This post contains multiple recipes in this order:
- Gluten Free Puff Pastry Recipe (with video showing entire method)
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry
- Gluten Free Vegetable Tart with Puff Pastry
- Gluten Free Brie en Croute with Puff Pastry
- Gluten Free Christmas Tree with Puff Pastry (with video)
Introduction to Making Gluten Free Puff Pastry
Years ago I was hired by a Le Cordon Bleu chef to teach a baking class in Seattle, Washington, and the topic was gluten free puff pastry.
I was initially daunted by the idea, having never made puff pastry from scratch before, gluten free or otherwise (shhhhh! don’t tell! I’d never let that stop me!). But nonetheless, I set to work researching the different methods of making this iconic pastry dough, and what ingredients could work to make it both gluten free and dairy free.
As with all my gluten free recipes, I wanted uncompromising results. And I wanted to devise a recipe that was easy and quick enough for anyone to make it (no Le Cordon Bleu training required!). I’m so pleased with the versatile recipe I created, and so very happy to share it with you!
Delicious recipes like these fun veggie appetizers, baked brie or even gluten free Beef Wellington are now possible with this handy gluten free puff pastry recipe!
Here’s what I learned. Purists will tell you that butter is essential to making puff pastry taste so delicious and have such a distinctive, flaky texture; however, I found that vegan Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks work just as well in this recipe, for those of us who must avoid dairy.
I also ran across the belief that no good puff pastry could be made without gluten. Well we know I wouldn’t stop until I’d proved that notion wrong, don’t we?! With the right combination of gluten-free flours, anything is deliciously possible! Even breakfast Danish Puff Pastry like this one:
What is Puff Pastry and How to Make Puff Pastry Gluten Free
A bit more about puff pastry, and why it bakes up as such a light, lovely dough. The primary ingredients are butter and flour, so don’t compromise on either. Use either high quality butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Miyoko’s Creamery Vegan Butter.
And for gluten free flour, no one would enjoy a delicate pastry made with gritty rice flour or funky smelling bean flours, so take your ingredients seriously.
Stick with my award-winning gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. It wins the consumer choice awards year after year because it works! No grit, just reliable, soft, tasteless and stretchy flour that lets you make any recipe successfully gluten free — even puff pastry!
Pastry Chef Ricardo Mora had this to say about baking my gluten free puff pastry dough with gfJules Flour:
This puff pastry was so good. I was really surprised with how crispy and flaky the texture was. My favorite of the applications was the vegetable tart. It went really well with the texture and richness of the puff pastry.
Note – if you’re looking for a yeasted, Danish style puff pastry recipe, hop to my recipe for Gluten Free Puff Pastry for Danish here. I also include lots of step-by-step photos and a how-to video there.
You’ll see in the directions that I focus on the process: it is essential not to overwork the dough so that the butter doesn’t melt in the dough as you work with it (there are some great comments to this post from others who have made the recipe successfully by using chilled marble boards, for example).
The dough is folded over itself again and again, forming layers, but the tiny balls of cut up butter also help to form flaky layers by releasing steam, pushing the dough apart while baking.
Rough Puff Pastry Method with Gluten Free Dough
Bakeries making traditional puff pastry often work the dough over the period of a few days. For our purposes though, this “rough” puff pastry method will do just fine.
This method creates a lovely pastry dough, and when made with my gfJules Flour, it has stretch and resilience, and is strong enough to wrap around anything savory or sweet, yet not tough in any way.
The delicate texture which is such a hallmark of this dough is preserved using this method, and the whole process only takes about 1 ¼ hours! If you have a silpat or pastry mat, that is the most ideal work space for this pastry-making endeavor. It is also really helpful to have a pastry blender or bench scraper, but two butter knives will certainly do.
So let’s get started, shall we? Follow the directions below to make the pastry dough and then follow the recipe you choose (like Beef Wellington – see comments for readers’ experiences using this recipe to make Gluten Free Beef Wellingtons) for using this versatile gluten free puff pastry recipe.
Chef Mora has also shared his recipes below for that lovely gluten free Vegetable Tart pictured above, gluten free Brie en croute and gluten free Cinnamon Twists.
