Ready in less than 1-hour, these homemade gluten-free drop biscuits are baked with all-purpose gluten-free flour. Rather than buttermilk, this recipe uses plain yogurt for terrific texture! For best results, once the biscuit dough is ready, cover it in a bowl, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. The biscuits will emerge from the oven soft, tender and oh so fluffy!

a split open biscuit with jam behind it
We’re bringing back a hearty breakfast comfort food with these uber light, tender homemade biscuits!

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Soft, Tender Gluten Free Biscuits Recipe

If you have had trouble finding a light, fluffy, and tender gluten-free biscuit recipe, you are in luck! I’ve made this recipe countless times through the years because and always have a batch on hand in my freezer.

What makes these my go-to homemade GF biscuits? First of all, they are quick and easy to make with no rolling or shaping. Drop biscuits mean you stir together the dough, drop them on a baking sheet and bake. Easy peasy!

Plus, they use versatile ingredients right in your kitchen. While an essential ingredient, yogurt, gives their signature fluffy texture, without weighing down the crumb, sour cream may easily be swapped out. The remaining ingredients used to make gluten-free biscuit dough should be right there waiting for you!

Lastly, the southern-style, buttery flavor and texture cannot be beat. Believe me when I say nothing I’ve ever made from this tastes like an inferior version of the gluten-full recipe. Gluten-free sausage gravy for biscuits is a match made in heaven, or serve them with sweet jam, honey, creamy grits, or a side of eggs!

While I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, America’s Test Kitchen: The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook, below I share many more helpful tips, such as ingredient swaps, how to bake for the most tender results, and the ideal GF flour to use.

I have been gluten-free for about 10 years. This is the best recipe I have tried for drop biscuits. Thank you!

—Donna

This is by far the best gluten-free biscuit recipe I have ever tried I made the GF gravy with it and I am in heaven I have truly missed my biscuit and gravy on Sundays . 😁😁

—Renee

Ingredient Tid Bits

  • Gluten-Free Flour – When developing my homemade gluten-free bread recipe collection I’ve found using a quality GF flour blend is paramount to a recipe’s success. I tested the top brands with this recipe and blind taste testers found Cup4Cup to be superior because of it’s neutral taste and tender crumb.
  • Yogurt – This is where the versatility comes in. I’ve used whole-milk, low-fat, and even vanilla yogurt, all with great results. Don’t have yogurt? Sour cream may also be substituted. Yogurt works better than buttermilk in GF biscuit recipes because moisture has a harder time being absorbed in gluten-free starches. It gives moisture without the dense, gummy texture of baked goods oversaturated with liquid.
  • Lemon Juice – If you don’t have fresh lemons on hand, simple swap out apple cider or white vinegar in the same amount. Using some sort of acid replicates the buttermilk biscuit taste.
  • Fat – The recipe uses a combination of chilled butter and vegetable oil to help saturate and coat the gluten-free flour starches. Using only one or the other will lead to a overly dry or greasy biscuit.

Watch The Recipe

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Whisk the dry and cut in butter.

In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. Then it’s time to work in the butter using a pastry blender, a fork, or even your fingers. You’ll want the butter to be mixed in enough so the mixture is sandy, without large clumps of butter.

a pastry blender cutting in the butter.

Add wet ingredients, stir, and rest.

In a separate small bowl whisk oil, egg, yogurt, optional milk, and lemon juice together. Pour those wet ingredients into flour / butter mixture and then just stir it to combine until a nice, soft dough forms.

Now it’s time to chill the dough for 30 minutes. This gives time for the GF starches to soak up the moisture and fat, so they biscuits are soft and tender, instead of dry and gritty. Easy, but crucial step for success!

biscuit dough in a large glass bowl.

Seriously easy shaping method.

If you are intimidated by making biscuits from scratch, then you are going to love how easy these are to shape. Grease a 1/3 measuring cup with cooking spray and scoop out dough evenly into the cup. Plop it onto parchment-lined baking sheets and you are done!

the dough in a measuring cup.

Bonus baking tips

These biscuits bake at a high oven temp, so we want to insulate the bottoms from burning before the tops are done. Instead of baking on a single baking sheet, place one inside another so you have a double layer. Bake in a 425°F oven for about 15-17 minutes, rotating halfway through, then enjoy immensely!

