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This is the gluten free biscuits recipe you’ll know by heart. One simple dough, two ways: quick and craggy drop biscuits on the table in 30 minutes or less, or buttery, layered ones that pull apart like the ones from a can—but better.
I don't have a passed-down family heirloom recipe here—just a plan for biscuits that fit into your life and methods that work every time, whichever way you make them.
“My oh my. Those biscuits were so satisfying.
All y'all need to try this! And I forgot the Star Rating on the comment I just left. Disappointed there are only 5 – should have been 6!”
ingredients
What's in these biscuits
To get light, tender gluten free biscuits every time, it helps to understand what each ingredient does—and how to choose the right ones:
- Gluten free flour – Use a high-quality all purpose gluten free flour blend made with finely ground rice flour. I highly recommend Better Batter’s original blend or Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend. If your blend is missing xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon. If your choice is Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 (in the blue bag), it has xanthan gum but not enough, so add 3/4 teaspoon more to avoid a crumbly texture.
- Cornstarch – Lightens the crumb and softens the texture more, no matter which blend you're using.
- Baking powder + baking soda – Baking powder gives lift; baking soda helps the biscuits brown beautifully.
- Salt + sugar – Enhance flavor and add a touch of tenderness.
- Butter – Adds flavor and creates steam as cold butter melts, which lifts and lightens the dough.
- Buttermilk – Adds tang, moisture, and tenderness. The drop biscuit version uses a bit more for a looser, scoopable dough.
How to make gluten free biscuits: two ways
This one dough makes two kinds of biscuits. Whether you’re short on time or aiming for buttery, pull-apart layers, both methods are easy—and once you’ve made them, you’ll know them from memory.
Drop Biscuits (ready in 30 minutes)
Start with the dry mix. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum if needed, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
Grate in the cold butter. Use the large holes on a standard box grater because drop biscuits don't have layers so you don't need big chunks of butter. Toss the shreds to coat in flour and keep the butter from melting. Be careful to avoid overprocessing the butter since solid butter makes the biscuits light.
Add cold buttermilk. Stir until the dough is just combined. It should be thick, sticky, and a little rough-looking—perfect for tender biscuits with crisp edges.
Scoop and bake. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to portion the dough onto a lined baking sheet. If it sticks, dip the scoop in cold water between portions. Bake in a very hot oven (425°F) for a short time (about 15 minutes), so the biscuits rise fast and the edges turn until golden brown.
Rolled, Layered Biscuits (like GF Grands)
Begin with the dry ingredients. Whisk together the gluten free flour blend plus xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
Use butter chunks. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut cold butter into ¾-inch pieces, toss them in the dry ingredients, and flatten into flat shards with your fingers. These create steam pockets for flaky layers, so keep them large.
Make a shaggy dough. Stir in cold, thick buttermilk, but use less than with drop biscuits since we'll shape, not scoop, this dough. Only add more liquid to very dry spots of the dough to keep this dough drier. Press the dough into a disk and chill briefly if the butter is softening at all.
Roll and fold. Sprinkle a bit of flour and roll the dough out ¾-inch thick, then fold it in thirds to build layers of butter-studded dough. Repeat the roll-and-fold 1 to 2 more times to build layers that multiply like gluten free puff pastry.
Shape and bake. Press and roll the smooth, layered dough until it's about 1 inch thick. Flour a round 2-inch biscuit butter so it doesn't stick, and press straight down, no twisting, to cut out shapes. Those sharply defined sides help the biscuits rise tall. Chill until firm if needed, then bake at 425°F until puffed and pale golden (at least 15 minutes). Layered biscuits will sometimes bake a little longer.
Tips for perfect gluten free biscuits
This recipe is flexible by design, using more or less buttermilk to make a different texture entirely. Here’s how to make it work for your ingredients, your diet, and your schedule.
Keep everything cold.
