Tender and light gluten free drop biscuits are ready in 20 minutes, start to finish. You can’t beat the taste or the convenience!
The perfect dinner side, in minutes
I don’t know about you, but I hate making dinner for my family every night. I know it sounds kind of ridiculous, since I cook and bake like it’s my job (because it is). But dinner creeps up on me every day just like it probably does with you.
I don’t want to spend forever making dinner. They’re just going to eat it and forget it, no matter how good it is. And I don’t want to prepare the same meal every night any more than they want to eat the same meal every night.
So when I realized that I was making rice or gluten free pasta night after night, even if the rest of the meal wasn’t a repeat, I found it inexplicably sad. Hel-lo gluten free drop biscuits.
How these gluten free biscuits are different
For so long, I was so obsessed with light and flaky biscuits, with layers upon layers of buttery goodness. So when a super lovely, longtime reader named Jennifer starting asking about nonflaky biscuits, it took me a few moments to actually get it.
You know, like, “Oh right! You mean drop biscuits!” So now, after that gentle reminder, I now present to you these light and fluffy gluten free drop biscuits. They’re not flaky in the traditional sense, because they’re not laminated. But they’re still super tender and light. And there’s no folding or rolling necessary at all.
Before you know it, these gluten free biscuits are looking gorgeous and smelling fabulous. They take literally in 20 minutes flat from start to finish (really).
They’re so quick and easy that I nearly made a real-time how-to video, rather than the more produced kind at the top of this page. But honestly it was just too boring, even thought it was still super fast.
Why this is the best gf drop biscuits recipe
For starters, there is no cutting, rolling, or shaping involved in the preparation of these homemade gluten free biscuits. Just combine your ingredients, give them a mix, quickly scoop portions onto a pan, and throw them in the oven to bake. Easy peasy — something we all need on occasion to make it through the day.
Another reason this gluten free biscuits recipe rocks is that you probably have all of its ingredients right there in your gluten free pantry. If you don’t, a quick run to the store will take care of that — no need to hunt down specialty ingredients for these biscuits that only taste fancy.
Personally, I think that this is the best drop biscuit recipe exactly as it’s written, but if you like to change things up, it also serves as an excellent base. Add cheese, dried herbs, and other sweet or savory mix-ins as you please. Seriously, this recipe is an all-around win.
Easy gluten free drop biscuits: ingredient notes
- Gluten free flour – I recommend Better Batter because it’s made with really good lightweight gluten free flours and just enough of the ingredients that give a flour blend the proper balanced strength
- Cornstarch – We add a bit of cornstarch to this easy gluten free drop biscuit recipe to lighten up the flour blend so your biscuits are super tender
- Baking powder and baking powder – these serve as leavening agents, ingredients that help baked goods rise and get fluffy
- Salt – for such a simple ingredient, salt plays a big role in bringing out the flavor of these gf drop biscuits
- Sugar – there’s only two teaspoons of sugar in this recipe, and while it does add a tiny bit of sweetness, it contributes more to the texture
- Butter – as the moisture in butter burns off, it creates tiny steam pockets that give these drop biscuits such a light, airy texture; keep it cold so your butter doesn’t melt into the batter, but instead puffs it out
- Buttermilk – it adds a lovely flavor and helps with the fluffy texture we crave
How to make drop biscuits that are still light
We still need lightness in our biscuits, but we’re not going to get it from layers of flour alternating with layers of cold butter that puff and expand in the heat of the oven. So we have to get it another way.
With drop biscuits, we go with smaller pieces of butter, just the right ingredients (of course!), a wetter dough, and a light, light touch. In fact, more often than not these days, I grate the butter on a standard cheese grater. So easy!
There’s very little actual hand-on-ingredients action going on here. Keep those ingredients cold!
More tips for making the best gf drop biscuits
Stick to the recipe as much as possible
Of course, if you need to avoid a certain allergen, you should consider the ingredient substitutes that are mentioned below. But if you don’t, you should really stick to this recipe exactly as I’ve outlined it.
That means using the same gluten free flour blend, not skipping the buttermilk, and working quickly so as not to allow your butter to melt. Believe me, if you follow me, the pay-off will be huge.
Preheat the oven, so your raw ingredients stay cold
Speaking of melted butter, you really don’t want that. If your butter liquefies before the biscuits start baking, you’re going to end up with dense little rolls.
