If you’re dying to make your favorite sweet dessert or savory dish with puff pastry, you have a few options even if you follow a strict gluten-free diet. In this post, I share which brands make gluten-free puff pastry dough and a recipe in case you’re up for the challenge of making your own gluten-free puff pastry from scratch. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
I love puff pastry. It’s flaky and buttery and works so well in many savory and sweet recipes.
Finding ready-to-use gluten-free puff pastry at your local grocery store is a challenge. In Denver, where I live, I’ve given up on finding the pre-packaged puff pastry at a grocery store near me. And it isn’t easy to find somewhere that ships it without costing you an arm and leg for shipping.
I once found Schar gluten-free puff pastry at Safeway. But that was a short-lived find. The puff pastry was available for a few months, then seemingly vanished from store shelves overnight, never to be seen again. Even the Whole Foods and Sprouts stores near me don’t carry gluten-free puff pastry.
In this article, I’m going to share with you:
- What brands offer gluten-free puff pastry, and where you can find it.
- How to make your own gluten-free puff pastry from scratch – my tried and true recipe!
- What to make with puff pastry. I link to various recipes below.
Gluten-Free Puff Pastry Brands
Your local grocery store may carry one or more of the following gluten-free puff pastry brands. Be sure to check the company’s store locator on each website (before making a trip) to inquire if they carry gluten-free puff pastry.
(1) Schar Gluten-Free Puff Pastry
Schar is one of the largest gluten-free brands in the world and is very popular throughout Europe. The company makes a gluten-free puff pastry dough that I tried and loved but unfortunately can no longer find in stores near me. (The Gluten-Free Mall now carries it, and you can order it online!)
The puff pastry is gluten-, lactose- and wheat-free and is found in the frozen food aisle. I’ve used it to make gluten-free pigs in a blanket and a massive gluten-free chicken pot pie.
(2) GeeFree Puff Pastry Sheets
GeeFree also makes gluten-free puff pastry sheets. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it as the company has not expanded its distribution to Denver. Regardless, GeeFree puff pastry sheets are gluten- and dairy-free. They contain eggs.
(3) Katz’s Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Dough
While not called “puff pastry” per se, Katz’s gluten-free multi-purpose dough looks like puff pastry dough and is recommended for making many foods that require puff pastry. The dough is gluten, dairy, nut, and soy-free. It contains eggs. It’s kosher parve too.
I emailed Katz to inquire where I could find the gluten-free pastry dough. A company representative told me, “Most stores will not carry our multi-purpose dough.” She suggested I ask the East Side Kosher Deli, a kosher grocery store in Denver, to order it for me.
(4) Gluten Free Easy Puff Pastry Squares and Sheets
Gluten Free Easy sent me their beautifully packaged puff pastry squares and sheets, which I loved trying. While this new company doesn’t have nationwide distribution (yet), you can purchase it online at the Gluten Free Shoppe if you’re willing to pay reasonable shipping fees to get it.
Gluten-Free Easy products are certified gluten-free by the GFCO and are kosher (parve) certified, making them perfect for cooking up your favorite Jewish recipes that require puff pastry.
I made gluten-free potato knishes with the Gluten Free Easy puff pastry squares. I haven’t had a potato knish since going gluten-free more than a decade ago.
These gluten-free potato knishes are excellent. The savory mashed potato filling is perfectly complemented and held together by this beautiful Gluten Free Easy Puff Pastry dough.
(5) Good Love Foods Puff Pastry
I haven’t tried Good Love Foods Gluten-Free Puff Pastry yet, but I hope to soon, as soon as I can find it. This Colorado-based company is just entering the gluten-free marketplace, and it has already gained a cult following.
The puff pastry contains dairy (buttermilk), so if you can’t eat dairy, this one isn’t for you. But if you can, go for it. All Good Love products are free from nuts, eggs, soy, oats, seeds, and wheat, and the dough is versatile enough to create sweet treats and savory bites.
The puff pastry can be found in select specialty stores in Colorado and online; however, the company struggles to keep inventory in stock due to the popularity of its products, and it hasn’t quite figured out how to scale production and distribution. Keep an eye on this brand. It’s going places!
