Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits recipe taste so amazing, no one even suspects they are gluten free! These fluffy gluten free drop biscuits are made with simple ingredients you have right in your kitchen.
This southern-style drop biscuit recipe is easy to throw together with no rolling or shaping dough!
Gluten Free Biscuits Drop Biscuits
Good news for us GF peeps. It seems like restaurants and grocery stores finally got their act together to offer some solid, tasty gluten free choices.
Bad news for us GF peeps. All the gluten free bread they offer pretty much suck.
Time to take matters into our own hands.
This is where my easy Gluten Free Biscuit recipe saves the day. It is the only homemade gluten free bread recipe I make again and again (Translation: I am a HUGE FAN and love this recipe).
These drop biscuits are light, tender, buttery, quick to throw together, without any rolling or shaping dough. Plus, they taste like real Southern, fluffy biscuits!
Gluten Free Biscuit recipe is adapted from my all-time favorite gluten free cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen: The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook. Believe me when I say nothing I’ve ever made from this cookbook tastes like an inferior version of the gluten-full recipe.
Easy Gluten Free Biscuits Recipe
Gluten free baked recipes can often be a buzzkill. They require expensive ingredients, are tricky to make, and usually have hit or miss results.
These light and fluffy gluten free biscuits, though, won’t stir you wrong. The ingredients are simple and don’t require a grocery run to buy buttermilk! That same tangy buttermilk biscuit flavor is mimicked using yogurt or sour cream.
Plus, make the biscuit dough with your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour. Forget about the extra step of mixing together speciality flours with xanthan gum. My recommended brand is Cup 4 Cup, but other preferred brands will work as well.
Lastly, skip rolling out dough or using a biscuit cutter on this easy gluten free biscuits recipe. The dough is scooped with a dry mixing cup sprayed with cooking spray and dropped on a baking sheet.
How to make Gluten Free Biscuits fluffy
Save yourself from dense, dry biscuits by using some of these recipe hacks from The Kitchn.
- Instead of buttermilk, use yogurt. Since gluten free flour doesn’t absorb liquid as well, buttermilk causes them to spread too much.
- Resting the dough. Mix everything together, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows time for the flour to hydrate and not be gritty.
- Placing the biscuits closer together on the baking sheet. Biscuits become more tender because of the trapped steam.
Can I Freeze Gluten Free Biscuits?
For sure. This is another reason why I make them so frequently. I can always pull one out of the freezer when I need delicious, homemade gluten free bread for myself.
Tip: Make sure they are cooled completely before freezing so ice crystals don’t form on them. After they are cooled, wrap each one individually and place them in a gallon freezer bag.
How to Make Gluten Free Biscuits
- In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients – gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut cold butter into the flour mixture with pastry cutter or fork.
- In a small bowl whisk oil, egg, yogurt, and lemon juice together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into flour / butter mixture. Stir to combine and no flour pockets remain.
- Cover dough and let rest for 30 minutes to allow starches to relax and blend with liquids.
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Double stack two baking sheets and line the top one with parchment paper. This protects the bottom of the biscuits from becoming overly browned in the hot oven.
- Grease a measuring cup with cooking spray to evenly and easily scoop out dough onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Biscuits should be golden brown. If desired, brush the tops with melted butter.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations for Southern Gluten Free Biscuits
- You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt with great results. I’ve also substituted vanilla yogurt without affecting the taste.
- If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, substitute any variety of vinegar.
- Increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons for a gluten free shortcake recipe. Brushing the unbaked tops with cream, milk, or almond milk and sprinkle with demura or raw sugar. Bake according to directions.
- See how to turn these biscuits into copycat Gluten Free Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
Before You Bake Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
- Plan for allowing dough to rest for 30 minutes. This allows the starches to relax and moisten for softer, fluffy biscuits.
- Bake on two baking sheets stacked together. These bake at a very high temperature. A double shield of baking sheets prevents the bottoms from burning before they are fully cooked.
- Space the biscuits close together in center of baking sheets to trap steam and make them more tender.
Ways to enjoy the best Gluten Free Biscuits
Use them as a base for a classic comfort food breakfast – biscuits and gravy! Make Self-Proclaimed Foodie’s Gluten Free Country Sausage Gravy to smother all over the top.
