Easy Flaky Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
These easy flaky buttermilk drop biscuits are amazing. No rolling, no cutting out…they are just as delicious as finicky, classic homemade biscuits.
Biscuits are probably one of the most oft-made carby side dishes in our house. Long before I conquered the intimidating-to-me classic, rolled out biscuit, drop biscuits were there to save me.
In fact, I probably can’t even begin to count how many times we’ve made these easy flaky buttermilk drop biscuits. And by “we” I literally mean all of us. They are so easy, even my kids can make them with hardly any helicoptering.
They’re the perfect beginner biscuit recipe. But they’re delicious enough to stick around as an all-time favorite.
Let’s Make Them
Toss all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium-ish bowl. This recipe makes about 12 biscuits.
Here’s the secret to this recipe
Then, in a liquid measuring cup or smaller bowl mix together the buttermilk and melted butter.
This, right here, is the secret to getting such an easy drop biscuit to be flaky and tender.
As the warm, melted butter mixes with the cold buttermilk, small clumps of hardened butter form. It’ll look a little curdled and gross, but don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours, because those small bits of butter are what make the texture of the biscuits absolutely perfect.
Add the butter/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine everything together.
Don’t Overmix
Just like any other good biscuit recipe, you don’t want to over mix the dough. Mix just until everything is combined.
A few little lumps and bumps here and there are just fine.
How to drop the biscuits
Since these are “drop biscuits” – you don’t need to mess around with rolling out the dough and cutting out the biscuits. The dough literally gets dropped right onto a baking sheet.
Lightly grease a 1/4-cup measuring cup with cooking spray and scoop out a pretty even mound of biscuit dough.
You could also use a large #20 cookie scoop {aff. link}. Basically you want about 1/4 cup of dough for every biscuit.
I use a butter knife to gently extricate the tad bit sticky dough from the cup. If you’re measuring cups have special powers, perhaps the biscuit dough will just fall right out.
Lucky you. 🙂
Plop those biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
You can space them a couple inches apart, or you can put them much closer together if you want the attached-, pull-apart biscuits vibe going on.
Bake them in a piping hot oven for about 12 minutes. Maybe 14. Maybe 13 1/2. Watch them closely. Every oven is a bit different.
These easy flaky drop biscuits are insanely delicious right out of the oven. Smother them with butter and jam, and I guarantee you won’t even care what else is being served for dinner, why the laundry hasn’t magically folded itself, or what your name is.
They are that good.
Even next-day, these biscuits are super tasty. We like to warm them up with a quick 8-second stint in the micro, but it’s not necessary. And let’s be honest, there usually aren’t any leftovers.
A couple extra notes
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled
- The jam you see slathered on those biscuits is a strawberry bluebarb (blueberry + rhubarb) concoction I made and canned last summer and is easily the tastiest jam I have ever made and wouldn’t you know it, I only made six jars, and now I can’t find where I wrote down the recipe. I’ve literally torn my house and pantry and unorganized recipe note files apart to no avail. I’m drowning my sorrows in drop biscuits, hoarded jam jars, and chocolate.
- I have made this recipe with buttermilk substitutions like lemon juice + milk and sour cream + milk, and while they work in a pinch, nothing beats real, live buttermilk in this recipe.
FAQs for Simple Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
I just pop them in a ziploc bag and store them at room temp (we pop them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds for a quick warmup before eating the leftovers).
Yes, you can make the batter and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake.
The recipe relies on acidity (from the buttermilk) to turn out properly so the biscuits are tender and fluffy. Using plain milk may not yield the same results. But you can sub in half sour cream/half milk for the buttermilk.
Easy Flaky Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk chilled (see note)
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, melted and slightly cooled (I use salted butter)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a 2-cup liquid measure or small bowl, stir together the chilled buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps and the mixture looks curdled.
- Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture slightly pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Using a greased 1/4-cup measure or large #20 cookie scoop, portion the dough and drop them onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake the biscuits until the tops are golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with additional melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from America’s Test Kitchen
Recipe originally published May 2011; updated January 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
235 Comments on “Easy Flaky Buttermilk Drop Biscuits”
These biscuits are FAN-TAS-TIC!
However, I need to lower my cholesterol, so next time I’ll substitute coconut oil for some, most, or all of the butter.
I’ve had a fierce craving for fresh-baked bread and strawberry jam, so I got everything lined up and — alas! — my yeast was dead dead dead.
