get out of this recipe.
- Pastry Cutter – You want to work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use two forks but it will take a bit longer. Keeping your hands off the butter and dough as much as possible will keep your warm hands from melting the butter.
- Baking Sheet – You can use a Half Sheet Pan or Quarter Sheet Pan to make these biscuits.
- Pastry Brush – I prefer silicone baking brushes because they’re easy to clean and they don’t shed.
How to Make Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Step 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cubed, cold butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or two forks until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 3. Stir in the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
Step 4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle into 3rds and turn the dough a half turn. Then flatten into a rectangle until the dough is about a ½-¾ inch thick.
Step 5. Cut the dough with a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter and place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, the edges of the biscuits should be touching. Re-roll the dough as needed, there should be about 12 biscuits.
Step 6. Refrigerate the biscuits at least 30 minutes to ensure that the butter stays nice and cold. This is especially important if your house/kitchen is warm and humid.
Step 7. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk then bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are browned and baked through.
Tips for Making Gluten Free Biscuits
- Read the recipe directions carefully – I’ve changed the rolling process to make these buttermilk biscuits nice and flaky! Read the beginning of this post too where I discussed re-rolling the dough scraps.
- Don’t skip the chill time – you want these biscuits and the butter to be COLD when you put them in the oven.
- Brush the tops with buttermilk before baking – it’ll make the biscuits beautifully browned on top. Or if you’re feeling a little extra, brush the tops with melted butter instead!
Other Gluten Free Biscuit Recipes to Try
- Gluten Free Biscuits
- Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
- Gluten Free Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits – coming soon!
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The Best Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend see notes
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend contains it
- 1 teaspoon 6 g fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon 12 g baking powder
- ½ teaspoon 3 g baking soda
- 6 tablespoons 87 g unsalted butter, cubed and very cold
- ¾ cup 188 ml buttermilk, cold + 1 tablespoon, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet or line it with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Add the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl and whisk together.
Add the cubed butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or two forks until it resembles coarse crumbs. - Stir in ¾ cup buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle into 3rds and turn the dough a half turn. Then flatten into a rectangle until the dough is about a ½-¾ inch thick.
Cut the dough with a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter and place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, the edges of the biscuits should be touching. - Re-roll the dough as needed (by stacking the scraps and flattening). If using a 2-inch biscuit cutter there will be about 12 biscuits total.
- Refrigerate the biscuits at least 30 minutes to ensure that the butter stays nice and cold. This is especially important if your house/kitchen is warm and humid.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk then bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are browned and baked through.
Notes
- For the best results, I highly recommend using Cup4Cup in this recipe. I used 274 grams of Cup4Cup flour and omitted the xanthan gum listed in the recipe.
- Be sure to cut your butter into the dough until the pieces of butter are fairly small. If the butter bits are too big, they won’t incorporate into the dough well and the biscuits will come out denser.
- Try to work the dough as little as possible to keep the biscuits from being flat and tough.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Love your recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1. I also used Kefir milk n place of buttermilk. I have a temperamental digestive system and I found out that kefir n buttermilk are interchangeable, but because of that my baketimewas 5min more n I let them cool on the bake sheet. My new base recipe. 8 always mix things up n make it mine. Thanks so much.
Can I use wholesome Cup for Cup instead of multi purpose cup for cup? Cup for cup multipurpose flour unfortunately contains milk, and I have a dairy allergy. Or do you have another suggested flour?
I haven’t tried the wholesome blend with this recipe but in the past, I’ve found that it yields baked goods that are denser. So it may not be the best blend for biscuits.
I had to come here just to say how amazing these are. I have my own blog and I recommend these out of any other recipe I’ve tried. I use a coconut blend flour and notice the lighter, starchier blends make the best and fluffiest biscuits! Perfect recipe!
I made these with Bob Red Mills GF flour… they were so gummy in the center. Not sure what went wrong.
It sounds like your biscuits needed to bake a little bit longer. Baking time will depend on your oven and how thick your biscuits are.
These were easy to make and delicious! Straight out of the oven with butter and jam; doesn’t get much better than that!
These were very close to wheat flour biscuits, best recipe I have found so far!
Thank you so much for the feedback!
I made these yesterday morning and they turned out so well.
Thank you Don!
How well do biscuits keep? Could I potentially freeze them after baking?
Have you tried Better Batter? Just curious, since that’s what is in my pantry right now.
Thanks.
Yummy!!!