Cold butter and cold buttermilk help your biscuits rise tall and bake up tender. If your dough starts to feel soft or at all greasy, stop and chill it before continuing.
Don't overwork the butter.
In my experience, tools like pastry blenders tend to break the butter down too small, which leads to flatter biscuits. Even with grated butter, it’s important not to reduce it to tiny pebbles. You want visible pieces of butter—those cold, solid pieces create steam as they melt rapidly which helps to lift the biscuits as they bake.
Pick your path: quick or flaky.
Both styles use the same dough:
- If you’re short on time, go with drop biscuits. They’re scoop-and-bake simple, and on the table in about 30 minutes.
- If you’ve got a few extra minutes, make the rolled, layered version. The butter sheets you create during folding turn into those nostalgic, pull-apart layers.
Work with what you have.
No buttermilk? Use half plain yogurt (or sour cream) and half milk, or use plain kefir.
Need a dairy-free option? Combine ½ cup plain nondairy yogurt with ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk, and swap the butter for half block-style vegan butter like Melt or Miyoko's Creamery, half shortening like Spectrum or Crisco brand. That combination should balance the moisture and keep the dough from leaking butter.
Avoiding corn? Choose a flour blend that’s corn-free (like Better Batter or Bob's 1-to-1), and replace the cornstarch in the recipe with arrowroot or potato starch.
Let drop biscuit dough be rustic.
There’s no need to shape or smooth the dough—just scoop and drop it onto the baking sheet. If the dough sticks, dip your scoop or spoon in cold water between portions to keep the mixture cold and avoid adding more flour, which could lead to dense biscuits.
Gluten Free Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, plus more for sprinkling (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 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
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk, chilled
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted (optional; for drop biscuits)
Instructions
To Make Drop Biscuits
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Grate the cold butter using a standard box grater. Chill if it starts to soften.
- Add the grated butter to the dry ingredients and toss to coat.
- Create a well in the center, add the buttermilk, and mix just until the dough comes together.
- Using a medium ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop mounds of dough about 1½ inches apart on the baking sheet. Don’t pack the dough into the scoop.
- Optional: Brush the tops with melted butter for a golden finish.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, until golden brown and firm. Cool briefly before serving.
To Make Rolled, Layered Biscuits
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Cut the cold butter into ¾-inch cubes. If it begins to soften, chill until firm again.
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss to coat. Flatten each piece between your fingers to create thin shards.
- Pour in all but 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add more buttermilk as needed to bring the dough together.
- Press the dough into a rough disk. If it no longer feels cold, chill for 5–10 minutes.
- Dust lightly with flour and roll the dough into a rectangle about ¾-inch thick. Fold into thirds like a business letter, then roll out again.
- Repeat the fold-and-roll 1 or 2 more times to build layers, chilling as needed if the butter begins to soften.
- After the final fold, roll the dough 1 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds using a floured biscuit cutter.
- Place the rounds 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gather and reroll scraps as needed. Chill the shaped biscuits until firm.
- While the biscuits chill, preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and pale golden. Cool briefly before serving.
Video
Notes
Be sure to use a high-quality all purpose gluten free flour blend with a finely ground rice flour. I recommend Better Batter's original blend gluten free flour and Nicole's Best multipurpose blend. Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour should also work, as long as you add ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum to avoid having crumbly biscuits. Cup4Cup has changed its formula and I no longer recommend it. To make your own blend, including a blend that is just like the old Cup4Cup, visit my all purpose gluten free flour blends page for DIY “mock” recipes. Number of biscuits
Depending on the size of your biscuits cutter, you may get fewer layered biscuits than 10. The nutrition information is based on 10 drop biscuits of equal size.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage instructions
Short-term:
Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 12 hours. After that, they may begin to dry out.
To freeze baked biscuits:
Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat:
Defrost at room temperature. To revive their texture, sprinkle lightly with water and warm in a 300°F oven or toaster oven until heated through.
