By: Author Celeste Noland
Posted on - Last updated:
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Tender, light, and flaky gluten free baking powder biscuits have a secret ingredient that also makes this recipe unbelievablyeasy. They’ll have everyone asking if they’re “really” gluten free!
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Your search for the perfect gluten free biscuits is over. I know that sounds like a tall order, but Ipromise you these biscuits don’t disappoint! They are fluffy and soft and rise beautifully.
When we began eating gluten free 6 years ago, I was making 2 batches of everything: one gluten free, and one with regular wheat flour (anyone been there, done that?) After a while I realized that just wouldn’t work because it was time consuming and too hard to avoid cross contamination with wheat flour in the house.
We gave all our flour away to family and neighbors and set out to make recipes that even the gluten eating kids would love. This Gluten Free Baking Powder Biscuits recipe was perfected just before we made the switch, and the kids begged me to make these over the gluten-filled kind!
(looking for more biscuit recipes? Check out our new 4-Ingredient Easy Gluten Free Biscuits or Blueberry Biscuits
We tried many a biscuit recipe, and many a variation, before coming up with this one. There are a lot of gluten free versions that are just like regular biscuit recipes and we just didn’t feel like they turned out quite the same. Enter this unique recipe for gluten free baking powder biscuits!
We were looking for a biscuit that, in addition to being gluten free, was also tender, light and flaky – without a gritty texture and dense structure.
The secret to making gluten free biscuits without a grainy texture is (shhh! don’t tell) melting the butter. That means you whisk up the wet ingredients, add the dry,mix it all together with a fork, fold over a few times, cut, and bake. Easy peasy, right?
We know it’s a baking chemistry no-no, but you’ve got to trust us on this one – it works! While the melted butter makes for a soft, non-gritty texture, the plain seltzer water lends a beautiful, high rise.
These biscuits are low maintenance, meaning you don’t have to work nearly as hard for them as you should (bonus much???)
Here’s another secret step: You’ll notice the dough will still be fairly sticky, as you can see below. Keeping the dough sticky and coating it in flour keeps the gluten free biscuits soft and tender instead of hard and grainy. I use the same technique with my crescent rolls.
You might be asking, Which gluten free flours work well with this recipe? Well, we’re glad you asked! 😉 Because Gluten free biscuits are very delicate and require just the right flour, We strongly recommend using Cup4Cup.
We realize you may or may not have these in your pantry, but it’s worth the extra effort and cost of keeping a bag on hand for those times when you want a truly good gluten free biscuit!
While GF Jules and Better Batter are fantastic flour blends for most recipes, their higher starch content doesn’t work well in this recipe. We have also tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill and Grandpa’s Kitchen, and while we also love these and use them in other recipes, they don’t work with this particular recipe.
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Tender, light, and flaky gluten free biscuits have a secret ingredient that also makes this recipe unbelievablyeasy. They'll have everyone asking if they're "really" gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups high quality gluten free flour (we use Cup4Cup)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup club soda or unflavored, unsweetened, sparkling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Melt 1/3 cup butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Begin with 10 seconds, remove and stir. Butter should be barely melted.
- Whisk sour cream and sugar into melted butter until smooth.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar and stir with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add sparkling water and stir until mixture comes together. It should be fairly sticky.
- Lightly flour counter top with about 2 tablespoons more flour mix and turn dough onto counter, turning to fully coat. Be careful not to mix the flour into the dough.
- Flatten with your hands into a circle about 3/4" thick.
- Fold in half to form a half circle, then in half again to form a triangular shape, and pat to 3/4" thickness again.
- Repeat the last step. This folding is what creates the flaky, layered effect.
- Cut into circles with biscuit cutter or large cup and arrange in a round cake pan so the biscuits are so close they are almost touching.
- Bake biscuits for 7-10 minutes. Remove biscuits just as edges begin to turn a golden brown and be sure not to overcook or they won't turn out so flaky and soft.
- These are best served warm. Store any leftovers (if you happen to have any!) in a sealed bag at room temp for up to 2 days.
- You can also freeze. To reheat, wrap in foil and place in 300° oven about 5-10 minutes, or microwave individual biscuits about 25 seconds on 50% power.
- Feel free to double this recipe if you would like more biscuits.
Notes
I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour and full-fat sour cream and butter for this recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 196Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 531mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
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