What to Make with Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is a versatile dough that lends itself to making various savory and sweet recipes. Whether you buy or make it yourself, you’ll find that gluten-free puff pastry is flakey, buttery, and doughy. Most puff pastry doughs don’t contain sugar, so they can be used for various sweet and savory recipes.
Savory recipes made with gluten-free puff pastry might include:
- Empanadas
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Pot Pie
- Hot Pockets
- Pizza Pockets
- Spanakopita
- Knishes
- Baked Brie
- Crescent rolls
Sweet recipes made with gluten-free puff pastry might include:
- Turnovers
- Cannolis
- Danishes
- Pinwheels
- Tarts
How to Make Gluten-Free Puff Pastry
Because I couldn’t find store-bought gluten-free puff pastry, I decided to teach myself how to make it from scratch. It requires a little effort and practice, but with time, it’s easy enough to do. Because it’s time-intensive, I would rather buy gluten-free puff pastry, though.
I’ll walk you through how to make a quick and straightforward gluten-free puff pastry dough so you can enjoy this wonderful treat again.
Step #1: Prepare the Dough
To prepare your dough, whisk together the white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch/flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. You’ll need the following:
- 1 cup white rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch/flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (two sticks) cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 egg, for an egg wash (reserve for brushing on top of assembled puff pastry)
Bob’s Red Mill makes all the ingredients you’ll need, and you can find them on Amazon or at most local grocery stores nationwide.
Use your grater to shred two sticks of cold unsalted butter. Add the cold grated butter into the flour mixture and squish it around using your hands so the flour sticks to the butter pieces. You can use dairy-free butter if needed. You might want to put the dairy-free butter stick into the freezer to harden it before grating since it’s softer than regular butter.
Add the cold water and use your hands to knead everything together until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Form the dough into a large ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for two hours.
Step #2: Roll Out the Dough
Take the dough ball out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes until softened. Knead the dough by hand to warm it and make it more malleable and flexible if needed. The dough is easier to knead when worked in two batches. If the dough cracks, it’s still too cold to work with, so allow it to warm up further.
Add a large piece of parchment paper to your countertop and dust it with tapioca starch. Shape the dough ball into a rectangle and place it on the parchment paper, dusting the top with tapioca starch. Cover the dough with a second piece of large parchment paper and use your rolling pin to roll out the dough into a long, thin layer.
Fold each side of the rectangle into the center, similar to folding a piece of paper to place into an envelope. Rotate the dough, then roll it out into a large rectangle again. Add more tapioca starch to the top and bottom of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the parchment paper, and repeat this process two additional times for a total of three rollouts until you have a large rectangle about 3/4″ thick.
Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut off the frayed edges of the dough so you wind up with a tidy rectangle. Then, cut the dough as desired. In the picture, I cut the dough into eight rectangles. I work with half of the dough at a time, so you’ll see above that I cut the dough into four rectangles, and then I repeated this process with the other half of the dough.
Step #3: Add Filling
At this time, you can add any filling you desire. If making it sweet, add a scoop of Nutella or another sweet filling to the center of each smaller rectangle.
If making it savory, add sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings to the center of each rectangular piece of dough.
As you can see, this gluten-free puff pastry dough is super versatile for both sweet and savory treats. Whatever you can dream up, this puff pastry recipe can handle it!
Step #4: Bake
Once you’ve added your filling to the puff pastry, you can bake it. Do NOT bake the puff pastry before adding your filling(s).
I recommend brushing the top of your puff pastry creations with an egg wash to ensure they come out flaky and golden brown. You can then put the pastry treats on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 18-20 minutes until lightly browned on top.
Below is what the puff pastry layers look like when baked in my homemade hot pockets. See those beautiful, flaky layers? That is because we folded and rolled out the dough several times before baking it.
Troubleshooting
Here are answers to some of the questions I’ve received about making gluten-free puff pastry from scratch:
Why do you roll out the dough several times? Traditional puff pastry has many layers, and those layers are formed when the dough is rolled out, folded, and then rolled out again. This step is required to get a layered and flaky crust.
