FINALLY a gluten free hamburger bun that is soft, bendable, and every bit as good as a regular wheat bun! In fact, we think you just might like it more 😉
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Are you underwhelmed by your options for gluten free hamburger buns? So was I. Don’t get me wrong, I am SO grateful that there are options in stores, and some of them do work OK, but I have been longing for a bun that is soft, bendable, and doesn’t leave me wishing I had a gluten bun.
Are you with me? Why is it OK for gluten free foods to not taste good?? My friends, you do not have to go without! I am nearly giddy with excitement to share this recipe with you because I have been working on it sooooo long and finally cracked the code.
Yep, if you scroll down you’ll find a recipe for a gluten free hamburger bun that is soft, fluffy, and won’t fall apart. It’s also incredibly easy to make and I’ll walk you through every step with pictures.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?
- high quality gluten free flour (I highly recommend using gf Jules for this recipe)
- parmesan cheese
- sugar
- onion salt
- yeast
- egg
- neutral tasting oil such as avocado or canola
- water
WHICH FLOURS WORK WELL FOR THIS RECIPE?
Not all gluten free flours are created equal. We have many favorites (see our list here) and those favorites depend on what we’re baking! We know a lot of you are searching for one inexpensive flour blend that will work perfectly with every recipe, but we have yet to find that special blend 😉
To me and my family, it is worth it to keep a few gltuen free flour blends in the pantry so that our baked goods taste the very best they can.
There is one key to success that will impact this recipe, and that is the flour you use. I know you want to use what you have on hand and realize you might not have the one I recommend, but I have tried this recipe with multiple flours and, from thousands of episodes of recipe testing I know which ones will work.
These hamburger buns turned out soooooo much better when I made the recipe with gf Jules gluten free all-purpose flour. No, this post isn’t sponsored. But this is a flour that I highly recommend for any type of yeast recipes and it does wonders for these buns!
So grab a bag of gf Jules flour and thank me later 🙂 You can find gf Jules on Amazon or via their website.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE HAMBURGER BUNS
I included the photos above to show the step-by-step process you’ll follow to make gluten free hamburger buns. Notice the texture of the dough, it should be too sticky to work with your hands which is why you’ll use water or oil to coat your work surface when shaping.
I recently invested in a hamburger bun pan which has worked so well! I love that it gives the buns a perfect rise and makes them exactly the right shape and size. If you don’t want to get a pan, feel free to just shape them and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
This recipe is so easy, because you’ll add your dry ingredients, then wet ingredients to the bowl and only mix once.
Then, you’ll coat your working surface and hands in oil or water (keep extra on hand in case you need it) and divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
Shape each dough portion into a ball and then press lightly to flatten into a disc that is 1/2-3/4″ tall and place in your hamburger pan or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes until double in size, then bake!
Yes! One reader substituted almond flour for the parmesan and said it turned out great.
I haven’t tried using an egg substitute in this recipe, but if you do then please come back and let us know how it turned out for you!
Because gluten free flour blends all behave so differently, I cannot guarantee your results if you choose to use a flour blend other than the one I mention.
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MAKING THIS RECIPE???
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YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE OTHER RECIPES:
Gluten Free Hamburger Buns
FINALLY a gluten free hamburger bun that is soft, bendable, and every bit as good as a regular wheat bun! In fact, we think you just might like it more 😉
Ingredients
- 3 cups high quality gluten free flour (I used gf Jules, see notes)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (not fresh)
- 1 tablespoon gluten free yeast
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1/4 cup neutral tasting oil such as avocado or canola
- 1 1/4 cup water, slightly warmer than room temp
Instructions
- In bowl of stand mixer (you can use a hand mixer if you don't have one), measure all ingredients in order. Whenever measuring gluten free flour, always stir the flour, scoop into a measuring cup, and level off with the flat side of a knife.
- Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
- The dough should be very sticky.
- Coat your working surface and hands with oil or water and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball and flatten into a hamburger bun shape, using additional water or oil if needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Place shaped dough in a hamburger bun pan, or on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2-3 inches apart.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes until about double in size. I use the rapid proof option on my oven.
- When buns have risen, brush buns with melted butter or an egg wash and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds, if you want.
- Preheat oven to 350°, then bake for 20-25 minutes until they are beginning to brown.
- Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
- These are best served immediately, but can be stored up to 2 days at room temp, or frozen for later. If they start to get crumbly after a couple days, or when thawing from the freezer, just pop in the microwave for a bit.
Notes
I tested this recipe with Better Batter and gf Jules flour and highly recommend using gf Jules. Cup4Cup also might work but I haven't tried it so for best results, stick with gf Jules.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 425Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 467mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g
32 Comments
Stacie
May 24, 2020 at 7:17 amYou said to make these dairy free use coconut instead of milk but this recipe doesn’t call for milk only parm cheese. What can but substituted for cheese? Thanks!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
May 24, 2020 at 11:15 amSo sorry, I had a technical user haha) error that had the wrong set of Q&A, it is updated now to say that you can substitute almond flour for the parmesan cheese.