To help keep that butter at the right temperature for baking, be sure to turn on your oven before you start preparing the gluten free drop biscuit mix. That way, your biscuits will get right to baking as soon as you pop them into the oven.
Measure your gluten free flour blend by weight
Because this gluten free drop biscuit recipe doesn’t have a lot of ingredients and relies on precise measurements to ensure the lightest, fluffiest texture, it’s essential that you measure your gf flour by weight rather than volume.
Measuring by weight really is the only way to ensure that you’ve got just the right amount of flour, so pull out that kitchen scale (or pick one up if you don’t have one — I really like this kitchen scale on Amazon (affiliate link; feel free to shop around!)).
How to keep your hands clean when making gluten free drop biscuits
This biscuit dough isn’t especially sticky, but you should still refrain from handling it. Instead, use an ice cream scoop, two spoons, or a spoon and spatula to scoop the dough and drop it onto your baking pan.
In addition to keeping your hands clean, these methods will help prevent your butter from melting since it won’t come into contact with the warmth of your skin. If you’re having any trouble getting your biscuit dough to release from the ice cream scoop, try dipping the scoop if ice water before each portion.
Refrigerate the gf biscuit dough between batches
If you make more dough than you can bake in a single go, be sure to stick the remaining dough in the fridge between batches. Again, this is to preserve the butter, so it doesn’t melt prematurely.
How to store leftover gluten free drop biscuits
Unfortunately, these gf drop biscuits don’t store very well. They’ll be okay at room temperature in an airtight container for a day or so, but after that, they’ll become hard and stale-tasting.
My advice is to only bake as many as you need. Because they’re so quick and easy to put together, you can always make a fresh batch when necessary.
Making drop biscuits in advance
If you want a way to prepare fresh drop biscuits without having to go through all the prep work, consider freezing some. All you have to do is prepare the biscuit dough, drop the biscuits onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and then put the whole thing in the freezer rather than the oven.
Once they’re frozen, remove them from the freezer and pile them into a zip-top bag. Now, you can pop them out whenever you need a biscuit. Bake right from frozen by just adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Ingredients and substitutions for these gluten free biscuits
How to make gluten free dairy free drop biscuits
The dairy in these biscuits is in two forms: buttermilk and butter. The buttermilk can easily be replaced with 1/2 cup (129 g) plain dairy-free yogurt + 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) unsweetened nondairy milk.
I much prefer that combination to simply adding 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar to 1 full cup of unsweetened nondairy milk. The chopped and chilled butter is best replaced with 4 tablespoons (56 g) Spectrum brand nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening + 4 tablespoons (56 g) Melt brand VeganButter, but you can use all shortening.
I discuss that combination of shortening in my recipe for vegan biscuits. The melted butter that’s brushed on the biscuits can be replaced with olive oil.
Can you make these gluten free biscuits sugar free?
Yes! You can replace the 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar with an equal amount of monk fruit sweetener, or just eliminate it altogether. It doesn’t even need to be replaced, since it’s such a small amount of sugar.
How to make gluten free corn free biscuits
The cornstarch can be replaced with arrowroot (my favorite sub for cornstarch), potato starch or even tapioca starch/flour.
Do you need xanthan gum to make these gluten free biscuits?
To make this recipe for gluten free biscuits, you need xanthan gum. But you can still make amazing gluten free drop biscuits without xanthan gum.
If you’d like to make easy drop biscuits that taste just like these, you’re sensitive to xanthan gum and guar gum, try our gluten free biscuit recipe without xanthan gum. It has a different flour blend, and uses something called konjac powder instead of xanthan gum. You’ll love it!
Delicious mix-in and topping ideas
As I’ve said, I think that these are the best gluten free drop biscuits ever just the way they are, but I can understand if certain meals call for something a little different. Here are a few mix-in and topping ideas to transform these gf biscuits into something even more special.
- bacon bits – sprinkle an ounc of them in the batter for a more savory taste
- butter – a pat of butter on a freshly split biscuit? It doesn’t get more classic than that.
- cheese – sprinkle shredded cheese over the tops of your gf drop biscuits before baking for a cheesy treat
- dried herbs – you can add dried herbs to the dough or sprinkle it over the biscuits after coating with melted butter
- garlic powder – this is another idea for mixing with the batter or sprinkle over the tops of the freshly baked biscuits
- honey – topping these gf biscuits with a bit of honey takes them to the sweet side
- jam or jelly – jam and jelly are perfect accompaniments for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- sausage gravy – this is a classic topping for gluten free breakfast biscuits; use these gf drop biscuits instead of laminated, layered ones for the easiest meal
- cinnamon sugar – try our gluten free cinnamon sugar drop biscuits for a sweet, aromatic variation
FAQs
Is Bisquick gluten free?
