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These soft, homemade gluten free dinner rolls are easy enough for a weeknight, and special enough for any holiday table. They bake up golden, tender, and fluffy every time.
Why this recipe works
These dinner rolls bake up soft and fluffy inside with a beautiful golden brown crust outside that's still squishy, never tough. The dough comes together with just about 20 minutes of hands-on time and a fast rise, so you can have fresh rolls on the table quickly.
The dough itself is easy to handle and shape, making the process smooth from start to finish. Even if you’re new to baking bread, you’ll find this straight-forward recipe do-able, especially with our step by step photos below.
You can also parbake, or partially bake, them, and freeze, so you defrost and finish baking them right when you're ready. And if you’re avoiding dairy, simple ingredient swaps make it easy to keep these rolls completely dairy-free without losing their soft texture or buttery flavor.
Recipe ingredients
These few ingredients come together to make the softest, most tender gluten free rolls you’ve ever had:
- Gluten free flour: Use a high-quality all purpose gluten free flour blend made with finely ground rice flour. It should be designed for yeast baking. My favorite blends are Better Batter's original blend which already contains xanthan gum, and Nicole's Best with added xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour gluten free bread flour should also work (try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons extra milk), but avoid their multipurpose blends, which KAF itself says are not designed for yeast breads.
- Tapioca starch: Even though your blend almost certainly already includes this flour, this extra tapioca starch gives the dough stretch and flexibility.
- Instant yeast: Gives the rolls their rise. Also called rapid-rise or breadmaker yeast. Be sure yours is fresh.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Milk: Warm milk activates the yeast, moistens the dough, and adds richness.
- Butter: Adds moisture and flavor, keeping the rolls soft and tender.
- Egg whites: Provide structure, help bind the dough together, and help the rolls keep their shape as they cool.
How to make gluten free dinner rolls (step by step photos)
This visual overview should help you envision making these rolls at home, with an explanation of the role of each step as support for my reasoning. For the precise ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, if possible, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum (if needed), tapioca starch, yeast, and sugar until well combined. Whisk in salt next. This is how we keep the salt from clumping with the yeast and creating an uneven rise.
Step 2: Add wet ingredients and beat the dough
Pour in the warm milk, melted butter, and egg whites. Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture until it comes together and begins to look whipped (about 6 minutes total) to introduce air into the dough and help create fluffy rolls.
Step 3: First rise/chill
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container with a tight-fitting lid. Let the unshaped dough rest at room temperature for about 2 hours, then refrigerate it for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Either resting period will help the dough develop some yeasty flavor and allow it to absorb some of the liquid.
Chilling the dough for about 30 minutes will make it easier to handle. If you've chilled the unshaped dough for longer than 1 hour, let the dough warm up a bit at room temperature before shaping or the cold butter in the dough may make it hard to shape without visible seams.
Step 4: Divide and shape
Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and divide it in half, then each half into 8 equal pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball by cupping your hand around the dough and moving it in a circular motion. This is the way to gently shape the dough into a round without compressing it and making the rolls dense.
Step 5: Arrange and rise again
Place the rolls into a greased and lined baking pan. You can crowd them slightly for pull-apart rolls or leave space for individual ones. Cover with plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm, draft-free spot until at least 150% of their original size (they won't double).
Step 6: Bake
Once risen, brush the tops with melted butter. Bake at 375°F until the rolls are golden and an instant-read thermometer reads around 190°F in the center—about 20 minutes. If the rolls are touching, reduce the oven temp to 350°F after 18 minutes and bake a bit longer, since keeping them close together means there's less room for the warm oven air to circulate.
Step 7: Serve warm
Brush the hot rolls with more melted butter for extra flavor, and serve while warm and soft.
Expert tips
Use a stand mixer if you can
A stand mixer with the paddle attachment creates the smooth, whipped dough that gives these rolls their signature texture. If needed, a food processor with a plastic blade can work—just pulse carefully and don’t overmix. Avoid hand mixing.
Create a warm, steady rise
Place your dough in a draft-free spot with gentle warmth—like on top of a warm oven, never inside. If the environment is too hot, you risk killing the yeast. Too cool, and the dough will rise very, very slowly. Too dry, and it won't rise.
Adjust for dry climates
If you live in a dry environment and your dough isn’t rising well, try adding 1 extra tablespoon of warm milk or water. But don’t overdo it—too much liquid can cause overproofing and gummy rolls.
Shape gently
Don’t press or knead the dough aggressively. On a lightly floured surface, cup your hand around the dough ball and gently move it in a tight circle on a very lightly floured surface to create a smooth round shape.
Want to make them ahead? Try parbaking
To prep rolls in advance, bake the shaped rolls at 300°F for 15 minutes to 20 minutes—just until puffed and set but not browned. Cool completely, then freeze. They may sink a bit as they cool. When ready to serve, defrost at room temp, then finish baking at 375°F until golden and fully cooked (190°F inside). This method gives you fresh-baked rolls in less time.
