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This Gluten Free Bread Sauce is cream, subtly spiced and perfect paired with white meat like chicken and turkey. It’s great for using up stale, leftover or holey gluten free bread and the perfect addition to your coeliac-friendly Christmas dinner.
Notes On This Gluten Free Bread Sauce Recipe
- Hotly Requested: I’d never really had gluten free bread sauce before but so many of you asked me for a recipe, I developed this easy bread sauce recipe using just 8 simple ingredients and ready in 30 minutes.
- Make Ahead: Want to make life easier on Christmas Day? Make this ahead of time and freeze it – then defrost and heat ready to serve. Simple.
- What Does Bread Sauce Taste Like? Imagine a really thick and creamy sauce, similar to a gluten free white sauce but with more body and texture. It’s also gently flavoured with onion and the fragrant spices of cloves and bay leaves.
- Updated November 2025: I first published this recipe in 2020, but have given it a fresh new look with new photos, step-by-step images, ideas for ingredients substitutions and a list of serving suggestions.
Table of Contents
What Is Gluten Free Bread Sauce?
Bread sauce is an absolute classic part of a traditional English Christmas Dinner. I believe it actually dates back to Medieval times, where the bread was used to thicken the sauce.
I feel like bread is a really commonly wasted food in the UK, so this is a great way to avoid that. Especially when gluten free bread is so expensive!
It’s also a perfect way to use up those annoying holey slices you get in the middle of a gluten free loaf. The ones that are impossible to make into a sandwich!
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this gluten free bread sauce recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Milk: I recommend using full-fat milk. You could use a lower fat version but personally I think decadence is key with bread sauce!
- Gluten Free Bread: I recommend using white bread for this, but any brand of gluten free white bread should work fine. It works well with stale bread too!
- Butter: I prefer to use salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine too.
- Double Cream: Or heavy cream in the US.
- Onion
- Herbs and Spices: For that classic bread sauce flavour you’ll need a combination of cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
How to Make Gluten Free Bread Sauce
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free bread sauce recipe is to make.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Any leftovers of gluten free bread sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy cold or reheat to serve.
TO FREEZE: Let the bread sauce cool, add to a tub and freeze for up to 6 months. Simply defrost or heat from frozen to eat.
TOP TIP: If you find the bread sauce thickens up too much when cooled and reheated, just add a splash of milk and stir in well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy bread sauce recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
Typically, bread sauce is served as part of a British Christmas Dinner alongside white meat like turkey, with cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, veg, gluten free stuffing and gluten free gravy. My friend Emma, who thinks bread sauce is the best invention ever, also recommends serving it up with leftover meat and pickles on Boxing Day, or in a crusty gluten free baguette with leftovers.
To make this recipe dairy free you’ll need a few ingredient swaps. Use a vegan butter, a dairy free milk (like soya milk) and a plant-based cream alternative, like Elmlea Plant, which can be found in UK supermarket free from aisles.
Gluten Free Bread Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 570 ml full fat milk
- 1 medium onion
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 170 g approx 4 slices white gluten free bread
- 30 g salted butter
- 50 ml double cream
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a saucepan. Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Add to the pan along with the cloves and bay leaves.
- Pop the pan onto a medium heat bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and then turn off the heat. Set the pan to one side to sit for 15-20 minutes so the milk can absorb the flavours.
- Meanwhile blitz the gluten free bread slices in a food processor until they form a fine breadcrumb.
- When the milk has cooled, strain it through a sieve into a saucepan and discard the onion/cloves/bay leaves.
- Add the breadcrumbs to the strained milk and stir in. Add the butter and place back on a low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Once the butter has melted and the sauce is hot, stir in the double cream and season generously with salt and pepper. The breadcrumbs should absorb the liquid and swell to form a thick sauce – if it is too thick then you can add a little more milk to reach your desired consistency.
- Remove from the heat and serve with a sprinkle of ground nutmeg on top. For extra indulgence, add a little knob of butter on top of the hot sauce so that it melts into the top.
Video
Notes
- Storage: This sauce can be made several days ahead of time and kept in the fridge. If doing this, you may need to add a little extra milk when reheating as you may find the sauce will thicken in the fridge.
- Make Ahead: You can also make this ahead of time and freeze it. Defrost thoroughly and then reheat on the hob.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions for Christmas Dinner
If you like this gluten free bread sauce recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free Christmas dinner side dish recipes too…
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
- Gluten Free Yorkshire Puddings
- Christmas Roast Chicken
- Honey Roast Carrots and Parsnips
- Gluten Free Cauliflower Cheese
- Crispy Roast Potatoes
- The Best Pigs In Blankets
- Make Ahead Gravy
- Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Gammon in Ginger Beer
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Just finished making this ready to freeze for Christmas…had a cheeky taste test and it’s delicious. Very easy to make.