This time of year, I’m all about making gluten free Irish Soda bread (for obvious reasons). But don’t let the season stop you from making this yummy yeast free bread anytime you like!
Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread is so easy and quick to make (no yeast means no rise time), and goes with nearly any meal because it can go sweet or savory. Plus, it makes fantastic gluten free French Toast!
My newest favorite way to make this bread is a savory spin, adding cheddar and fresh rosemary.
Mmmmm I promise you’ll love the smell of this bread baking almost as much as you’ll love eating warm from the oven!
I have 3 other recipes for gluten free Irish Soda Bread and I can’t really decide which I like best.
Since this one is my newest, I guess I’d say it’s my newest favorite, but check out my other recipes (type “Irish Soda Bread” into the recipe search bar) and see which you have the ingredients for, or which sounds most pleasing to you.
This recipe produces a loaf that is a bit smaller than the others, so that may be a consideration for you, but it’s so moist and flavorful, and I love its manageable size.
Check out this video where I walk you through every step of this easy bread, and make it savory! with cheddar cheese and rosemary!
And if you’re in the mood for anything else of Irish theme, check out my recipes for gluten free Irish Angel Food Cake; gluten free Irish Brown Bread; gluten free Buttery Irish Scones; and even gluten free Irish Cream Cupcakes (+ homemade Irish Cream that’s Dairy-Free!).
Will you be making this gluten free Irish Soda bread sweet or savory? Tell me how it goes and maybe even snap a pic and share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! I’d love to see it!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or whatever day you decide to make this delicious loaf!
Easy Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Easy Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Choose sweet or savory gluten free Irish Soda Bread by adding either sugar & raisins or caraway, cheddar & rosemary.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup+ 2 Tbs. buttermilk or non-dairy (OR dairy milk + 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar)
- 2 cup (270 gr) gfJules™ Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbs. granulated sugar (omit if making savory)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 Tbs. butter or non-dairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 egg white or egg substitute like 2 Tbs. vegan mayo
- 1 cup seedless raisins (optional)
- ½ Tbs. caraway seeds (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or vegan cheddar (optional)
- 1 Tbs. fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F.
If not using buttermilk, mix milk with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Set aside to curdle.
Blend together gfJules Flour, sugar (if using), baking powder and salt.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two butter knives until the mixture resembles a pebbly, course meal.
Add baking soda to milk mixture, then stir into dry mix with egg white and additions (raisins; seeds; cheese; herbs, etc). Mix with a fork or paddle mixing attachment until integrated.
Scoop dough onto a floured (with gfJules Flour) counter or pastry mat and roll into ball then transfer to a lightly oiled and floured (with gfJules Flour) 7-inch glass bowl or 6-8 inch cake pan. If needed, wet a rubber spatula with water and smooth the top of the ball of dough. Sprinkle lightly with gfJules Flour, then make a cross in the top with a large knife.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to cool on a wire rack before slicing.
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Remember: You can make this easy Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread sweet or savory!
And you can enjoy this delicious bread year-round when you don’t have time for yeast to rise.
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Based on 43 Review(s)
Hi Jules. Have you ever had to put an aluminum foil tent over your soda bread to keep it from browning too much. Today I made your Irish Soda Bread with one whole egg and 1 tablespoon less buttermilk. At 35 minutes, it was really brown. Left it in for 2 more minutes, then took it out, but inside was not cooked all the way through. Your picture shows a loaf much lighter in color than mine. Just wondering?
Hi Jackie, I have tented breads before; not sure if I’ve ever had to tent this one (I honestly can’t recall if this is one of the ones I’ve had to use the foil on). It’s a quick trick to definitely help keep any bread from getting over-cooked on top.
A couple other thoughts: it can also be a function of your oven and the rack you’re baking on. Try moving the rack to a lower setting next time to see if that helps. Have you calibrated your oven recently, as it may be that your oven is baking too hot and baking too quickly.
Are you testing the inside with a toothpick or skewer to be sure it’s all the way cooked before removing? When breads look so done on the outside, it’s definitely tempting to remove them before they’re all the way done in the middle.
Hopefully one of these tips will help for next time!
~jules
Great recipe, I made a savory version today – with parmesan and black olives – it was so delicious!
Oh yum – that sounds like a fantastic gluten free irish soda bread combination!!!!
~jules
Hi, I think I did something wrong during the process. It came out dry, dense and crunky. I noticed some cracks on the dough before putting in the oven.
If you reply to my email I can send a picture of the result. It was my first bread, did not work out 🙁 Any tip?
Thank you anyway.
Hi there – happy to help! If the dough was dense and dry before even being baked, there was not enough liquid for sure. Were you using my gfJules Flour? Here are some good baking tips to review in general for measuring flour and other things that often go wrong in recipes and may have thrown you off here if there wasn’t enough liquid. Adding more liquid will also loosen up the dough and allow it to rise and be less dense next time you try this recipe.
But we’re also happy to help you more specifically with this recipe if you’d like to email Support at gfJules dot com. Don’t give up! Often it’s a very simple fix to get you to gluten free Irish Soda Bread baking bliss!
~jules
Great recipe, I made a savory version today – with parmesan and black olives – it was so delicious!
Parm and black olives is a combo I’ve never tried in my gluten free Irish Soda Bread. Next time, this is what I’m making!!
~jules
I can’t wait to try the savory version. What will happen if I use a whole egg instead of just the egg white?
Hi Jackie, one whole (large) egg is about 3 tablespoons; one large egg white is 2 tablespoons. So, if you wanted to use the whole egg, you’d need to crack it in a bowl, mix it up, and then measure off 2 tablespoons or you’d have 1 tablespoon too much liquid. Otherwise, take out 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk so you don’t wind up with a bit too much liquid in the mixture. I hope that makes sense! Happy baking!