Ingredient substitutions
Dairy free
Replace the melted butter with a block-style dairy-free butter alternative. Melt and Miyoko’s Kitchen brands both work well. For the milk, use an unsweetened nondairy variety with some fat and a texture that mimics cow's milk Avoid fat-free options, since richness matters here, and anything with unwanted texture, like oat milk.
Egg free
You should be able to replace the 2 egg whites with 50 grams of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas).
Yeast
You can’t make these rolls without yeast, but you can swap instant yeast for active dry yeast. Use 15 grams of active dry yeast and be sure to proof it first in some of the warm milk.
Tapioca starch
Even though most good gluten free flour blends already include tapioca starch, this recipe needs extra. If you don’t have it, try replacing it with an equal amount of superfine glutinous rice flour or sweet white rice flour.
Storing & freezing the rolls
Best when fresh
Like all yeast rolls, these are at their best the day they’re baked. But you can still store and reheat them with great results.
Room temperature
Store leftover rolls in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To refresh before serving, sprinkle lightly with lukewarm water and warm in a 300°F toaster oven for about 5 minutes.
Freezer storage
Once cooled, place baked and cooled rolls in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and press out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and reheat as above. For parbaking instructions, see the Expert Tips section above.
Gluten Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups (455 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, (See Recipe Notes)
- 3 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
- ⅞ cup (105 g) tapioca starch/flour, plus more for sprinkling
- 4 teaspoons (12 g) instant yeast, See Recipe Notes
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ⅝ cup (13 fluid ounces) warm milk (about 90°F)
- 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus more for brushing)
- 2 (50 g) egg whites, at room temperature
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (See Recipe Notes), place the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the salt, and whisk again to combine.
- Add the milk, melted butter, and egg whites. Using the paddle attachment, beat vigorously. The mixture will come together in a clump and clear the sides of the bowl. Keep beating until it begins to look whipped, and sticks to the side of the mixing bowl again (about 6 minutes total).
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled bucket or bowl with a very tight-fitting lid. The container should be large enough for the dough to nearly double (although it won’t double fully).
Let the dough rest/chill it
- At this point, you can let the unshaped dough rest in the bucket at room temperature for 2 hours, and then refrigerate it for 30 minutes, or refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Do not let the dough rest/rise for much longer than that, or your rolls will rise much more irregularly after shaping.
- If your dough has been refrigerated for more than 1 hour, allow it to sit at room temperature until no longer very cold to the touch before working with it.
Shape the rolls
- Grease a quarter sheet pan or 2 8-inch round cake pans for baking, and set them aside. You will later decide if you’d like to crowd the rolls, and have them rise then bake touching, or have them separate.
- Flour a clean, dry work surface very lightly with tapioca starch. Divide the dough in half, then each half into 8 equal portions, for 16 pieces, each about 2 1/2 ounces in weight.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, cup your fingers around the dough, keep the side of your palm on the surface, and move your hand in tight circles to coax the dough into a round.
- Place the shaped rounds of dough in your chosen baking pan(s) either touching (they will rise mostly up), or a bit more than 1-inch apart, taking care not to crowd them (the will rise up and out).
Let rise
- Cover the pan(s) with lightly greased plastic wrap, place in a warm, draft-free location, and allow to rise until about 150% of their original size (they won't quite double).
- This rise can take anywhere from 45 minutes to hours, depending upon the ambient temperature in your kitchen. Overproofing is not very likely, and can be detected when the surface of the rolls begins to look pockmarked.
- When the rolls are nearing the end of their rise, preheat your oven to 375°F. Once the rolls are properly risen, remove the plastic wrap from the pan(s), and brush generously on all exposed sides with melted butter.
Bake
- Bake until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each roll reads about 190°F.
- If there is any space between the rolls after they’ve risen, they will take around 20 minutes until fully baked.
- If the rolls are touching one another, lower the oven temperature to about 350°F at 18 minutes and continue to bake for about another 5 minutes or until the center reaches 190°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and with the rolls still in the hot pan, brush again with melted butter and serve warm.
Video
Notes
I recommend Better Batter’s original blend or my Nicole’s Best multipurpose blend (with 3 teaspoons added xanthan gum). King Arthur's gluten free bread flour can work but makes denser rolls, so consider adding 2 tablespoons more milk. To make your own blend using one of my “mock” recipes, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page. No stand mixer?
A food processor with the plastic blade works in a pinch. Don’t use a hand mixer or mix by hand; the dough needs vigorous mixing to whip up properly and create a smooth shaped roll.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
No, you still need the additional tapioca starch listed in the recipe. All gluten free blends include some tapioca, but this recipe relies on a larger amount to give the dough its flexibility and the rolls their soft, stretchy texture.
