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 Recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits (4)

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

Print Rate Pin

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Try to work the dough as little as possible to keep the biscuits from being flat and tough.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

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

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.

What popular biscuits are gluten-free? ›

  • Tesco Free From Digestive Biscuits 160G. ...
  • Nairns Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Biscuits 160G. ...
  • Nairn's Gluten Free Oaties Biscuits 160G. ...
  • Nairn's Gluten Free Oaties Chocolate Chip Biscuits 160G. ...
  • Nairns Gluten Free Oats & Fruit Biscuits 160G. ...
  • Nairns Gluten Free Ginger Biscuit Break 160G.

Why do my homemade buttermilk biscuits fall apart? ›

I've experienced a more crumbly product which comes from a dough that is too dry, by just a little bit more buttermilk. Also, be sure to adequately blend your butter/shortening with your flour. Don't use bread flour or cake flour- all purpose is just fine.

What is the secret to fluffy biscuits? ›

For soft and fluffy biscuits, blend the liquid and dry ingredients just until the dough "resembles cottage cheese," Sonoskus says. This stops you from activating too much gluten in the flour and ending up with a tougher biscuit that doesn't rise as high.

What not to do when making biscuits? ›

5 Mistakes You're Making With Your Biscuits
  1. Mistake #1: Your butter is too warm.
  2. Mistake #2: You're using an inferior flour.
  3. Mistake #3: You use an appliance to mix your batter.
  4. Mistake #4: You don't fold the dough enough.
  5. Mistake #5: You twist your biscuit cutter.
Feb 1, 2019

What is the best flour for buttermilk biscuits? ›

As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

What is the secret to making biscuits rise? ›

Place your biscuits close together on the pan. If they're touching, they rise better. If you like flatter biscuits, spread them out on the pan.

Are biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

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.

Is Bisquick gluten-free good? ›

I find their pancakes to be tender light and fluffy. My grandmother who isn't allergic to gluten actually prefers the gluten-free pancakes to the original Bisquick mix . In her opinion the original has a tendency to be more dense and tasting very salty. We would both highly recommend this product to others.

What products are surprisingly gluten-free? ›

Treats that are surprisingly gluten-free
  • Plain tortilla or potato chips: Keep in mind that seasoned chips may contain wheat starch.
  • Plain chocolate: Read ingredients as some chocolate bars contain wheat-based wafers.
  • Ice cream: Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry are safe bets. ...
  • French fries: Potatoes are gluten free.
Apr 13, 2023

Does Red Lobster make gluten free biscuits? ›

Our legendary Cheddar Bay Biscuits® are now gluten free with this mix.

Should you let biscuit dough rest? ›

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat two more times. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

What happens if you use milk instead of buttermilk in biscuits? ›

Regular milk isn't acidic, which means the reaction won't take place. Your baked goods may not rise properly and can turn out drier, less flavorful, and less tender if you use plain milk where buttermilk is called for.

How do you keep buttermilk biscuits moist? ›

I seal my made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits in a ziploc baggie (take the air out) and they can last for three or four days before drying out to the point where they're no longer good. Don't wrap them in towels once everyone is done eating them unless you want them to dry out very quickly.

What makes a high quality biscuit? ›

Use flour with low protein content

To make extra tender biscuits, you don't want to develop a lot of gluten. Flours with a higher protein content develop gluten more readily. To get the soft biscuits you're after, Catherine recommends using for an all-purpose flour with a small amount of protein.

What makes biscuits taste better? ›

After testing hundreds of biscuits, the Southern Living Test Kitchen cooks found that grating a frozen stick of butter with the large holes of a box grater made the best dough and was much faster too. The ice-cold shreds of butter incorporate into the flour more evenly, improving the dough's flavor and texture.

What are 2 important steps when making biscuits? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

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