The Best Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe

Originally posted February 23, 2020

Are you looking for a recipe for the best gluten-free biscuits? Well, you have come to the right place! I have been playing with different recipes for a few years now and I think I finally got the right combination of baking powder and oven temperature. I have been trying to perfect biscuits for over 10 years and I must say; these are the best gluten-free biscuits I’ve made so far!

What are the important parts?

I used to have an internal “scale/no scale” debate when it comes to baking. Now I’m an all-in “scale” person all the way. I really like this one from amazon* because it is accurate and small. I keep it in a drawer in the kitchen. (*the links in the post are amazon affiliate links).

Next, temperature is huge. The butter, shortening, egg, and buttermilk must all be cold. This helps to make them fluffy. Your oven must be hot. 425°F works well and your oven needs to be on for at least 20 minutes to pre-heat.

Ingredients are important as well. I used Bob’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour blend for this recipe but you could use my gluten-free flour blend plus ½+ teaspoon of xanthan gum. Buttermilk can be made by adding 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk before it is measured. If you are going for a dairy-free version, use a thick milk, like coconut or almond. The combination of butter and shortening makes it extra flakey. For shortening, I like Spectrum Organic Shortening best.

Other Equipment

Anything else? Well, yes! I love using my food processor* to cut in the butter with the flour. My preferred one is a Cuisinart. I usually mix the flour, powder, and salt first, then add the butter and shortening. In about 10 pulses, your butter should be cut in perfectly. Alternatively, you could use a pastry cutter or two knives. Whatever floats your boat to make the best gluten-free biscuits!

Make sure you have a good baking pan that won’t burn the bottom of the biscuits and parchment paper. I also love my glass measuring cup for the liquid ingredients. Now that you have an idea of what you need, let’s get to the recipe.

The Best Gluten-Free Biscuits

Yield: 9 – 12 biscuits

• 2 cups/270 gm + more Bob’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons/45 gm cold unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons/45 gm cold organic vegetable shortening
• 1 large egg (reserve 2 teaspoons for brushing the tops)
• 1 teaspoon plain milk or milk substitute
• 1 cup buttermilk (see above for how to make it)

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1. Heat oven to 425°F (not convection mode).
2. Place flour, baking powder, and salt in the food processor. Pulse a few times.
3. Add cold butter and shortening. Pulse about 10 times until it looks like parmesan cheese. Transfer to a medium bowl and place in the fridge for 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Place a piece of parchment on a baking tray. Get a biscuit cutter (I used a pint sized mason jar with a small mouth). Have extra flour ready to use.
5. Mix the egg wash: reserved 2 teaspoons of egg and 1 teaspoon of plain milk in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Mix the remaining egg and buttermilk.
7. Remove flour/butter mix from fridge. Add egg and buttermilk and stir.
8. Put some flour on a clean counter. Add dough. Knead gently until not too sticky adding more flour if necessary.
9. Pat into a 1.5 inch high circle. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter or jar. Place biscuits on the baking tray. Will get about 3 – 4 biscuits per circle. Reroll but do not use too much flour.
10. Brush reserved egg wash on top of each biscuit. Let rest about 15 minutes then bake in hot oven, 20 minutes on the middle rack. Place on top rack last 2 minutes to get brown.
11. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.