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.
See Also
Classic Sugar Cookies Recipe
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 secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

Just bring it all together and let the ingredients do the work." In order to help the biscuits rise, all the experts agree that the fat — whether butter, shortening or margarine — needs to be cold, and there should still be visible chunks of that fat in the dough. Don't overmix.

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What is the best flour for biscuits? ›

There is some actual science behind why White Lily flour is lighter than others and, thus, better suited for items like biscuits and cakes.

Find Out More ›

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.

Learn More ›

What makes biscuits not fluffy? ›

Secret To Fluffy Biscuits #7: Knead Gently.

By kneading you are folding the butter and flour over on each other which will create the layers, but too much kneading will cause you to overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will make them tough. This has to do with the gluten, the protein that is formed in the flour.

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What is the king of biscuit? ›

Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.

What is the secret to high rising biscuits? ›

Cut off uneven edges and put these scraps to the side; clean cuts on all sides will encourage rise. Pat scraps together to make 1 odd-shaped ninth biscuit. Place biscuits close together in a 9-inch square pan and brush with melted salted butter. Place pan on top of the warm stove for 10 to 15 minutes to rise.

Read The Full Story ›

What kind of flour do Southerners use for biscuits? ›

White Lily brand flour, especially the self-rising flour, is the gold standard among Southern cooks who make biscuits on a regular basis. White lily, self rising. I use it for everything except those thing I make using either cake flour or yeast. If I'm using yeast I use King Arthur flours.

Get More Info Here ›

Does sifting flour make biscuits better? ›

The solution: Use half cake flour and half all-purpose flour. This combination will give you a biscuit with light and airy interior with a pleasant, satisfying bite on the outside. Also, sifting the flour and other dry ingredients will give you a smoother, airier dough.

Keep Reading ›

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.

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How can I get my biscuits to rise higher? ›

Bake them close to each other.

Biscuits are an exception to this rule: Placing them close to one another on your baking sheet actually helps them push each other up, as they impede each other from spreading outward and instead puff up skywards.

Get More Info Here ›

What makes biscuits rise and fluffy? ›

Fully incorporating the butter and flour guarantees tender, airy biscuits every time. Low-protein flours keep biscuits fluffy and light, never tough. Yogurt provides both hydration and structure, for biscuits that bake up straight and tall but moist.

Show Me More ›

Should you let biscuit dough rest? ›

Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter (or even a glass, though its duller edge may result in slightly less tall biscuits).

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Do you use baking soda or baking powder for biscuits? ›

But to get the rise you want without killing the tang (which would be the result of too much baking soda), you'll need to incorporate baking powder as well, taking advantage of the delayed double-action to add even more levity. Combining the two leavening agents produces a biscuit that is both light and tangy.

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Why do my homemade biscuits taste like flour? ›

While over-handling your biscuit dough can make your baked goods turn out like hockey pucks, under-mixing it while you're still adding all of your ingredients can result in floury or grainy biscuits.

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What temperature should you cook biscuits on? ›

A hot oven helps biscuits bake—and rise—quickly. We recommend 475˚F for 15 minutes.

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What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

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.

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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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What makes Southern biscuits so good? ›

Southern cooks have several tricks when it comes to making tender and delicious biscuits, from the cutters they use, to the type and amount of liquid incorporated, to the number of kneads required to turn out a perfect dough. The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour.

Tell Me More ›