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Make soft, puffy Gluten Free Hamburger Buns completely from scratch with this easy recipe. These homemade hamburger buns bake up to golden perfection, ready to be filled with all your favorite burger ideas!
Homemade Gluten Free Hamburger Buns
With warmer days on the horizon, I start dreaming of summer meals and burgers on the grill. Getting a headstart on burger season, I set out to make hamburger buns that were not only gluten free, but so close to the original that you can (literally) taste it! This recipe makes the most, soft, puffed-up, gloriously golden hamburger buns completely from scratch.
Just ten minutes of prep, a half hour in the oven, and a bit of resting time in between is all it takes to make your own perfect gluten-free burger buns!
What You’ll Need
- Water: You’ll need water that’s warm, but not hot, to help activate the yeast. Aim for a water temperature that’s around 100-110°F.
- Honey: Alternatively granulated sugar, to help feed the yeast. It also brings a hint of sweetness to the hamburger buns.
- Active Dry Yeast: This is what makes your hamburger buns nice and puffy. Always check the expiration date on the yeast sachets!
- Gluten-Free Flour: Your preferred brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1.
- Nonfat Dry Milk: Also known as instant or powdered dry milk. Including dry milk in this recipe makes the hamburger buns softer, enhances the flavor, and helps them brown quicker.
- Garlic Powder: Optional.
- Egg: Eggs bring moisture to the buns while helping to puff them up. Don’t forget to take your eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start, to let them come to room temperature.
- Butter: Melted and cooled, divided.
- White Sesame Seeds: Optional, for sprinkling on top for that classic hamburger bun look!
- Kosher Salt
How to Make Gluten Free Burger Buns
These homemade gluten-free buns are way better than anything I’ve been able to find in a store. Plus, they’re so easy to make in just a few steps:
Activate the Yeast: Dissolve the honey (or sugar) in warm water, then sprinkle in the yeast and leave it to sit until it becomes frothy.
Combine the Ingredients: Combine the flour and dough ingredients with the yeast mixture, mixing until they’re just combined. The dough for these gluten-free hamburger buns will be sticky. However, if you feel it’s too wet, feel free to add more flour a little at a time to get the right consistency.
Prepare the Buns: Use a spoon to scoop the dough into eight equal-sized patties. You can use dough rings if you have them. Place the dough patties onto a prepared baking sheet and then move it somewhere warm to rise.
Brush with Butter: Once the patties are puffed up and risen, brush the tops of your gluten-free buns with melted butter. If you’re using sesame seeds, give each top a generous sprinkle.
Bake: Bake the buns in a preheated oven, until they’re firm in the center and the outsides are golden brown. Leave the buns to cool completely before slicing.
Tips for Success
- If Your Yeast Won’t Activate: After it’s mixed with the water and sugar, the yeast should take about 10 minutes to activate and become frothy. If you notice that the yeast mixture hasn’t frothed up after this time, it could be that the water is too hot, or the yeast has expired. In this case, you’ll need to discard the mixture and start again.
- Place the Dough Somewhere Warm to Rise: Yeast and warmth are the best of friends, so it’s important to find a warm (but not too hot) spot to let your burger buns rise. If you live in a warm, humid environment, your countertop may be enough. Otherwise a sunlit window sill or under a lamp are both good options.
- What If I Don’t Have Dough Rings?: I tested this hamburger bun recipe with and without the dough rings. Using the rings resulted in buns that were more uniform and classic in look and shape. However, without rings, these buns still come out fine and taste great!
- Change Up the Toppings: These homemade burger buns are classic with a topping of sesame seeds, but you can also try poppy seeds, or even Everything Bagel seasoning.
Ways to Use Them
These homemade gluten-free buns can be used for all your favorite burger ideas! Here are some recipes that have been on repeat since I started making these homemade burger buns:
- For some international flair, make homemade Thai Sliders with Sriracha Lime Cream or Peruvian Turkey Burgers with Aji Sauce.
- Use your air fryer for classic Air Fryer Hamburgers or go next level with Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers.
- Load up these burger buns with Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts or Easy Sloppy Joes for a weeknight favorite.
- For something extra indulgent, I love these gluten-free buns with my French Onion Stuffed Burgers au Gratin.
- Use these homemade buns to make Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, or fill them with Crockpot Barbecue Beef or The Best Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork!
How to Store
These light and fluffy burger buns are best on the day they’re baked, however, you can store them airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you do plan to make them ahead, I recommend freezing them.
Can I Freeze These?
Yes! You can store these buns frozen for up to 2 months. Just remove them from the freezer about 30 minutes before you need them, and let them thaw on the counter.
Shop the Recipe
SHEET PANS: These from Nordicware are the ones I use in my kitchen.
PARCHMENT PAPER: Essential to ensure your buns don’t stick.