Can you substitute dairy-free butter sticks? Yes, you can use dairy-free butter sticks. I recommend placing the butter stick in the freezer for an hour before grating it. Dairy-free butter is softer by nature, and you want the butter to be as cold as possible.
Do I have to use the egg wash on top? The egg wash will help the puff pastry brown, but you can use something like coconut cream or omit it altogether.
Is there a xanthan gum substitute? I haven’t tested it with any substitutes, but guar gum (same amount) and psyllium husk (3x amount) might work. Let me know if you try it.
Can I chill the dough overnight? Yes, you can chill the dough overnight; just be sure to leave ample time for it to warm up to room temperature before rolling it out. If it cracks when rolled, it needs more time to warm up. You can also work the dough in your hands to warm it up.
The dough sticks to the parchment paper when rolled out. What do I do? You’ll want to add rice flour or tapioca starch to the parchment paper (top and bottom) to prevent the dough from sticking. Add more flour or starch every time you fold the dough and roll it out again.
Can I use brown rice flour instead of white rice flour? I haven’t tried it with brown rice flour and do not recommend it.
Can I refrigerate or freeze the puff pastry sheets until needed? I recommend rolling out the dough right before using it. Store the ball of dough in your fridge, then roll it out before you’re ready to make your recipe. If freezing the dough, lightly flour it so it doesn’t stick to itself. Before using it, thaw it to room temperature.
Puff Pastry Recipes
You can use gluten-free puff pastry to make so many fun recipes. Here are a few to check out:
- Gluten-Free Hot Pockets
- Simple Gluten-Free Potato Knish Recipe with Puff Pastry
- Gluten-Free Pigs in a Blanket
- Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie
- Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (3 Ingredients!)
Gluten-Free Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup two sticks cold unsalted butter shredded with a grater
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 egg (for egg wash; reserve to brush on top of puff pastry before baking)
Instructions
Step #1: Prepare the Dough
- To prepare your dough, whisk together the white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch/flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the cold grated butter into the flour mixture and squish it around using your hands so the flour sticks to the butter pieces.
- Add the cold water and use your hands to knead everything together until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.. Form the dough into a large dough ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in your fridge for 2 hours or overnight to chill.
Step #2: Roll Out the Dough
- Take the dough ball out of the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes until softened. You can knead the pastry dough by hand to warm it up and make it more malleable and flexible. If the dough cracks when handling it, it's still too cold – allow it to warm up further. The dough is easier to knead when worked in two batches.
- Add a large piece of parchment paper to your countertop and dust it with tapioca starch. Shape the dough ball into a rectangle, place it on the parchment paper, and dust the top with tapioca starch. Cover the dough with a second piece of large parchment paper and use your rolling pin to roll out the dough into a long, thin layer.
- Fold each side of the rectangle into the center similar to folding a piece of paper to place into an envelope. Rotate the dough then roll it out into a large rectangle again. Add more tapioca starch to the top and bottom of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the parchment paper and repeat this process two additional times for a total of three roll outs until you have a large rectangle that is about 3/4″ thick.
Step #3: Add Filling(s)
- Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut off the fray edges of the dough so you wind up with a tidy rectangle. Then cut the dough into 8-10 even rectangles.
- At this time, you can add any filling you desire. If making it sweet, add a scoop of Nutella or other sweet filling to the center of each smaller rectangle. If making it savory, like a pizza pocket, add sauce, cheese and other pizza toppings to the center of each rectangle piece of dough.
- Fold over one edge of the puff pastry onto itself, then use a fork to gently press and seal the two edges together. Brush to the top with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (for a sweet treat) or savory seasonings (for a savory pocket).
Step #4: Bake
- Place your puff pastry creation on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes in a 400º F oven until the top becomes slightly golden brown. Allow the pastry to cool slightly before handling or eating. The contents in the center may be hot.
So helpful Jenny! I’ve found gf puff pastry to be the unicorn of the gluten free world. Definitely bookmarking this.
I haven’t tried it with a flour blend.
Can bob’s red mill 1-1 flour be used instead of the different ones in the puff pastry? Thank you for your time.