Making gluten free hamburger buns or hot dog buns might seem like a Herculean task, but I promise you that it’s easy! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe — you’ll never go back to store-bought or frozen gluten free buns again. There’s just no reason to settle when it’s this simple to make amazing gluten free buns.
I love this gluten free hamburger buns recipe because it’s so easy and reliable. Imagine having fluffy and light gluten free hamburger buns anytime you wanted them! No more hockey puck frozen buns for you, my friend. Promise me you’ll leave those sad days behind!
If I asked you to close your eyes and picture the perfect hamburger or hot dog buns, I bet you’d imagine light and fluffy bread with air pockets throughout, a smell of yeasty goodness filling the kitchen and a little touch of crust on the top.
If that’s pretty much your perfect hamburger or hot dog bun, then you’re going to love this gluten free recipe!
I use these little English Muffin rings for my buns, but you could use a bun pan made for this purpose, mason jar rings, or just shape rings out of aluminum foil. A hot dog bun pan is also a great investment if your family really loves their dogs!
*For more information on bun pan options and how to use them to make buns, hop to my blog post all about tricks for making the best gluten free hamburger buns!*
Just look at the rise on these yummy buns!
Once you have the pans you need, you’ll need the best recipe, right? Well you know I’ve got you covered!
It all starts with my light and smooth award winning gfJules Flour. You can’t make light and fluffy buns with gritty or heavy gluten free flours; this isn’t alchemy — it’s baking! So use my gfJules Flour for the results pictured here, or your bread may wind up dense, dry and crumby, and who wants that? (If you’d rather use my gfJules Bread Mix, go here for that recipe!)
Some of the other ingredients I’ve suggested for this recipe include naturally gluten free beer (the bubbles are excellent for making airy breads but feel free to just use your favorite milk instead). I really like the hoppy aroma of gluten-free beer in recipes like this, and the color is gorgeous in bread.
If you’re interested in trying gluten-free beer as a baking ingredient for recipes like this one, check my Gluten Free Beer Tasting Notes to find another option or simply use milk, gingerale or just use sparkling water. The flavor of the bread will change depending on the ingredient you use, so have fun experimenting!
Other surprise ingredients include mashed potato flakes (sometimes called instant mashed potatoes or boxed mashed potatoes) or coconut milk powder (or of course you can just use regular milk powder). You can even use … are you ready for this!!? Instant vanilla pudding powder!! Crazy, right? But it works and you can find it in any grocery store — the instant mashed potatoes are in any grocery store, too, actually. You just have to decide if you want your bread to be on the sweeter side, like a Hawaiian Bread, since the vanilla pudding powder will definitely add some sweetness.
Seriously! They all work really well in this recipe, and if you ever have a hard time finding random ingredients for a gluten free recipe, you’ll appreciate that mashed potato flakes are super easy to find at any grocery store. Just buy the plain ones without extra flavoring (make sure they’re gluten free and dairy free if you need that too). Combined with my soft, grit-free gfJules Flour, you’ll have the best buns on the block!
One other option in the spirit of easy gluten free buns, if you’ve got my gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix on hand, all you need to add is your choice of liquids — no other dry ingredients necessary! Hop to my recipe for gluten free hamburger buns using my gfJules Bread Mix!
If you need your buns to be egg-free (vegan), that’s totally ok. Check out my article on recommended egg substitutes for more ideas, but I like using flaxseed meal and water in place of eggs in this recipe.
If you’re making this recipe dairy-free and without eggs, when you get to the part about brushing the tops before baking, choose a vegan or dairy-free milk or just use oil. If you can use eggs, a mixture of 1 egg and a tablespoon of water makes a lovely golden sheen on top of the buns and helps any toppings stick.
Brushing the tops of the buns with egg wash, oil or milk makes a huge difference in the final color of this bread. Golden brown is what you’re going for, but don’t over-bake them waiting for them to brown. A convection setting can also help with color, but either way, these buns only take 8-10 minutes to bake.
Look how airy these buns are! Light as a feather!
Another fun way to make these buns is to make them as sliders.
Check out how cute these little guys can be on an appetizer tray — bite sized burgers are the best!
I made these with Hilary’s Eat Well* gluten free and vegan veggie bites. They are the perfect size for homemade gluten free hamburger buns when you make them in mini muffin pans.
If you’d like to see how I made buns of every size, check out this video below of me showing how to make them.
Make them big for large burgers or small for sliders – you choose!
