Best Gluten Free Pull-Apart Soft Rolls

26 Reviews
Published Sep 6, 2018 ∙ Kristina Stosek

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These are the best gluten-free pull-apart soft rolls by far! They are soft, pillowy, and the most addictive rolls you will find. This is truly the easiest gluten-free and dairy-free recipe for soft rolls. In this recipe, there are no complicated flours, no long kneading, and no waiting around for hours for them to rise. 

pull apart gluten free sort rolls with rosemary showing one on a small plate with butter

I wish you could see my kitchen this week, it looked completely like a bakery! I just had to get this recipe right for you. I made so many batches I was running out of counter space, but we finally have a winner.

The best part? They taste just like traditional rolls made with gluten.

To spruce the rolls up a tad, I added fresh rosemary, but this is completely optional. Another herb I want to try next time is thyme, which would add a wonderful depth to them.

overhead view of ingredients for pull apart rolls, flours, eggs, honey, water yeast, herbs, water

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Honey: If you don’t have honey on hand, pure maple syrup or agave work well as a 1:1 replacement to feed the yeast.

  • Rosemary: Feel free to swap the fresh rosemary for dried rosemary (use 1 teaspoon), or substitute it with dried thyme, Italian seasoning, or a little garlic powder. You can also leave the herbs out entirely for a classic, plain dinner roll.

  • Olive Oil: Melted vegan butter or a neutral oil like avocado oil can be used instead of extra virgin olive oil.

gluten-free soft rolls

Serving Ideas

  • Holiday Dinner Tables: These rolls are a must-have for big family gatherings like Thanksgiving dinner or Easter brunch.

  • Soups and Stews: Because they are so soft, they make an excellent side for soaking up soups and stews, or dipping straight into warm homemade gravy.

  • Sandwiches & Sliders: Slice them open for a quick weekday lunch filled with egg salad, salmon salad, chicken salad, or turkey and cranberry.

  • Sunday Brunch: Serve them toasted with a fried egg on top, or keep it sweet with a spread of fruit marmalade, honey butter, or dairy-free cream cheese.

If you prefer a buttery roll, check my Gluten-Free Parker House Rolls Recipe or enjoy crusty bread like the Gluten Free French Baguette Recipe.

Kitchen Tested Tips for Success

  • Weigh your flour: This recipe turns out best when you use the exact amount of flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fill your measuring cup using a spoon and level it off with a knife. Do not dip the measuring cup directly into the flour bag, or you will pack too much into the cup, making your rolls dry and crumbly.

  • Achieving perfect softness: Making gluten-free bread soft can be tricky without the elasticity of gluten. The secret here is the perfect balance of moisture from the olive oil, eggs, almond flour, and warm water.

  • Mix up the seasonings: To change up the flavor, you can season these with thyme, parsley, sage, or even a little garlic powder to add a delicious flavor.

Hi, I’m Kristina I’m a professional gluten-free recipe developer, and every recipe on this site is created and personally tested in my kitchen. If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐ star rating and a quick review below, it helps other readers find my recipes!

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Best Gluten Free Pull-Apart Soft Rolls

26 reviews
Published Sep 6, 2018 · Kristina Stosek
Prep Time:
10 min
Cooking Time:
25 min
Serves:
9

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (259 g) measure for measure gluten-free flour blend
1 cup (112 g) almond flour
1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp. GF quick rise instant yeast (must be quick rise instant)
1 Tbsp. GF baking powder
2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum (if your flour blend does not include xanthan gum use 2 1/2 tsp.)
1 tsp. Pure sea salt
1 1/4 cup warm water (105 F - 110 F)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some for brushing
2 Tbsp. pure liquid honey
2 tsp. pure apple cider vinegar
2 large eggs, room temperature

