Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns (Vegan)

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Vegan gluten-free hamburger buns on a cooling rack

Gluten-free friends, the day is finally here: Meet our EPIC gluten-free hamburger buns! These slightly sweet, perfectly soft buns are sturdy enough to save your hands from condiments yet light and fluffy enough to avoid smashing your favorite veggie burger.

Bonus? They’re vegan and require just 10 ingredients! Get your grills ready — hamburger season is on!

Dairy-free milk, vegan butter, salt, sesame seeds, cane sugar, psyllium husk powder, active dry yeast, apple cider vinegar, almond flour, brown rice flour, and potato starch

How to Make Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns

These buns begin like any good FLUFFY bread recipe: with yeast! Not only does it allow the dough to rise and prevent the buns from being dense and heavy, but it offers a classic hamburger bun flavor, too.

Adding psyllium husk into a measuring glass of activated yeast

After activating the yeast in a mixture of warmed dairy-free milk + cane sugar, we add in a magical fiber-filled ingredient that gives these hamburger buns a little gluten-like texture: psyllium husk! It adds elasticity and flexibility to the dough (a.k.a. no crumbly buns here).

Mixing vegan gluten-free hamburger bun dough by hand to ensure no flour pockets remain

Once the psyllium has created a gel-like texture, it’s time to add the dry ingredients (brown rice flour, almond flour, potato starch, and sea salt) plus melted butter and apple cider vinegar.

Forming the dough into hamburger bun shapes

The result is a sticky dough ready to shape into buns, let rise in a warm spot, and top with sesame seeds for a classic bun look! Bake until lightly golden then let cool before slicing for best texture.

Baking sheet of unbaked hamburger buns topped with sesame seeds

We hope you LOVE these hamburger buns! They’re:

Soft
Fluffy
Light yet sturdy
Neutral in flavor
Vegan + gluten-free
& SO delicious!

Slice them down the middle and enjoy with your favorite burger patty and toppings! Our BEST Vegan Burger, Smoky BBQ Black Bean Burgers, and Pesto Veggie Burgers with Balsamic Aioli are all delicious options.

More Gluten-Free Breads

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Stacks of homemade vegan gluten-free hamburger buns

Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns (Vegan)

Light yet sturdy vegan + gluten-free hamburger buns with a subtle sweetness and soft texture. Perfect for grilling season and just 10 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Overhead shot of a cooling rack with a batch of our vegan gluten-free hamburger bun recipe
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 (Buns)
Course Bread
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 1-2 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups dairy-free milk (heated to 110 degrees F // plain, unsweetened // we used almond)
  • 3 Tbsp cane sugar (ensure organic if vegan)
  • 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet yields ~2 ¼ tsp or 7 g)
  • 1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder* (not whole // we like Anthony’s Goods)
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice flour
  • 2/3 cup almond flour* (we like Wellbee’s)
  • 1/2 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 6 Tbsp melted vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s // dairy butter would work too if not vegan/dairy-free)
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Sesame seeds (for topping // optional)

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a liquid measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together warm dairy-free milk (it should be about 110 degrees F / 43 degrees C), cane sugar, and active dry yeast. Let bloom for 10-20 minutes until the mixture looks frothy. If the yeast hasn’t bloomed at this point, the milk might have been too hot or your yeast too old. If your milk was the perfect temperature and your yeast was new, you may need to place the bowl into a warmer spot in your kitchen.
  • Next, whisk in the psyllium husk powder and let it gel for another 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, to a medium mixing bowl, add the brown rice flour, almond flour, potato starch, and sea salt. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
  • Once the yeast mixture has thickened, add it to the dry ingredients with the melted vegan butter and apple cider vinegar. Stir until the dough is mixed well — this should take about 3 minutes. You can also use your hands to make sure there are no flour pockets remaining. The dough will be very sticky — that’s normal!
  • Turn the dough out onto a dry surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Use wet hands (to prevent sticking) to shape each piece into a ball and place each one onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Try to avoid adding any flour. Once the buns are shaped, sprinkle them with optional sesame seeds and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until about doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
  • Bake for 25-28 minutes until very lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. These buns can be enjoyed slightly warm, but for best results, wait until they are cool to the touch. Slice the buns in half and serve with your favorite burger!
  • Best when enjoyed the day of baking, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze sliced buns for 1 month.
  • To reheat frozen buns, we suggest briefly running the still-frozen buns under water then toasting them until warm and fluffy.