Or yes, you can even make them into gluten free hot dog buns!
However you make them though, these gluten free hamburger or hot dog buns will make every burger (or dog) better!
{Go to this recipe if using my gfJules Bread Mix instead}
Gluten Free Hamburger Buns or Hot Dog Buns Recipe
Gluten Free Hamburger Buns or Hot Dog Buns Recipe
These light and airy gluten free hamburger buns or hot dog buns put the yum back in burgers and dogs!
Ingredients
- 10 oz. milk OR sparkling water OR gluten-free beer OR club soda OR gingerale – room temperature
- 3 large eggs brought to room temperature (or egg substitute)
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbs. honey or agave nectar
- 2 3/4 cups (371 gr.) gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder/non-dairy milk powder OR coconut milk powder OR plain mashed potato flakes (16 gr.) OR GF instant vanilla pudding powder**
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 Tbs. granulated cane sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp. rapid rise or bread machine yeast
- extra olive oil or egg wash or milk (dairy or soy, coconut or hemp work well) for brushing on rolls
- sesame seeds, poppy seeds or other topping of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare English Muffin rings, mason jar lids or bun pans by oiling lightly. Place the rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside. Or, if you have a hamburger bun pan, oil the pan well and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, apple cider vinegar and honey.
- In another large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients except yeast (gfJules Flour, salt, milk powder/potato flakes and sugar). With mixer on low speed, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the liquids to combine.
- Continue beating while slowly pouring in the milk or sparkling water (or other beverage) to mix. Once incorporated, add the yeast. Beat until the batter is smooth, then increase mixing speed and beat for 3-4 minutes.
- Spoon batter into oiled rings or pans, filling no more than half-way up. Smooth the tops with a wet rubber spatula. Don’t make the buns too large at this stage, unless you’re looking for kaiser rolls!
- Brush all buns lightly with olive oil, egg wash or milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
- Cover with oiled wax paper or parchment and let rise in a warm, moist place for 30 minutes (an oven preheated to 200 F, then turned off, with a bowl of water in the oven to add moisture, is a good option). Do not let the rolls rise more than double their size, or they will rise too much to support themselves and may collapse when cooling.
- When the rolls have risen, bake at 375º F (static) or 350º F (convection) for approximately 10-12 minutes (for mini buns, start checking at 7 minutes). The internal temperature of the rolls should be approximately 205 – 210º F and a toothpick inserted into the centers should come out dry with only crumbs attached. The rolls should have risen above the tops of the pans, and will be golden brown with a nice crust.
- Remove to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then gently remove from the pans and serve with your favorite burger!
Notes
** with any of the milk powder substitutes offered, make sure they are gluten free. Measure out 1/4 cup by spooning into a cup measure and leveling off. The vanilla pudding powder can be found in any grocery store. Jello brand is an option most can find but it will make the buns taste sweeter, like Hawaiian Bread. Mashed potato flakes/instant mashed potatoes can also be found in any grocery store, but opt for plain unless you like the flavors, and be sure they're gluten free!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 9 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 390Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 99mgSodium 506mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 18gProtein 10g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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*As with any of my posts, some links may lead to affiliate sites or codes. Purchasing anything through those links will not cost you any more, but some meager percentage of the sale may come back to help fund this site. You can read my full disclosure policy here. *I’ve also partnered with Hilary’s Eat Well to use their products. As always, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more information. Working with select brands I love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!
I have a question about the amount of potato flakes used in this recipe, is it 1/4 cup? Thanks.
Hi Kathryn, yes. That ingredient line offers several options but they’re all measured at 1/4 cup.
~jules
These were a fail. Did you mean to say add the yeast at the end? With room temp liquid and yeast added last they did not rise! not on the counter or in the oven. I wasted very expensive flour on this
Hi – so sorry to hear they did not rise. Sounds like you maybe had a bad batch of yeast? That can sometimes (although thankfully not often!) happen. Assuming all other measurements were accurate and you used quick rise yeast (not regular yeast), that’s really the only reason why these rolls wouldn’t rise at all. Using quick rise/rapid rise yeast, it allows you to add it into the dough without having to proof it first, which is an added benefit with gluten free doughs so it’s a shorter time between making the dough and the dough being baked and ready. If the dough didn’t rise at all during the proofing and not at all during the baking, there was definitely something awry with the yeast. If you used packets, I would toss the rest of the packets and buy new. If you have a jar, you can test the viability of the rest of the jar by putting a small amount in warm water with a dab of sugar and seeing if you get any yeast activity after 5 minutes. You can read more about yeast in this article. I hope that helps for next time!!!
