How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Biscuits

The BEST gluten-free biscuits are so easy to make! They’re soft, fluffy, and tender. The recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, and can be made dairy-free.

Terrific biscuits without gluten are possible. This recipe makes light and fluffy biscuits that you can shape with a cutter or drop from a spoon. Enjoy them with butter, jam, or served as part of biscuits and gravy.

Why This Recipe Works.

• A gluten-free flour blend makes the biscuits tender and moist.
• Cold butter or a dairy-free spread helps the biscuits rise.
• Yogurt provides a tangy flavor and makes a thick, easy-to-work-with dough.
• Resting the dough lets the gluten-free flours and starches absorb the liquid before baking, reducing grittiness and spread during baking.

Gluten-Free Biscuits: Ingredients and Dairy-Free Options.

• Gluten-Free Flour. Use a gluten-free flour blend. Since flour blends vary from brand to brand, each blend produces different results. Use a blend that contains xanthan gum. If it doesn’t, add one teaspoon xanthan gum to the flour blend. Without it, the biscuits spread. The recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
• Cold Butter. Butter gives biscuits a lovely flavor and delicate texture. If you’re dairy-free, use a dairy-free butter replacement meant for baking. Use cold butter or spread. You want it to feel very cool to the touch but somewhat pliable. If it’s rock-hard it will be difficult to work into the gluten-free flour mixture.
  
  Why cold butter? As the biscuits bake, the water in the butter evaporates. This creates steam which helps leaven the biscuits. If the butter is warm, the flour absorbs the water and fat. This makes the biscuits dense and heavy.
  
• Yogurt. Many biscuit recipes include buttermilk. This one doesn’t. Instead, a cup of plain yogurt hydrates the dough. Like buttermilk, it’s tangy and acidic. Since it’s thicker than buttermilk and includes more protein, it helps the dough hold together and prevents the biscuits from spreading as they bake.
  
  Both Greek yogurt and plain yogurt work. For the best flavor, use a full-fat (whole milk) yogurt.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Biscuits are considered a “quick bread” because they don’t include yeast and require no rising time before baking. The rise comes from both baking powder and baking soda. 
• Sugar. A small amount of granulated sugar helps the biscuits to brown. It doesn’t add much sweetness. If you prefer a biscuit without sugar, simply omit it.
• Salt. Adds flavor. Use table salt, not flaky or Kosher salt for this recipe. Table salt mixes easily and evenly into the dough.

How to Make Gluten-Free Biscuits. Tips and Techniques for Success.

1. Whisk the gluten-free flour. Whisking the dry ingredients evenly distributes the baking powder and soda throughout the flour. This ensures the biscuits rise evenly. You can do this in a mixing bowl with a whisk or in the bowl of a food processor.
   
   
2. Cut in the butter. Adding cold butter makes the biscuits tender and flaky. During baking, the water in the cold butter evaporates into steam. This creates little air pockets in the biscuits which give them their delicate texture. Use butter that’s about 38 degrees F. 
   
   To do this by hand: toss 1/2-inch cubes of cold butter into the flour-butter mixture. Coat each piece of butter with flour. Then press each piece of butter to flatten it. Once the butter is flattened, gently rub it with your hands to break it into smaller pieces. Stop when the pieces of butter are about the size of peas.
   
   To use a pastry cutter: toss 1/2-inch cubes of cold butter into the flour mixture. Coat each piece of butter with flour. Cut the butter into the flour by using a rocking motion with the pastry cutter. If the mixture sticks to the cutter, gently remove it with your hands or a small rubber spatula. Stop when no large pieces of butter remain. Look for the cold butter to be evenly distributed throughout the flour.
   
   To use a food processor: Place 1/2-inch cubes of cold butter into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once to combine in a 5-second burst. Then pulse the machine until the butter is about the size of peas. It usually takes about ten 3-second pulses.
   
3. Mix the dough. After adding the butter, stir in the yogurt. This is best done with a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. If you used a food processor to add the butter, transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Food processors are great for adding butter. However, they tend not to incorporate liquid evenly. Stirring in the yogurt with a wooden spoon gives the best results.
   
