Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Soft and pillowy with golden brown tops.
Taste: Rich, buttery and such great flavor.
Ease: The easiest gluten-free rolls you’ll ever make! They only require 1 rise and come together in less than 90 minutes.
Top Tips: I bake the gluten-free rolls in a muffin pan because the sticky dough is hard to shape, but that extra moisture is essential for soft, tender rolls. I also like to add whole milk powder for flavor and browning.
Recommended GF Flour: This recipe works best with King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. You can also use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour, if you prefer.
Would I make these again? 100% yes! These rolls are so delicious that everyone will love them—not just those who eat gluten-free! They’re a great way to simplify prep for big holiday meals.
xoxo erin
This post is sponsored by King Arthur Baking Company.
These easy, soft gluten-free dinner rolls are just what your next gathering needs. Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a simple family dinner, these dinner rolls are so easy to make and absolutely worth the effort!
Thanks to gluten-free bread flour, they are decadently light and fluffy, never dense, and achieve that perfect golden brown crust that makes every bite satisfying. Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean missing out!
Featured Comment
From Kate: “These rolls were amazing! I can’t believe how simple and delicious they were. My son has had celiac for 3 years, and he said these were the best ones I’ve made. Soft, and fluffy, I couldn’t believe it. Easy to make, too!”
Table of Contents
- Erin’s Recipe Rundown
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Easy, Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
- Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
- Can these gluten-free dinner rolls be made dairy-free?
- King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour contains wheat starch. Is it safe for celiacs?
- Is the dough supposed to be sticky?
- More Recipes Using Gluten-Free Bread Flour
- Easy, Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free dinner rolls. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour: I highly recommend King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour. It’s the only way to get the perfect rise and texture!
- Whole milk powder: The milk powder adds richness and helps them bake up soft and golden brown. Use whole milk powder, rather than nonfat. The extra milk fat keeps them from drying out and becoming crumbly. For dairy-free, use coconut or soy milk powder.
- Instant yeast: The rolls need the instant yeast to rise properly so that they turn out fluffy and light. Using instant yeast means it can go straight into the dry mix, making this recipe as easy as ever!
- Warm water: Using warm water specifically helps the yeast to activate and allows the dough to become workable so that it has the right structure when baked.
- Eggs: Not all yeast breads use egg, but when baking gluten-free, the eggs are necessary to bind the dough so that the rolls have the right texture and moisture. Without the eggs, they can easily become dense.
- Butter: The melted butter adds rich, buttery flavor to the rolls for a greater depth of flavor while also adding moisture and fat so that the rolls become soft and tender. For dairy-free, use your favorite vegan butter.
How to Make Easy, Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
- In a stand mixer bowl: Use the paddle attachment and mix together the flour, milk powder, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking powder.
- With the mixer on low: Slowly add the water, eggs, and melted butter to the dry mix. Bump up the speed to medium and mix the dough for 3 minutes. You want it to look like thick cookie dough. Use an oiled rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix for another 30 seconds.
- Scoop into pan: I like to use an oiled kitchen scoop or large spoon to portion the dough into the prepped muffin pan. Wet your fingers before smoothing the tops of the rolls.
- Cover and rise: Cover the muffin pan with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
- Bake: Remove the plastic wrap, then bake the rolls on 350°F for 22-26 minutes. You want the rolls to turn golden brown.
- Enjoy: Brush the rolls with melted butter right after removing them from the oven. You can add flaky salt too for a little something extra. They’re best served warm right away.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: The dough can be made up to 16 hours ahead, but don’t let them rise until right before baking. Portion the dough into the prepared muffin pan, wrap with oiled plastic wrap, and then refrigerate. When ready to bake, let the dough rise at room temperature for 30 minutes then pop them in the oven.
To Store: The baked dinner rolls are best served warm right after baking. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I like to reheat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving.
To Freeze: Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Warm in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Can these gluten-free dinner rolls be made dairy-free?
Yes! No need to miss out on these amazing rolls because of dairy. Use coconut or soy milk powder in place of the whole milk powder. And swap out the butter for your favorite vegan butter.
King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour contains wheat starch. Is it safe for celiacs?
King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour is safe for people with celiac disease because the wheat starch it contains has been specially processed to remove gluten, the protein that triggers celiac reactions. This flour is tested to meet strict gluten-free standards, ensuring it has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, which is considered safe for most people with celiac disease. It not, however, safe for people with a wheat allergy (which is different than celiac disease). I have celiac and eat this flour with no problems!
Is the dough supposed to be sticky?
It’s perfectly normal for gluten-free roll dough to feel sticky—that extra moisture is key to achieving soft, fluffy rolls. Because the dough is difficult to shape by hand, I recommend using a muffin pan to keep the rolls contained as they bake. This way, you’ll get the perfect texture without the hassle of trying to form the dough!
More Recipes Using Gluten-Free Bread Flour
Easy, Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (450g) King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour
- ¼ cup (32g) dried whole milk powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) water warm
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (56g) butter melted
Topping
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Flaky salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Spray a standard 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the gluten-free bread flour, milk powder, granulated sugar, instant yeast, salt and baking powder. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water, eggs and melted butter. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough, this is normal.
- Using an oiled rubber spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix for another 30 seconds.
- Using an oiled kitchen scoop or large spoon, portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Use wet fingers to smooth the tops of the rolls if desired.
- Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until the rolls begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush the rolls with melted butter. These rolls are best served warm right after baking.