~jules
hey Jules, I made my first Hamburger buns for the 4th, using gingerly and potato flakes…recipe could not have been easier…but they were more like a biscuit , heavier and dense..what did i do wrong..the taste was awesome
Hi Karen, so glad you found the gluten free hamburger buns recipe so easy!!! As for the biscuity texture, I wonder if there was a bit too much flour measured out. Have a look a this article on measuring gluten free flours just to be sure it’s done properly for next time (and for all recipes!). Also, be sure that your baking powder/baking soda is always fresh, and in this case, yeast as well. That will definitely have an effect on rising and density. So glad they still tasted so good for you!
~jules
Would dried Buttermilk Blend work in this? Trying to make this with what I have on hand. Thanks!
Hi Debbie, yes! Dried buttermilk powder will work for the milk powder here. ENJOY!
~jules
I made them with the dried buttermilk and used club soda and they came out great! I used an “everything but the bagel” seasoning (HEB’s “Bagel not included) on top which made them even better. They didn’t all fit on the first tray so I did two batches, the first batch sank but the second batch stayed perfect. Guessing because it had more time to rise. Made 12 buns. I will be making these again!
Oh Debbie, they look gorgeous!!!! Thanks so much for coming back to share your pics and let me know how they turned out!!!
Congrats on those beautiful buns!
~jules
Hi Jules,
The dry milk powder should be skim or full fat. Please advise
Regards,
Saira
Hi Saira, full fat would work better. Enjoy the recipe!
~jules
I’ve made the hot dog and hamburger buns. I prefer ginger ale instead of milk. Haven’t tried gluten free beer yet. I actually get 11 buns filling the muffin rings half full. I like this recipe best of the ones I’ve tried.
So happy you love this gluten free hamburger and hot dog buns recipe, Kathy!!! Thanks so much for letting me know (and also sharing how many you’re getting from the recipe — that’s really helpful!).
~jules
Here’s a pic of the fantastic burger I had this weekend. The bun recipe is easy to do and the result is a bun that held together through every perfect bite. ❤️❤️
Sorry for the duplicate post. I didn’t realize the first one went through successfully 🥴 But it was so good I’m happy to say it twice!
I made these buns for the holiday weekend and all I can say is WOW! Crazy easy and crazy good! The bun held together perfectly through every bite. I used club soda and the mashed potato flakes and I’ll be sticking to that combination. Sorry for the messy plate but I could barely wait to take the pic before I devoured that burger. Thank you, Jules. You never disappoint!
The picture sure looks beautiful, Deb! WOW is right!!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your picture of these gorgeous gluten free hamburger buns and also what combination you used for the recipe (club soda and mashed potato flakes with my gfJules Flour). So excited you loved the buns and pleased that they weren’t difficult to make at all!!!
~jules
My daughter must eat low FODMAP & can’t have honey, agave or molasses (no high fructose corn syrup). We want to make your hamburger bun recipe. What can we substitute for the honey or can it just be omitted?
Hi Kristyn, I would just do a 1:1 switch with pure maple syrup for a low fodmap sweetener here. It helps to feed the yeast and also acts as a humectant to keep the buns extra moist, or I would say you could skip it entirely. The maple syrup will work seamlessly!
~jules
Thank you for replying. Won’t the maple syrup make the buns taste like pancakes?
It’s only 2 Tbs, so it’s not enough to impart that much flavor. But then again, now you’ll be thinking about it the whole time, so I’m sure you’ll taste it! LOL!
Give it a shot and see what you think. I really doubt you’ll feel like you’re eating pancakes, but if you think it’s overpowering for some reason, then you can cut it back next time you make them and just use an equal amount of liquid (bubbly water or whatever you’re using). It does help to keep the buns extra moist, so hopefully you’ll not mind the small amount of flavor added.
~jules
Thank you. We’ll be trying them this coming week.
Wonderful! Can’t wait to hear how you like them!
~jules
Hi Jules! Long time lurker here, I have used this recipe twice, once for sliders and another for standard buns. Tonight we were making “hawaiian buns” for burgers and I really wanted to try to alter this one.
I was pretty successful so I would love to share my alterations! I doubled the sugar, added 8 oz pineapple soda and 2oz of pineapple juice for my liquid. I also always use oiled foil as my molds because I find I want a bigger bun than the mason jar lids.