Traditional Bisquick in the bright yellow box is not gluten free. However, the brand has developed a gluten free version in similar packaging — but I recommend that you steer away from it.
Its gluten free flour blend is on the starchy side, so your biscuits may come out gritty. I’ve seen lots of people describe the texture as being similar to eating sand! Yuck!
Do these gluten free drop biscuits taste like Bisquick?
I may be biased, but I think this recipe for quick and easy drop biscuits is better than Bisquick. I find these biscuits come out more tender and fluffy, plus it’s easy to change out some ingredients to help avoid allergens. Oh, and we’ve got no preservatives — that’s a big win in my book.
How are gluten free drop biscuits different from rolled biscuits?
GF drop biscuits contain more liquid (in this case buttermilk) so they’re easier to scoop and drop onto a baking pan. Drop biscuits also don’t have the layers that come with rolled biscuits, but they’re still incredibly soft and fluffy biscuits.
Why is my gluten free drop biscuit dough so dry?
Your gluten free dough may be dry because you used a different gf flour than what I recommend. Some brands are starchier than others, so they soak up liquid and get dry.
If you did use Better Batter, it’s possible that you didn’t measure the flour correctly. Remember: The most accurate way to measure gf flour is with a kitchen scale, not a measuring cup.
Can I bake these gf biscuits in a cast iron pan?
Yes, you can bake these biscuits in a cast iron pan, but you’ll need to watch them carefully as the heated pan will cause them to bake more quickly.
Why did my gluten free biscuits fall apart?
If your biscuits are crumbling, you’re probably dealing with too little moisture or too much flour. Remember that the latter will cause the former, so be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure your flour.
Why did my gluten free drop biscuits flatten?
If your gluten free biscuits look more like pancakes, there’s a good chance that your butter melted before the biscuits got into the oven.
This generally happens when you use warm ingredients (butter that’s been sitting out), over-mix the dough (the friction warms up the ingredients), or let your dough sit while the oven is preheating.
For your next batch, do everything you can to keep that butter cold, cold, cold.
Can I make gluten free drop biscuit dough in advance?
Yes, you can make your dough in advance by keeping the prepared dough in the fridge until you need it. Make sure to keep the dough tightly covered to keep it from drying out, and try to use it within a few hours.
How to make gluten free drop biscuits, step by step
Easy 20-Minute Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch (or try potato starch or arrowroot)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter cut into a 1/4-inch dice or grated and chilled
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk chilled
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the diced or grated and chilled butter, and mix to combine.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Working quickly, so the dough doesn’t get warm, drop the batter by the quarter cup using two large spoons or a 2-inch ice cream scoop about 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Do not pack the dough into the ice cream scoop.
- Press the mounds of dough down gently to flatten the tops, and brush lightly with the melted butter.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown all over (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to set briefly before serving.
Notes
Easy 20-Minute Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch (or try potato starch or arrowroot)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter cut into a 1/4-inch dice or grated and chilled
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk chilled
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the diced or grated and chilled butter, and mix to combine.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Working quickly, so the dough doesn’t get warm, drop the batter by the quarter cup using two large spoons or a 2-inch ice cream scoop about 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Do not pack the dough into the ice cream scoop.
- Press the mounds of dough down gently to flatten the tops, and brush lightly with the melted butter.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown all over (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow to set briefly before serving.
Caro M says
I’m going to have a crack at these this week I think. However, I’m in Australia (Hi Nicole from the land of Sun, stingers & Drop bears!) We don’t have Better Batter. Which of your flour blends would you recommend for this recipe please? I have all of them made up in my pantry ( which reminds me to make some more as I’m getting low!!) But I’m not sure. I normally make the Non GF lemonade scones for my parents for Mother’s /Father’s day, & as I’m low gluten not coeliac, just low gluten, I have one. But these look like our Aussie scones? Maybe ok with jam and cream? Sorry, that’s a few questions in one go! :) Would be great to just make one batch that works for all of us!! Belated Happy Mothers’ Day everyone!