Video

Notes

*We recommend psyllium husk powder rather than whole husk because it soaks up the moisture better, creating a better texture. Some brands of psyllium husk powder have a purple tint to them. If that’s the case, your buns will be gray/purple in color but still okay to eat. We prefer Anthony’s Goods brand, which is white in color with a very slight pink tint.
*Almond flour sub: Cashew flour might work in this recipe, but we haven’t tried it.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 bun Calories: 301 Carbohydrates: 41.3 g Protein: 4.7 g Fat: 13.6 g Saturated Fat: 6.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.6 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 377 mg Potassium: 203 mg Fiber: 3.7 g Sugar: 5.7 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 112 mg Iron: 1.1 mg

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  1. Monica says

    Any clue why my buns would come out flat? I followed directions to a T, except I used coconut milk instead of almond. My yeast was very bubbly and happy throughout the process

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry that happened, Monica! These are more flat than a traditional hamburger bun (gluten-free is tricky!), but if yours were more flat than the photos, we wonder what type of psyllium you were using and if it mixed in well?

  2. Ann says

    This recipe is excellent and super easy to follow. Thank you! I’ve made these twice already. My family loves them. Excellent tip as well as to why the yeast might not bloom (if milk too hot). That’s exactly what happened when I first made these. So, I tried again with lukewarm milk and it worked like a charm.
    I would love to consistantly get those perfectly round buns I see in your photo. I’ll keep working on it… :) Thank you again!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe and that the instructions were helpful for troubleshooting the yeast issue. Thank you for sharing your experience, Ann! xo

  3. Ashlee Barnes says

    Hey! This recipe looks great :) I’m conscious that they are high in saturated fat, was wondering if there was a way I could make them but with lower fat please?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ashlee, the saturated fat content comes primarily from the vegan butter and a little from the almond flour. We calculated this with Miyoko’s, but you could use another brand with a lower saturated fat content, such as Earth Balance.

  4. Micheal says

    I can’t get yeast to activate. I do use sugar substitutes and think that may be issue. I tried Lakanto sugar but read that perhaps it won’t work, but also tried Allulose, but didn’t seem to work either. I’m wondering if coconut sugar may work, as would prefer to not do cane. Does amount of liquid matter when activating yeast? …since usually they suggest very little water with the red star yeast packet, but this recipe has much more nut milk.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Michael, the sugar substitutes are the issue because they don’t feed yeast. Coconut sugar would work better! The amount of water doesn’t matter. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Maggie! This recipe relies on the psyllium husk powder for texture and structure. You might be able to use ground chia seeds, but you will need a bit more!

  5. Paty says

    Hello! My buns keep going flat. The spread instead of remaining in the shape of a bun. They do taste amazing though!
    I’ve tried this recipe 4 or 5 times, same results. The yeast is super bubbly and active after putting into the milk and sugar. It remains active after I add the psyllium powder. I always use the metric equivalents and weigh everything. The only subs I have had to make are the butter (I use dairy butter) and my vegan milk is califia oatmilk. Do you think the milk is the problem? Any tips would be great! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Paty, sorry it’s been giving you some trouble! We don’t think the milk would cause that. They are a bit flatter then a classic hamburger bun due to their high water content, but that’s what makes them so light and soft! If they seem flatter than ours, you could try a bit more flour or psyllium or less water but they might become denser. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lisa, that’s tricky! We find potato starch is key for a light and fluffy texture in gluten-free baking. You could possibly use arrowroot starch, but they may be more dense and a bit gummy. Let us know if you try it!

