Tall and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

I shared a photo of a hot ham and cheese Gluten Free Biscuit sandwich on Instagram the other day, and it about broke the internet.

That is to say, y’all were as excited as I was to devour these light, tall, and tender homemade biscuits that are indistinguishable from the “real thing”.

Made with 5 ingredients in under 30 minutes from start to finish, Gluten Free Biscuits are a cinch to make and bake any night of the week. I cannot tell you how outstanding these are!

Easy Homemade Gluten Free Biscuits

If the thought of making homemade gluten free biscuits seems intimidating, I’m happy to report that they’re one of the easiest gluten free baked goods to whip up.

We’re talking 10 minutes of prep to make the dough then cut out the biscuits, before sending them off to the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes.

Don’t call us, we’ll call you, Gluten Free Biscuits!

Emerging buttery and crunchy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside, these biscuits are special enough to serve for the holidays, but simple enough to make every single day if you wanted to.

Ingredients Needed

All you need are 5 ingredients to whip up this gluten-free biscuit recipe:

1. Gluten Free Baking Flour Blend: I tested this recipe with three popular gluten free flour blends, and one was the clear winner. I’ll share more below.
2. Aluminum-Free Baking Powder: gives our biscuits a tall rise and fluffy interior. Be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder, otherwise the biscuits can have a metallic taste. I like Bob’s Red Mill Aluminum-Free Baking Powder.
3. Butter: I use salted butter for all my cooking and baking. If you only have unsalted butter, consider adding a small extra pinch of salt to the dry ingredients. I’ve tested this recipe using both regular butter and vegan butter with great results.
4. Salt: seasons the biscuits to perfection.
5. Milk: I’ve tested this recipe using everything from whole milk to unsweetened almond milk with great results. I prefer whole milk for the best flavor and overall texture, but dairy-free / plant-based milk work too.

The Best Flour to Use for Gluten Free Biscuits

One of my (and likely your) biggest pet peeves about gluten free baking is that there are dozens of different gluten free all-purpose flour blends on the market, and they all bake up slightly different from each other.

I loathe having to buy a specific flour blend for a specific recipe, but if there’s ever a recipe to do it for, its this one.

Two of my go-to gluten-free flour blends are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour, and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour, and neither came close to Cup 4 Cup in terms of color, rise, and texture. Bob’s baked up better than King Arthur, but if you want the real deal biscuit experience — Cup 4 Cup is the winner, no contest!

Ways to Use Gluten Free Biscuits

There are few things better than a hot biscuit slathered with cold, salted butter, but these biscuits are hearty and sturdy enough to be eaten and used in other ways.

Here are some ideas for what do make with fresh, gluten free biscuits:

• Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich: top warm biscuit halves with a cooked sausage patty, scrambled eggs, and a slice of American cheese.
• Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich: top halved biscuits with deli ham and sliced or shredded cheese then broil until hot and melty.
• Make Biscuits and Gravy with ground pork breakfast sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Strawberry Shortcake: add 1/4 cup sugar to the biscuit dough then bake, slice in half, and layer with homemade whipped cream plus sliced strawberries.

Or, serve fresh biscuits with:

Freezer-Friendly Gluten-Free Biscuits

What tickles me the most about these biscuits is that they freeze and reheat like a dream. Here’s what to do:

1. Freeze: cool the baked biscuits completely then transfer to a gallon-size Ziplock freezer bag, seal, and freeze flat.
2. Thaw: wrap a frozen biscuit in a paper towel then microwave for 25-30 seconds or until warm.
3. Reheat: Slice the biscuit in half then either toast in a toaster oven, or broil with the oven rack placed in the center of the oven until hot and toasted.

Alrighty — let’s get you some homemade gluten free biscuits!

Try Gluten Free Focaccia

How to Make Gluten Free Biscuits

Step 1: Freeze the butter.

To make Gluten Free Biscuits, we’ll need to cut extremely cold butter into the gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt. You can do this using one of three tools:

1. Pastry cutter
2. Food processor
3. Box grater

If using a pastry cutter OR food processor: dice the butter into 1/2″ cubes then place in the freezer for 10 minutes to ensure the butter is very well chilled before incorporating it into the dry ingredients.

If using a box grater: completely freeze the stick of butter (you’ll need 6 Tablespoons) before grating it using the large side of the box grater. Place the frozen grated butter into the fridge or freezer to keep it well chilled.

Step 2: Cut the butter into the dry ingredients.

These photos show cutting the chilled butter into the dry ingredients with a food processor, but I’ll include directions below for using a pastry cutter or box grater.

Add the gluten free flour blend (again, I highly recommend Cup 4 Cup Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour — if you choose to use a different blend ensure it has a binder such as xanthan gum inside), aluminum-free baking powder, and salt to a the bowl of a food processor then pulse to combine.

Add the chilled butter cubes, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then pour the mixture into a large bowl.

If using a pastry butter: whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl then add the butter cubes and cut into the flour mixture until they resemble coarse crumbs like the photo above.

If using a box grater: whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl then add the grated butter and stir with a fork to combine.

Step 3: Add the milk.

Next, slowly drizzle in milk — again, whatever you have on hand for drinking, though I do love whole milk in these — while stirring until all the dry ingredients come together and the mixture has the texture of sticky cookie dough.

Like I said, the texture should feel like sticky cookie dough.

If you added a touch too much milk and the dough is extremely sticky, let the dough sit and hydrate for a minute and/or add a touch more flour.

Step 4: Press the dough out.

Turn the gluten-free biscuit dough out onto a lightly-floured surface then press it together until it’s no longer sticky. Next, press the dough out 3/4″ thick.

Step 5: Cut out the biscuits.

Using a 3″ biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits then place then on a parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Press the scraps together then continue pressing out biscuits. You should get 6-7 biscuits total.

Step 6: Bake the biscuits.

Last step is to brush milk or melted butter on top of the biscuits then bake for 12-14 minutes at 425 degrees or until the biscuits are tall and golden brown, rotating the baking pan halfway through.

That’s all she wrote! There’s nothing like a hot, homemade gluten free biscuit so I recommend diving in right away. Butter optional, but highly encouraged.

Make these easy gluten free biscuits once, and I promise you’ll have the measurements and method memorized. Truly, that’s how simple they are to make. I hope you enjoy every last crumb!

More Gluten Free Baked Goods

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin

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