I would love your spin on this Jules! Next time I think I’ll keep your sugar level, the soda was plenty sweet 🙂
Hi Levi, thanks so much for sharing! I’ve had lots of requests for gluten free Hawaiian bread — I’ll definitely give your modifications a go and let you know how they turn out for me! Now … to just find some pineapple soda! 🙂
~jules
If I use a Bread maker to mix this recipe, do I let it go through one rise in the bread maker or take it out right after the kneading and proceed with your instructions from there?
Hi Kevin, if you’re using the bread maker just as the mixer, take the dough out right after the mixing cycle. You’ll want these gluten free hamburger buns to rise in the shape of the hamburger buns. Here’s more information on gluten free yeast breads and why it’s important to rise in that shape and why there’s only one rise. Hope that helps!
~jules
Made them today so thanks for the tips. Burgers for dinner tonight!! I think I put a little too much into each ring because they turned out taller than I expected but live and learn there.
One more question, dough was very sticky, do you use a wet spoon to get it out of the bowl? I have never made rolls before so was not sure what to expect.
YAY! So glad they turned out! And it can be tricky to get just the right amount of dough into the rings because of the rise, but that’s the fun part each time you make them, right?!
As for getting the dough out of the bowl and into the rings, a wet spatula or spoons is the best way I’ve found, unless you have a large ice cream scoop (which I oil or wet, as well). Enjoy those yummy rolls!
~jules
The weather is gorgeous and I’m ready to grill! That means burger buns! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!! I don’t have dry milk/milk substitue powder or potato flakes on hand. Do you think potato starch or corn starch would work? almond flour? what ratio?
I see from your post in our gfJules Gluten Free Recipe Share Group on Facebook that your gluten free hamburger buns turned out super yummy with the corn starch substitute for milk powder, so GO YOU! Congratulations for your ingenuity! You were rewarded with yummy hamburger buns and you were able to get your full grill game on!!!!
~jules
I was wondering can you freeze the buns?
Absolutely, Gay! I do it all the time and they work really well! I store them in zipper freezer bags. ENJOY!
~jules
Hi Jules, I am wondering if you have tried using your sourdough starter in this recipe. I have been keeping sourdough going since April, using your starter, and am always looking to ways to use it.Thank you!
Hi Kate, I haven’t tried it myself in this recipe, but other readers have and said it works well! I’d love to hear what you think since you have extra gluten free sourdough starter on hand!!
~jules
Just made these for the first time. I’m really proud of the results. I used a silicone burger
Pan so was a little worried not greasing them but no problem. Thank you
So happy to hear it, Dorothy! Way to go and congratulations on delicious homemade gluten free hamburger buns!!!!!
~jules
I’m curious about the option to substitute coconut milk powder, potato flakes or milk powder. Usually when milk powder is called for it is to boost protein to help with structure. Coconut milk is mostly dat and potato is starch. I wouldn’t normally think these things substituted for each other.
I made the hamburger buns yesterday in a burger bun pan that I’ve used only once. I overloaded the wells (filled them half-way) and proceeded to over-proof them ( let raise higher than 3/4 of the way to the top – you must allow for oven spring) and this recipe has plenty.
BUT, I also got some big, burger buns that tasted wonderful that held up well to the toppings and tomatoes without dissolving or breaking apart.
I’ve been waiting nine years for a blend like this.
A tip: Do not be afraid of over mixing the dough. In fact the longer you mix it (up to 6 minutes) the more hydrated it gets and the better it rises. Always proof your yeast. The best offer no promise that it will always work but some water and sugar with the accompanying bubbles proves it’s good to go.
This four mix is the best I’ve ever used. It is not grainy-textured like rice-based flours are. GF Baking is a constant learning process. Do not get discouraged if some recipes fail. Review your recipe and notes and have at it again. Most tested recipes that fail are due to “operator error.” If you don’t like how the bread turned out, make bread crumbs out of it. I have a freezer full of crumbs.
So glad to hear it, Dave! And the fact that you’re finally enjoying great gluten free hamburger buns after all these years truly warms my heart. Thank you so very much for taking the time to write me a note and let me know how much you’re enjoying my gfJules Flour Blend and this recipe, in particular.
Happy baking!
~jules
Just made these exactly written. Family lovvved them thank you!
That’s so fantastic, Tina! I’m thrilled to hear it! Congrats on baking up some great gluten free hamburger buns everyone loved!!!
~jules