Gluten Free Puff Pastry Recipe
This light, yet stretchy and resilient gluten free puff pastry dough makes so many recipes possible!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 24 Tbs. cold butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- ¾ tsp. sea salt
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- ½- 3/4 cup cold water
Instructions
Whisk together gfJules Flour, baking soda and salt, then pour out onto a clean counter or pastry mat (leave a lot of space to work for yourself).
Slice pieces of very cold butter by tablespoons or smaller, and drop them into the flour mixture, stopping periodically to cover the butter pieces with more gfJules flour by tossing together.
When all the butter is in the flour mixture, begin chopping into the flour with a pastry blender, bench scraper or two butter knives cutting against one another like scissors. Chop and toss together until a pebbly meal is formed – you are not trying to eliminate the chunks altogether, just make them roughly equal and well-integrated.
Begin gradually adding in the cold water by pouring into the flour and using your hands and pastry blender to mix all together until it can form a ball of dough. You may need slightly less or more than ½ cup (even the day's humidity can affect the moisture needed), but work the water into the flour well before adding more than ½ cup, as the more you work with the dough, the more moisture is released into the dough from the butter, and you don't want to make the dough overly wet.
Form the dough into a rough ball and pat into a large rectangle, with shaped corners. Begin gently rolling the dough into an elongated rectangle, approximately 18 x 15 inches. Fold like a business letter by folding from the short end in thirds to layer on top of itself. Gently lift the dough and turn one quarter, and fold again from the short side. You will see the butter will begin to marble in the dough. Wrap dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
After refrigeration, begin the same rolling and folding process again, dusting with more gfJules Flour if you need to keep it from sticking to the mat and rolling pin. Repeat this process two times after refrigeration, then return, tightly wrapped, to the refrigerator or freezer for at least another 20 minutes. Try not to over-work the dough at all.
Cut the dough in quarters and return three quarters, tightly wrapped, to the refrigerator when beginning a recipe, so that the other portions won't dry out or get too warm while you are working the other dough. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in freezer bags for up to one month.
Use in any recipe calling for puff pastry dough. You can see some ideas here, including wrapped veggies, lined mini muffin cups, brie en croute, vegetable tart, cinnamon twists, cream puffs … let your imagination be your guide!
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Gluten Free Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry Recipe
Light, crisp cinnamon twists are the perfect finish for any dinner or addition to any dessert buffet. Finger food at its finest!
Ingredients
- Melted butter or vegan butter to brush on pastry (approximately 1/4 cup / 4 Tbs.)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
Instructions
Roll the prepared gluten free puff pastry dough into a rectangle (about 1/8" thick).
Brush the entire surface with melted butter and sprinkle the bottom half with cinnamon sugar.
Fold the top half over the bottom half, then cut it into strips of desired width and length, twist, then place on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake chilled twists for ~22-25 minutes then remove to cool on wire rack.
Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar immediately after baking.
Gluten Free Vegetable Tart with Gluten Free Puff Pastry Recipe
This lovely gluten free vegetable tart can be made using any of your favorite seasonal veggies and is always sure to please, since they're nestled into such a light and flaky puff pastry!
Ingredients
- 3/4 - 1 cup pesto
- thinly sliced fresh vegetables of your choosing (see photos for ideas)
- 2-3 Tbs. freshly grated parmesan OR vegan parm OR gluten-free nutritional yeast
- olive oil for drizzling
- salt & pepper, to taste
- egg wash (1 full egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water) OR oil to brush on pastry
Instructions
Roll prepared gluten free puff pastry dough into desired shape about 1/8" thick.
Transfer onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Spread a thin layer of pesto over dough leaving about a 1" border along all
sides. Top with freshly grated parmesan and any desired vegetables (I used
grape tomatoes, red onions, asparagus, and zucchini).
Drizzle olive oil lightly over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Brush edges with egg wash or oil before baking.
Bake chilled tart for ~35 minutes, then remove to cool slightly before serving.
Gluten Free Brie en Croute with Gluten Free Puff Pastry Recipe
Melt in your mouth appetizers like classic Brie en Croute seem like they could only be made by a master chef, but with this gluten free puff pastry dough recipe, even this fancy appetizer is easy!
