Easy Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread

Bake up a golden, hearty loaf of this easy gluten-free Irish soda bread—perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any day. If baking bread sounds intimidating, don’t worry! This classic yeast-free quick bread requires no kneading or rising time, making it simple enough for anyone to make. Just mix, shape, bake, and enjoy my gluten-free, modern take on traditional soda bread.

This gluten free Irish soda bread is a simple, modern take on the classic. It keeps traditional buttermilk for flavor and rise but adds a little of butter and sugar for richness. Currants (or raisins) bring subtle sweetness, making it just as delicious alongside a meal or toasted with butter. With no yeast or complicated steps, it’s an easy, foolproof recipe for any level of baker. I'll show you with step-by-step photos.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Like This Recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations
• Recipe Instructions
• Should I Weigh or Measure Flour?
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store
• Recipe FAQs
• More Easy Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
• ⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Like This Recipe

• An easy gluten-free soda bread recipe.
• One bowl, little mess, simple ingredients.
• A "quick" bread; no yeast to deal with and no kneading of the dough.
• There's nothing like homemade bread!

For more ideas St. Patrick's Day recipe ideas, try this savory braised cabbage with leeks and bacon. It's so good!

Recipe Ingredients

The perfect gluten-free alternative to traditional Irish soda bread.

• Gluten-free flour blend: I use King Arthur Measure for Measure GF blend. You need a little extra for your hands and cutting board. They are based on rice flour vs. cornstarch.
• Sugar: Use a natural granulated sugar for the soda bread. It's just a small amount and makes a lightly sweet quick bread.
• Baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder and check expiration the date on your can or bag before baking. Baking powder is one leavening agent instead of yeast.
• Baking soda: Check expiration the date on your can or bag before baking as it's another natural leavening agent for baked goods without yeast.
• Butter: Use sweet or unsalted butter. Irish butter is good but use what you have.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives baked goods a light, moist texture. It's natural the acidity reacts with the baking soda and powder to help the bread rise. See substitutions for buttermilk below.
• Dried fruit: Some recipe use raisins, I prefer tiny currants which are another kind of dried grape. What you'll find at the grocery store are called currants or Zantes currants.

Please see the recipe card for measurements.

Chef's tip: If your gluten-free flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add ½ of a teaspoon to the recipe. It provides elasticity and stickiness to gluten-free doughs and batters (because there is no gluten).

Substitutions and Variations

Substitutes for Buttermilk

If you don't have buttermilk, use dairy milk plus lemon juice to curdle the milk and create the needed acidity. Another option, milk and apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. Other options include sour cream, yogurt, kefir, or rehydrated buttermilk powder.

I've not tested all of these options but the milk and lemon juice or vinegar trick does work. For more information, read here for more about substitutions for buttermilk.

For dairy-free, use homemade almond milk or homemade cashew milk, still adding the lemon juice and using a plant butter (a cube not a tub). The taste may be a little different as buttermilk as a natural tang.

Other Substitutes

• If you are egg sensitive, Irish soda bread can be made with no egg or an egg replacement. Either skip the egg (I used to make it that way) or find ideas for replacing the egg here.
• To reduce sugar, use a monk fruit blend like this one. I always have a bag in the pantry and it works great to replace sugar, either all of it or even half and half.
• If you can't find dried currants (tiny raisins), substitute regular raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, finely chopped pitted dates, chopped dried cherries or dried blueberries. 

Recipe Instructions

This dough comes together quickly. If you've never baked bread like this, it's really easy and comes out wonderful. Some Irish soda bread recipes start with 3-4 cups of flour for big loaves. My recipe uses just 2 cups of flour for a smaller loaf that still serves 8-10.

Step 7: Shape the dough into a free form round loaf on a floured cutting board. Parchment paper makes it easier to move to the pan.

Step 8: Lastly, bake the bread in a round cake pan or on a baking sheet, using baking parchment under the dough. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes until the loaf is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and warm. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before slicing.

Chef's Tip: Cutting a shallow cross or X across the top of the bread (called scoring) with a sharp knife before baking the soda bread does two things: it assists baking as the heat reaches the interior of the loaf, and the cross blesses the bread (per Irish tradition). 

Should I Weigh or Measure Flour?

My original recipe used whole wheat flour. Going gluten-free, I adapted my recipe and have tested with different GF blends. You can weigh your flour or use standard dry measuring utensils. What's the difference? Different brands of flour measure differently.

For example, 2 cups of the King Arthur's flour weighs 9 ounces, but 2 cups of the Bob's Red Mill weighs 10.3 ounces. Because baking is all about accuracy, that makes a difference. For The Bob's Red Mill, use 1 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon instead of 2 cups.

What if you don't weigh with a scale? The bread will still taste just as delicious, but might be a little more dense depending on what gluten-free all purpose flour you use.

Chef's tip: When baking you'll find it super handy to use a digital kitchen scale to weigh ingredients for better accuracy. If you don’t have one you can still make the bread but a digital scale is a terrific addition to your tools.

Serving Suggestions

What do you eat Irish soda bread with? Keep it simple with soft butter and jam. Enjoy it for breakfast with eggs and fruit. Try it at lunch with soup or a salad, or as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

It makes a nice gift too. I used to bake it for my clients as a seasonal treat. Using a serrated knife for slicing makes it easier.

Irish soda bread keeps for about 5 days on the counter, well wrapped in a zip bag or other airtight container.

How to Store

To store leftover Irish soda bread, store it at room temperature for up to two days wrapped in plastic wrap. For longer storage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and use a freezer bag, then reheat before serving.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Gluten-Free Baking Recipes

For another gluten-free baking recipe that uses buttermilk, try this gluten-free cornbread recipe.

⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?

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