The Best Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (2024)

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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.

The Best Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (1)

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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.

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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.

The Best Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (2)

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 Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (3)

The Best Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

4.64 from 133 ratings

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.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 59 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 biscuits

By: Sharon Lachendro

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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.
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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

All-Clad Measuring Cups

All Clad Measuring Spoons

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet

Silpat Silicone Baking Mat, Half Sheet

Sur La Table Marble Pastry Board HK165-50, 16" x 20"

Biscuit Cutter Set

Spring Chef Dough Blender

Silicone Pastry Brush

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?Mention @whattheforkfoodblog or leave a comment rating below!

Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can alsoleave a photo/comment on this pinfor others to see.

The Best Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (2024)

FAQs

What is the best gluten free flour for baking biscuits? ›

WHICH GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND WORKS WELL FOR BISCUITS? We have tested this recipe with Cup 4 Cup flour blend, Grandpa's Kitchen, Better Batter, King Arthur All Purpose Gluten Free Blend, and Bob's Red Mill 1:1. Cup4Cup yielded the best results with Better Batter coming in at a close second.

Find Out More ›

Why won't my gluten free biscuits rise? ›

Moisture content: If you have too much or too little liquid, then your biscuits will either not rise or be very dense. You want a sticky dough that holds its shape when pressed. Sour cream with just a bit of extra milk provides the perfect moisture for gluten free biscuits!

Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for biscuits? ›

Heavy cream provides rich butterfat that gives the biscuits tenderness and flavor, as well as moisture from its water content. The formula requires minimal mixing, reducing the risk of too much gluten development.

Tell Me More ›

Is butter better than shortening for buttermilk biscuits? ›

The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

Keep Reading ›

What is the trick to baking with gluten free flour? ›

Use xanthan gum or guar gum: Gluten-free flours lack the elasticity and structure that gluten provides, so adding a binder like xanthan or guar gum can help to hold the ingredients together and give your baked goods a better texture.

Discover More ›

What to avoid for gluten free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:

Wheat.
Semolina.
Spelt.
Durum.
Emmer.
Einkorn.
Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
Barley.

More items...

Mar 29, 2021

Find Out More ›

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

See Details ›

What's the difference between southern style biscuits and buttermilk biscuits? ›

There are many theories about why Southern biscuits are different (ahem, better) than other biscuits—richer buttermilk, more butter, better grandmothers—but the real difference is more fundamental. Southern biscuits are different because of the flour most Southerners use. My grandmother swore by White Lily flour.

Know More ›

Which milk is best for biscuits? ›

If you are going to substitute a non-cultured liquid into your biscuits, I'd strongly recommend using low-fat milk, or even whole milk, instead of cream. Both will give you a more pleasant biscuit, with just the right amount of fat that you'll still want to slather the inside with butter.

Discover More ›

Why are my buttermilk biscuits so dry? ›

If your biscuits are too tough…

If you do think this about your dough, fight the urge to add more dry ingredients — dough that isn't wet enough will bake into a hard, dry biscuit.

Get More Info Here ›

Why aren t my buttermilk biscuits fluffy? ›

A non-fluffy, flat biscuit can be caused by a few things: too much liquid in the dough (resist the urge to add more buttermilk to make the dough come together and use the heat of your hands and a bit more kneading instead). Over-mixing the dough can cause flat biscuits.

Read The Full Story ›

Why do my buttermilk biscuits fall apart? ›

Fat and moisture are crucial components in biscuit texture

If your biscuits are turning out dry and crumbly, there are a few things worth checking to ensure a fail-proof baking process. The first issue could be the amount of fat you're using, or perhaps you're not using the right kind of fat.

Get More Info ›

What gluten free flour is closest to regular flour? ›

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

Learn More ›

What is the best gluten free flour for dough? ›

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

Which gluten free flour works best with yeast? ›

If you want to buy just one gluten-free flour, we highly recommend the Pillsbury all-purpose gluten-free flour. Not only is it our favorite gluten-free flour, and easy to use in gluten-free recipes, but it's also one of the few gluten-free flours currently on the market that is recommended for baking with yeast.