If you are looking for delicious gluten free dinner rolls that are really easy to make, this gluten free rolls recipe will become your favorite. Light and fluffy, you can make these gluten free rolls in your air fryer or bake them in your oven!
Wait until you take a bite of these light and fluffy gluten free yeast rolls. They are going to surprise you. They are perfect to serve as dinner rolls or made wider for sandwich rolls. Your whole family is going to love these fluffy soft gluten free rolls!
This gluten free dinner roll dough is really versatile, so have some fun. I made these in my air fryer, but you can also bake them in the oven. If you have felt intimidated to bake rolls since going gluten free, don’t worry! These will turn out delicious.
If you are trying to decide on what air fryer to get, I have a great list of the best air fryers for gluten free. I include a great pros and cons list for each model.
If you love bread as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious gluten free bread recipes.
Why this recipe is great:
This easy gluten free dinner rolls recipe is so easy to make. I use simple ingredients, a gluten free all-purpose flour, and the ease of baking these in an air fryer adds a whole new layer of ease! Air fryer bread rolls are where it is at!
So many ask if you can bake bread in an air fryer, and I am so excited to say yes!! I also include oven baking directions, just in case you don’t have an air fryer. I want to make sure everyone can try this recipe!
If you want to try another great roll recipe, try my gluten free crescent rolls recipe, too! They are a great Pillsbury Crescent Rolls copycat.
First time I’ve made a yeast roll in over five years. The flavor was spectacular. I think they are a good cross between a yeast roll and a biscuit. I used Cup4Cup flour. Very easy recipe. Doesn’t take long at all. I went by the recipe suggestion of rising in a warmed oven. After 45 minutes they had risen but I wondered if more time would equal bigger lift and yes, it did. I went an extra 10 minutes. Followed the recipe exactly. I will definitely be making these again.”
Carrie A., Pinterest user.
This is an awesome gluten-free flour blend for pizza crust, biscuits, and pie crust. It is also great for yeast recipes! Note, this blend does have dry milk powder, so it is not suitable for those who avoid dairy.
Ingredient notes:
Whether you bake these dinner rolls in the oven or cook them in your air fryer, the ingredients are the same.
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using Cup4Cup. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours. Cup4Cup rose the best.
- Xanthan gum – this is what holds gluten free baking together. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Light oil spray – This is only needed if you use an air fryer.
- Butter – If you are dairy-free, use dairy-free butter.
- Active dry yeast – For best results, double-check the active yeast brand you use is gluten free. Red Star Platinum is NOT gluten free!
I used a Corsori 3.4 qt air fryer to make this recipe, but I am getting ready to get the 5.8 qt air fryer because I need a larger air fryer to cook more at once. If you are a family of two, the 3.4 qt should be large enough.
If you love bread and rolls with your meals, you will also want to try my easy Gluten Free Biscuits recipe. (And yes, you can make them in the oven or your air fryer!)
How to make gluten free dinner rolls:
Step 1: Add yeast to the warmed milk and sugar to a small bowl. Ensure your milk is no hotter than 110º F; otherwise, the yeast will die.
Step 2: Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it is frothy. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
Step 3: In a large
You only get one good rise with gluten free flour, so I encourage you to shape the rolls, then do the rise.
Step 4: Dust a surface with a little gluten free flour. Add the dough ball and press it into 1 ½ to 2-inch thick circles.
Step 5: Take the bread dough and use a biscuit cutter to cut out circles. You can make different sizes. Note larger ones will take longer to bake. Dust the rolls with extra flour if needed.
Note: If you prefer to bake these dinner rolls close together, more like tear apart rolls, make dough balls, and place them close together in the baking pan.
Gluten free dough rising tip: I like to preheat my oven to 200º F then turn it off. Place the bowl with the plastic-covered dough in the oven and let it sit with the door slightly cracked open for rising. This is especially helpful during the cold months.
Step 6: Place the rolls on a piece of parchment paper and spray them lightly with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter or egg wash to brown them.
Step 7: See below for oven-baking directions! Preheat the air fryer to 360º F and then bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the air fryer and brush the tops with melted butter. Enjoy!
Hint: Leave a little bit of space between each roll so the air can circulate around each, cooking them evenly.
Oven-Baked Directions:
If you love gluten free baking and prefer to make these fluffy gluten free rolls in the oven, here are the simple directions:
- Prepare and rise the dough as instructed in steps 1-5.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Brush each dough roll with melted butter.
- Place on a parchment paper-lined
cookie sheet . - Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on size).
- Remove the baked rolls from the oven and enjoy!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can make these rolls dairy-free but choose non-dairy milk without flavor or sweetener.
You do not technically need to put parchment paper down, but it prevents the batter from seeping down into the holes while cooking, so it will help the rolls keep their shape better.
You will know the rolls are done baking when they are slightly golden on top and firm to the touch.
If your rolls are not light and fluffy, it is possible either the dough was too dry (not enough liquid) or you didn’t let the dough rise enough. Every gluten free flour blend behaves differently. If you used a flour blend I didn’t test, you will need to monitor the liquid levels. Starchy blends tend to need more liquids.
The best way to store these dinner rolls is in an air-tight container. These rolls will keep up to 3 days. or up to 4 months in the freezer.
You can use instant yeast if you want these gluten-free rolls to rise quickly.
Storage:
Store these gluten-free dinner rolls in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I keep them in the refrigerator. If you would prefer, you can freeze them in a zip-style freezer bag.
More gluten free bread recipes:
- Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Gluten Free Breadsticks
- The best Gluten Free Focaccia Bread
- Easy Gluten Free Honey Rolls
Gluten Free Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 tablespoon gluten free flour blend for dusting
- 1 tablespoon butter melted for brushing over the rolls
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl, warm your milk to 110º F. Do not use milk any warmer or it can kill the yeast.
