Crisp on the outside with a charmingly wonky shape, these gluten free yorkshire puddings are the perfect side dish you didn’t even know you needed! Great for holding gravy, or eating plain on their own – they are so easy to make!
The secret is a good gluten free flour blend and some really hot oil.
What are yorkshire puddings?
Yorkshire puddings are a savory popover-style side dish. They are made using flour, eggs and milk.
The batter is poured into heated oil, which causes the puddings to puff up in the oven becoming slightly misshapen as they cook (it’s part of their charm). They end up with a well in the center, which is normally filled with a boatload of gravy.
Any special equipment needed?
No special equipment needed to make these gluten free yorkshire puddings! This recipe was developed using a standard muffin pan, so all you need is one of those.
You can make the batter in a basic bowl; however, I find it much easier to use a pourable one. When adding the batter to the hot oil, it’s so easy to do by just pouring right from the bowl. I use an old batter bowl from Pampered Chef and Anchor Hocking makes a version as well.
Don’t have a batter bowl? No worries! Just scoop out the batter using a measuring cup.
Ingredients
You’re just 5 ingredients away from making your own gluten free yorkshire puddings! Here’s what you need:
- Vegetable oil: only a ¼ cup is needed
- Gluten free flour: I use my own blend that contains white rice flour, tapioca starch, and sorghum flour. The blend I use does not contain xanthan gum. Feel free to use a different blend; however, results may not be exactly the same.
- Salt
- Eggs: three of them
- Milk: you can use cow’s milk or your favourite dairy free alternative
Should I weigh the ingredients?
I always weigh my ingredients when I bake gluten free food, for a couple of reasons.
One is that it’s much, much more accurate. Scooping flours from a bag will cause you to take more than you need. This will affect the results of your gluten free dishes – and probably not for the best! If you are going to measure ingredients this way, be sure to use the ‘spoon and level’ method.
Two, is that I find it much, much easier to weigh ingredients. I don’t need to wash a bunch of measuring cups, as I weigh the ingredients right into the same bowl. This can be achieved by setting the kitchen scale to zero in between each addition and taking it slow when you add.
Kitchen scales are inexpensive (mine was $15) and well worth the spend.
How to make this recipe dairy free
To make gluten free, dairy free yorkshire puddings simply substitute the milk for your favourite dairy free alternative. Then follow the remainder of the recipe as directed. So easy!
Tips for making the best yorkshire puddings
If you’re only going to follow one tip in this section, please let it be the first one…
- DON’T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING BAKING. All caps because I’m serious about this and can’t stress it enough. If you open the door during baking, the yorkshire puddings will lose their rise, they won’t be crisp, and you’ll be deeply disappointed in the results. (Believe me, I know. I was impatient during the first recipe test.)
- Ensure the oil is fully heated prior to adding the batter. The hot fat (oil) is what gives the gluten free yorkie batter a chance to puff up and rise all wonky-like. If your oil isn’t hot enough, you’ll end up with flat, soggy yorkshire puddings.
- Fill each muffin well ½ way through for the best results. This is enough batter to get a really amazing rise above the muffin tin, but not so much that the inside of the yorkshire pudding is severely undercooked. Just estimate when you pour and trust in the process.
The yorkshire puddings didn’t rise – what happened?
If your gluten free yorkshire puddings fell flat, there could be a few reasons why.
- You opened the oven door during baking. Did you seriously open that door? After I told you in all caps not to?! Or was it the dog that did it…? I highly recommend just leaving them next time.
- The oil wasn’t hot enough. The vegetable oil will need to be heated in an oven at 450°F for 13-15 minutes. That might seem scary, but this hot oil is exactly what the batter needs for the perfect yorkshire pudding.
- The puddings weren’t cooked long enough. I had this experience while recipe testing. The yorkshire puddings barely rose beyond the top of the muffin pan well and the inside was dense. I didn’t give them enough of a chance to fully cook in the hot oil. They need 20 minutes in the oven.
- The oven temperature is off. I have an old, temperamental oven. To deal with it, I use a simple oven thermometer that hangs inside on one of the racks. I got this one from Amazon. (For Christmas from my husband…and I was so delighted!!)
The best oil to use for making this recipe
This recipe was tested using vegetable oil and it gave incredible results. It’s definitely the main oil I would recommend.
You could use another oil that has a higher smoke point, such as safflower or sunflower oils – just ensure it’s heated fully before adding the batter. These oils are also fairly neutral tasting, which is what you want.
If you’re making a beef roast to serve with these beautiful yorkies, you could also go the traditional route and use straight up beef fat.
Storage
These gluten free yorkshire puddings are best served right out of the oven, but you can freeze them for later.
Pop fully cooled puddings into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. To reheat the yorkshire puddings, place them on a baking tray and into the oven at 350°F until fully warmed.
What to eat with yorkshire puddings
The traditional pairing to yorkshire puddings is a beef roast and lots of gravy. You can add in some mashed potatoes and a vegetable side dish for an amazingly filling feast! (Psst, need a gravy recipe? Here’s one right here: Easy Gluten Free Gravy)
You could also use these yorkshire puddings as a killer side dish with your favourite stew, soup, or even a chili! They make a really good pairing with shepherd’s pie, too!
Go the opposite route in terms of flavour and slather them with jam. Whichever option you choose, it definitely will be tasty!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Using a 12-muffin baking pan, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into each well. Place the muffin tin containing the vegetable oil into the oven and heat for 13-15 minutes.
- While the oil heats in the oven, mix together the gluten free flour and salt in a medium sized bowl or a pourable bowl.
- Add in the 3 eggs and beat into the flour mixture. Add in the milk and whisk until smooth.
- Once the oil has heated, carefully remove the muffin pan from the oven. Pour the batter into each muffin well and fill about ½ way.
- Place the muffin pan back into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door, as this will impact the rise of the yorkshire puddings.
Notes
- Gluten free flour: I used a blend of 50% white rice flour, 30% tapioca starch, and 20% sorghum flour. You can blend your own by following this recipe: Gluten Free Flour Blend (All Purpose). Another blend can be used; however, results may not be the same.
- Storage: These gluten free yorkshire puddings are best served right out of the oven, but you can freeze them for later. Pop fully cooled puddings into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. To reheat the yorkshire puddings, place them on a baking tray and into the oven at 350°F until fully warmed.
- To make these dairy free: use your favourite dairy free alternative instead of cow’s milk.
