Why did my gluten-free biscuits come out hard?

Make sure to spoon and level for consistent results when measuring flour to avoid a heavy result. Overworked dough can also cause biscuits to become rubbery and dense. Keep a gentle hand when working; particularly when rolling and shaping the dough.

What is the secret for high-rising biscuits?

Stacking the dough onto itself will help create a lofty rise and flaky layers. Make sure to roll your dough no less than 1-inch thick before cutting for a successful rise.

What is the best gluten-free flour for biscuits?

We recommend King Arthur or Cup4Cup for these biscuits, but any gluten-free all-purpose flour you've had good results with in the past should do nicely in this recipe.

Gluten-Free Biscuits Recipe

Name: Gluten-Free Biscuits
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups (about 15 oz.) gluten-free all-purpose flour (such as King Arthur or Cup4Cup), plus more for work surface; 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar; 1 Tbsp. kosher salt; 1 Tbsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1 cup (8 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1 1/4 cups cold whole buttermilk; 1 large egg, beaten; 1 tsp. flaky sea salt

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

55 mins

Servings:

10

Our Test Kitchen knocked this gluten-free biscuit recipe out of the park—your guests will never know these tender and flaky biscuits are made without a speck of wheat flour.

These gluten-free buttermilk biscuits truly have it all—they’re salty, tender, and absolutely delicious. Honestly, they rank up there with even the best glutenous biscuits. We also love the sharp square look, which really allows all the distinct layers to shine. Use a bench scraper to help you cut and stack the dough onto itself; it will make the process much easier.

While these biscuits can be made with any gluten-free all-purpose flour, each product is a little different. (We really liked both King Arthur and Cup4Cup’s blends in our testing process.)

Learn how to make gluten-free biscuits, and be sure to enjoy these biscuits hot and fresh, or bake only the amount that you actually need and freeze the rest of the dough.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Biscuits

While gluten-free flour might be a specialty item, the remaining ingredients for these biscuits are mainly pantry staples. To make a batch, you'll need:

Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Such as King Arthur or Cup4Cup.
Granulated sugar: A hint of sweetness to enhance the flavor of the biscuits.
Kosher salt: The most flavorful biscuits have just the right amount of salt in the mix.
Gluten-free baking powder: Gives the biscuits their rise.
Baking soda: Reacts with the buttermilk to help lift the biscuits.
Unsalted butter: Cut into the biscuit dough to create flakiness.
Whole buttermilk: For a tender crumb and hint of tanginess.
Large egg: Brushed over the biscuits for browning and sheen.
Flaky sea salt: Sprinkled over the biscuits for a salty crunch.

Southern Living Gluten Free Biscuits ingredients — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

How To Make Gluten-Free Biscuits

If you've made biscuits before, you'll be used to the concept of cutting in butter for a flaky texture. We take this idea one step further by stacking the biscuit dough onto itself for feathery layers and a lofty rise. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 2. Cut in butter until pea-sized. Add buttermilk, and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 3. Turn onto a lightly dusted surface. Pat to an 8- x 6-inch rectangle.
Step 4. Cut into fourths. Stack quarters, and pat into a rectangle again. Repeat process 3 times.
Step 5. Pat or roll to 1-inch thickness. Cut into 10, 2 1/4-inch biscuits, rerolling scraps once. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheet.
Step 6. Freeze until cold.
Step 7. Brush with egg and sprinkle with flaky salt.
Step 8. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Tips for the Best Gluten-Free Biscuits

For the best gluten-free biscuits, keep these tips in mind:

Spoon and level: Spoon and level (or weigh) your flour for consistent results with every batch.
Cold butter: Use cold butter and work quickly when cutting it in to keep those bits of fat in the mix. If in doubt, chill the dough for 10 minutes before patting into a rectangle to keep the fat cold for the flakiest texture.
Stack the dough: We're serious about biscuits, and while folding and stacking the dough might seem time-consuming, you'll thank us for those extra-flaky results.
Even sizing: Use a floured square cutter for even biscuits, or cut with a sharp chef's knife if needed (just mark with a ruler before cutting for consistent sizing).
Take time to freeze: Freezing the cut biscuits helps set the fat in place and relax the dough for the most tender, flaky interior.
Egg wash: Egg wash encourages browning and gives the biscuits a golden brown sheen. If you don't have an egg to spare, opt for cream or milk for a similar finish, or brush with melted butter after baking.

Can I Make Gluten-Free Biscuits Ahead?

These biscuits can be prepared in advance through Step 6. Instead of freezing, wrap and refrigerate the biscuits for up to two days, or transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to one month. You can bake them straight from the freezer (although they may need an additional few minutes of baking time), or thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Southern Living Gluten Free Biscuits in the basket to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

How To Store and Reheat Leftover Gluten-Free Biscuits

Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to two days at room temperature, one week in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature or heat in the microwave, toaster oven, or preheated 350°F oven until warmed through before serving.

What To Serve with Gluten-Free Biscuits

These gluten-free biscuits are every bit as delicious as a standard version, and can be used in the place of traditional biscuits for just about any recipe. Serve up for breakfast with a hearty sausage gravy or slathered with jam alongside any of your brunch favorites. Use in the place of buns for hot sliders for lunch or pair with chili or soup for dinner.

Leftover biscuits? From casseroles to bread pudding, we have some great ideas for how to use them up.

More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes You'll Love

Whether you incorporate gluten-free flour or go flourless, we have lots of delicious recipes for gluten-free baking:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups (about 15 oz.) gluten-free all-purpose flour (such as King Arthur or Cup4Cup), plus more for work surface
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup (8 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/4 cups cold whole buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. flaky sea salt

Directions

Combine dry ingredients:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Stir together flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Cut in butter, and add buttermilk:

Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until most of the butter is pea-sized. If there are large chunks of butter, use your fingers to gently flatten.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Add buttermilk, and stir until a shaggy dough forms and dough clumps together when squeezed in the palm of your hand.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Shape dough:

Turn dough out onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour. Pat dough into an 8- x 6-inch rectangle.
Stack dough:

Cut rectangle into fourths.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Stack dough quarters, and pat down into a rectangle again.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Repeat process 3 times until dough comes together (dough will be very crumbly the first 2 rounds).
Cut biscuits:

Pat or roll dough into 1-inch thickness.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Using a 2 1/4-inch square cutter dipped in flour, cut dough into 10 biscuits, rerolling scraps once. Arrange biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Freeze biscuits:

Freeze, uncovered, until cold, about 10 minutes.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Apply egg wash:

Remove biscuits from freezer. Brush evenly with egg; sprinkle with flaky salt.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Bake biscuits:

Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my gluten-free biscuits come out hard?

Make sure to spoon and level for consistent results when measuring flour to avoid a heavy result. Overworked dough can also cause biscuits to become rubbery and dense. Keep a gentle hand when working; particularly when rolling and shaping the dough.
What is the secret for high-rising biscuits?

Stacking the dough onto itself will help create a lofty rise and flaky layers. Make sure to roll your dough no less than 1-inch thick before cutting for a successful rise.
What is the best gluten-free flour for biscuits?

We recommend King Arthur or Cup4Cup for these biscuits, but any gluten-free all-purpose flour you've had good results with in the past should do nicely in this recipe.