These indulgent gluten free kolaches are the best way to start your day. This is an easy gluten free kolache recipe that will impress the entire family. Perfect for holidays and family gatherings.
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Imagine flaky pastry dough filled with your favorite fruit jam. Now take it over the top with a sweet glaze and you have the best gluten free dessert! It has the perfect flavor combination of sweet fruit and flaky crust! You can also make them with Nutella for a sinfully delicious treat.
We haven’t had kolache in forever! The problem was I just couldn’t find a recipe that was gluten free that tasted light and fluffy. Not to mention the multiple tries I did I had to get the texture just right too. But guess what! I’ve figured this out and I am so excited to share this recipe with you.
The person who is the most excited is Mr. Fearless Dining! We used to travel to New Braunfels, Texas when we lived in Austin, just for the authentic kolache. Once we went gluten free, we stopped eating it. After trying my recipe, Mr. Fearless Dining has been in a gluten free kolache food heaven since I got it right!
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - for this recipe, I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend. I tried a few other blends but they did not turn out quite as fluffy as Cup4Cup. I suspect Better Batter Artisan Blend will also work really well. If you use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour, use the all purpose blend instead of the 1 to 1 and add xanthan gum.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Jam - I used a plum jam I made with sliced plums, sugar, tapicoa starch, and lemon juice. You can use any flavor jam you have on-hand.
- Yeast - Make sure your yeast is gluten free. Red Star Platinum is NOT.
Recipe step by step directions:
It is so easy to make my homemade gluten free kolaches recipe.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend them all together.
Step 2: Add your yeast and a teaspoon of sugar to the warm milk. Make sure your milk is around 110-115º F and no hotter or your yeast will not grow. Let the yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 4: Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and allow your dough to rise for one hour.
Step 5: Place your dough onto a gluten free flour-dusted piece of wax paper. The dough will be wet, but workable. If your dough is too gooey, add a little gluten free flour and work it into the dough.
Step 6: Drop small balls of dough onto a parchment paper-lined
Step 7: Spoon your favorite jam into the center of each dough ball. Brush each kolache with an egg wash. Don't brush the jam centers.
Step 8: Bake the kolache at 350º F for 20-23 minutes, until the edges get a little golden like the above photo. The actual baking time will vary depending on the size of your kolache.
Step 9: Allow the kolache to cool. Add the powdered sugar and milk to a small bowl and mix. When the kolache is cooled down, drizzle the icing on top.
Filling ideas:
I used a plum jam that I made, but you can use any fruit jam in this recipe! You can also use:
- Nutella!
- A sweetened cream cheese like in my Gluten Free Cheese Danish recipe.
- Chocolate custard or vanilla custard.
Tips and Recipe FAQ
Kolache is a delicious pastry that’s well known for having dough on the outside and a fruit jam filling. It’s served as a breakfast, brunch, or even dessert item. While it originates from the Czech Republic, it’s started becoming very popular in some areas of the United States.
While both a kolache and a danish tend to be filled with fruit or cheese, the texture is a fair amount different. Kolache dough is a little sweeter than danish. Plus, the texture of a danish is light, airy, fluffy, and flakes easily while kolache is denser too.
I feel like Cup4Cup was really good for making kolache. I tried a few other blends that worked, but they did not turn out quite as fluffy as Cup4Cup. I suspect Better Batter Artisan Blend will also work really well. If you use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour, use the all-purpose blend instead of the 1 to 1 and add xanthan gum.
When you make this easy kolache recipe after they have baked and cooled, you need to store them in an airtight sealed container. They will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Make sure to keep the gluten free kolaches away from steam, direct sunlight, and heat. Otherwise, they will go bad rapidly. A few ways to tell if they have started to go bad is if the dough seems to have gotten really hard or dry. Either way, check them, and if they don’t seem right, then don’t eat them to be safe.
Yes, you can freeze this kolache recipe. You will need to wrap each one up in some plastic wrap, then place it in a storage container in the freezer. Wrapping them separate gives some added protection, and then you can quickly grab what you need.