To freeze raw biscuit dough:
Freeze shaped biscuits in a zip-top bag or container. Bake straight from frozen. Start at 400°F for 5 minutes, then increase to 425°F to finish baking. Add a few extra minutes to the total bake time.
FAQs
Yes, but keep a close eye on them—cast iron holds heat more intensely than a baking sheet, so the bottoms may brown faster and may burn suddenly.
Not alone. Instead, use half plain yogurt (or sour cream) and half milk by volume to mimic the thick, tangy consistency of buttermilk. Or try 1 full cup of plain kefir as an easy 1 to 1 buttermilk substitute.
No, it doesn’t provide the same thick texture and acidity needed to help lift and tenderize the dough that actual prepared buttermilk does.
That’s usually from butter that wasn't cold and solid enough before it went into the oven, so it melted into the dough rather than expanding quickly and making the biscuits light.
Yes! Freeze shaped biscuits in a single layer. Once frozen, store in a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen using the method in the storage section above.
If you’re short on time or just hate rolling out dough, go with the drop biscuits—they’re on the table in under 30 minutes. If you want those nostalgic, flaky layers, try the rolled and folded version. Same dough, two great options.
These are the best! Thank you ❤️
You’re so welcome, Aimée!
I made these tonight, I did sub dairy free milk with a teaspoon of vinegar and I used cup measurements with the Better batter flour but the middle of my biscuits were gummy inside and hard on the outside. What did I do wrong? I love your recipes so much!!
Dairy free milk with a teaspoon of vinegar is not buttermlk, Phyllis. It has significantly more water than buttermilk, which is why your biscuits were still wet inside even though the outside was overdone. You also need to measure by weight, not volume, for good and consistent results. Please see the text of the post under the heading “How to make gluten free dairy free drop biscuits”
Being gluten-free, I have used several different biscuit recipes. This one is by far, in my estimation, the best I have come across! I use a cookie scoop to form each biscuit then tap on the tops of each biscuit with the back of the scoop a little bit before topping with a bit of melted butter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Judy! They’ve saved the day in my house so many times. :)
Scrumptious! Very crumbly, but super delicious and tender. FYI, I made them with water instead of buttermilk and vegan butter instead of butter due to a dairy allergy. Turned out delicious and I want to eat then all right now!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the biscuits, Anna. In the future, I’d really recommend against replacing buttermilk with water. Buttermilk adds so much to the recipe. Instead, try using half plant based milk, half plant based plain yogurt by volume.
So good, I’ve been asked for the recipe to gluten-eating friends!
I can also attest that the recipe works using 1/3-1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with enough milk to make a cup, if you’re out of buttermilk, and even works with powdered buttermilk in a pinch!
Thanks, Nicole, for all your work! I’ve been gluten free for over 30 years, and you’ve made a huge difference in gf cooking.
Biscuits turned out good after bacon bits in them bake for 20 minutes.
I haven’t tried to make the biscuits yet but I was reading through the information above and I have never heard of making Buttermilk, with vinegar before. My Great grandmother would always use a tablespoon of lemon juice in whole or 2% milk to make her buttermilk and that is how I have always made mine; using plain Dairy free milk with my milk allergies. I love to bake and have tried and modified a lot of the recipes you send out. They are so good, I have to modify some because I have to cater to GF, Dairy free, Coconuts free, Avocado free, All nuts free, Red meat Free and Artificial and MSG free allergies. Thank you for the time you put in to post these recipes and I hope the tip on making the buttermilk can help. thank you again
Perfect recipe
Thank you! ❤️
You’re very welcome, Jil!
These are fast, easy, reliable- and delicious. For those who don’t have buttermilk around, I have used the old trick of milk with white vinegar added in the place of buttermilk and it works a treat. Thanks Nicole for another amazing recipe!
Oh.My.Goodness… the first biscuits I have had in who knows how long??!! Sooooo amazing!! It was hard not to eat them all!!