  6. Blake says

    The ingredients call for non dairy milk and the instructions refer to water. Are these ingredients interchangeable?I have made these twice with almond milk and love this recipe. Mine turn out pretty flat but they are so tasty!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oops! Sorry for the confusion, Blake. That should say dairy-free milk, not water. They don’t have as much flavor with water.

  7. Judy says

    I tried this Recipe twice and the dough was very sticky. I was afraid to add more flour.
    Plus, they came out flat and I followed the recipe exactly. Any suggestions?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry that’s happening, Judy! Is it possible you’re using whole psyllium husks instead of psyllium husk powder? Whole psyllium husks won’t absorb the liquid as well.

  8. Kel says

    My tummy can’t handle psyllium husk or any gums. Do you think 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed +1 tablespoon of ground Chia seed would work as a sub?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kel, We don’t think the texture will be quite the same without psyllium husk. But if you’re okay with it being different and want to experiment, that amount does sound about right. We’d recommend referencing the video to match the texture of the dough as closely as possible. Let us know how it goes!

  9. Julie Close says

    These buns are great. They taste great and are the right size – they don’t overpower the burger like Udi’s buns. I will make them again – right now!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Julie. We are so glad you enjoy these buns! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  10. Alice says

    I love this recipe. These Burger Rolls were the softest, fluffiest GF, Vegan rolls I have made. I have tried a few others but a bit disappointed in the denseness of the rolls. The only issue I had was they were a little flat. I followed the directions perfectly, including the rise time, wondering if I should add a little less water or a bit more brown rice flour. Do you think I could use this same recipe for sandwich bread in a loaf pan?
    Thank you for a wondaful GF, Vegan recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Alice, thanks so much for the lovely review! We’re so happy you enjoy the recipe. They are a bit flat because of their high water content, but we think that’s what makes them so light and soft! You could add a bit more flour or less water but they might become denser. We think they would be a great sandwich bread, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  11. Cait says

    I have a new favorite bun recipe! I didn’t have any brown rice flour, so I used quinoa flour instead (homemade – I toasted quinoa in a pan and blitzed it in a blender). I also had just run out of potato starch, so had to use arrowroot starch instead. They turned out beautifully with the subs! I slightly over-baked them, so will have to do a shorter time next time, but that’s probably my oven, which isn’t the world’s greatest. Thanks for a great recipe!

  12. Corelia says

    Hi! These look amazing! I have a very good recipe for gluten-free buns already, but of course I have to give Minimalist Baker’s a try. :) I’m thinking that I’ll substitute the psyillium husk powder 1:1 for chia seeds (because I read that you can do that online). Also gonna attempt to swap out the brown rice fl. for oat fl., and maybe decrease the amnt by a 1/4 cup or so? (I *think* oat flour tends to suck up a lot of moisture compared to other flours?) Anyway, was just looking for your thoughts on this! I know that the buns might not turn out the same way but if you have any suggestions that would be very helpful!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Corelia, we wouldn’t recommend subbing chia seeds 1:1 in this recipe. You’d need to use way more chia seeds and even so, the result will vary! Psyllium is pretty unique in its ability to make the texture of GF breads special! Let us know how it goes with the oat flour. We find it can lead to a more gummy result in baking.

  13. Jessica says

    Hi MB Team!

    Possible to use AP flour instead of GF? I use metric always. Maybe using the same amount of grams to ensure enough dry ingredients?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jessica, that could work in place of the brown rice flour + potato starch, but we’d suggest using slightly less since all purpose is more absorbent. For best results, we’d recommend keeping the almond flour!

  14. Cary says

    Now that I am tasting it, this is too sweet for me. There’s about a half teaspoon sugar per bun, so I would reduce it or eliminate. I heard that instant yeast does not need a sweetener to rise.

  15. Cary says

    The inside of the buns was nice and moist but the outside was like a biscuit. I think next time I will reduce the oil and water and try steaming them instead. It was a good recipe to try for my first time baking.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing your experience, Cary! Is it possible you’re using a convection oven or your oven runs hot? Baking for less time might also help.

