Make the fluffiest gluten-free drop biscuits with this quick and easy recipe! No rolling required, just scoop them right on to your baking sheet and bake!
Jump to:
- Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits from Scratch
- Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits Variations
- Recipe Testing Notes
- Ingredients
- Buttermilk Substitutes:
- Equipment
- How to Make Fluffy Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits
- Storage
- What to Serve With Drop Biscuits
- Top Recipe Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
- Still Hungry? Subscribe Here!
- Recipe
- Comments and Ratings
Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits from Scratch
Drop biscuits are one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make. There's no rolling or biscuit cutters involved-just mix the gluten-free biscuit dough, scoop it onto a baking sheet, and bake!
They're perfect for busy weeknights, lazy mornings, or whenever you need a quick side dish. Now if you don't mind rolling out biscuit dough, be sure to check out my other biscuit recipes for gluten-free cinnamon raisin biscuits, gluten-free apple pie biscuits, and gluten-free buttermilk biscuits. They are delightful!
Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits Variations
The best part about drop biscuits is that you can easily change up this versatile recipe with either sweet or savory additions. Here's a few ideas:
- Gluten-Free Cheddar Biscuits - Fold in shredded cheese and a pinch of garlic powder for a savory side dish.
- Gluten-Free Herb Drop Biscuits - Add fresh rosemary, thyme, or chives to pair with soups or roasted chicken.
- Gluten-Free Sweet Biscuits - Mix in a little cinnamon and sugar and fold in some raisins for a sweet twist.
- Gluten-Free Shortcake Biscuits - Lightly sweeten the dough, then serve with whipped cream and berries.
Recipe Testing Notes
While this recipe is just about foolproof, here's a few things I noticed during my recipe testing:
- The recipe is very similar to my gluten-free buttermilk biscuits but I found that adding a bit more buttermilk to this batter resulted in the most fluffy drop biscuits ever!
- Grating cold butter and freezing it before adding to the dry ingredients made the biscuits fluffier and helped create better structure. Keeping the butter cold is essential for achieving light, airy biscuits.
- Letting the dough chill for 15 minutes before baking helps ensure the butter stays cold and solid, which creates steam during baking for light, fluffy biscuits with a tender texture.
- Using the right gluten-free flour is key to making light and fluffy drop biscuits. Not all blends work the same, so I recommend using Cup4Cup, which is a high-quality, all-purpose gluten-free flour. It has the perfect balance of ingredients to create a tender texture.
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Cup4Cup multipurpose flour is my top recommendation for this recipe. You can also use my homemade cup4cup flour blend, if you prefer! If you try this recipe with another blend, be sure to let me know in the comments section! I've tested this recipe with other flour blends, but so far Cup4Cup has been the best for texture and flavor.
- Buttermilk: I love using real buttermilk in biscuits, but if you need a substitute, see below for some options!
- Butter: I tend to use salted butter in everything, but unsalted butter will also work just fine! For a dairy-free option, use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: If you want fluffy biscuits, make sure your leavening agents are fresh! Replace baking powder or baking soda if they are expired or have been open for a year or more.
*Refer to the recipe card for full ingredient information.
Buttermilk Substitutes:
While I highly recommend using real buttermilk, sometimes you just need a substitute! Here's some options with ingredients you may have on hand.
- Milk + Lemon Juice or Vinegar: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it curdles slightly.
- Milk + Yogurt: Thin out plain yogurt, regular or greek, with milk until it reaches a thick, liquid consistency similar to buttermilk.
- Milk + Sour Cream: Similarly to yogurt, you can thin out sour cream with a bit of milk.
- Dairy-Free Option: Combine 1 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk (like almond or soy) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes.
Equipment
The only "special" equipment needed for this recipe is something to grate the butter. I find grating the butter is quicker and easier than using a pastry blender. Use a box grater, rotary grater, or the grater on your food processor.
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How to Make Fluffy Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits
- Grate the butter and place in the freezer while you prepare the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Add frozen, grated butter to the bowl.
- Use your hands to toss and pinch the butter into the flour mixture.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk.
- Stir the buttermilk into the flour until well combined.
- Don't overmix the batter to avoid melting the butter.
- Scoop ¼ cup portions of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop.
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes before brushing the tops with buttermilk and baking according to the instructions below.
Storage
Biscuits are best consumed warm and freshly baked! They will keep at room temperature for several days, with a quick reheat in the microwave of about 15 seconds per biscuit!
What to Serve With Drop Biscuits
Enjoy drop biscuits any way you'd serve regular biscuits! Spread them with butter, jam, or honey for a simple treat, or pair them with biscuits and sausage gravy for a classic comfort food breakfast. They're also perfect for building a breakfast sandwich with eggs, bacon, or sausage.
For cozy meals, these biscuits make an excellent side dish for soups, stews, chili, or roasted chicken.
Top Recipe Tips
- Don't Overmix the Dough: Stir the ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can make the biscuits dense and tough instead of light and fluffy.
- Use the Right Flour Blend: Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. I found that Cup4Cup or my copycat blend worked best for this recipe.
- Portion Evenly: Using a cookie scoop not only makes portioning quick and easy but also ensures uniform baking.
- Sticky Dough: Yes, the dough should be thick and sticky! If your dough is too dry and the flour isn't mixing in, add 1 Tablespoon of buttermilk at a time until you achieve the right consistency. You can wet your hands with a little water to gently flatten out any uneven spots on the biscuits before baking.
- Keep Your Oven Hot: Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 425°F before baking. The high heat gives the biscuits their rise and golden tops.
- Brush the Tops: Brushing the tops with buttermilk before baking adds a beautiful golden finish to the biscuits.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure to follow the recipe, keeping in mind the steps are just as important as the ingredients used. Biscuits can turn out dense if the wrong flour is used, the butter is too warm, or your baking powder/soda is expired.
Gluten-free biscuits can be crumbly if there's not enough moisture or fat in the dough, or if the flour blend lacks proper binding agents like xanthan gum. Check your flour blend and add a little extra buttermilk if the dough feels too dry.
Gluten-free biscuits can taste slightly different, depending on the flour blend used. High-quality blends, like Cup4Cup, create a taste and texture close to traditional biscuits, often with a subtle flavor unique to the gluten-free ingredients.
More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out more of my gluten-free quick bread recipes!
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (cold)
- 2 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
- 1 ½ Tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grate the cold butter using a box grater. Spread the grated butter in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes, or just until solid, while you prep the remaining ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Add the frozen, grated butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to gently toss and pinch the butter into the flour until it's evenly distributed and resembles coarse crumbs. Be careful not to overwork the butter to prevent it from melting or becoming too warm.
- Pour in cold buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop ¼ cup portions of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill the biscuits in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes
- Recipe yields about 12 biscuits but may vary depending on the size you make the biscuits.
- Note that ovens vary, so use your best judgement for baking times, you may need a few more/less minutes to achieve the golden brown color.
- For the best results, use the recommended gluten-free flour (Cup4Cup or my copycat version). Refer to the blog post for more tips and substitutions. The recipe is pretty fool-proof but I have provided weighted measurements for accuracy; click the "metric/grams" button at the top of the ingredients list to access those measurements.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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