The best way to reheat kolache is by placing them on a baking sheet and heating them for 5-7 minutes in the oven. You should heat the oven to 325º F, so it’s not too hot when warming them.
Typically, it’s best to keep them out of the microwave because sometimes the dough will harden rather quickly if you leave them in too long.
Trust me when I tell you that gluten free baking and cooking do take some practice. There are going to be days when your recipes don’t turn out. That is totally normal, and while it’s frustrating, you will get the hang of it. Just don’t give up. Take a peek at my Gluten Free Pantry Essentials And Equipment Recommendations to use as a guide to help too.
More gluten free treats to make:
If you can’t get enough of these gluten free kolache, you should try some of my other amazing breakfast recipes.
- Grandma’s Homemade Cheese Blintz
- Delicious Gluten Free Sable Cookies
- Grab N Go Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls With A Creamy Peanut Butter Glaze
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Kolache
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon yeast 1 packet
- 3 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons butter melted, see note
- 2 eggs large
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- flour for dusting and rolling
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk Add more as needed after mixing
Instructions
- Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend them all together.
- Add your yeast and a teaspoon of sugar to the warm milk. Make sure your milk is around 110-115º F and no hotter or your yeast will not grow. Let the yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and allow your dough to rise for one hour.
- Place your dough onto a gluten free flour-dusted piece of wax paper. The dough will be wet, but workable. If your dough is too gooey, add a little gluten free flour and work it into the dough.
- Drop small balls of dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Press them down a bit and use wet fingers to make an indention in the middle of each for the jam. Let the dough rise for 15 minutes.
- Spoon your favorite jam into the center of each dough ball. Brush each kolache around the perimeter up to the filling with an egg wash. Don't brush the jam centers.
- Bake the kolache at 350º F for 20-23 minutes, until the edges get a little golden. The actual baking time will vary depending on the size of your kolache.
- Allow the kolache to cool. Add the powdered sugar and milk to a small bowl and mix. When the kolache is cooled down, drizzle the icing on top.
Video
Notes
- I only tested this recipe with Cup4Cup gluten free flour and the kolache turned out light and fluffy. I suspect you will get the same result with Better Batter Artisinal Blend gluten free flour or King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour (add xanthan gum if you use this one) but I haven't tested them.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Cup4Cup has dried milk powder so if you want to make this recipe dairy-free you will need a different gluten free flour blend.
- You can use your favorite jam, jelly, sweet cream cheese, custard, and even Nutella in the centers.
- These kolaches will keep up to 4 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.
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Mary Beth
I am very excited to try this recipe. I have been struggling to convert my recipes to gluten free. Very Grateful. Thank You!
Sandi Gaertner
The gluten free flour you use is the key. Be sure it works well in yeast recipes :-).
Bonnie
Love your recipes. However, the link in this recipe to flour goes to King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, on Amazon, which has a statement that this flour should be used in non-yeasted recipes. This could be confusing to some new GF bakers.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Bonnie, I agree it can be confusing. I did test King Arthur. The flavor was still good, although it didn't rise as much as with other flours. In the Ingredient notes, I do tell everyone I recommend Cup4Cup, but I do realize cost can be a factor for many. I will add a note to clarify. Thank you.
Deanna
We do a family reunion. As a Czech family, we do a kolache contest. Also, I have tried to find gluten free kolaches in the Czech shop. Thank you for this recipe! Now my gluten free ( not sure if it is healthier lol) recipe will help me and others that have a hard time with gluten. I would like to send a pic.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. My husband is Czech :-).
Gina
Kolache are a favorite dessert as I'm a sucker for anything with a fruit filling! Love this recipe and how simple it comes together. Appreciate all the info in the post too!
Sandi Gaertner
You are very welcome :-).
Hanna
We fell in love with Kolaches when we visited Texas for the first time. Buckeyes had so many to choose from. I can't wait to try this recipe and make them at home!
Sandi Gaertner
Ooh, I forgot about those Buckeyes. I miss those too.