Soft, Fluffy Gluten-Free Burger Buns (Dairy-Free)

Homemade Bread is the Best

I have a penchant for homemade bread, and in my opinion, nothing beats pulling a fresh loaf from the still-warm oven, the heat and aroma enveloping you all at once.

In particular, I love baking yeast breads, because there’s just something enchanting about watching bread dough rise and double in size, as the yeast works its magic and creates those desired air pockets to give bread the soft, tender texture we all love.

Some favorite yeast breads include this gluten-free white bread, our insanely popular buckwheat bread, this tender brown rice bread, and this beautiful no-knead artisan bread.

Make Your Own Homemade Hamburger Buns

For the longest time, I’ve had hamburger buns on my to-bake list, but only managed to get to testing and developing a recipe for it recently.

While I’ve made yeast-free low carb buns before, those were smaller in size and better for sliders as compared to regular-sized burgers.

This time, I wanted to make a gluten-free bun recipe for burgers. Using almost the same dough from my gluten-free bread recipe, I created these homemade gluten-free hamburger buns that turned out not only beautiful but also incredibly fluffy and delicious!

These gluten-free hamburger buns are perfect for sandwiching your favorite meat burgers or even veggie burgers. YUM!

Why This Recipe Works:

• Simple Ingredients: You might already have most or all of the ingredients required to make these homemade hamburger buns, and if not, they are easily accessible at the grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
• Easy to Make: All you need to do is mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and then divide the dough between round metal rings and let the dough rise before baking. Oh, and did I already mention that NO kneading is involved in this gluten-free bun recipe??
• Soft, Fluffy & Tender: Filled with air pockets thanks to the yeast, these golden buns have a fluffy texture and are the perfect size for holding your hamburger patties together. Say goodbye to dry and hard gluten-free buns for good!
• Totally Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: Unlike traditional buns, this hamburger bun recipe is 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten and dairy intolerances can eat it, and the whole family can enjoy burgers during the summer grilling season. Say goodbye to the lettuce wrap and hello to a proper burger again!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for these homemade gluten-free burger buns.

(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

Recipe Notes/Substitutions:

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend: I highly recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, or potato starch) to ensure a lighter final texture. I do NOT recommend flour blends that include heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour).
• Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps the ingredients to bind together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include xanthan gum, make sure to include it.
• Instant Yeast: Yeast is the main leavening agent in this gluten-free burger bun recipe, so make sure you include it. I prefer using instant yeast because there’s no need for pre-activation (if you only have active dry yeast, make sure to activate the yeast beforehand by mixing it with warm water and sugar and letting it sit for a few minutes before mixing it with the other ingredients).
• Sugar: The sugar is “food” for the yeast to feed on in order to be activated and to produce the gases required to make the dough rise. I used white sugar, but you can also use cane sugar, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar if you prefer.
• Baking Powder: While this gluten-free burger bun recipe mainly uses instant yeast as a leavening agent, a little bit of baking powder gives the dough a little extra rise. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to us a certified gluten-free baking powder.
• Psyllium Husk Powder: I find that psyllium husk powder really gives gluten-free dough elasticity and makes a big difference in how the final texture of the baked bread turns out. It is also a good source of fiber. If you only have whole psyllium husks available, you can grind the husks in a coffee grinder until you get a fine powder.
• Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of sunflower oil on hand. However, you may also use other vegetable oils such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil or canola oil. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter or ghee instead.
• Vinegar: Adding vinegar creates an acidic environment that reacts with the baking powder to help the dough rise more. You can either use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Warm Water: Make sure that the water is between 105 to 115F (neither too cold nor too hot), as you need a little warmth to activate the yeast, but if the water is too hot, it will cause the yeast to die. Alternatively, you may also use warm dairy-free milk (such as almond milk, cashew milk, or rice milk) or normal milk instead.
• Eggs: Eggs help the ingredients to bind better together. If you don’t want to use the yolks, then use 4 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs. I have not tried this recipe without eggs so I don’t know how it will turn out, but if you are allergic to eggs, you may try using aquafaba or an egg-replacer. (If you do make this recipe egg-free, please let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to hear!)
• Sesame Seeds: I like sprinkling white sesame seeds on top of the buns, but you may also use a mix of sesame seeds, or other seeds of your choice (such as poppy seeds). For extra flavor, you can also sprinkle the top of the dough with everything bagel seasoning. Alternatively, feel free to leave out the seeds directly if you prefer.

How to Make Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns (Step by Step):

1. Preheat, Line and Grease

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Grease 6 round metal rings and place them spaced out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, salt, instant yeast, sugar and psyllium husk powder.

4. Divide Dough Between Rings

Divide the dough evenly between the metal rings and smooth out the tops of the dough with the back of a wet spoon.

5. Let Rise Until Doubled

Allow the dough rise in a warm place (that’s free of wind drafts) until it has roughly doubled in size. (Depending on the temperature and humidity, it may take as little as 30 minutes in a warm and humid climate or up to 1 hour if you’re in winter).

6. Brush the Tops with Oil

Use a silicon brush to brush the tops of the dough with oil.

(Tip: Alternatively, if you wish to, you can brush the tops of the dough with egg wash instead of oil.)

7. Sprinkle Seeds on Top

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the dough.

8. Bake Until Golden

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the gf hamburger buns are golden brown on top.

9. Let Cool Before Removing

Once baked, let the gluten-free hamburger buns cool for at least 10 minutes in the metal rings before running a butter knife around the edges of the rings and removing the buns.

Transfer the buns to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Grease Metal Rings: Make sure you brush the sides of the metal rings with oil or spray them with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the buns from sticking to the rings (this will make it much easier to remove the hamburger buns once they are baked).
• No Metal Rings? Use Muffin Mold: If you don’t use metal rings, you may also use a muffin pan instead (this will yield smaller buns that are perfect for mini sliders).
• Toast Before Eating: If you like, you can also toast these hamburger buns on the grill before eating them.
• Make Hot Dog Buns: You may also use this dough with a hot dog bun mold instead so you can also enjoy gluten-free hot dogs!

Other Gluten-Free Yeast Breads You’ll Love:

• Gluten-Free White Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Easy Slider Buns (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• No-Knead Artisan Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Bagels (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Fluffy Potato Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Buckwheat Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Brown Rice Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Teff Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Potato Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Sorghum Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Quinoa Bread (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Hot Cross Buns (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• 21 Fluffy Gluten-Free Yeast Bread Recipes

Gluten-Free Bread Recipes to Bake: