Gf + Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits

I LIVE for a good biscuit- so I was absolutely determined to get these JUST right. I’m no stranger to making them as I have created them for almost every diet. But I wanted to make sure I truly pushed the limits. Most importantly I really wanted them to not only be gluten free but also dairy free, egg free , nut free & vegan.

I landed a recipe that is soft, tender, fluffy and oh so buttery with just the right amount of saltiness. We have eaten FAR too many. I highly recommend serving them for the holidays as they are fast and easy to make (no really you need less than 30 minutes!) and you can make them a day or two ahead if you store them in a sealed bag or container. Each batch makes about 5 good sized biscuits. Feel free to double or triple the recipe if you want.

I tested out various all purpose blends as my goal these days is to simplify my recipes as much as possible! I landed on King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour. Whenever I waiver from that one and try something else I regret it. I have found that Pamelas cup for cup flour and Better batter are just too gummy which is limiting. (There is a new version of better batter releasing that I have not tried yet so maybe that one will be better.) King Arthur is affordable, not too gummy, the flavor is nice and neutral and I find it will do almost anything for me. If you snag it on amazon its especially a good deal.

Can you use other cup for cup blends in this recipe? Maybe. Bob’s red mill cup for cup I think would be the next best option. If you use better batter or Pamelas I can tell you that your biscuits will be super chewy and somewhat gummy.

You’ll notice I used expandex & I want to tell you a little bit about it. :)

Expandex is simply a modified form of tapioca starch. Its non gmo and quite straight forward. Its been used for a long time primarily by the companies that are selling pre-made gluten free baked goods. Its available now for everyone on amazon. One bag will last you awhile as I only use a small amount in my recipes.

WHY do I use it? Simple. It makes everything taste super legit and no longer gluten free. If you are familiar with gluten free baking you know that typically when baked goods cool down and age they get dry and hard. (Especially bread). Something may start out perfect when its warm then taste not so appetizing when it cools down. A lot of gluten free flours cause that to happen unfortunately. Expandex stops that from happening in almost every recipe I have tried it in. The texture remains what it should be as it cools (for the most part.) Either way its a huge improvement. The second reason I like to use it is because I find it really does help baked goods expand. They tend to get taller, fluffier & even softer in some situations. It also makes dough easier to work with as it helps glue the dough together. It also helps provide structure to baked goods.

Tips & Tricks

Looking to simplify even more? You can absolutely just scoop & bake these biscuits too! Using a cookie scoop or two spoons. I personally think they look prettier quickly rolled out and cut into circles but you do you. The taste will be almost the same.

The MAIN Rules with biscuits is to make sure the butter stays COLD and to cut it down into about the size of peas.. If it melts and becomes one with your dough then your recipe won’t turn out the same as mine. If you notice your butter becoming soft take the bowl and put it straight into the fridge or freezer. Give it a chance to firm up and then resume.

Biscuits BARELY need to be mixed- over mixing again can melt the butter. You literally just dump the milk in and stir just until the dough comes together and you don’t see any flour floating around in the bowl. Then you want to get them scooped or cut right away and into the oven. The baking powder begins to get activated the second the milk touches it. Don’t panic- you have time. But just know the more that baking powder can do its job IN the oven the better the biscuits will be. I opt for double acting baking powder for this reason- its less likely to fizzle out in the mixing bowl. But of course if you let your bowl sit for 30 minutes or longer its going to lose some of its potency.

If you want your biscuits taller - (although mine is pretty tall as is) you can achieve this by keeping the dough thicker than an inch when you cut it into biscuits.

Gluten Free & Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits

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Yield: 5 biscuits ( 2 1/4 inches wide)

Author: Brittany Angell

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 29 Min

As always with any of my baked goods- please use the gram measurements for the best results. No one measures a cup of flour the same :). Don't forget to make sure your butter is nice and cold! Keep it in the fridge until the moment you are ready to add it.

Ingredients US Metric

• 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp (144 g) Milk (regular or nondairy) I use oatmilk. Avoid full fat oat milk.
• 1 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice or Vinegar
• 1 Cup (145g) King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Expandex (24g)
• 3/4 Tsp Double Acting Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt (or 1/2 tsp of table salt).
• 4 Tbsp Cold Fridge Temperature Butter (regular or vegan) I use earth balance buttery sticks.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a small rimmed cookie sheet with parchment.
2. Place a measuring cup or small bowl on your scale and add the milk & lemon juice to make vegan "buttermilk". Set aside.
3. Place a large bowl on your scale and add the flours, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
4. Remove your butter from the fridge and cut it into tbsp sized pieces or smaller. Making sure not to over handle it and warm it up. Using a pastry cutter mix it with the flour and cut into pea sized pieces. If it gets too soft during this process stick the whole bowl in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Pour in the vegan "buttermilk" and stir just until the dough comes together and there's no flour left in the bowl. It will be a fairly wet, thick dough.
6. Place a sheet of parchment on your counter and liberally cover it with a handful of King Arthur flour. Scoop the Dough onto the floured surface and add more dough to the top. Press the dough out until its 1 inch thick. Place your 2 1/4 inch wide biscuit cutter in flour and then cut each biscuit placing them on the baking sheet. Rework the dough as needed to get the last 2 biscuits being cautious to avoid over mixing in too much flour.
7. Quickly place the biscuits into the oven and bake 12-14 minutes until firm to touch and lightly golden brown.
8. Store at room temperature and serve warm or at room temperature. If you wish to make them ahead they can be stores in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes:

When it comes to cutting butter down into pea sizes pieces you have options. You can grate it, finely chop it with a knife, use a pastry tools, use two knives or even use a sturdy whisk. The key is to make sure the butter does not melt. If you find it getting soft, stop what you are doing and stick it in the fridge or freezer even if you have it mixed in with the flour.

Feel free to double the recipe! When I triple the recipe the only thing I typically change is using only 2 Tsp baking powder.

If you are not dairy free can you use regular buttermilk? I don't know. I didn't test it out. What I do know will work is using regular milk just opt for one that has less fat than whole milk.

If you are in a rush and don't want to cut them into round biscuits you can always just scoop and bake these biscuits as well. just keep an eye on them in the oven as the baking time will vary depending on how big they are. They are finished when they are firm to touch and lightly golden.

You do not need to use the same exact biscuit cutter size that I used. Just again keep an eye on them in the oven as the baking time will vary depending on how big they are. They are finished when they are firm to touch and lightly golden.

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