RING MOLDS: While you can make the buns without them, these rings are helpful to end up with the perfect shape.
SCOOP: I like to use a scoop to portion out the dough because it it hard to handle from being sticky.
Easy Gluten Free Hamburger Buns
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water about 100-110°F
- 1 tbsp honey or granulated sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Measure-for-Measure), plus an additional 1-4 Tablespoons, if needed
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 5 tbsp butter melted and cooled, divided
- 2-4 tbsp white sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Measure the water in a liquid measuring cup. Add the honey or sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for about 10minutes, until frothy.
- In a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the flour, nonfat dry milk,salt, garlic powder (if using), egg, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until just barely combined then increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes. It will be sticky, but if it looks too wet, sprinkle in additional flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time while still mixing.
- Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 8 patties using a scoop or spoons, using greased 4-inch dough rings if you have them. Place on the prepared baking sheet and let rise somewhere warm for 30 to 60 minutes, until puffy.
- Towards the end of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the buns with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool fully before slicing.
Did you make this?
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I make these very often, never had a problem. Always comes out perfect.
Thanks for letting me know, I’m so happy to hear this!
Hi, can I use instant yeast? That’s what I have on hand. Thanks!
I have not tested it with instant yeast.
Hi. I just found your page and made these today and omg they are delicious! First gf recipe of hamburger rolls came out. I will be making more of your recipes.
Thank you so much!
Followed the recipe to the letter, no substitutions. I didn’t have a stand mixer but I have a high power kitchen aid hand mixer. These buns turned out perfect. I was skeptical because Bob’s Red Mill doesn’t always make nice yeast doughs but this turned out amazing. And everything is a pantry staple or easy to find at any supermarket. Thank you so much for this burger and summer saving recipe.
It was good…my kids loved them. But I thought they were too salty. Can I reduce the salt to 1/2 tbsp and still be OK?
Yes, you can definitely reduce the salt.
Hi!
Brianne, I am so happy I found your page!
This is hands down the best hamburger bun recipe I have had in the 20 years of going gluten free! I have been from the ‘sandpaper taste crumble in your hand’ or ‘break the counter if you tap it’ gluten free bread era, to gluten free foods that now don’t even reminisce the old recipes, but my problem was being allergic to the two staples of gluten free- soy and tapioca.
I have since learned to compensate with the other flours. But I hadn’t had a moist tender crumb bun like this until now. My non gluten free family loves them and I’ve made them twice (to be sure the first time wasn’t a fluke lol). I’m making the third batch and keeping them in the freezer (they freeze very well).
Thank you for bringing back one of the pleasures in life for me😍
I’m so happy to hear this! Enjoy!
I’m wondering, are these freezer friendly?
Yes, though after thawing you may want to pop them in the microwave to puff them up again.
I just made these. Everything seemed to be going great until I baked them. They’re round, but didn’t spread like yours did. They didn’t get golden at all, either. I used melted butter and sesame seeds. They’re a really light color. The tops cracked a lot, too. The dough was super smooth before baking them (I did 25 minutes at 350). They kind of look like giant hockey pucks. Any idea on what I did wrong?? I let the dough rise for 45 minutes in my warm garage. Maybe I needed to flatten the dough a little before letting them rise? I wish I could attach a picture lol
My dough is usually like a thick batter and I scoop it into heaps. Can you let me know what flour you used? Given that the garage was warm, it is possible that they rose too long.
Do you leave the dough rings on while they are baking?
Yes, you do.
So delicious! It worked wonderfully with powdered coconut milk and vegan butter. I also used Bob’s Red Mill GF egg replacer instead. I didn’t have any ring molds but it still worked beautifully. I’ll definitely be making this on repeat.
Thanks for the feedback on the vegan substitutions! I appreciate that!
I wonder I could replace the dry milk with tapioca flour or a mix of tapioca flour with arrowroot and baking soda??
Are you looking to avoid dairy or because you don’t have the dry milk? There are nondairy dry milk powders. But I am not sure what you recommend as a replacement will work the same. The dry milk helps with boring and makes for a softer dough. Using liquid milk would make the dough too wet, even if you do not use any water.
Brianne, Can this be made with an egg substitute? My grandson is GF and egg free, so baking is really difficult.
Hi Karen, I am sorry, I am not very familiar with egg substitutes so I can’t say from experience how well they would work in a recipe like this. I know many people have success baking with the egg replacers you can buy in the store, but I can’t say for sure how it would work here.
Reply to Shirley Shockey, I just ordered soy powder to use as a substitute for the milk. Google vegan substitutes for powdered milk. I’m hoping it’ll work.
Brianne, I can’t wait to try this recipe, they look delicious.
Thank you for the info. Please let me know how it works out!!
Is there a substitute for the powdered milk to make GF hb bun?
I have not made it with anything else. Sorry.