If you’ve ever missed tearing into a basket of warm garlic knots at your favorite pizzeria, this recipe is for you. These homemade gluten-free garlic knots are soft, lightly chewy, and brushed with so much garlicky butter that every bite tastes like the real thing.
I tested this recipe multiple ways to get the texture just right. My enriched dinner roll dough was delicious but too soft and buttery for garlic knots. So I created a leaner dough with olive oil instead, giving these knots that signature pizzeria chew while keeping them fluffy and tender. Whether you’re serving them with pasta, soup, or just want something to dip in marinara, these garlic knots bring all the flavor you’ve been craving.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Searching for more gluten-free bread recipes? gluten-free focaccia / gluten-free cheddar biscuits / gluten-free dinner rolls
Ingredients
TIP
Don’t skip the psyllium gel. Hydrating whole husk psyllium in warm water first gives gluten-free dough the strength it needs to twist into knots without cracking.
Ingredient Notes
- Brown Rice Flour – This is the base of our blend. Use a finely ground brown rice flour so that the garlic knots don’t taste gritty.
- Tapioca Starch & Potato Starch – These starches work together to create that soft-chewy garlic knot texture. Tapioca gives stretch, while potato starch brings tenderness and helps the knots brown in the oven.
- Xanthan Gum – Adds elasticity, structure, shape retention, prevents cracking.
- Whole Psyllium Husk – Whole psyllium husk hydrates into a smooth gel that strengthens the dough and makes it easy to knead and shape. It keeps the dough flexible instead of crumbly. I prefer whole psyllium husk over psyllium husk powder, which tends to clump when added to the water and doesn’t create as smooth of a gel. If you only have psyllium husk powder, that’s fine but use 20% less be weight, so use 13g instead of 16g.
- Yeast – Instant yeast gives these knots their lift. It activates quickly, so there’s no need to dissolve it in water first, just mix it right in with the dry ingredients.
- Baking Powder – While instant yeast creates most of the rise, I find gluten-free yeasted doughs need a little help so I like to add in baking powder to give the dough some extra oomph.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil gives these knots a light, chewy texture and adds the savory flavor you expect from real pizzeria garlic knots.
- Sugar – A small amount of sugar feeds the yeast and helps the dough rise higher. It doesn’t make the knots sweet, it simply improves flavor, texture and browning.
Testing Process
When I first set out to make gluten-free garlic knots from scratch, I started with the same enriched dough I use for my gluten-free dinner rolls. The results were delicious, soft, and buttery, but they didn’t have the light chew that classic garlic knots are known for. They felt more like little dinner rolls than something you’d get with a slice of pizza.
So I created a leaner dough instead. I skipped the milk, butter, and egg, and relied on olive oil to tenderize the dough without making it too rich. This kept the knots fluffy while giving them a subtle chew and structure.
When I first started testing these garlic knots, I brushed them with garlic butter before baking. The flavor was great, but the garlic browned quickly in the oven and lost some of that fresh, punchy taste.
Next, I switched to brushing the knots with plain olive oil before they went into the oven and saved all the garlic butter for after they were baked. This worked perfectly. The olive oil helped the knots brown evenly and kept the outside soft, while the warm garlic butter soaked in beautifully as soon as they came out of the oven. The flavor stayed bold and the knots had just the right amount of chew.
Recipe FAQs
No, not for this recipe. Most commercial blends aren’t designed for yeast doughs and don’t create the light chew we want in garlic knots. This recipe uses a specific blend of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch for structure and softness.
Yes. Xanthan gum helps bind the dough and strengthen the crumb, while psyllium husk gives the dough flexibility and makes it easier to shape and knot. Together, they create a dough that stretches and bakes up fluffy with just the right chew.
Yes! Simply swap the butter in the garlic butter for plant-based butter. Everything else in the recipe is already dairy-free.
Expert Tips
Storage instructions
Fresh is best with these easy gluten-free garlic knots. They’re at their absolute peak the day they’re baked, while the crumb is soft and the garlic butter is still warm and glossy.
