After my son was diagnosed as being allergic to wheat, eggs, etc., I started using King Arthur Gluten Free Bread mix without using eggs. I loved the bread. This is the only mix that really tastes and acts like a wheat bread. The only down side was how expensive it is. At close to $8 a box, it just became too expensive for an everyday bread. I based this recipe on their bread.
I can’t tell you just how good these are. They are soft and springy. They don’t fall apart with slicing. They don’t disintegrate into a pile of crumbs in your mouth. These will even last up to a week, without drying out! This is all thanks to the powdered pectin. The pectin acts as a binder and holds a ton of moisture without becoming gummy. My new gluten free flour mix also contains less starch and more protein and fiber to combat gumminess.
At first glance the moisture ratio may seem a bit much. And without the pectin this will not work, trust me. The dough/batter is extremely thin, almost soup like without any of the gum or pectin added. I tried this technique to help the flour absorb more moisture by giving it more time with just liquid and no gum. Once you add the gum and pectin it will thicken up quickly and become difficult to stir. If you have a stand mixer you could save your arms a little work. But I would not suggest trying to use a hand mixer since it will burn out your motor. (Trust me on that one too. I already did that.)
Mix until really thick and allow to rise in a warm area in a covered bowl. Preheat your oven to 350 after about 25-30 minutes and have your greased parchment paper ready. Scoop large spoonfuls on the baking sheet and shape. Ideally, you’ll want to make them as round as a softball since gravity will pull them down causing them to flatten a bit.
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Gluten Free Vegan Hamburger Buns- egg free
Author: Laura @ Petite Allergy Treats
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose hybrid flour
- 1 3/4 cup water or milk of choice
- 1 packet or 2 1/2 tsp of dry active rapid rise yeast
- 3 T oil
- 2 T sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp guar or xanthan gum
- 2 tsp powdered pectin
- Heat liquid to 110 degrees. Add yeast and sugar. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes to start foaming.
- Combine flour and salt. Mix thoroughly
- Pour yeast and oil into mixture and mix well. Batter will be very thin. Keep mixing by hand another 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in gum and pectin while stirring constantly. Batter will begin to thicken up almost immediately. Keep stirring another 3-5 minutes. Cover bowl and allow to rise about 25 minutes in a warm place.
- Deflate dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease entire sheet with oil. Grease hands and scoop out a large handful. Shape into a softball size bun and gently place on baking sheet. Repeat until batter is all gone. Gently grease the tops and place plastic wrap on top while the buns rise for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Bake at 350 until golden brown on the tops and the center reaches 190-200 degrees internally. (Note: The center may still appear to be sticky on the end of the thermometer. If the temperature is correct they really are done. The pectin helps to retain moisture.)
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Hello, I’m Laura! Thanks for stopping by… I hope this blog will help you or someone you know and love. 
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing! I didn’t have pectine so I tried using about 2T of psyllium seed husk. They didn’t turn out as beautiful as yours but they’re very good hamburger or lunch sandwich buns. Cheers!
So glad to hear things turned out well!
I did my very best to follow the recipe and instructions but ended up with a really wet, unworkable dough. The dough got thicker after adding the gum and pectin but not nearly thick enough. I’m not very experienced with bun/bread-making…any thoughts or tips??
Gluten free dough is very different from a traditional wheat dough, it’s really a thick batter consistency. I find using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, or VERY wet hands works best when trying to shape/move the batter. Hope this helps. Keep trying working with gluten free doughs, it takes a little getting used to.?
I too just used wet hands and was able to scoop out the dough/batter. I found it easiest to wet hands after each bun. That way there was very little stuck to my hands.
This is THE BEST gluten free bun recipe I have ever tried. Thanks for sharing!
I really am excited to try your egg free bun recipe….do you think i can use an all purpose 1:1 flour so that i’m only adding pectin?
I think it might work but there a bunch of factors with pre-mixed flours you cannot control. Often mixes have a higher starch ratio than my own mix so things *might* turn out gummy. Another thing that can influence is the amount of gum used. I’d love to hear how things go if you try this!
well the only way we will know is if we give it a go! I will keep you posted and if it doesn’t work I certainly will use your recipe…..maybe i should use the business name “The lazy Baker” lol
Cheers!
Lol! Good luck!
I tried this recipe today and it looked like it was working well. It rose beautifully and smelled almost like regular yeast bread. But after baking, the rolls didn’t brown at all and were sticky and gummy on the inside. I tried baking them a little longer at a lower temp but I don’t know what went wrong. The only thing I can think of is that I used a gf flour blend that already has xanthum gum in it. I used it to make gf French rolls a couple of weeks ago and it worked fine. My yeast was active too. I’m usually a rebel with recipes but this one I followed exactly, except for the flour blend substitute. Should I have still added xanthum gum even though the flour already had it?
Sorry to hear this. If a recipe calls for gum and your mix already contains it, you DO NOT need to add more. Adding more gum will cause things to become gummy and rock hard. 🙁 The blend I use contains more whole grains than an pre-mixed white blend. I hope you’ll try it again without adding extra gum. The pectin still should be added and will help keep the buns moist for days, just warm them up in the microwave for a a few seconds.