- Add the sugar and yeast and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is frothy.
- In a large bowl, add the gluten free flour blend and salt and whisk to blend.
- Add the egg and melted butter to the yeast mixture and whisk to blend it together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix into a soft dough. You only get one good rise with gluten free flour so you want to shape your rolls, then rise the dough.
- Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and dust it with flour. Place the dough ball on the wax paper and dust with flour. You want your gluten free rolls dough to be pretty soft, but workable.
- Add flour if you need to make the dough more workable. (It really will depend on the gluten free flour blend you use. Some are starchier than others.)
- Press the dough down to 1 ½ to 2-inches thick. Use a biscuit cutter or round cutter to cut out roll shapes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rise the rolls for 45 minutes.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Place a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer basket. Use scissors to cut it if it is too large. Spray with a little light cooking spray. Place the dough rolls on the parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one. Spray with light oil and allow to rise 30 minutes.
- Heat your air fryer to 360º F and cook the rolls for 12-15 minutes. Actual time will depend on the size of the rolls so open the air fryer basket and check them at the 10-minute mark. You will know they are finished cooking when the tops are slightly golden and they are firm to the touch.
- Remove them from the air fryer and brush the tops with melted butter.
Oven Baking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Follow the directions above, but instead of placing the dough rolls on parchment paper in the air fryer, put them onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Do not spray them with oil, but brush the top of each dough ball with melted butter.
- Bake for 15 minutes, again the actual baking time will vary by the size of your rolls.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with Cup4Cup. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours. Cup4Cup rose the best.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter and use non-dairy milk. I recommend using unflavored, unsweetened non-dairy milk.
- These rolls will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Looking forward to making these for Thanksgiving! Do you think it’s better to make 2 separate batches or just double the recipe?
Hi Julie, it is up to you. The baked rolls freeze well and I typically thaw them in the microwave. Which flour blend do you plan to use? Just a heads up many 1:1 blends don’t work with yeast.
Thank you thank you! I’ve been gluten free for 5 weeks. Your recipe is amazing. This was the first yeast bread recipe I’ve tried. I used Bob’s gluten free All purpose flour, I don’t recommend bc it doesn’t taste or even smell great, likely because it’s made with garbanzo beans. I added xanthan gum as recommended. The rolls rose perfectly. I also used coconut sugar in place of the sugar
Hi Jennifer, I am thrilled you took a chance and tried my recipe. I have a love hate relationship with Bob’s All Purpose. I find I only use it for things like eggplant parmesan, etc.
How much baking powder?
Hi Betty, one teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder. If you don’t have aluminum free, you can omit it.
I just made the gluten free dinner rolls. They were awesome. My shaping skills need a little help, but that didn’t affect the taste.
I’m am newly diagnosed with celiac and other recipes I had tried from other sites (and a different flour) went straight to the travelling raccoons in the backyard because they either tasted funny or the bread/rolls had a weird consistency. My son also has celiac and we both loved the rolls. Thank you so much for putting all this information together in one place. We really appreciate you.
I am so glad you found my recipes! It makes me so glad you and your son can enjoy gluten free foods again…and not the racoons :-).
I made a double batch and saved a third of the dough. The next day I rolled it out and cut out dumplings, half inch by one inch. Boiled in broth for 12 minutes. Delicious.
That sounds delicious. It never occurred to me to use this dough for dumplings. Now I want to try that :-).
I would never have thought of making dinner rolls in the air fryer! What a GREAT idea for the holidays, to free up more oven space!
Thank you so much, Leslie. Yeah, at the time when I was working on this recipe, it was too hot to use our oven. The air fryer did a great job!
is this instant or regular yeast?
Hi Marilyn, I used regular active dry yeast.
Hello! Can I rise the dough overnight instead of just 1-2hrs before baking? Thank you!
Hi Aika, that should be fine. Be sure to wrap the dough in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Thank you so much!
When I rise it overnight, should I just keep it on the countertop or inside the fridge? Thank you again Sandi! 😊
Hi Aika, I like to rise dough in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover it in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
When you do the oven Baking version of the gd dinner rolls it was a bit confusing. When you form the rolls do you do a 2nd rising on the rolls when formed before baking them?
I do a short second rise after shaping the rolls. I hope this helps.
You say to use Cup For Cup GF flour but didn’t say what brand. New to GF baking and was wondering what brand this is?
Hi Laura, Cup4Cup is the brand of flour. This guide may be helpful for you: https://www.fearlessdining.com/the-best-gluten-free-flour/
These are great! I used goat butter as I’m allergic to cow dairy and halved the sugar. I also used Aquafaba to replace the egg, which worked great! I baked mine for the full 15 as the center was still a bit gooey around the 12 min mark, when I pulled them out I gave them a nice coat if garlic butter yum!
Thank you so much for coming and letting everyone know that aquafaba works well in this recipe. I am sure it will help a lot of my readers.
Hi! I just baked the dinner rolls, I baked it in the oven at 350. I used almond milk and regular butter but also added 1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary. IT WAS YUMMY!
Yum, I love you added some herbs!
I just made these tonight and they are amazing!! I used the King Arthur GF flour, dairy free butter and almond milk. They turned out great and will make a perfect breakfast biscuit in the morning. Thank you for sharing this *wonderfully simple* recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed them Brittany!!
I’ll be making these for Easter. I’m not a gluten-free eater but we’ll be having guests that are. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I am so glad you found a recipe your guests can have :-).
I made them in the oven and they were fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad you enjoyed them Allison. Glad it worked well in the oven.