~jules
Have you made this in the T-Fal bread maker? If so, did you use the quick bread or sweet bread settings?
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried this yet in my T-fal, but it’s basically a quick bread: requires just mixing and baking. You could always just mix the dough and then set the bread machine to bake for 40 minutes and try it that way.
~jules
I made this last week just cuz I was in the mood for it. So good. And ,by the way, I use plain Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk..
Hi Janie, that’s good to know – thanks for taking the time to leave a review! So glad you tried (and loved!) the recipe!
~jules
We make this every year for St. Patrick’s Day, and at least a couple of other times throughout the year. We love the savory version, too. Awesome recipe!
So happy you love it too, Stephanie!
~jules
Does this bread freeze well?
Hi Norm, it freezes as well as any. It all depends on what your goals are – it sometimes helps to slice the bread before hand and put wax paper or parchment in between the slices so you can just remove a slice or two at a time to enjoy. Hope that helps!
~jules
Had this at a friend’s place and it was amazing. Without the raisens, herbs or cheese. Going home to make it myself. So hard to find a yeast free gluten free bread that tastes good and this was moist and had great flavour.
So glad you were treated to this recipe, Selina! I have several yeast-free recipes on my site in addition to this great gluten free Irish Soda Bread. Just use the search bar at the top of each page and search “yeast-free” or “no yeast” and you’ll get several recipes, including pizza crust!
~jules
I am really impressed with this recipe for being gluten free! Will be making again 🙂
Wonderful to hear, Noelle!
~jules
I have to admit, I’m all about that teff brown soda bread recipe you posted earlier – I love the taste of whole grains. But darn does this bread look perfect!!
Why choose?! There are so many reasons to bake bread — all kinds!!!
~jules
You had me sold when you said cheddar and rosemary! The savory version of this recipe is perfect for so many meals.
OMG! I only eat Irish Soda Bread once a year for a reason (and usually heated and slathered with butter to make it edible). Definitely not my preferred taste or texture (even before having to give up gluten). But this recipe was AMAZING! It might be my new favorite bread! Sweet and perfect texture (loved the crunchy outside and super soft inside). I ate some warm out of the oven and some room temperature this morning. Excellent, and didn’t need butter or anything. Perfect!
FYI – I made it with 2% Organic Valley lactose free milk (plus the apple cider vinegar), Original Vegenaise (instead of eggs), and Kerrygold Irish Butter, then baked the ball of dough (floured and crossed on top) on a piece of parchment paper in the center of an 8″ square pan. I did not add anything to it (no raisins or seeds or cheese).
Honestly, I did not have high hopes, especially with modifications, but sooooo good!!! YUM!!!! I usually share my gf treats with everyone but this time I made the wheaties in my family eat the store bought one!
I just ordered more gfJules same day Amazon delivery because I have to make more tonight! Thank you!
Thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed it, Melody! I love that you called the other family members “wheaties”!!! LOL!! I’m going to have to start using that term!
I’m thrilled that you went for it and made the recipe, even though you didn’t have high hopes. SO glad you enjoyed it!!!!
~jules
I love your take on this bread with the cheese and rosemary. I can’t wait to try it!
I made this yesterday using your flour, but I’m not totally satisfied with the results. I do live at high altitude – about 5,000 feet – and that is probably a factor. When I got everything mixed up, it was very crumbly, and I did add about two tablespoons of cold water trying to get it to come together. The taste is excellent, but the texture is very heavy, dense and chewy. This morning I put slices in the toaster and then spread cream cheese on them. This was really good but just eating a slice at room temperature isn’t very good. Any tips to improve the texture?
Hi Caron, I think your suspicion that altitude was a factor is a good one. Next time, add 4 Tbs. more of the milk you were using and see if that helps. If the dough is really dry or tight, it will not be loose enough to rise and will be dense. When a dough doesn’t hold together and is dry and crumbly before baking, always add more liquid of some kind to hold it together because it’s not going to get better from baking! I hope that helps for next time! Here are some other high altitude baking tips.
~jules
I have a similar recipe that I made prior to needing GF. Mine calls for equal amounts of baking soda and baking powder …..1tsp each with four cups of flour. I was considering to use mine and just substitute with your flour. It does call for buttermilk and 4cups of flour. Thank you
Go ahead and use yours and see how it turns out – it should be pretty similar to the wheat-based version if you’re using my gfJules Flour. Here are some more conversion tips for gluten free baking. You may want to add a bit more baking powder, but otherwise, give it a go!
Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Super good as always. The more raisins, the better!
So glad you loved the recipe, Jeff!
~jules
Not sure if it was mentioned or not but… Concerning the 3/4 regular milk with Apple Cider vinegar…. Is it 1 Tablespoon or 1 teaspoon?
Hi Jacquelynn, it’s 1 Tablespoon vinegar. That’s apart from the extra 2 Tablespoons of milk you add to the 3/4 cup — you do that whether or not you’re making your own “buttermilk.” Hope that clears it up!
~jules
Hi I’m looking for a great gf Irish soda bread recipe. I have gluten free bisquik flour.
Can I use that?
Denise
Hi Denise, all gluten free flour blends are really different, so there’s no way to tell how my recipe will turn out with another blend, since I created the recipe with my smooth and light gfJules Flour Blend. Here’s more information on gluten free flours so you understand the differences. That being said, this is a super easy recipe, so you could try it with the blend you have and see – if the dough won’t hold together, add more buttermilk to help it. If it’s dry, gritty or heavy though, then you know it’s the flour. Best of luck!
~jules