Make gluten free shortcakes by increasing the sugar to 3 tablespoons in the dry ingredients. Brush the unbaked tops with milk or cream and sprinkle on course sugar on top. Bake as directed, then eat warm with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Use leftover biscuits for bread pudding, oven toasted as croutons, turned into a trifle, or used as a casserole topping.
More Favorite Gluten Free Recipes!
Gluten Free Pie Crust is a flaky, tender gluten free pie crust recipe handles just as pie crust should and is fabulously easy to roll out.
Gluten Free Cheese Scones are a savory, fluffy scone recipe flavored with cheddar and garlic.
Flourless Chocolate Cookies are a naturally gluten free chocolate cookie that only takes five ingredients to make.
Socca is a gluten free, vegan bread recipe that uses 5 ingredients and can be made in minutes!
Sweet Potato Spoon Bread is cross between cornbread, grits, and soufflé, with a slightly sweet pudding-like texture.
SAVE THESE GLUTEN FREE BISCUITS TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!
Gluten Free Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend (I always use Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice (I've substituted vinegar for this with good results)
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the butter to the mixture cut in with a pastry blender, fork, or fingers until small, pea-size pieces remain.
- In a separate bowl whisk together yogurt, egg, oil, and lemon juice. Stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until no flour pockets remain. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the starches to blend with the liquids and make the dough easier to shape. Preheat oven to 450ºF
- Place one baking sheet inside a second so you have a double layer, and line the top baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease a 1/3 cup measuring cup and scoop a heaping amount of batter into it. Drop on prepared baking sheet, spacing the biscuits only about 1/2 inch apart in the center of the sheet (this traps a little extra steam between the biscuits and makes them more tender).
- Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, watching carefully and rotating pan 1/2 way through.
- Place baking sheet on wire rack and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving
❉DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?? DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE FEEDBACK AND/OR CLICK A STAR RATING ON THE RECIPE CARD!❉
Notes
- You can substitute sour cream for the yogurt with great results. I've also substituted vanilla yogurt without affecting the taste.
- If you don't have lemon juice on hand, substitute any variety of vinegar.
- Increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons for a gluten free shortcake recipe. Brushing the unbaked tops with cream, milk, or almond milk and sprinkle with demura or raw sugar. Bake according to directions.
- See how to turn these biscuits into copycat Gluten Free Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
Nutrition
❊SHOP THE RECIPE❊
Items used to make this recipe*:
Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour Ι aluminum baking pans Ι mixing bowls
*contains affiliate links
Kelly Smith says
Do you think an insulated cookie sheet would suffice as a sub for two cookie sheets since it has two layers?
Melissa says
Hi Kelly,
Yes, but I would probably turn down the oven slightly. You don’t want the bottoms to burn. So maybe 15-20 degrees less and just watch carefully.
Best,
Melissa
Linda says
These were amazing, and I’ve tried a lot of different GF biscuit recipes! Because I’m at high altitude, I added 2T flour and 2T water. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and baked at 445 degrees for 15 minutes. My batter was a little dry (my egg was probably too small), so next time I’ll add more liquid. The biscuits turned out a little dry, but the texture was amazing! They didn’t fall apart like most recipes I’ve tried. Definitely a keeper!
Melissa says
Hi Linda,
I really appreciate you writing and adding the high altitude tips. That is very helpful! Next time try adding a little more of the yogurt since you are adding the extra flour. Heavy cream or buttermilk would work too to offset the extra flour and make sure they aren’t dry. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Best,
Melissa
Christine McCarthy says
Wow, so many interesting tips here. I’m new to the realm of gluten free baking. The resting tip is sheer genius- would you recommend doing that for all gf recipes? I find my muffins and cookies to be grainy, will resting them cure that too? Thanks a million!!
Melissa says
Hi Christine,
Thanks for writing and I’m so glad you found our community! Yes, resting the batter is generally helpful with gluten free baking. The graininess could also be coming from the brand of flour you are using too. Experiment with different brands because there is a world of difference between them!
Best,
Melissa
Judy Virden says
When making the biscuits could you pat them down a little and use a cuter?
