The Best Gluten-Free French Bread Recipes (Including Baguettes)

Although I just shared a wonderful gluten-free bread recipe roundup (Irish Soda Bread recipes) with you all, March 21 is National French Bread Day. That means I must share another fantastic gluten-free bread recipe roundup with you. Specifically, the Best Gluten-Free French Bread Recipes, including gluten-free baguettes.

Swoon. I do love French bread, especially baguettes. I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t. I have featured several gluten-free French bread recipes on gfe in my Bountiful Bread Basket series over the years but they’ve been scattered a bit so I’ve gathered them and put them in this single location for you. One should not have to “dig” for recipes when a craving for gluten-free French bread—including beloved baguettes—hits, right?

A word about French bread and baguettes. With my own limited knowledge and some help from resources online. Baguettes are French bread but French bread does not necessarily mean baguettes. There’s a whole collection of other recipes that fit into the French bread category (e.g., brioche, pain de Campagne).

The baguette is the most popular type of French bread in France. It seems that it became the bread of choice after World War II when government restrictions made it difficult to produce other kinds of bread. The baguette is a long, thin loaf of bread, with a crisp, chewy crust and a soft middle. Some baguettes are not only long but also very thin and are technically called Ficelle (the French word for string) but also sometimes referred to as bread sticks (not to be confused with these breadsticks).

Also, doesn’t Italian bread also sometimes look like French bread? Not the long skinny beloved baguettes but the wider loaves of French bread. Well, yes, it does in my opinion. However, it seems there are rules for each but they are not as strict as has been reported.

I had read that only flour, water, salt, and yeast could be used in French bread. Other sources, such as this one, say that French bread can “contain up to four additional ingredients: soy flour, diastatic malt (enzyme-active barley malt—aka another source of gluten), fungal amylase, and broad bean flour (fava bean flour).” It’s an interesting discussion but as we’re sticking to gluten-free ingredients only and don’t use traditional wheat-based flour at all, we’re already not following any of the existing rules.

This reality is accurate for many recipes that we “convert to” or re-create gluten free. To achieve the same results without gluten, we often have to get creative. That means for example, that recipes that traditionally don’t use eggs may require eggs or egg substitutes when made without gluten. I could go on but if you’ve been gluten free for a while, you understand the differences between classic gluten-full versions and gluten-free iterations. And we’re all okay with it. We simply want delicious gluten-free food and that’s worth breaking rules, so to speak.

Italian bread is said to be more circular and flatter (which definitely seems like a contradiction in terms to me) and is allowed to include milk, olive oil, and even sugar it seems. A better comparison to me is that French bread tends to be long and narrow. Italian bread loaves tend to be short and plump. Italian bread can also have a harder crust and denser crumb. Herbs—in addition to olive oil—are often used to flavor the loaves.

I went through a phase where I made a bunch of loaves of Italian bread before I went gluten free using what I called the Pyrex bread tube. It was actually called the Pyrex Bake a Round. Remember that product? It was quite the fad kitchen tool for a while.

Although that product is no longer on the market (I think its heyday was the late 70s and 80s) and I passed mine on long ago, you can still get them online via sites like eBay and at yard sales. I found it to be a handy tool but as I was still eating gluten at the time, it was easy to pick up a loaf of Italian bread at my grocery store’s bakery that tasted just as good or better than even my homemade Italian bread. Of course, we usually can’t run to any bakery to pick up our gluten-free Italian bread or French bread. However, I digress, a bit.

Note that some of these French bread recipes don’t look like the French bread or baguettes that you’re used to. That’s especially true for some of the grain-free recipes. But take a look at the reader reviews. These recipes still deliver on French bread taste and texture!

Now, let’s get to the best gluten-free French bread recipes from our favorite gluten-free resources! Note that all photos are reprinted with permission of the individual authors/photographers.

Gluten-Free French Bread Recipes (Including Gluten-Free Baguettes)

~ Baguettes from No Gluten, No Problem ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian. Pete and Kelli recommend using a perforated aluminum double bread baking pan.

Reader reviews: “Simply the best I’ve tasted. Recipe is well structured and easy to follow.” and “I make this baguette all the time and it comes out perfectly! Thanks so much for the incredible recipe!” and “Wow this was delicious! I had to do a pan hack as I don’t have a baguette  pan so it’s not ideally shaped but so delicious!” and “It’s delicious. I have tried so many recipes. This is THE ONE!!”

~ Classic French Baguettes from Better Batter ~ This recipe is gluten free, rice free, corn free, dairy free, egg free, gum free, vegetarian, with refined sugar-free and sugar-free options. Naomi uses her Artisan Blend in this recipe.

~ Crusty French Baguette from Jules Shephard of GF Jules ~This recipe is gluten free, vegetarian, with dairy-free, egg-free, vegan options. (This recipe is made with GF Jules’s mixes. Bakers have the option of using GF Jules Bread Mix or GF Jules Pizza Crust Mix. Read Jules’ 18 Tips for Baking Gluten-Free Bread.)