Ingredients
- 1 wheel brie cheese OR Miyoko's Creamery Cashew Cheese wheel
- 1/4 cup jam or preserves of your choice (pictured is raspberry jam)
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans or other favorite nuts (optional)
- egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbs. water) for brushing on crust OR oil
Instructions
Roll prepared gluten free puff pastry dough out into a circle on a clean surface dusted with gfJules Flour. Dough should surpass brie by about 3-4" in every direction.
Before placing cheese, spread a few tablespoons of jam over center of dough making a ring about the size of the brie (I used a seedless raspberry jam), and top off with toasted nuts (I used pecans, can be candied too), then place brie directly over nuts.
Lift dough gently from all sides folding over brie and pinching towards center to seal in fillings. Flip over so jam is at the top and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Top can be decorated with any excess bits of dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Brush the top and sides with
egg wash before baking.
Preheat oven to 350F and bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm.
Gluten Free Christmas Tree Puff Pastry
And don’t miss the opportunity to use this versatile puff pastry dough recipe in your favorite holiday recipes! This gluten free, vegan Christmas Tree is always the hit of the party, but don’t stop there – make a wreath or a star or any other fun holiday shape!
Fill with whatever YOU like — nutella, hummus, spreadable cheese, jam … it’ll be beautiful and delicious however you make it! Click HERE or on the photo below for a how-to video with the recipe!
I can’t wait to hear how you use this yummy gluten free puff pastry recipe — please tell me about it in the comments! And if you loved this recipe, please do leave a 5-star review!
Pin for later!
You are Amazing. Thank you jules. Your all purpose flour is the best. Your recipes are wonderful for gluten free baking.
Aww thank you Charity! I’m so glad you are loving my gfJules Flour and you are putting my recipes to work!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a note — it means a lot to me!!
Happy baking!
~jules
I miss my beloved sausage rolls from the UK. Just the other day I found gluten free rusks (essential to making true English sausage) so with this gluten free puff pastry recipe I think I have all the essentials! Now I just need a few blocks of time to make all these time consuming parts to assemble!
Oh I’m so excited to hear how it goes!! Please come back and let me know (and share a pic!!!!!)
~jules
I am planning to make the dough today and freeze 2/3 for later – and make hammentashen for Purim – with prunes filling! Will let you know how they comenout.
have you developed a recipe for bread?
Hi Leona, I’m sorry I missed seeing your comment earlier! I also have a gluten free Hamantaschen Recipe! https://gfjules.com/recipes/hamantashen-hamans-tri-cornered-cookies/
And yes, I have loads of gluten free bread recipes – just use the search bar at the top of the page or to right to the Homemade Gluten Free Breads Tab!
~jules
This was so impressively good! I was incredibly frustrated as I couldn’t track down my favorite store-bought GF pastry sheets. Tried this out of desperation and we were all shocked at how good it was and not even as difficult as I was dreading. Thank you!
Here’s a picture of the galette I made with it. So flaky and not tough at all!
That is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! I”m so impressed! And so very happy you were thrilled with the flaky pastry results from this recipe!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know and to share a pic!
~jules
I’m so glad you didn’t give up, Caryn, and you made this gluten free puff pastry recipe from scratch so now you know not only how easy it is, but how much better it is than those store-bought sheets! Hopefully you’ll never go back!
~jules
Hi,
I can’t seem to get hold of any vegan butter. Would a dairy free spead work or would it not be solid enough?
Thanks!
Ahhh, great question. It would not be my first choice, no. The spreads are designed to … well, spread … and they actually utilize different parts of the oils in order to achieve that result. It would work better in this recipe than it would in say, a cookie recipe, so you could give it a try if you really can’t find any vegan butter at all, but I would hate for you to be disappointed. If you do decide to try it, definitely cut it into small chunks as best you can and freeze it, returning this dough to the fridge throughout to help keep that spread as cold and solid as possible for as long as possible, and I’d also freeze the finished pastry before putting it in the oven. I’m hoping you can find a vegan option in stick form one day soon for better results though — even brands like Country Crock are starting to make them, so it’s becoming much more mainstream. Ask your local grocer to carry it for you! Best of luck and let me know how it goes if you do end up trying it with a spread!