So I thought — biscuits! But, naw — they’re too much work, and I haven’t made biscuits in forever. But then I remembered — DROP biscuits.
The only alteration I made to this recipe was using milk soured with vinegar (to approximate buttermilk) instead of regular milk.
They came out great! A sort of crunchy thin outer layer with a moist and tender inside. I had to bake mine about half an hour due to the vagaries of my toaster oven.
Next time I might explore using part coconut oil for some of the butter to reduce the cholesterol. But there will DEFINITELY be a next time!
Awesome recipe! we’re currently living in a camper and rolling and cutting biscuits has lost all it’s appeal lol. We love biscuits and gravy and this has made preparing it a breeze. I’ve probably made this recipe a dozen or more times and it always turns out wonderfully. I may never go back to rolling and cutting!
I, too, have experienced difficulties with the rollout biscuits. I also figured that the drop biscuit version might be a bit easier for me, as a novice biscuit baker.
Well, this recipe was indeed easy and delightfully delicious. My family loves them; whether plain, with jam, or with the sausage gravy, these biscuits were fabulous. Thanks!
Excellent, easy. I made 9 larger biscuits so I could bake them in my counter top oven.
One word about this recipe: WINNER.
My advice to newcomers: (1) The quality of your ingredients (particularly your butter and flour) and (2) your technique will determine whether this recipe (or any biscuit recipe, really) will turn out for you. If you try to stir the crap out of this batter, don’t use cold buttermilk, etc., you won’t be as satisfied. Follow the instructions, use good quality ingredients, and you’ll never want to buy canned biscuits again.
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to1 gluten free flower to make this recipe. Best biscuits I’ve ever made. Yes, gluten free flower works!
Super easy! Turned out perfect so definitely saving this one
Great recipe!! I halved it because it’s just me and my fiance. I was in the mood for cinnamon. So, I used this recipe as a base, added cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and brushed them with cinnamon honey butter when I pulled them out of the oven. Soooo good and sooo fluffy! Thank you!!
I have made countless recipes of yours and you are a household name here! I can’t thank you enough. I would like to make these the night before Thanksgiving and wonder the best way to reheat a whole batch or two without drying them out?
Thank you, Bernadette! I’m not sure how these will fare being made a day ahead of time, but I’d suggest warming them in a foil-covered baking dish at 275 degrees and see how that goes!
Hi Mel! Which brand of Large Cookie Scoop do you use when scooping your biscuit batter? These turned out delicious!
I have the OXO brand.
I’ve made this recipe probably 30 times at this point! It is my go to for drop biscuits and biscuits in general. My favorite part is mixing the melted butter in the cold buttermilk. Brilliant! I always add extra buttermilk as needed bc my mixture tends to run on the dry side. After the initial 1 c in the recipe, I measure with my heart (an extra glug or two). Mel you are my hero! I do have one question. What is the best way to reheat these?
This is a genius recipe! I love that it doesn’t require cutting in cold butter. I made this so fast and they came out amazing!
Amazing, fluffy a d flavorful drop biscuits every time! Genius recipe!
So much easier than rolling and folding dough – less mess & clean up. Fluffy too. Thanks
Oh…my…goodness! I lost my old cookbook with my standard drop biscuit recipe. I’m so glad I did! These were fall of the log easy and tasted wonderful! Note to self: don’t bake on cast iron griddle in the oven. I think the amount of butter caused them to flatten. Like fluffy cookies. But they still had a wonderful crust on the bottom & tasted great!
Wrote this one down for my personal home recipe book. So simple, old fashioned, and delicious. The first time I made this recipe, I ate 5 biscuits in a row – they were so good!
perfect
GREAT!! Easy, tasty, & quick! Made the biscuits exactly as in the recipe!! The melted butter mixed with the buttermilk is a neat idea! Thank you!!
Can I make the dough the day before and refrigerate, then drop and bake the next day for a quick breakfast?
I don’t see why not!
I finally made something that turned out. For people who think, like me, more salt. This recipe is perfect and going up to a teasp is too much, but biscuits still yummy despite my effort to mess it up! Thank you!
I like to use only pastry flour for biscuits, shortbread and pie crust. I make whole milk buttermilk by adding a little cultured lowfat buttermilk from the store to whole milk and letting it work at room temp for a few hours. The live culture buttermilk is also healthy to drink. I’m going to give this recipe a try with these modifications.
Love the buttermilk/butter method. These were simply and quick and delicious! My brother asked for “crispy biscuits” which sent us all pondering and finally I realized he meant a drop biscuit. These are perfect!