Nicole Hunn says
Caro, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page, linked in every recipe that calls for such a gf flour blend. It shows you how to make my “mock Better Batter,” that can be used to replace Better Batter. If you have them all made up, you can always use that one in place of Better Batter.
Donna says
Could I use cup 4 cup in place of the better batter
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Donna, yes! You’ll use the Cup4Cup as your all purpose gluten free flour blend (245 grams) and to replace the cornstarch (36 grams) for a total of 281 grams (about 2 cups) of Cup4Cup, since Cup4Cup already has quite a bit of cornstarch in it. They come out great!
Donna says
Thank you so much! I love your recipes
Kim says
These came out PERFECTLY! Oh what a relief that we can have biscuits again 😘. I used King Arthur gf all purpose flour, because that’s all I had on hand, & butter from the freezer. Hubs ate 2 with sausage gravy & 2 with honey before they even cooled down.
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you enjoyed the biscuits, Kim! I will spare you the King Arthur Flour lecture, but I wish their blends were better than they are!
Susan Brenda says
These were easy AND good! I have never seen Better Batter flour in my area. Maybe it’s an online buy? I use Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-to-1 Baking Flour for most things as I’ve had the best results from it and it’s a local company, and I like supporting local when possible. I will definitely be checking out more of your recipes. Thank you for this great recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
You’re very welcome, Susan. So glad you enjoyed the biscuits. I’m afraid that I recommend against Bob’s Red Mill blends, generally (and their rice flour, individually), as it’s of very inconsistent quality. You sound like you’re very loyal to them, but I don’t you to try another recipe and be disappointed as their rice flour is quite gritty, and the blend sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. I especially recommend against it in yeast bread applications. Their flours are so widely available, and I wish I liked their blends, but it’s always been this way. Sorry!
Adelaide says
I was somewhat confused with my outcome with this recipe. I followed the instructions meticulously, and I swapped out cornstarch with arrowroot starch, but that’s all I changed. I felt like my batter was slightly too wet as I was moving my batter onto the baking sheet, but I added the right amount of buttermilk. I set my timer for fifteen minutes, but when I took my biscuits out, they had melted and fused together as sort of one big biscuit uni-cookie. I know I added the right amount of butter , and I’m positive my oven heat was correct, so I have no idea what I did wrong.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Adelaide,
If you didn’t use one of my recommended flour blends, then that is likely the reason. Likewise if you measured your dry ingredients by volume rather than by weight, or didn’t work quickly, using cold ingredients. The video should show you exactly how everything looks, at every single stage—and that the recipe works when made precisely as written! I hope that helps.
Sarah Metzger says
Just tried your drop biscuit recipe! I no longer will have to miss out on biscuits when I make them for the family. These were AMAZING! I used King Arthur flour GF and they came out fluffy and delicious.
Stacy says
Do you think these would work in place of canned biscuits for chicken and dumplings?
Nicole Hunn says
I have a number of recipes for chicken and dumplings right here on the blog, Stacy. Just use the search function!
Jill says
Do you need the sugar? I grew up making biscuits, not GF, and they were exceptional. They had no sugar in them and I don’t like sweet biscuits.
Nicole Hunn says
It’s a very small amount of sugar and just helps balance the flavors. It doesn’t make the biscuits sweet, Jill.
Kathy Kotzas says
Love your recipes! I just made these and as I am in Australia I weighed everything as our cup measures are different. I really appreciate you putting the conversions in for us. My mixture came out a lot wetter than yours looked and so I added more flour. In the recipe it says 1/4 cup (36g) cornstrach but I worked out it would be 60g. Is that right? Can you suggest where I may have gone wrong?
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Nicole Hunn says
Most likely it’s your flour blend, Kathy. And when baking by weight, you essentially ignore volume measurements.
Ann says
Hmmm . . . I just made these and the dough was too dry! The dough just wouldn’t come together, so I added a bunch more buttermilk. Since I was SUPER careful about the weight measurements, is it possible that our 1-cup measures for the buttermilk are all very different? That’s really the only major thing that isn’t measured by weight, right? What do you think, Nicole? Any suggestions? And, by the way, I ate THREE of these with dinner – they were that good!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m honestly not sure, Ann, except to say that perhaps the issue was your flour. If you used an unbalanced, high-starch blend, then it will absorb a ton more moisture. This dough is actually considerably more wet than most other biscuit doughs.