I use a recipe calling for 2 cups white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch,and 1/3 cup cornstarch. How much of your whole grain white flour hybrid will I substitute in the recipe.
That is a lot of starch without much grain (white rice flour). The amount of whole grain flour all depends on: what the recipe is intended for, amount of liquid, binders/gums, etc. Whole grain flours tend to absorb more moisture and could make the converted recipe “dry” or crumbly. I would attempt a small batch first with equal parts of my whole grain flour hybrid to see how it functions in the recipe to make adjustments.
Tip; grease 1/3 or 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop out buns if you don’t have a ice cream scoop.
This recipe worked beautifully and my gluten, egg and dairy allergic son was able to enjoy a bun that tasted like the ones he remembers from before his diagnosis. On another note, all of the previous posters who said the recipe didn’t work for them did not actually follow the recipe, as they clearly state in their posts. It’s ridiculous that anyone would have the audacity to complain something didn’t work when they didn’t even follow very clear and simple directions. To additionally waste the time of the author and fellow readers with inane comments is insulting.
Thanks for an incredible recipe!
I am so excited to find this recipe. I cannot wait to try it! My twins are also allergic to gluten, egg, nuts, sesame, shellfish etc.. Where do you find this powdered pectin? IS there a certain brand name that you use? Thank you!!!
Hi Kacey, I only have used Pomona’s Pure pectin made from citrus powder and contains no fillers like dextrose etc. Hope you love these! (Ps I use this for my Best Gluten Free Pizza Crust too)
hi, can you please let me know what brand pectin you used i have never used it before and have no clue where to find it.
Thank you
I have only used Pomona’s Pectin. It is a citrus based pure pectin without any fillers. You can order it in bulk from the website:http://www.pomonapectin.com
Laura — when you buy it on line do you sign up as a distributor? How much do you buy at a time?
Kelly, are you referring to the Pectin?? You can purchase the pectin in bulk amounts (like 1/2 or 5 lb bag) at a better price than the small packets. For a manufacturer/distributor, email them for more info, it was a long time ago I spoke with them.
I tried your perfect pizza crust with the Ball Classic Pectin and it worked okay – but not like yours seems to have. I decided to try the hamburger buns and went and purchased the Pomona’s Pectin assuming that was my problem in the first try. I am curious though about the calcium powder – and the calcium water which is part of the instructions in the Pomona’s pectin box. Have you ever used the calcium powder in your recipes – should I be adding that? I read about the different in the Pectins and found that the Pomona’s works without the sugar because it activates with calcium – I’m just curious if you have information on that with your recipes.
Thank you for all the experimentation you’ve done to pass on great recipes – my son and I thank you with all our hearts!!!
Hi Jennifer! So glad you were able to try some of my bread recipes, those are the most used in our house. I get the pectin question a lot… The calcium envelope is needed for jellies and preserves. For gluten free baking you can simply use the powder alone without any calcium water. I have only used Pomona’s since it contains pure pectin and additives; less to worry about with our list of allergies. I am curious… how did the pizza crust turn out with the first pectin? Hope the explanation helps a little!
Tried this recipe today for my son who was diagnosed with Celiac disease almost one year ago. He longed for a soft bun so much and thankfully I found your recipe. It worked great. I used Teff, Quinoa as I didn’t have Millet, Tapioka and Potato, milk and olive oil.
As I live in Germany and don’t know what size your ice cream scopes are I guessed and got 6 larger and 1 smaller bun out of the dough. Also it wasn’t white like yours, but brownish. Nevertheless it was soft and very tasty with a slightly nutty flavor.
Next time I’ll try Millet and water, but I already know it will taste really good, too.
You helped to make a boy and its mother very happy today. Thank you!
Love hearing I’ve helped you and your son! You chose great substitutes for flour too (extra nutrition and they act very similar to millet). The color of the buns are a light brown (pictures don’t really show that) Great job allergy Mom!!
Hi, is there a a substitute for the sugar? Would honey or maple syrup work instead? Thanks!
The sugar is really necessary. It helps with the yeast to rise and adds a just a little sweetness. Feel free to add touch of maple syrup or omit completely.
Hi, Laura! I am having to make big changes for my brood of four, all with extensive food allergies. I was SO pumped to come across your site today! With the Pomona pectin, do you just use the bigger packet of pectin, not using the little calcium packet at all? Thanks for your help!
Hi Hannah, you are correct with the pectin. Only the larger powder packet is needed. The calcium packet is only needed for activating the pectin in jams. A little Tip: you can purchase Pomona’s pectin in bulk through their website http://www.pomonapectin.com/order/#order
I made this recipe tonight as I longed for a hamburger, so I set out to give this recipe a go. All worked as said, the dough/batter rose, I deflated it, I made the mistake of only making three really large buns and in to the oven they went. Your recipe doesn’t give any timeframe to bake so I set my timer every 10 minutes and kept checking to see if the buns were browning. After checking off 50 minutes, I then started timing in 5 minute increments. I should have started way earlier so the buns could rest and cool…my bad. I will attempt this recipe again early in the morning so I can have them for either lunch or dinner. Hopefully they will soften up some as the “out of the oven buns” were too hot to cut, and the bottom of the bun was really hard. I’m not giving up though. I’m trying again as I’ve made a bunch of your gf flour.