Also, with any baking, it’s a good idea to keep one of these inexpensive oven thermometers on your oven rack. Ovens are calibrated differently and vary from the temperature set, adversely affecting baking times and results.

Before baking, check the reading on the thermometer and adjust the set temperature accordingly to reach the temp called for on the recipe. No one likes burned (or undercooked) biscuits!

unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet.

Tips for Extra Fluffy Gluten-Free Biscuits

Save yourself from dense, dry biscuits or dense and gummy one’s overly saturated with liquid. Below are my top GF baking tips to make the drop biscuits of your dreams!

  1. Instead of buttermilk, use yogurt. Since gluten-free flour doesn’t absorb liquid as well, buttermilk causes them to spread too much. Yogurt maintains the structure while adding fat. This is a similar trick used with cream cheese in gluten-free pound cake made from scratch.
  2. 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.
  3. Placing the biscuits closer together on the baking sheet. Biscuits become more tender because of the trapped steam bouncing off the biscuits and being absorbed from their “neighbor” on the baking sheet.
a stack of two gluten free biscuits with more biscuits laying around them
This is the perfect recipe to make and freeze. Grab one for weekday breakfast sandwiches or smother with warm butter and honey for pick-me-up snack.

More Recipe Modifications

  • You may 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.
  • Easily turn these biscuits into gluten free strawberry shortcake by following the linked recipe. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream for the ultimate summer dessert!
  • Enjoy a favorite again by adapting them into gluten free cheese scones, which taste just like Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits! Garlic and cheese are mixed into the biscuit dough.
close up of a buttered biscuit on a blue background
If you are a GF baking newbie, this biscuit recipe has your name written all over them! Easy peasy success.

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a split open biscuit with jam behind it
4.44 stars (137 ratings)

Seriously, THE BEST Fluffy Gluten-Free Biscuits

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 7
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ready in less than 1-hour, these homemade gluten-free drop biscuits are baked with all-purpose gluten-free flour. Rather than buttermilk, this recipe uses plain yogurt for terrific texture! For best results, once the biscuit dough is ready, cover it in a bowl, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.T he biscuits will emerge from the oven soft, tender and oh so fluffy!
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Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the chilled butter pieces to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut butter into the flour until small, pea-size pieces remain.
    2 cups gluten free all purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 3 tablespoons butter
  • In a separate small bowl whisk together the yogurt, optional milk, egg, oil, and lemon juice. Stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture until no flour pockets remain and thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. This allows the starches to blend with the liquid, making the dough tender and easier to shape. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF.
    ¾ cup plain yogurt, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ¼ cup milk
  • Place one baking sheet inside a second so you have a double layer, and line the top baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease a ⅓ cup measuring cup and scoop a heaping amount of biscuit dough into it, pressing down slightly. Drop onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing biscuits about 1 inch apart in the center of the sheet (this traps a little extra steam between the biscuits and makes them more tender). Spray measuring cup between each scoop of dough.
  • Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes, rotating pan 1/2 way through. Cool the biscuits on a wire rack and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Optional Milk
Since Cup4Cup has changed their formula, I’ve found the biscuit dough to be drier. Therefore I recommend adding ¼ cup for biscuits to hold their shape, up to ½ cup if the dough is still dry, or you prefer a softer biscuit with more spread.
Baking From Frozen
Here’s a tip from a reader! After freezing baste them lightly with olive oil (or melted butter). Pop them in the microwave to quickly defrost until completely thawed and starting to rise. You can also leave them at room temp for a longer defrost. Bake as directed. 
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Generally gluten-free breads have a tendency to dry out quicker, especially biscuits because they contain less moisture. For that reason, if these aren’t eaten the same day, I freeze any leftovers.
Make sure they are cooled completely before freezing so ice crystals don’t form on them. After cooling, wrap each one individually and place in a gallon freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw at room temperature or defrost in the microwave. They are best served warm. To reheat, wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds, or until warm.
If they are left at room temperature, make sure they are in an airtight container and avoid refrigerating.
 
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen: The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook
Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 254mg, Potassium: 372mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 220IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 2mg
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