Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are quick and easy to make, made with simple ingredients like butter, gluten free flour, and buttermilk for the perfect fluffy texture in only 30 minutes!
Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are golden brown on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside, and have an incredible buttery flavor. They come together quickly, and the entire recipe is done in about 30 minutes! I love making these because you get all of the flavor of buttermilk biscuits, but without having to roll out dough. They’re perfect for everything from Sunday mornings to holiday dinners. This will be the only gluten free biscuit recipe you’ll ever need!
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster copycat), Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, and my Gluten Free Cornbread!
Why You’ll Love My Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
Easiest Biscuits Ever. Unlike regular buttermilk biscuits, drop biscuits only need to be “dropped” onto a baking sheet, no rolling out required. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make it even easier!
Perfect for Holidays. You can make these ahead of time and warm them up when you’re ready to eat, making them ideal for holidays, Sunday dinner, or any time you’re making a big meal and want a warm, buttery biscuit on the side!
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Gluten Free Flour. The type of gluten free flour blend that you use will impact the flavor and texture of your biscuits. Choose a flour blend that already has xanthan gum in it, because this will keep your biscuits from crumbling.
I like to use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free all-purpose flour blend, or Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use equal amounts of regular flour.
Baking Powder. This helps your biscuits rise and have a light and fluffy texture. Choose a double-acting baking powder.
Salt. Just 1/2 teaspoon salt helps balance out the buttery notes and adds flavor.
Buttermilk. The acid and fat in buttermilk helps with the flavor and texture of the biscuits. You can also use whole milk instead of buttermilk.
I also brush the tops of the biscuits to add a nice color when they bake.
Unsalted Butter. Butter helps the biscuits become light and fluffy, and adds flavor. It’s important to use cold butter, because it creates steam pockets when it hits the heat of the oven to “lift” the biscuits and help them rise.
Sugar. I like to add a touch of sugar to balance out the savory notes in the biscuits.
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Garlic Powder. A small amount of garlic powder can add flavor to the biscuits.
How to Make Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
After mixing the dry ingredients together, I like to use a grater to grate the butter into the flour. The smaller pieces are easier to work in.
Once the cold butter is worked into the flour, it should have small pea-sized clumps of butter. Try to work out any bigger pieces, but smaller ones are fine.
Use a rubber spatula to mix the buttermilk into the flour a little bit at a time. It’s ready when the dough is sticky and pulls away from the bowl.
Gluten free flour needs more liquid to hydrate. I needed the full cup of buttermilk, but it can vary depending on the flour blend you use.
Scoop the biscuits onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. I like to use a big ice cream scoop for this part.
I used a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops with buttermilk for a better color at the end.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through.
Instead of cutting the butter into small pieces, use a cheese grater and grate the butter right into the flour. It’s fast and will mix into the flour more easily.
Recipe Variations
- Make cheesy savory biscuits by adding 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the dough right after cutting in the butter.
- Try brushing the biscuits with some fresh herbs mixed with melted butter right after they come out of the oven.
- Try adding some extra garlic powder, black pepper, and parmesan cheese for a garlic parmesan version.
- For a breakfast biscuit, add some fruit like blueberries, strawberries, cinnamon sugar, or serve with honey butter or peanut butter.
- Instead of brushing the top of the biscuits with buttermilk, you can use an egg wash by beating an egg with a splash of milk.
Make sure the butter is cold to give the biscuits the best rise. If the dough gets too warm, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before scooping the biscuits. The secret to fluffy gluten free biscuits is all about the cold butter, and not over-mixing the dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your gluten free drop biscuits turned out dry, it could be a few different reasons. The easiest one to check is the oven temperature. Make sure the oven is cooking at the temperature it’s set for with an oven thermometer. The other is to make sure you don’t over-mix the dough, and add more buttermilk as-needed until the dough is wet enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Not adding enough moisture can cause dry biscuits.
What to Serve with Gluten Free Drop Biscuits
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Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour, 1:1
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and garlic powder.
- Add pieces of the cold butter to the flour mixture. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter and flour together until combined and there are no more large pieces of butter.
- Slowly stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture a little at a time until it creates a dough, adding more or less buttermilk as-needed.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Brush the tops of the biscuits lightly with buttermilk.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown on the tops and bottom.
Notes
- I like to use a cheese grater to grate the butter into the flour. The smaller pieces are easier to work in.
- Add the buttermilk a little at a time, you might not need the entire cup depending on the flour mixture you choose. It’s also ok to add a little more if needed.
- Use fresh baking powder for the best results.
- Be careful not to over-mix the dough, stop when its just come together. Mixing it for too long after you add the wet ingredients can cause dense biscuits. I always make these by hand instead of using a stand mixer for this reason.
- Use a large cookie scoop to drop the biscuits onto the baking sheet instead of a spoon. This also helps to make sure they’re all the same size.
- You can also make these in a cast iron skillet instead of on a baking sheet. If the gluten free biscuits are close to each other, they may lift each other up and you’ll get taller biscuits.
Nutrition
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