I made this recipe tonight as I longed for a hamburger, so I set out to give this recipe a go. All worked as said, the dough/batter rose, I deflated it, I made the mistake of only making three really large buns and in to the oven they went. Your recipe doesn’t give any timeframe to bake so I set my timer every 10 minutes and kept checking to see if the buns were browning. After checking off 50 minutes, I then started timing in 5 minute increments. I should have started way earlier so the buns could rest and cool…my bad. I will attempt this recipe again early in the morning so I can have them for either lunch or dinner. Hopefully they will soften up some as the “out of the oven buns” were too hot to cut, and the bottom of the bun was really hard. I’m not giving up though. I’m trying again as I’ve made a bunch of your gf flour.
Hi Corleen, the recipe says bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 F but that would be for the softball size (makes about 6-8). The reallly big 3 buns definitely changed the bake time 😉 Glad you’re going to make more, practice makes perfect!
Love your hamburger bun recipe- my husband thought that he had died and gone to heaven!!!
It was the first delicious sandwich that he had had since he was diagnosed as celiac 5 years ago….so thank you so much for sharing!!!
I did not have 2 tsp guar or xanthan gum so I replaced it with the same amount of psyllium husk and voila…delish!
Thanks so much again!!!
Today I tried out these hamburger buns. They were gorgeous!! At first my family didn’t understand my enthusiasm until I told them they were gluten free! They tasted just like buns here in Germany do – no even better. Thank you very much for this recipe – it will become a staple.
Hello 🙂 i really think you should start a youtube channel and show tutorials of the recipes! These are so good and i think it’d really help a few terrible cooks with allergies like myself. Keep up the good work 🙂
Thank you so much! Videos seem to be a big hit. Maybe some day… Thanks again!
i’m confused on the yeast you are using (dry active rapid rise yeast)…. is it instant yeast, or active yeast, or quick rise yeast???? i can’t seem to find a yeast in the store that says “dry active rapid rise yeast” please help!
oh my oh my oh my!!!! these look so good! I probably tried 20 other recipes and nothing that turned out like this!! I used 2C of your basic white gluten free flour blend and 1/2C sweet white rice flour, water and guar gum as the options in this recipe. made 5 large buns, baked for 20 min. Cooling on rack now, can not wait till i can look inside and try one! Thank you so much 🙂
couldn’t wait any longer, cut into one and put vegan butter on it and OMG the best ever… Thank you SOOOOOOO MUCH 🙂
Sorry I could reply until now… Quick rise yeast and dry active yeast will do the trick. 😉 So glad things turned out well for you!!
Hi Laura, this recipe is pure awesomeness !! Absolutely delish ! Do you think this recipe would work as a whole loaf ? P.S Vegan Bagels where amazing too ,just signed up for your newsletters ?
Hi Rachael, thank you! I don’t think a full load would work… The weight of all the flour really is too much. This explains why gluten free sandwich bread is much smaller than traditional wheat bases loafs.
I just made this recipe today, Wow, Thank you! I can now stop trying recipes for hamburger buns. Husband and I both were amazed, especially that they did not fall apart while we ate our burgers. The only thing I did differently, I evenly scooped the batter in to single serve oiled cake pans (maybe their called deep dish tart pans?), and let them rise. Then baked them in those pans. They came out clean, and nicely shaped. Oh, I also used avocado oil in the batter and for the pans. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
What kind of oil do you use? I used coconut, heated to 110 degrees, but it did not foam when added instant yeast and sugar. Yeast did not change form after 5 minutes. I stopped there since It wouldn’t turn out.
Thanks in advance:)
So obviously I’m new to baking and using yeast. Trying this recipe again the follow morning and I notice (after two failed attempts this am) #1 says “heat liquids to 110 degrees”, silly me I thought I read heat oil to 110 degrees. I’m a bit under the weather and I guess details are slipping by me hahaha. I’ll try again in the near future.
Tried again and it turned out great, thank you for this recipe! Sorry I talked my way through it in you comment section hahaha:)
My 15 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and is doing the 4 elimination diet (no wheat, dairy, soy or eggs) to try and figure out her trigger foods. She is on about week 5. She is missing rolls, particularly with Thanksgiving right around the corner so I thought I would give these a try.
They are fantastic!! She loved them and so did my wife and I. It’s really incredible that you spent a year developing this recipe. I can’t imagine all the trial and error that must have went into this recipe. My didn’t really brown up on the top (they did on the bottom) but they were the correct temperature so I took them out. They were really excellent! It’s a bit of an investment up front with so many ingredients but now that I have them, I plan to repeat your recipe often.
Thanks so much for sharing!