If you do have leftovers:
Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days. Avoid refrigerating because it dries them out. I highly recommend reheating them if you choose to store them to help regain some of the soft texture.
Reheating:
Warm in the oven at 325°F for 5–8 minutes, then brush with some additional melted garlic butter to bring back the flavor and moisture.
Make Ahead Option
You can prepare the dough a day in advance. After shaping the garlic knots, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for about an hour to finish rising before baking.
Serving suggestions
These gluten-free garlic knots make the best side dish for cozy dinners and comfort meals. They pair especially well with:
- Pasta dishes like gluten-free lasagna, baked ziti, or spaghetti and gluten-free meatballs,
- Soups + stews, especially tomato soup, gluten-free chicken noodle soup, or gluten-free beef stew
- Pizza night, served alongside a crisp salad and marinara for dipping
- Holiday meals, as an alternative to dinner rolls for Thanksgiving or Christmas
Serve them warm with a little extra garlic butter and a side of marinara for dipping. They also make a great snack all on their own.
More gluten-free breads to try
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Gluten-Free Garlic Knots
Ingredients
For the Garlic Knots:
- 190 g brown rice flour - about 1 cup
- 115 g tapioca starch - about 1 cup
- 50 g potato starch - about ½ cup
- 25 g granulated sugar - about 2 tablespoons
- 8 g kosher salt - about ½ tablespoon
- 7 g instant yeast - about 2¼ teaspoons or 1 packet
- 6 g xanthan gum - 2 teaspoons
- 8 g baking powder - about 2 teaspoons
- 16 g whole psyllium husk - about 2 tablespoons
- 350 g warm water - about 1½ cups, around 100–110°F
- 28 g olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- 5 g apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon
For Brushing Before Baking:
- 14 g olive oil - 1 tablespoon
For the Garlic Butter (For Brushing After Baking):
- 57 g 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic - finely minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese - plus more for topping
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- Mix the dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 190g brown rice flour, 115g tapioca starch, 50g potato starch, 25g sugar, 8g salt, 7g instant yeast, 6g xanthan gum, and 8g baking powder until well combined.
- Make the psyllium gel: In a small bowl, whisk 16g whole psyllium husk with 350g warm water until thickened into a gel. Set aside for 1-2 minutes to fully hydrate. Add it to the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet add-ins: Add in 28g olive oil and 5g apple cider vinegar into the dry ingredients.
- Make the dough: Using a dough hook, mix on medium speed for about 5–6 minutes, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The dough should be soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
Shape the Knots:
- Lightly flour your surface with tapioca starch. Turn the dough out onto the surface and give knead it with your hands about 5 times to make it a smoother ball.
- Then, with your hands start rolling it out into a log about 12 inches long.
- Use your hands to pat the dough into a rough 12 x 5 inch rectangle, shaping the sides of the rectangle with your hands as needed.
- Cut into 12 equal strips.
- Roll each strip into a long rope about 8–9 inches and gently tie it into a knot.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2-3 inches in between each garlic knot.
- Proof the knots:
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour (up to 90 minutes depending on the temperature of your kitchen), or until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled. During the last 30 minutes of the proof, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake:
- Brush the tops with a light coating of olive oil before baking, you'll use about 14g (1 tablespoon) in total.
- Bake the knots for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Finish with Garlic Butter:
- While they bake, melt 4 tablespoons butter on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Then, stir in 2 cloves minced garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Remove the garlic butter from the heat and then add in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.
- Toss or brush the hot knots in the garlic butter immediately from the oven. Serve warm and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese as desired.
Notes
- Flour Note: These garlic knots rely on a specific mix of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch. Store-bought gluten-free blends behave differently in yeast doughs and will not work in this recipe. Using this blend gives the best texture and rise.
- Storage: These garlic knots are best the day they’re made. The longer they sit, the more they lose that soft, chewy texture. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warm them in the oven at 300°F for 5–7 minutes to freshen them up before serving.
Nutrition
