Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls (Dairy-Free)

Soft, tender and fluffy, these gluten-free dinner rolls are super easy to make, come out perfect every single time, and are also dairy-free, but nobody would know! Make these yeast bread rolls for your Thanksgiving dinner, holiday gathering, or anytime you want to tear into a warm, homemade roll. Great with butter, olive oil, or even on their own!

The Search for Perfect Gluten-Free Rolls

I’ve spent the better part of this year baking plenty of homemade bread, and have developed a few recipes that Juan and I have come to love and use frequently – from gluten-free no knead bread, to easy gluten-free naan bread, to rosemary focaccia bread and soft fluffy gluten-free sandwich bread.

You can literally say that I’m on a bread roll. (LOL. Pun totally intended).

All this while, I’ve also been testing other bread recipes, and in particular, I’ve been dead set on making the perfect gluten-free dinner rolls. In fact, I’ve been obsessed with developing a roll recipe that is soft, light and fluffy, and actually looks and feels like a real white bread roll, as opposed to a hard ball of dough that you could play ping pong or go putting on the green with.

At Long Last – A Roll Recipe that Works Wonders!

I can’t even remember how many failed roll recipes I’ve tried and thrown away immediately, or how many packets of yeast I’ve bought and used in my bread experiments. This little obsession of mine has been going on for months on end, and I have recipe notes written and scratched out, batches that went straight into the bin after coming out the oven, and other batches that were passable. But mostly, nothing to write home about.

Until now. I want to shout this from the rooftops, because I am over the moon about this amazing recipe for the best gluten-free dinner rolls ever!

Why This Recipe Works

Adapted from Gluten-Free Baking, this is possibly one of the simplest recipes I’ve made, and only requires 15-minutes of hands-on time, including shaping the dough (which if you’re an experienced gluten-free baker, you’ll know isn’t always easy).

Once shaped, all the dough needs is a single short 30-minute rise (no kneading required), and into the hot oven it goes! Every single time I make this recipe, the rolls come out golden brown and perfect – with the soft and tender texture worthy of earning their keep at any table.

If you can tell how excited I am about these rolls, it’s because I am ECSTATIC that after more than half a year of recipe-testing, I’ve finally found THE RECIPE worth sharing with you.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: For this gluten-free dinner rolls recipe, I highly recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches such as rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch, or potato starch. This will ensure that you get a lighter and fluffier texture. I do NOT recommend blends that use heavier and denser flours such as garbanzo bean flour as it will result in a denser texture.

• Xanthan Gum: I use an extra teaspoon of xanthan gum even though the flour blend already contains xanthan gum, becuase this replaces the role of gluten and helps the flours to bind better and creates better texture.

• Baking Powder: I use baking powder in addition to yeast to give the rolls extra rise, which helps them to be a little lighter and fluffier in texture.

• Sugar: The sugar is required for the yeast to work, as it acts as the food for the yeast to activate and make the dough rise. In this case, I’ve used light brown sugar, but you can also use white sugar or dark brown sugar if you prefer.

• Instant Dry Yeast: I like using instant dry yeast in my baking because no proofing or activation is required. If you don’t have instant dry yeast, you can use active yeast, but make sure you dissolve the yeast in a mixture of warm water and sugar to activate it before using.

• Egg: This recipe requires the egg, without which it will come out dense and heavy. I haven’t tried it with egg replacers so I can’t guarantee it will work if you replace the egg.

• Apple Cider Vinegar: Since yeast usually likes an acidic environment, adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) will help the yeast work better and give the bread a better rise. If you don’t have ACV, you can use any other vinegar you have.

• Coconut Oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil for cooking because it has a more neutral taste (as opposed to extra virgin coconut oil which has a stronger coconut taste and smell). If you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use melted butter in equal amounts.

• Egg Wash: Brushing egg wash over the rolls before baking them will ensure that they turn out golden brown and have a nice shine. To make egg wash, beat an egg with 1 teaspoon of water and mix well. Alternatively, you can also brush the rolls with olive oil.

• Storing/Freezing: Store the dinner rolls in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days, or wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Heat up the rolls slightly in the microwave to thaw them before serving. 

How to Make Gluten-Free Bread Rolls (Step by Step)

1. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, sugar and instant dry yeast. Whisk well to combine.

2. Add Wet Ingredients

Add the warm water, beaten egg, apple cider vinegar, melted coconut oil, and mix very well until you get a thick and homogeneous mixture (which will look more like cake batter instead of normal bread dough).

3. Divide Dough into Portions

Grease a 10″ x 7″ glass baking pan with oil. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop 12 equal portions of dough and place them in rows in the baking pan.

4. Shape Dough

Use greased hands to shape each portion of dough into small balls and place them in rows. Smooth the top of each ball with wet fingertips.

5. Let Rise

Cover the pan with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for approximately 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place, until it has roughly doubled in size. In the meantime, as the dough rises, preheat the oven to 350F and adjust rack to the middle position.

6. Brush Rolls and Bake

Once the dough has risen, brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes until tops of the dinner rolls are golden brown.

7. Cool and Enjoy

Remove from the oven and let the gluten-free bread rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Helpful Tips/Tricks:

• Grease Your Hands for Shaping Dough: Since this dough can get sticky (as most gluten-free dough is), make sure to grease your hands with oil before rolling the dough to prevent the dough from sticking to the palms of your hands. Greased hands also make rounder balls and gets the job done faster and easier.

• Smooth Tops of Dough Balls: If the dough balls are not completely smooth once you’re done shaping them, simply dip your fingers in water and smooth out the tops of the dough balls.

• Let the Rolls Cool Before Eating: As with all gluten-free baked goods, you’ll have to let these rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. If you don’t let it cool sufficiently, the starches in the bread won’t have time to set up properly, and you’ll end up with gummy bread (not good!). So patience is required, but you’ll be dearly rewarded.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

• Soft Fluffy Gluten-Free Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Easy Gluten-Free No Knead Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Easy Gluten-Free Naan Bread (Dairy-Free)
• Rosemary Focaccia Bread (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
• Easy Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread (Vegan)
• Gluten-Free Bread Rolls (Vegan)

Appetizer Recipes to Enjoy:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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