Can’t tell you how happy I was when these rolls came out of the oven! I followed your recipe exactly and they were delicious. I filled only 8 muffin cups then put 5 scoops in a square pan, almost touching, just to see how they would turn out. Covered both with oiled plastic wrap to rise.
The dough in the square pan did spread out, so they looked more like a bun but they tasted just as good as the muffin cup rolls. Perhaps refrigerating the dough balls briefly they might not
spread as much. Thank you for this recipe! I have grown frustrated with not having” good as glutened” bread and rolls. This celiac is doing a happy dance around the kitchen!
Hi Anne, so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for the review. And yes, refrigerating them briefly is probably a good call!
Would powdered buttermilk still work?
Hi Stacy, powdered buttermilk should work! It will probably make the rolls a bit more tangy and tender, which will taste delicious!
Could you sub the powdered milk for oat milk powder?
Hi Rachel, coconut and soy milk powder work as subs for the whole milk powder, so we would think oat milk powder would work just as well. If you decide to try it, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I made these last year and they were fantastic! I know you mention that it’s easy in a muffin tin because of the sticky texture. But I was wondering if these would work the same in a greased pan as well?
We’re so pleased the rolls were a success last year! Thank you, Emily! You could try a greased pan, but it may be harder to get the right turnout. They’d need to be placed close enough that they’ll rise up instead of spreading out. If you decide to test it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi, I have made like all your recipes and love them!! I have made a gluten free sourdough starter from the king arthur gluten free bread flour and would love to know your thoughts on how to incorporate that into your yeast bread recipes, thanks!
We’re so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed Erin’s recipes so much, Kaitlin! Thank you for the positive feedback! We haven’t tested sourdough starters with any of the recipes unfortunately. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I need to substitute warm whole milk for the dried whole milk. How much whole milk should be used?
Hi Janie, using warm whole milk in place of the milk powder may work, but we haven’t tested it ourselves. You’d replace the warm water and whole milk powder with the warm milk. We’d love to hear how it goes!
The rolls turn out great and were nice and fully !!! But I am wondering if I can add more sugar or honey my family likes sweeter rolls ?
It’s great to hear how much you enjoyed the rolls! Thank you for the positive feedback, Georgia! Adding extra sugar or honey would impact the texture, not just the taste, so we would be hesitant to change the measurement for the sugar or add honey (extra liquid). If you decide to test it out, we’d recommend starting small. We’d love to hear how it goes!
I wanted to make this but I saw the huge discrepancy in flour ratios. King Arthur gluten free bread flour weighs 120 grams per cup, so three cups should be 360 grams.. Recipe said 450? Don’t want to waste expensive gluten-free flour on an incorrect ingredient amount. Can you please clarify?
Hi Patrick, sorry for the confusion—gluten-free flours can vary a lot in weight per cup. Stick with 3 cups of flour, at about 120g per cup for King Arthur.
I just read the above comment about the flour.
I just made the rolls using the 450 grams. I always use the weight if the recipe provides it.
hopefully the rolls turn out..I ordered your cook book , and followed the weight directions in the cook book…
Hi there, sorry for the confusion on the cups vs. grams! Let us know how they turn out and happy Thanksgiving!
Just wanted to leave a comment here for anyone that wants to make these dairy-free.
I substituted the dry powder milk gram for gram with canned unsweet coconut cream, and butter for vegan butter and these rolls turned out PERFECT. We will be making these for every single holiday. Thank you!!
Hi Celeste, it’s great to hear how much you loved the rolls and that those dairy-free substitutes worked well for you! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience!
Wow these were easy and beyond delicious! So happy I gave these a try!
Yay! We’re so pleased to hear you loved the rolls so much, Maddy! Thank you for sharing your kind review with us!
I just made these and they were fabulous! I have a 13 year old with celiac and you should have seen the look of joy on her face when she tried them. Thank you! We are going to try it as a loaf of bread and look at more of your recipes.
Hi Alice, it makes us so happy to hear both you and your daughter loved the rolls this much! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us. Happy baking!
Can you use just regular milk in place of the dried milk?
Hi Terri, we haven’t tested it ourselves to say for sure. If you give it a try, make sure the milk is warm like the water would be. We’d love to hear how it goes!
These are absolutely phenomenal! I could only find nonfat dry milk and that worked just fine and they still browned up beautifully. My 14 year has celiac and said these are bussin!
We’re so happy to hear both you and your daughter loved the rolls! It’s great to hear the nonfat dry milk worked well too. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us, Amanda!
So I don’t have a stand mixer , can this be done with a hand mixer?
Hi Jammie, yes you can make the rolls without a stand mixer, it just makes the job easier. A hand mixer may work, but you may also need to mix by hand with a sturdy spoon if the dough is too much for the hand mixer. We hope you enjoy the rolls!
Hello! I would love to make these but I don’t have milk powder. Can I omit this entirely? I also have egg allergy, could I substitute the eggs for 1/2 cup applesauce? I love your recipes and excited to make these rolls for my family! Hopefully, I can make some substitutions and it will turn out great. Thanks!
Hi Deanyah, using warm whole milk in place of the milk powder and warm water may work, but we haven’t tested it ourselves. Unfortunately, the eggs are necessary to bind the gluten-free dough so that the rolls have the right texture and moisture. Without the eggs, they can easily become dense. You could try a product like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, but it may not yield the same results. If you decide to try the recipe out with these substitutions, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I made these. I love them. I made it into a loaf of bread. Was the best ever.
Can this recipe be converted into a bread machine recipe?
Hi Mari, we don’t typically use a bread machine and haven’t tested these rolls in one unfortunately. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!