Instructions

  1. Mix the Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the remaining wet ingredients together.
  2. Form the Dough: Using an electric mixer at medium speed, slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms (about 1 minute), scraping the sides as needed. Note: The dough should be very sticky, not like traditional bread dough. If it's too thin, wait for 5 minutes, then if needed add a touch of extra flour.
  3. Shape and Rise: Scoop the dough into 9 even mounds using a large ice cream scoop and place them into a greased 9-inch round cake pan, starting with one in the middle. Dip your fingers in warm water to smooth out the tops. Cover with a light, dry towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour.
  4. Bake and Cool: Lightly brush the tops with oil and bake at 375°F for 23 to 25 minutes until beautifully golden brown. Let the rolls rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving: 240 Calories, 12g Fat, 410mg Sodium, 29g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 5g Sugars, 5g Protein | Note: These values are estimates and can vary based on specific brands. Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Comments

  1. sila

    the link for your flour blend does not appear to work nor is there anything under a search. i also have to avoid rice, quinoa and millet and am wondering if amaranth, white buckwheat and sorghum flours will work.

  2. Kristina

    Hi Sila, the links are now working, sorry about that. I have not made these soft rolls with the flours you have suggested, so I don’t know the answer to your question. Buckwheat is a heavy flour so I would try and avoid it, sorghum would work but you will need to add a starch like tapioca flour. But unless I re-create the recipe using these flours I don’t know how the rolls will turn out...sorry

  3. Renata

    I am making these for Easter. I made them many times and the rolls are sooo good.

  4. Mark C Still

    Hi,

    Is this a mistake? 16 ounces of yeast?

  5. Kristina

    Mark, it doesn’t say 16 ounces, it says one packet which equals 2 1/4 tsp.

  6. Mark C Still

    These are sumptuous! As promised, I came back to your recipe. Thank you for the edit you made in the ingredient list. Thank you, too, for not publishing one of my comments but leaving the first as it makes me look foolish. I hope someday to have the entire world see my foolishness for what it is (as this post confirms). I made a few alterations: I proofed and used instant dry yeast and compensated for the water I used in proofing. Of course this added sugar to the recipe, but it was quite complementary. I grow many herbs in my garden but rosemary is not one; I used parsley. And I don’t have sea salt; I used kosher salt. Also, I am not sure what distinguishes gluten free baking powder. I know that it is sold online but going by the ingredient list on my can of baking powder, I feel that it is gluten free.

    Again Kristina, I am grateful to you. Thanks!

  7. Mark C Still

    Hi again! I used fresh blueberries today, compensating for the moisture. My wife and son both took time out from their days to tell me how tasty they are! They don't often do that, particularly my wife who does not usually enjoy my gluten-free baking. Yours has become my go-to recipe for rolls. THANK YOU.

  8. Kristina

    Mark, did you add a sweetener as well? So happy to hear that your family enjoyed them, K.

  9. Peter W

    With or without the rosemary, these rolls have become a staple in my house. If you double the recipe you can also use it to make a very tasty loaf of bread.

  10. Kristina

    thank you for sharing Peter.

  11. Leah

    Hi. I cannot use almond flour. Can it be replaced? Thanks for your help.

  12. Kristina

    Leah, almond flour is what gives the rolls soft moist crumb. However, the two flours that you can try are, certified gluten free oat flour or measure for measure baking flour blend. The rolls will not have the same texture, they may be more dense. I have not tried these two options so I don’t know how they will turn out. Please let us know how they are if you use any of these two flours. Thank you x

  13. Mia Knudsen

    Hi there ☺️
    I just made these, but I can’t get the flour mix that you use and the dough became very liquid (I used a home-made mix of sorghum, rice and potato starch). Can you recommend a flour mix that matches the measure-for-measure flour mix instead?
    Do you use a cake pan with high sides? Would you maybe make a video of your process for a newbie like me ?
    Thanks

  14. Kristina

    Mia, most measure for measure 1:1 with Xanthan gum rice based flour blends will work. If you can't find that blend and your flour makes the dough too thin, add about 2 - 4 tablespoons of flour. The dough should be very sticky, not like regular bread dough, this is why you need to use an ice cream scoop or a large tablespoon to shape the rolls. I used a cake pan with regular sides, but high sides will work too. K

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