MLB
May 24, 2020 at 10:30 amIs there a way to make this recipe dairy free?
Absolutely! Simply omit the powdered milk (or use powdered coconut milk) and use a dairy free butter substitute.
I don’t see either of these ingredients in this recipe. Can you omit the Parmesan?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
May 24, 2020 at 11:15 amSo sorry, I had a technical user haha) error that had the wrong set of Q&A, it is updated now to say that you can substitute almond flour for the parmesan cheese.
Katie
June 19, 2020 at 9:43 amWhat is the diameter of the individual buns in the baking pan? Thanks!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
June 22, 2020 at 10:16 amThey’re about 4″
Kellie
July 1, 2020 at 4:41 pmCan I omit or replace onion salt with something else? Thanks!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
July 7, 2020 at 11:04 amYou can sub garlic salt, or just leave it out.
Connie Martin
July 6, 2020 at 6:35 pmhttps://skinnyms.com/how-to-make-dairy-free-parmesan-cheese/
This is a good substitute for Parmesan cheese; dairy free!
SUE
August 21, 2020 at 9:33 amWHAT is “rapid proof option”in the oven?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
August 25, 2020 at 10:58 amI have an oven that has a proof setting, either standard (slower) or rapid (quicker). If your oven doesn’t have a proof setting, you can just heat your oven to 120 degrees, turn it off, then put the dough in to rise.
Lesslie
August 30, 2020 at 10:56 amDeliciousssss. So good. Tastes like I got it at a restaurant.I have made this recipe more times than I can count and it is perfect every time Love it, thanks for the recipe!
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
August 30, 2020 at 8:53 pmSo happy to hear you’re enjoying the hamburger buns Lesslie, thank you so much for sharing! XO Celeste
Kristin
August 30, 2020 at 1:07 pmThis is a good substitute for Parmesan cheese; dairy free!
Lisa
September 9, 2020 at 11:04 pmHave you tried freezing them for later use? I am just starting my journey without fructan, so I am also just starting to experiment with gluten free breads. Just curious. Thanks.
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
September 11, 2020 at 12:39 pmI often freeze them, just cool completely and pop them into a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat them, thaw and either toast or warm slightly in the microwave.
Angelica
September 10, 2020 at 9:10 pmMy entire family has not been this excited for dinner in a long time. Your buns are perfect!! 🙂
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
September 11, 2020 at 12:37 pmI’m so happy to hear that, thank you for sharing!
Dandre
October 4, 2020 at 8:20 pmWow!! These are AMAZING! Totally delicious by itself and with a burger. You’re not playing! Your recipes are top notch and never fail me. I’m a true fan.
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
October 6, 2020 at 11:32 amThank you so much Dandre!
Mariya
November 20, 2020 at 8:57 amIs it possible to omit the parmesan cheese without using almond flour? What effect will this have on the buns? Can I use coconut flour instead?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
November 20, 2020 at 9:22 amYou should be able to just omit the parmesan, coconut flour will soak up all your moisture and leave you with dry and crumbly hamburger buns 🙂
Carrie
November 27, 2020 at 5:48 pmWhat happens if you use fresh grated Parmesan?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
November 28, 2020 at 2:13 pmThat works great too!
Chris
December 21, 2020 at 3:42 pmCan I just omit the cheese without any substitute?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
December 23, 2020 at 2:27 pmYes, the taste and texutre will be a bit different though.
Zigrid
January 16, 2021 at 7:35 pmThank you for sharing your expertise with this recipe! These will be my go to hamburger buns from now on! I have made these twice already this week using Cup For Cup G- free flour, used my oversized muffin tins, and followed the recipe carefully. Perhaps the xanthan gum in the flour was the reason they tasted good but were dense. All was ok as I sliced them and they were great as toast. The second time, using the same flour, I added an extra egg, an additional 2 tsp. of yeast, and reduced the water by 1/4 cup. They were amazing! rose higher, were perfect in texture, and had a soft golden color from the extra egg! A keeper for sure!
Valerie A Young
February 11, 2021 at 5:16 pmI made these, followed the recipe to a T and double and triple checked. My dough is a BATTER. It’s as runny as pancake batter…. is there anyway the water on the recipe is only supposed to be 1/4 cup instead of 1 AND 1/4?? Type-o maybe?
Abby
March 1, 2021 at 9:23 pmThis calls for Jules flour mix, can I use you homemade flour mix?
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
March 4, 2021 at 9:12 pmYes. My works well in this recipe, although gfJules performs the very best in my opinion. You can find my recipe here: https://thereislifeafterwheat.com/2014/10/gluten-free-flour-mix/
Jackie
July 12, 2021 at 7:31 amI used gfJules flour. I proofed in my air fryer it has a proof setting of 90 F which I don’t think was warm enough. Mine came out rock hard on top and heavy and very dense.
Will try again, using a new jar of yeast, will proof in a warmer spot.
Kenny
July 29, 2021 at 8:41 pmI made these for dinner today and they were totally delicious! All nice and soft and fluffy. Definitely going to make these again!