~jules
Sometimes you can substitute for almond butter or goat butter. There’s also ghee. Idk if that will wok?
Great suggestions, Mindy! Thanks for chiming in!
~jules
I’m thinking of using this for a vegan mushroom wellington. Mushrooms are notoriously wet so should I reduce the water in the pastry? I know it will probably be mushy no matter what I do but I would like to minimize it.
Also. Im considering making perhaps puff pastry CUPS of the mushroom wellington. In a large muffin tin. Any suggestions?
Hi Elicia, I’m not sure that I would reduce the water in the pastry itself; I think I would focus more on the mushrooms, perhaps cooking them down a bit first? Another reader left a comment that the gluten free puff pastry recipe worked beautifully as written for individual beef wellingtons, so I think I would make the recipe as written the first time (I don’t cook with beef either, but that’s got a fair amount of liquid in it, so let’s bank on the fact that the beef worked, so the mushrooms will, too!).
As for the puff pastry in cups, I’ve baked this pastry in muffin tins and it works great, so that would be a great method to try. If you have time to practice a couple ways, perhaps try some in cups and some on a parchment lined baking tray. I can’t wait to hear how it goes! Maybe even post a picture!
~jules
Hi Jules, I didn’t want to risk having my bag of your flour blend thrown out at airport security so I have to make do with a brand from Publix. I’m sure there will be Cup for Cup available. I just want to be sure that I’m looking for a rice base that has xantham gum. Anything else I should look for in a blend?
Hi Elicia, just so you know, I’ve carried my gfJules Flour through security plenty of times, so I don’t think that would have been a worry, but you’ll know that for next time!
Check out this article on gluten free flours and blends for some things to look for in another blend that might work for this recipe. To answer your question more broadly, I would steer clear of blends with a lot of rice flour, as they will be gritty, but yes, they should contain xanthan gum or you’ll need to add some yourself. I hope the article helps!
~jules
Hey! This recipe is a lifesaver, I’m using this for a dinner with my girlfriend who has a gluten allergy. I was just wondering before I use this recipe, how big is this batch? Would it be enough for two individual sized beef Wellington’s or should I double the recipe?
Hi Jacob, I hope I’m answering in time! What a great idea to use this recipe for gluten free beef Wellingtons! It all depends on how large the cuts of meat are that the pastry will wrap around, of course, but hopefully one recipe will be enough. Another reviewer mentioned in the comments that she used this recipe for individual gluten free Beef Wellingtons and she didn’t say that she had doubled the recipe, but that’s not necessarily a guarantee that she didn’t. There’s a fair amount of dough in this recipe, so I’m thinking you’ll be good, but if the cut is large, maybe err on the side of caution and double it, knowing you can use the pastry for extra appetizers in muffin cups or around veggies? Just a thought. Have a yummy dinner!
~jules
Hi Jules! Thanks for these delightful recipes. I have a question about your puff pastry recipes. I have found two recipes on your website. One is for a danish puff pastry and the other doesn’t state what you would use this for. I am wondering which recipe would work for greek spanakopitas and/or puff pastry sausage rolls? What would be the difference between the two recipes in terms of end results?
Thanks Jules!
Hi Alice, glad you’ve been exploring my site and have found both recipes for puff pastry! I would use the straight puff pastry recipe (this recipe) without yeast or sugar for spanakopita and sausage rolls. The other puff pastry recipe I call my gluten free Danish Puff Pastry recipe because I use it for danish and other sweet and yeasted pastry applications. I hope that helps you decide which to use for which. Happy baking!
~jules
I have a different brand of flour. It does not contain xanthan gum and I was wondering if I need to add some and if I do how much should I add for this recipe
Hi Freya, you will absolutely need to add some xanthan gum. Check out this article on gluten free flours for more information on gluten free flours and xanthan gum, proportions, etc. I hope it helps you. Ultimately though, this recipe was written for my gfJules Flour and will work best with my flour for best results.
~jules
What if I can’t get the Jules flour in time? Any homemade flour mix recipe?
