I really wanted to have my first little holiday cookbook ready for this Canadian Thanksgiving but I need more time to test a few of the new recipes.
For now, I’m sharing these amazing Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits for you to try on time for the upcoming holidays! They are perfect for any special occasion or your next family brunch. They meet many dietary preferences as they are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and allergen-friendly! And, yes my friends, they are still scrumptious even without all those things!
The biscuit dough is very similar to my popular Yeast-Free Gluten-Free Vegan Bread recipe but for the biscuits, we add a few extra ingredients.
If you don’t particularly love baking but would love to try, this easier biscuit recipe should be just right for you. The biscuits can easily be prepared in about 20 minutes and only take 30 minutes to bake.
Hard to Resist
If you’re anything like me, you won’t want to wait very long to dig your teeth into these Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits because they are very hard to resist.
Maybe wait 5-10 minutes once they are pulled out of the oven so you don’t burn your mouth!
Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits
Enjoy the warm fresh biscuits on their own, or slice them open and spread your favourite buttery spread or jam.
Toast any leftovers in a hot cast iron pan for the perfect morning toast. Or, if you are making these for a special holiday meal, make sure to prepare some Vegan Mushroom Gravy for some tasty dipping!
Many Baking Possibilities
As you gain more experience baking gluten-free and vegan you’ll get better at thinking of new ways to bake the same dough.
I bet you could still bake this Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuit dough mixture as a loaf or even a large flat or focaccia type bread. Oh my goodness, I have a whole bunch of new ideas running through my head right now. And, imagine making the ultimate vegan pizza with this dough—heaven! If you try it before I do, let us know in the comments below.
Prepping Ahead
Preparing the dough ahead of time was not tested for this particular biscuit recipe.
Although I have baked many other types of bread after refrigerating the dough overnight and most turn out very well. There’s no gluten or need to rise anything with this biscuit recipe so I’m sure it would be fine.
If this sounds like something you would need to try, prepare everything ahead of time, even the part where you place them on the baking sheet with space in-between—that way they are ready to bake the next day. Maybe keep the sprinkle of sea salt and the apple and herb decorations for the same day.
I suggest baking them a little ahead of time that way you’re not stuck waiting for them, or forgetting about them in the oven! Yikes, my mom used to forget her rolls in the oven all the time!
Troubleshooting
Please join the new Facebook group that was created to troubleshoot any baking challenges you might encounter while making this recipe or any other bread recipes on freshisreal.com.
Or scroll down to the comment box directly below this post with any questions you might have.
Gluten-Free Baking Academy
If you’re interested in learning even more about gluten-free and vegan bread baking, consider learning from the GFBA! Check out Heather Crosby’s famous baking course. Learn how to make flatbreads, quick breads, and even yeasted loaves with even more plant-powered ingredients. Enrolment is usually twice per year.
Baking with new ingredients, especially gluten-free ones is very different. Heather walks you through each step of the way with videos and printable documents. Included are shopping lists and troubleshooting tips for all her methods and recipes.
Previous Recipe
On Fresh is Real, I try and alternate between healthier fresh recipes amongst my bread and baked treats.
Even though I probably enjoy baking way more I feel it’s crucial to balance what we eat to stay healthy and feel great.
So go to your kitchen and prepare yourself something nutritious (a salad, a soup, some vegan gravy) to eat with your delicious biscuits! Enjoy!
Share Your Creations
If you made these Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits, please take a picture! Share it on Instagram and tag it @freshisreal_ #freshisreal
And, don’t forget to rate the recipe below. I can’t wait to find out what you think!
Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 9 biscuits 1x
- Category: Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Yeast-Free
- Method: Oven-baked
Description
If you’re preparing these Easy Apple Cheddar Herb Biscuits for a family gathering, you might want to bake two batches. They are simple to prepare and include a perfect blend of flavours—especially for the holiday season! The best biscuits to make for guests as they meet so many dietary preferences. They’re gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, yeast-free, egg-free, dairy-free—and completely allergen-friendly!
Ingredients
1 cup hemp milk, homemade*
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 cup oat flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons baking powder**
2 tablespoons psyllium husk, whole
1 tablespoon organic coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (up to 3/4 cup) room temp. water (filtered or spring)
1/2 cup Cortland apples, finely diced (plus more for decorating)
1/2 cup Earth Island Vegan Cheddar (3 slices), chopped in smaller pieces
2 tablespoons Soy Free Heart Balance, softened
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, stem removed, finely chopped (plus more for decorating)
Maldon sea salt, sprinkle flakes sparingly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet or baking stone with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice with 1 cup of hemp milk, let sour until ready to use.
- Place sifter over a large glass bowl, sift and combine all dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, psyllium husk, coconut palm sugar, salt.
- Remove sifter and mix the dry ingredients well.
- Add soured milk to the dry ingredient bowl and mix in a little.
- Add water, start with 1/2 cup (up to 3/4 cup***), and mix well until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Mix in buttery spread until well incorporated.
- Gently fold in herbs, cheddar cheese, and apples and mix.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer dough to the parchment lined baking stone and spread it into a rectangular shape, approx. 8.5 x 9 inches. Tip: rub your fingers with a little coconut oil to prevent sticking.
- With a large flat blade kitchen knife score dough into 9 pieces.
- Then with the help of a little straight edge spatula separate each piece by half an inch.
- Sprinkle with a few grains of sea salt, top with a little stem of fresh thyme and a couple of pieces of apple.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy with your favourite buttery spread or jam!
Notes
Store any leftovers on the counter wrapped in a clean tea towel for one day and then refrigerate in a sealed container for up to five days. Warm up or toast to eat once refrigerated.
For a healthier alternative you can omit the buttery vegan spread and vegan cheese. Baking these biscuits with just the apples and herbs will be as good!
And yes, if you’re not dairy free but avoid other top allergens go ahead and use regular butter and cheddar cheese for these biscuits.
* To make homemade hemp milk: Blend 1/3 cup organic GF hemp hearts with 1-1/4 cup of water (filtered or spring) in a high-speed blender. Pour the milk through mesh bag into a bowl. This step is to remove unwanted bits or grittiness.
** Make sure to use corn-free, gluten-free, and aluminum-free baking powder.
*** Not sure if 1/2 cup of water is enough, it might be best to test with 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of water. That way your dough won’t be too wet for your first try. If you make the recipe often, you will get better at judging the amount of water required. If your dough mixture looks too dry then, by all means, add the extra 1/4 cup of water. Your dough should be thick and smooth but not runny like pancake batter and not dry and crumbly. I almost always include the whole 3/4 cup of water.
Tips
To measure your flours, I suggest scooping it out with a spoon from the jar or flour bag into the measuring cup. Never pack them in. Or gently dump the flour from your glass jar or flour bag into measuring cup.
Substitutions — Plant-based milk: You can try other types of plant-based milk. I did not test any other milk substitutions. It is recommended to use 2-ingredient plant-based kinds of milk (water + seed/nut). You can try with store-bought brands, but they often include thickening agents and other unwanted ingredients.
Flour: In place of sorghum flour, you can use millet or buckwheat flour. Or consider using more oat flour.
Psyllium husk: If you can’t eat or don’t like using psyllium husk, you could try just leaving it out or replacing it with flax seeds or chia seeds or a combo of both. Ground flax seeds and chia seeds are probably best.
Sugar: Try using maple syrup or honey (not vegan) if you don’t have coconut palm sugar.
Allergen notice: Make sure that all your ingredients are labelled gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and free of any other top allergens you or your family avoids.
Find it online: https://www.freshisreal.com/easy-apple-cheddar-herb-biscuits/