  16. Sydney says

    I think I’ll try to make these into hot dog buns too, though may be hard to shape. Do you think this would work? It’s hard to find good hot dog buns.

  17. Janice says

    I have been hungry for good bread for years and have finally found a recipe for some!

    Your Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns are delicious and so easy to make! I couldn’t wait to make a sandwich, I ate two right off the bat. They were delicious. I know, I know, I’ve had my ‘bread’ allotment for the day, plus!!!

    My only problem was they turned out VERY flat, so I thought I’d use a couple of tablespoons less dairy-free milk and 1 tablespoon less ‘butter’.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Janice! We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Using a bit less milk will probably help however, it might make the bun a little more dense. You could also try a shorter rise time! Sometimes if bread proofs too long it can flatten, especially in warmer months! Hope this helps. xo

  18. Kat says

    The best GF hamburger bun possible. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious. They do fall apart while eating the burger but I don’t put any blame on the recipe as that’s the norm with GF bread. The taste is wonderful and I’m so happy to finally have a good recipe for buns for my wheat and egg allergic son. Thank you 🙏🙏

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, YAY! We’re so glad your son gets to enjoy them!! Thank you for sharing, Kat! xo

  19. steve says

    My daughter is glutenfree, lactose free, rice free.
    What can be substituted for the rice in this recipe?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Steve, maybe sorghum flour, but we think it would turn out more crumbly. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  20. Gillian Nicol says

    Hello! So excited to make this recipe. Could I just blitz up the psyllium husk into a powder? Did you guys try that?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Gillian, Yes! We’ve done that in another recipe and it works pretty well, but isn’t quite as absorbent. Add a little more if the texture isn’t resembling the video. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi May, we think cashew flour might work well! If nut-free, maybe sunflower seed meal, but they won’t be quite the same. Let us know if you try it out!

      • may says

        Hi, thanks for the reply. I see you suggest oat flour in another comment. Would you add more fat to the recipe with the oat sub, because nut/seed flour adds fat that the oat flour lacks

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          That would be smart! We do think oat flour will yield a different result though. Cashew flour would be best!

  21. Jesse-Gabriel says

    Sorry, hab es gerade gefunden das du auch die Möglichkeit für metrisch Umrechnung hast.
    Dankeschön!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Bob, psyllium adds elasticity and flexibility to the dough to prevent crumbling and mimic the texture of gluten. We’d say it’s pretty key in this recipe, but you could maybe experiment with ground flax or chia with a varied result. You would need to use a lot more of them because they’re less absorbent. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  22. Jesse-Gabriel says

    Bitte, bitte auch in Gramm Angaben, ich würde das Rezept so gerne nachbacken.
    Viele Grüße,
    Jesse- Gabriel

  23. Arze says

    Hello ,
    Looks whats the substitution for dairy free vegan butter , and how can i convert this to sourdough

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Arze, we aren’t sure on the sourdough, but a neutral oil or dairy butter (if not vegan/dairy-free) should work well. Hope that helps!

  24. Giselle says

    Could a dense all purpose GF work instead of almond? I have 1 kid who is GF and the other is Nut Free 🤦‍♀️

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Giselle, possibly, but you’d need to use less of it and the texture wouldn’t be the same. Other ideas would be use an equivalent amount of sunflower seed flour or a lesser amount of oat flour. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  25. The Vegan Goddess says

    Hooray! Those buns look fabulous!

    I want to leave out the yeast and apple cider. I think replacing yeast with baking soda and/or baking powder and adding lemon juice could work.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, lemon juice might work, but we’d say yeast is key here for a classic hamburger bun flavor and texture. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Amanda, possibly coconut oil but there may be a slight coconut taste, unless using refined coconut oil. Let us know if you try it!

        • Bettina Goodwin says

          Do you think this recipe would work to make into a sandwich loaf? I’m looking for a nice light sandwich bread recipe.

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hi Bettina! We haven’t tried it as a sandwich loaf, but it might work! We would suggest letting it rise in a loaf pan after the dough comes together. The bake time will also be longer. Feel free to go off of these instructions! Let us know how it goes if you do some experimenting.