Reader reviews: “First time I tried the baguette it came out well.” and “I made this bread and the crust and texture were amazing!” and “Made these from the pizza crust mix. Family loved them. The celiac members of the family haven’t had bread in 3 months. “This is so good. Can I eat more? It’s just been so long without bread.” and “Yet another winner. , Now that I feel more like a g-free baker, I try other flour blends and such and truthfully, I always come back to Jules. No funny taste, no slimy mouth feel like other blends give you, just that taste and texture you remember and miss so much. This is my daughter and I’s favorite French Onion soup topper.”

~ Easy Gluten-Free Baguettes Made with Pamela’s Bread Mix from Karina at Gluten-Free Goddess. She uses the popular gluten-free bread mix to put homemade French bread on the table in quick order. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian.

~ Foolproof Gluten-Free French Baguettes (Three Ingredients) from Vibrantly G-FREE ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, sugar free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Jamie recommends this silicone baguette baking pan for making her recipe. Her baguette recipe is not only foolproof per her description and her readers’ reviews—see examples below—but it’s also made from just four ingredients. With one of them being water!

Reader reviews: “Amazing!! The smell of home-baked bread filled my home for the first time since being diagnosed with celiac several years ago. Will need to invest in the baking pan, but I made it in a loaf pan in the meantime since I couldn’t wait.” and “I bought the baguette pan and made this three times! Every time the dough was a little different but the baguettes were perfect. You weren’t kidding about “foolproof”. Love this recipe and I plan on making it *literally* forever.” and “I made this with mediocre gluten-free flour and they still tasted great! I was pleasantly surprised. Thank you for bringing baguettes back into my life!”

~ French Bread from Better Batter ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian.

Naomi recommends using USA French Bread/Italian Bread pans. She says: “This bread takes a little more watching and tending (throwing the ice cubes in the oven every ten minutes or so makes the crust really crisp and chewy), but it’s entirely worth it! A golden, chewy crust hides a soft white interior, and nothing is better for sopping up pasta sauce or dipping oil!”

Reader reviews: “I made 2 loaves of this bread today. Heavenly! I used tin foil shaped like loaves to put it instead of loaf pans. Now that I can make it and it tastes like non-gluten free, I will definitely invest in loaf pans.”

~ French Bread (Vegan) from Book of Yum (this site is no longer active so I’ve linked to the recipe via the Wayback Machine) ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegetarian, and vegan.

Reader reviews: “I made this yesterday and it was delicious! My wheat-sensitive, egg- and dairy-allergic nephew LOVES you!” and “My kids and I love this recipe!” and “Just made this bread and am quite impressed—like the fact that it has no potato starch and just a bit of tapioca. The bread came out quite nice even though I don’t have the right pan—used wax paper. Flavor good, texture nice.”

~ French Bread from Gluten-Free Homemaker (as this site is no longer active, I’ve linked to the recipe via the Wayback Machine) ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian.

Linda said: “One important part of baking this bread is putting the dough into a cold oven and turning it on to bake. The dough rises as the oven warms and produces a nice French bread crust.” She uses these French bread pans.

Reader reviews: “Great recipe. I made in my bread maker and it came out awesome. Best bread I have made so far. Thanks for posting.” and “My bread came out perfectly and the taste was better than Publix gluten French bread. My parents and my husband ate one loaf in less than 15 minutes after coming out of the oven.Thank you sooooooooooo much. It will be the best-kept recipe.” and “This French bread was easy to make. It came out beautifully and the taste is amazing.”

~ French Bread from Iris Higgins (formerly The Daily Dietribe) via gfe. This recipe is gluten free, egg free, yeast free, xanthan gum free, with a dairy-free, vegan option. 

Reader reviews: “I have made this recipe quite a few times and absolutely love it!” and “I made this loaf without psyllium and applesauce. I replaced it with 3 tablespoon ground flax, 1 tsp xanthan, and 1 tablespoon oil. It turned out well.” and “This bread is really good. I made it first with soy milk and enjoyed it. Recently I tried subbing the milk with an equal amount of water. This made the bread even softer and it stayed fresh for longer.”

~ French Baguettes from Jeanne Sauvage at Art of Gluten-Free Baking. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian. 

Reader reviews: “This is by far the very best gluten-free bread recipe I’ve found. No more store-bought gluten-free bread for me.” and “I made heavy-duty foil “boats” to bake my bread in – 4 layers of foil, crimped at the end. They were approx. 16″ long, 5 inches wide. I spread the batter to approx. 12 inches to let it have room to spread without getting caught up in the crimped foil at the ends of the moulds. Baked directly on the oven racks. It turned out great! I also substituted 1 cup oat flour for the sorghum (I didn’t have it on hand) and used the 3 egg white version of the recipe. Amazing bread – well worth a little futzing around to make the pans.” and “I just tried this recipe. I used a cookie tray with baking paper. OMG this tastes so awesome.”

~ French Bread (Artisan Bread) from Let Them Eat Gluten-Free Cake ~ This recipe is gluten free, vegetarian, with a dairy-free option.