Cara says
These look really good and I’d love a departure from the ‘rice, pasta or potato’ choice I feel like I make every day when deciding dinner. But, I’m Canadian, and we dont’ really ‘do’ biscuits, at least not where I’m from. Can Nicole or someone tell me what you would typically serve these with for dinner?
Nicole Hunn says
You’d serve them in place of rice, pasta or potato with whatever else you’re serving, Cara. I frequently serve them with soup, when I want something to round out the meal. Or even with just chicken and a vegetable. They’re relatively neutral tasting!
Emily says
You can also think of them as much-faster dinner rolls – so it also substitutes for where you might have a bread basket.
Nicole Hunn says
Well said, Emily!
Shawna says
Can i substitute granular stevia for sugar in your recipes or is sugar needed?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I’m not really familiar with working with granulated Stevia, but unless it’s yeast bread, which needs the sugar, you should always be able to replace granulated sugar with granulated Swerve, which is a really good granulated sugar substitute.
Shawna says
Is it possible to substitute almond milk (mixed w some apple cider vinegar?) for the buttermilk? Or any lower calorie milk and still have good biscuits? Thanks!
Ashley Lanson says
Did you try the almond milk?
Nicole Hunn says
Lowfat buttermilk isn’t highly caloric, if that’s your concern. You can also replace the buttermilk with a mix of half nondairy plain milk + half unsweetened nondairy yogurt.
Carol 2 says
I gosh, you have these recipes mastered, can’t wait to get your book,thought I could tell someone Its my birthday and then let them know I want any and all your books, but decided I’ll just treat myself. I love your method of simple and delicious, sure is good to know that is possible with all the rising costs of food these days. You have become my ‘hero’ thank you so much for sharing,you have been a blessing to my family..
CarolB says
Do these or the ricotta biscuits freeze well?
Nicole Hunn says
These freeze beautifully both before and after baking!
Kimmy Dawn Cox Wright says
I have leftover gravy that will be perfect with these! Thanks so much. Was going to do your other biscuit recipe but am excited for a quicker recipe. Not that the other isn’t good.
Michelle says
Yay, biscuits for lunch on our second in a row wet, soggy, foggy day! Yesterday I was so craving something warm, baked in the oven. I’ve only been gf for a couple of years, and I was craving focaccia. Do you have a gf focaccia recipe?
Michelle says
Never mind, I just found it!
Kris Bell Slager says
Anybody successfully try to make these dairy free? What did you substitute the butter with? Hubby has to avoid gluten & dairy; I don’t bake for him much anymore. :(
Cathy Soller says
Kris, I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread because I can’t have dairy or soy. It doesn’t come unsalted but just cut back a little and you should be good.
Leah says
Try Crisco and cut it in with a pastries blender.
Lauren says
Hi, I have successfully used chilled coconut oil as a dairy free option in other biscuit recipes…
Nicole Hunn says
I would not recommend using coconut oil in this recipe, Lauren. Instead, in all pastry if you need a dairy free butter replacement, I recommend using Spectrum brand nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening, butter flavor. It is solid at room temperature and has much less moisture than coconut oil.
Eddi says
They look easily converted to the red lobster garlic cheese biscuits any ideas?
Nicole Hunn says
I have a copycat recipe for those on the blog, Eddi. Please use the search function!
Allison says
Mmmm…I’ve been craving drop biscuits, and I can’t wait to bake these this weekend!
By the way, I baked your Entenmann’s Carrot Cake dupe last weekend. FREAKING DELICIOUS! Even better than the ‘real’ thing. Your cream cheese icing is insanely good. We’re having a surprise wedding in December and I’m baking our cakes. Three 8″ layers of that carrot cake will be one of our cakes (the other cake will be a chocolate cake recipe from one of your books). Thanks, Nicole! You’re the BEST!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s absolutely awesome, Allison. I feel like I’m going to the wedding—and I don’t even have to get dressed up! ;)
Jennifer S. says
YEAH BABY!!! So going to make this for my lunch today and hoard them all so no one else can even have one!! Thanks so much Nicole!!!!
Anneke says
I knew “super lovley, longtime reader named Jennifer” had to be you!
Anneke says
Or, “super lovely!” Grrr.
Nicole Hunn says
You bet, Jennifer!! It took me a few minutes to get what you were after, but once I did I couldn’t stop thinking about light and fluffy drop biscuits! ;)