No, this dough won’t hold its shape that long after shaping. It’s best to refrigerate the dough before shaping, then bring it to room temperature and shape right before the second rise.
Not recommended. It's best to bake and freeze the rolls, or use the parbake method above.
Yes, but they won’t have the same pull-apart quality. Bake time may be slightly shorter.
Yes, just cut all ingredients in half. I do this all the time! Rise and bake times stay the same.
UGG, mine came out like hockey pucks. I’m not sure what I did wrong… Maybe I beat it too long and they got tough???
I’m afraid there are so many ways you may have deviated from the recipe as written, Wendy, that I can’t know what happened. Here are my general troubleshooting questions to ask yourself: Did you use one of my recommended flour blends? Anything else will yield poor results. Flour blends are not created equal. Did you measure by weight, not volume? Did you make any other substitutions? Incorporate a lot of flour in the dough as you shaped it? Any of these would result in a poor outcome.
I’m using the King Arthur GF flour. It contains tapioca starch. Do I still need to add the 105 grams of tapioca starch/flour?
Please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends page on the blog that’s linked to the ingredient in this and every other recipe that calls for it. I discuss what flour blends will work in my recipes, and I’m afraid King Arthur Flour is not one of them. In general, though, tapioca starch is a separate ingredient. It’s already in every blend, but this is a separate ingredient.
I would like to make these rolls and freeze them. Would it work to freeze the shaped but unbaked rolls and then let them thaw and rise before baking?
Please see the text of the post under the heading “Gluten free bread rolls: storage tips.” You’ll find extensive information there, including the answer to your question.
Hello,
I am having trouble with the dough being too sticky/wet. I did all of the measurements by weight after having the same issue with measuring cups. It never formed clump in the mixer- just sticks to the sides. Any ideas/suggestions?
Thank you!
It doesn’t clump in the mixer, Kait. Please watch the how-to video. Beyond that, if you’re having trouble make sure you’re using one of my recommended flour blends. Most are poorly balanced and won’t work in my recipes.
Do you really need to rehydrate? Is it a GF thing? I never do that when I make your artisan bread and it works just fine. Thoughts?
All bread is best the day it’s made, Hilary. But if you’re doing something that’s working for you, then please continue!
Hi, I recently received a bag of your Nicole’s Best flour. Do I need to add anything to it to make your soft, squishy dinner rolls?
Many thanks!
Hi, Cathy, you’ll need to add xanthan gum, since my flour blend doesn’t have any. Please be sure to use the usage guide on this page for how much per recipe. For example, in yeast bread, you’ll need 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour. In this recipe, that’s 3¼ teaspoons since the recipe calls for 3¼ cups flour. I hope you enjoy it!
In the ingredient list, you said ithe dough needs to raise for an hour. But in the instructions it says 2 hours and then 45 min to several hours for the tills to raise….Please would you clarify this for me…
The original resting time takes at least 2 hours, as explained in the recipe instructions, Lori. I’ve added the resting and rising times together now, though.
Is it 1 hour to rest and an hour after you roll them? Because your direction is confusing.. It says 2 hours aside then roll them and set aside 45 minutes or more I just need u to simplify this 1 hour aside or 2 aside and then 45 mins or more after you roll them
In Step 4, the recipe tells you to let the dough rest, covered, either 2 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. In Step 8, you set the shaped rolls to rise. Step 9 estimates the amount of time it may take to rise, which may be as short as 45 minutes. I’m afraid I can’t make it any simpler or it wouldn’t be explicit enough step-by-step, which is why it’s so important to read any recipe all the way through before beginning.
In reference to the the GF Crescent Rolls Recipe, when making the Dough at step 4 and 5 of the recipe, I cannot get the dough to lift while it is in the refrigerator. Any suggestions. I have followed the recipe to the letter and using Fleischmann’s Quick Rise Instant Yeast. I made the recipe at 1/4 size but measured everyone down.
Don’t worry whether the dough rises in the refrigerator, Pierre. That step is more for the flour to absorb moisture and the dough to chill so it’s easier to handle. And also to allow the yeast to develop. Just be sure your container is well-sealed or the dough will dry out and it will not rise at all.
Looks amazing! I have a question for you about the types of flours. I’m allergic to rice and yeast so any recipes for breads that doesn’t have rice or yeast? Thanks!
There is no substitute for rice flour in my rice flour based flour blends, no, I’m afraid. You can try some of my Paleo recipes, or those on a Paleo blog to accommodate that. There is also no substitute for yeast in a yeast bread recipe.
What substitution would you recommend for the tapioca flour? I am allergic to all beans and tapioca is a bean root. Btw, cassava is just another way to say tapioca…
There isn’t a substitute for tapioca flour that is a 1:1, Loretta, I’m afraid. You can try superfine “glutinous” rice flour but I can’t promise results. Sorry!