Reader reviews: “I have been GF for about 3 years now and this is the BEST GF bread I’ve ever had! Doesn’t even taste GF. I recently traveled to Switzerland where they had amazing GF breads, but this recipe was even better. I literally just ate half a loaf by myself! I used pea protein as I’m dairy free as well. Thanks for the amazing recipe!” (Note: This reader came back to add: “Hi, I just wanted to add that I made this recipe again, but instead of baking it in the oven I cooked it in the air fryer. Came out perfect, just like the first time I made it in the oven. I divided the dough into 4 parts and shaped it into mini baguettes. The air fryer was the perfect solution for cooking a single baguette. I cooked it on 400 degrees for 20 mins.”) and “WOW. I’ve been diagnosed celiac for six years and this is the BEST bread I’ve ever had! I love this so much, it was SO easy, and I’m going to try to convert a few old favorite recipes with this new flour blend. Even with my first attempt being slightly overbaked, I’m in LOVE.”

~ Keto Crusty Baguette Loaf Bread from Beauty and the Foodie ~ This recipe is gluten free, grain free, sugar free, vegetarian, and keto. And while it may not look like the French bread, you’ve come to expect, her readers attest to the following description of this bread from Stacey.

She says that her “Keto Crusty Baguette Loaf Bread is a low-carb bread loaf with a fantastic texture and an outer bread crust that is brown and flaky like a baguette.” She stated: “Once the bread cooled, I sliced off a piece, and what a fantastic surprise! It tasted exactly like those crusty baguette loaves that they serve at the restaurants before your meal.” So make sure you cool this bread before sampling!

Reader reviews: “There’s nothing better than fresh bread – this is SO DELICIOUS! Crusty outside, soft and tender inside! So perfect for sandwiches!” and “I love the texture of this bread. The flavor is very good. Will be making this a lot.” and “There’s nothing better than fresh bread – this is SO DELICIOUS! Crusty outside, soft and tender inside! So perfect for sandwiches!” and “Such a perfect texture. I can’t believe it’s keto!”

~ Millet French Bread Baguette from Gluten-Free Home Bakery ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian. 

Ali says: “With this recipe, you can make a loaf of French Bread that tastes just like it came from a bakery and please the pickiest eaters in your house! You might think making bread is hard to do?  It’s not and it doesn’t take long either. Once you start baking this French Bread you’re going to have loaves in about an hour!  Seriously, you need to try this. The smell in the house when the bread is baking is one of the happiest things in life. I walk in from outside and think, “Oh, the house smells so good!”  It’s a beautiful thing and you deserve it.”

~ Rustic French Bread from Better Batter ~ This recipe is gluten free, rice free, corn free, dairy free, gum free, vegetarian, and vegan, with refined sugar-free and sugar-free options. It is made using the Better Batter Artisan Blend.

~ Grain-Free French Bread from Gluten-Free Home Bakery ~ This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, yeast free, xanthan gum free, and vegetarian.

Reader review: “It turned out amazing! The bread was so delicious and satisfying. I am completely grain free, so it’s fantastic to have this great recipe.” and “You are a genius. That is all.”

~ Paleo French Bread from A Girl Worth Saving ~ This recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free, vegetarian, xanthan gum free, paleo, and primal.

(I think this recipe would be easy to make vegan, by just subbing the small amount of honey with perhaps maple syrup or agave nectar. The latter would not be considered paleo/primal though. Kelly is the author of Paleo Eats:  111 Comforting Gluten-Free, Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes for the Foodie in You.)

Reader reviews: “I used butter in place of the shortening. It baked just as nice as described, crisp on the exterior, and soft and chewy in the center. This is *totally* as close to actual, wheat-filled french bread as I can get, and was quite nice with copious amounts of butter.”

If you’d like to check out the other recipes in the Bountiful Bread Basket series, here’s a handy listing of all the other categories:

~ Part 1: Top 20 Gluten-Free Bread Recipes—Loaves

~ Part 2a:  The Best Gluten-Free Rolls

~ Part 2b: The Best Gluten-Free Biscuits

~ Part 3: Top 20 Gluten-Free Bread Recipes Made in a Bread Machine, Plus More Info and Tips on Bread Machines

~ Part 4: Top 30 Best Gluten-Free Tortilla and Wrap Recipes

~ Part 5: Top 30 Gluten-Free Hamburger, Hot Dog, and Sandwich Bun Recipes

~ Part 6: Top 50+ Best Gluten-Free Bread Recipes—Alternative Breads: Flatbread, Focaccia, Naan & Pita Bread

~ Part 7: Best Gluten-Free Bagel, Breadstick, Croissant, English Muffin, and Soft Pretzel Recipes

~ Part 7a: The Best Gluten-Free Bagel Recipes (30!)

~ Part 7c: The Best Gluten-Free Croissant and Crescent Roll Recipes

~ Part 7d: The Best Gluten-Free English Muffin Recipes

~ Part 8 (this post):  65 More of Best Gluten-Free Bread Recipes–Loaves

~ Part 8a: 20 Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipes

~ Part 8b: The Best Gluten-Free French Bread Recipes (Including Baguettes) 

~ Part 9:  Top 15 Gluten-Free Challah Bread Recipes

~ Part 10: Over 20 Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread Recipes

Originally published March 21, 2022; updated January 30, 2023.