Hi Nathalie, in a pinch you can give a homemade blend a try, although it won’t have the stretch that the pre-made gJules Flour has that makes it easier to work with in recipes like puff pastry. Take a look at this article for help with a recipe.
Best of luck!
~jules
I’m wanting to make my friend who is gluten free a pie and this sounds amazing 😍 but I’m in New Zealand and am curious how I can get this flour here please?
gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
you can use the international checkout option
Hi
Is this recipe for 4 batches or am I reading it wrong?
Hi Johanna, it’s for one batch but I suggest dividing into four parts to work with smaller portions of dough at a time, keeping the remaining portions wrapped and cold. I hope that helps!
~jules
Great. Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving.
You as well, Johanna!
~jules
Hello Jules. Just trialling this to be ready for Christmas time. What temperature do you use to achieve a light golden affect? Also, do you need to prick with a fork when baking sheet shape?
Hi Tricia, check out my recipe for gluten free puff pastry for Danish for more specifics (there’s a how-to video there too), but baking at 400F and using a full egg wash will help with browning. To bake in sheets, yes, do prick with a fork first. Enjoy!
~jules
Do you have a video on making gf puff pastry. I would’nt mind watching you before I attempt this recipe. Thanks Jules.
Hi Alice, not yet, but the step-by-step photos should help, I hope! I’ll definitely put this on my list of videos to make soon!
~jules
A video would be perfect!! 😀
You’re not the first person to ask for this. It’s on my to-do list!!!!
~jules
Hi could you tell me what weight is a cup of flour. Not sure about this. Thanks
Hi Sandy, one cup of my gfJules Flour is 135 grams! Happy baking!
~jules
This recipe was easy and absolutely delicious! I used it to make individual-sized Beef Wellington for Valentine’s Day! It puffed up beautifully,, even the cutout hearts on top! It would be great for a baked Brie, too! I made my family’s with store bought gluten-full puff pastry, and mine was just as beautiful and puffy, not to mention the rich, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth flakiness I so love! Thank you so much!
That is FANTASTIC to hear, Mary! I’m thrilled to hear that you made it for Valentine’s Day (the cut-out hearts on top is the perfect touch!) and were able to do a side-by-side with regular store-bought puff pastry. Now you know that next time you all can share the same delicious treats (or maybe you won’t want to share!). Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how well it turned out for you!
Happy baking!
~jules
All ready to go, but there are no instructions for baking. How did I miss that little detail when reading this page? I’ve done a bit of additional research and am going to start with a small batch of individual mini tarts pressed into a mini muffin tin, frozen for 15 minutes prior to popping into a 400 degree f oven. And I’m hoping my 7,000 ft elevation isn’t an issue as well.
This was a total fail. I thoroughly chilled each small batch I baked – some were even frozen. I used varying baking times, dropped the temp to 400 as they were browning up too fast, tried various thicknesses, as well as flat cutouts and cup shaped. Every single one fell apart when touched. Every single one. I would give this recipe a failing grade. I’ve been making from scratch gluten free pasta, have a great pie crust recipe, bake scratch cakes & quick breads with no issues in the 7 years that my husband has had to avoid gluten due to celiac disease, and so I don’t think it’s me…
Hi L, I’m sorry you had such a problem with this recipe. Were you using my gfJules pre-made flour blend? That blend has ingredients in it that give doughs stretch so this kind of thing doesn’t happen. Let me know what you were using and I’ll do my best to help!
~jules
I wasn’t using your blend – time was an issue, it is not a brand I have seen locally, and that might be part of the problem. The flour blend I did use has the same ingredients in the same order and is from a small local GF bakery, although the amounts in the blend could very well be different. . I did add a bit extra xanthum gum when making the second batch. I also tried a 1/2 recipe batch with King Arthur’s all purpose GF flour and had to add xanthum gum. A typo in my comment above – I lowered the oven temp from 400 to 375 degrees f.
Hi – here’s more information on why my gfJules blend is so very different from any you would find on a store shelf, even if you think the ingredients might look similar. Also, on why gluten free flours in general behave so very differently. I hope this explains why this recipe probably didn’t turn out for your sine you were using another blend: https://gfjules.com/gluten-free-flour-comparison/