Melissa says
Hi Judy,
I’ve never tried this because the dough is a little sticky. The easiest way would be to use the greased measuring cup to place them on the baking sheet and then use slightly wet fingers to shape the biscuits. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
Christina says
First gluten biscuit recipe that actually tastes like biscuits! I used the Pillsbury GF flour . The only substitutions I made was I used coconut oil and the crisco shortening sticks. I may add just a little more sugar next time but overall these were the best I’ve made using GF recipe
Melissa says
Thanks Christina! I’m also happy to know about other gf flours people use because I know they don’t all behave the same. It’s such a good feeling when gf baked goods actually taste just as good as the “normal” version.
Best,
Melissa
Sarah says
These were the BEST GF biscuits I’ve made; being a Celiac foodie, I’ve tried countless recipes and this one is well written, explained and executed perfectly. I used Namaste’s Organic Perfect flour (Thank you, Costco!) but substituted 1/4C of the flour with fine blanched almond flour, as Namaste’s brand can be a little gummy. Worked wonderfully, Wubby and I were so excited to have butter & jam biscuits again!! Thank you! 🙂
Melissa says
What a great trick to know about using Namaste’s flour! I’ve tried it before because you really can’t beat the price, but I didn’t love the taste of it. I will try it again with the almond flour hack! Cheers to you, Wubby, and good biscuits!
Best,
Melissa
Marianne VanWingerden says
WOW, Impressive!! Moist and delicious! Best gf biscuit I’ve had since becoming gf.! (Close to 10 years I think) Can’t Wait to try your other recipes now… Thank you!!
Melissa says
Hi Marianne,
Thank you so much! I’m so happy they were such a hit for you:) Make sure you try the Cheese Garlic version as well. I’m obsessed!
Best,
Melissa
Brittany says
Can this dough be frozen? I’m the only GF person in the house
Melissa says
Hi Brittany, I haven’t tried freezing the dough, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Since the recipe only makes 7 biscuits (can definitely make smaller portions, though), I usually bake them, cool completely, and then freeze. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. When I need one for myself (I’m the only gluten free in my family too), I just take one out. Enjoy!
Raji says
Great! I have zero experience with gf bread baking. This recipe was outstanding, apprachable and didn’requiringa lot of exotic, specialized ingredients.
Melissa says
Hi Raji,
I agree. I like how everything is just mixed together and the dough is easily to work with. This is pretty much the only GF bread I make again and again. Thank you for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Lizzie fromNew Zealand says
I love this recipe, thank you for sharing. I used self-raising gluten free flour and full fat yoghurt. As I live alone I halved the recipe as a trial and dropped the batter into oil sprayed mini muffin pan. They are absolutely delicious.
Melissa says
Hi Lizzie (from New Zealand!),
With the self-rising gluten free flour did you still add the baking powder? I love the idea of dropping them in a muffin pan! I’m going to try that next time. Thanks for the idea!
Best,
Melissa
Joan says
The first batch I made was very dry. I compared other biscuit recipes and decided it needed more butter. For the next batch I increased the butter to 8 tablespoons and decreased the oven temperature to 425. They turned out amazing! (Any chance the amount of butter is incorrect in your recipe?)
Melissa says
Hi Joan,
Well, I definitely agree with your thought process because adding more butter usually never hurts anything! But the butter amount is correct. The reason it is less butter than traditional biscuit recipes is because gluten free flour doesn’t absorb fat as well. So it uses the combination of butter, oil, and yogurt to make up for lessened butter amount. Did you allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes before baking? That helps with the flour hydrating before baking. Also, I generally do you use lowfat yogurt because that is what I always have on hand, but using whole milk yogurt does make for a more tender biscuit. Thanks for writing and happy baking!
Melissa
Anna says
Is 4tsp baking powder correct? My batch tasted bitter and I’m wondering if it’s because of the baking powder?
Melissa says
Hi Anna,
Yes, 4 teaspoons of baking powder is correct. All biscuit recipes have a lot of baking powder because they don’t use yeast to rise. I’m not exactly sure why yours tasted bitter…What brand of flour did you use? I haven’t run into that issue, but I’m happy to try to help figure it out!
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Hi Melissa, I used Dr Oetker plain gf flour which might actually be the problem (the box cakes are also bitter)
Melissa says
I haven’t heard of that brand. There are so many GF flour blends out there with different ratios of ingredients, it’s hard to know how they will all work / taste. I always test recipes with Cup 4 Cup because I think it tastes they most like traditional flour, in my opinion, but it is pricier.