The Best Gluten Free Dinner Rolls

These gluten free dinner rills are taste like grandma’s holiday rolls! We enjoy these at the holidays and year-round!

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THESE GLUTEN-FREE DINNER ROLLS:

While I recommend you use SAF Instant Yeast to cut the rising time, yes, you can use regular, active dry yeast in this recipe. Use the same amount of yeast called for, but go ahead and proof the yeast in the warm water with a bit of sugar. Then you are going to need to extend the rising time for the rolls by at least double what I have listed here.
Can you use another all-purpose flour blend in this recipe? Maybe! There are so many flour blends out there, that I simply cannot test them all. I can’t say whether your homemade blend or your favorite store blend will work in this recipe. I have had the best success using Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend All-Purpose Gluten-free Flour in it. You can get this in single or multiple bags from Amazon, directly from their website, or at some specialty stores. Using any other gluten-free flour blend means you are bringing in a different combination of flours & starches, and I can’t guarantee that will work well. That said, please feel free to play with this and see if it works well with your favorite blend. I would recommend you be sure to measure your flour by weight, and be sure to use the same weight I have listed in the recipe. Read through the reader comments below to see what flour blends have worked well for other readers! Also, if you are using a blend that already contains xanthan gum, try adding an additional 1/2 tsp when making this. **UPDATE 4/2015. I tested these with Pamela’s artisan flour blend and they turned out okay. Not as fluffy as with GFM, but they worked. Cup4Cup also worked okay – again, not quite as good, but an okay choice for sure! Also tested with MANINIS Ancient Grains Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour Mix and boy oh boy did that dough rise! Super big, then collapsed after baking! But they tasted great and had great texture, so I would recommend that one too. Update: 11/2018: My friend Chrystal uses Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and says it works great in these. She says to be sure to measure by weight, with a scale, just as I recommend! Several commenters have said that has worked well for them too. My friend Angie says that Namaste flour works well in this too!
I do not recommend using any flour blend with coconut flour in it! I tried this recipe with Gluten Free Mama’s Coconut Flour Blend as well, but alas I didn’t have good results. I wouldn’t recommend using any flour blend with coconut flour in it for this recipe. The problem is that coconut flour really absorbs the liquids in a recipe, and mine turned out like hockey pucks.
Yes, you can make this egg-free if you need to. I have tried GFM’s egg free option and it worked well & tasted great! Gluten Free Mama recommends this egg free option: ¼ cup water + 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed. Simmer water and flaxseed over medium low heat for about 5 minutes until thickened. Stir frequently. Allow to cool. This is equal to one egg.
Yes, you can make this dairy-free if you need to. Substitute the 2 Tablespoons of butter for a good dairy-free margarine or Spectrum organic shortening, melted. You can also either not brush the finished rolls, or brush with a good tasting dairy-free margarine.

Ingredients:

2¾ cups (11½ oz.) Gluten Free Mama's Almond Blend Flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. SAF instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water (105-110°)
2 Tbsp. butter, dairy-free margarine, or Spectrum shortening
1 egg (preferably room temp)
1 tsp. cider vinegar

Instructions:

In the mixing bowl of your electric mixer, mix together flour, xanthan gum, instant yeast, sugar, and salt.
With mixer running on low speed, add in the water, melted butter (or substitute), egg, and cider vinegar.
Mix on medium speed 3 minutes.
Spray 8" or 9" round cake pan or pie plate with cooking spray. Using a 2" scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop dough into 9 mounds in the pan. I place one mound in middle, then scoop 8 mounds of dough side by side all the way around the pan.
Dip your fingertips into warm water and use to smooth out the tops of the rolls, continuing to wet fingers as needed.
Cover with a dry towel and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour.
During the last few minutes that the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 400°.
Bake in 400° oven for 26-28 minutes. Tops should be golden brown and if you measure temperature of dough, it should measure 200°.
Brush rolls with additional 1/2-1 Tablespoon of melted butter.