   The dough should easily hold together but not feel tacky to the touch. If there’s dry flour in the bowl or the dough doesn’t hold together, the next step is for you.

4. Add additional liquid. Since yogurt thickness varies, sometimes the dough is dry. If this is the case, add water or milk until the dough holds together. Start by adding two tablespoons of liquid and stir. Add more water or milk as needed. Pinch the dough with your fingers. It should hold together easily but not feel sticky to the touch.
   

5. Let the dough rest. After mixing the dough, let it rest (sit in the bowl) for about 20 minutes while the oven heats. Resting the dough allows the gluten-free flour to absorb the liquid, making the dough easier to handle. It also reduces the gritty texture that sometimes occurs in gluten-free baked goods.Cut or scoop into biscuits. Whether you like to roll and cut biscuits or make “drop” biscuits, you can use this dough. Cutout biscuits tend to be a bit fluffier than drop biscuits. But the flavor is the same for both.
   
6. Cut or scoop into biscuits. Whether you like roll and cut biscuits or “drop” biscuits, you can use this dough. Cutout biscuits tend to be a bit fluffier than drop biscuits. But the flavor is the same for both.
   
   For Gluten-Free Cutout Biscuits. Remember: Don’t Twist that Cutter!
   Lightly dust your counter with gluten-free flour. Turn the dough onto the counter. Gently press it together and pat it into a rectangle. Avoid rolling out the dough with a rolling pin. The weight of a rolling pin can flatten the dough and make for dense biscuits.
   
   Cut the dough into 6 or 7 biscuits with a sharp cookie cutter. Cutting the biscuits with a sharp cutter helps the biscuits to rise. Dull cutters press the edges together preventing the biscuits from rising. As you cut, don’t twist the cutter. Doing this seals the edge of the biscuits and they don’t rise as high.
   
   Place the biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or into a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Gently press the remaining dough into a rectangle. It’s okay to knead the dough once or twice. Cut out 5 or 6 more biscuits from the dough.
   
   For Drop Biscuits: An Ice Cream Scoop Works Great!
   Skip patting the dough into a rectangle. Simply scoop the dough right from the bowl, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. If you have a large ice cream scoop, use it for this. Use about ¼ cup of dough per biscuit.

7. Bake in a hot oven. Preheating the oven is essential. It ensures the biscuit dough immediately hits the heat and starts to rise. If the oven is cold, the rise is delayed and butter melts slowly, not giving off as much steam.

Common Gluten-Free Biscuit Questions

Can I make gluten-free and dairy-free biscuits?

Yes. Replace the butter with a dairy-free baking spread and the yogurt with a dairy-free alternative.

My biscuits turn out heavy. How do I fix this?

Heavy biscuits are so disappointing. Here are some dos and don’ts for light gluten-free biscuits.

1. Don’t Use Old Baking Powder or Baking Soda. The biscuits lift comes from baking powder and soda. Make sure they are fresh for the best result. 
2. Do use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum or add your own. The best gluten-free biscuits include xanthan gum. This ingredient helps the biscuits hold their shape. If your blend doesn’t include it, add 1 teaspoon of xathan gum to the flour mixture. Whisk everything together and then follow the recipe as written. 
3. Don’t use warm ingredients. Use cold butter and yogurt. One of the keys to light biscuits is cold butter and cold yogurt. If your hands are warm, use a pastry cutter or food processor to work the butter into the flour. 
4. Do let the dough rest. Mixing the dough and letting it sit for about 20 minutes allows the flour to absorb the liquid. This prevents the biscuits from spreading. 

Should I use a pan or skillet?

Both work! Biscuits baked on a pan tend to spread a bit more than biscuits baked in a skillet. Biscuits baked in a skillet touch and support each other as they bake. 

How to Store Gluten-Free Biscuits.

Biscuits taste best the day they are made. If you have biscuits leftover, cover them and store them at room temperature. Warm them slightly before eating, either in a toaster oven, air fryer, or microwave. 

How to Freeze Gluten-Free Biscuits.

Bake the biscuits as directed. Let them cool on a wire rack and then place them in a freezer container. Freeze the biscuits for up to three months. When ready to eat, remove the biscuits from the freezer and thaw at room temperature.