This my go-to biscuit recipe. I double this all the time (use only 1 1/2 sticks butter) then put them in the freezer once baked and cooled. Reheat in microwave! Add a sausage patty and you’ve got the perfect sausage biscuit Bfast sando for on the go.
Thanks for the great recipes, Mel! Your recipes are on rotation in my kitchen weekly and this one is made almost every Saturday morning. We discovered a trick to this one. If you make two balls, each about 2T in size and lightly press one down on top of the other, then the biscuits are quite easy to separate in half for jam, honey, etc. My 3 year old actually did this on accident when helping me make them recently. Thanks again for the great recipes!
Oh my goodness, this is such a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!
I enjoy these very much. The first time ,made 1/2 batch baked perfectly. Second time made ahead of time,took out of refrigerator 1/2 ahead of time . In oven rose while sitting sank. Why ? New baking powder and baking soda. Used store bought buttermilk.
This is my new favorite recipe! I am 47 years old and I have to wonder why I’ve never tried making my own biscuits! I have just always used the frozen buttermilk biscuits because I was convinced that if I tried making them, they would be too dry, or too flat, or too doughy. But these were SO easy to make and literally perfect! Thank you for another easy and delicious recipe!
These came out way too dry. To the point where the dropped biscuits just fell apart before going in the oven. Next time I’ll try using 1-1/2 cups buttemilk instead.
Will the same melting technique work if I use half veg shortening and half butter? Thanks.
I haven’t tried that, Emily, but I think it would work fine.
We LOVE these biscuits! I have made them many times over the last year. Yum! I am wondering if you think the melted butter stirred into cold buttermilk idea would work when making scones?? I love how it works in this recipe!
What a great, easy biscuit recipe! Tastes great and takes no time to throw together. The biscuits were ready to go in the oven as soon as the oven was heated. I will be using this as my go-to recipe from now on.
I’m not big on baking or cleaning up messes, but I was able to follow this recipe through with great success. Preparation was easy, with very little clean up. I monitored the baking carefully and the ten drop biscuits turned out perfectly. I am going to slice one in half tomorrow and try it for strawberry shortcake.
Yum yum yum!! These are so delicious and super duper easy. My kids devoured them. Thank you for another great keeper!
This is my go-to biscuit recipe: as-is with soups, with the addition of sugar as a cobbler topping, as the crust of a roasted autumn vegetable pot pie. It even converted my buttermilk-averse friend!
These are the BEST biscuits I have ever made!! My husband even raved about them (his mom and sister are professional bakers) and we both were in heaven. Perfect for biscuits and gravy or just with butter and jam. Absolute perfection!! Thank you. I’ll be keeping this recipe in my back pocket from now on.
Is that fine salt or kosher salt?
I use table salt.
Wonderful flavor and texture. Perfect. Thank you!
Delicious ! I used self-rising flour as that is all I had at the time. They turned out great. They held up topped with turkey and gravy. I loved the ease of blending the buttermilk with the melted butter. I took the buttermilk out of the fridge too early so it was not cold enough to curdle the butter. I put the mixture in the freezer 5 minutes or so and it curdled just fine. This recipe is all ready in my recipe box.
Thank you for the recipe! These are the best biscuits and they are so simple to make!
I’v attempted to make biscuits for years & they never turn out good. The biscuit recipes I have from my Southern family just never comes out as good as theirs. Finally, a recipe I can make that actually tastes delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I just made these. SUPER easy and love it!! This will go into my recipe box, and its a keeper. Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Perfect biscuits and super easy to make!!!
Hi,
Do you think these biscuits would be good for egg sandwiches? I’m hoping to make a bunch of sandwiches and freeze them. I can’t wait to make them! Thank you for all the yummy recipes!!
Hi Carolyn – the flavor would be great! But because they are a drop biscuit, sometimes they don’t split exactly evenly in half – they can be a little wonky when split.
Thanks for the help Mel! I’m ok with a little wonky I can’t wait to try it out!
These were perfect-thank you. I baked them at 425 and the bottoms were a nice crispy deep golden. Half a recipe was just enough for the two of us and it was so quick to put together that it’s no trouble making them as often as you’d like. Next time I’ll add fresh dill or parsley and serve them along soup or stew.
I’ve heard adding some shredded cheddar cheese is tasty as well.
Mel…
I just made these this morning and I LOVE this recipe. So easy. Mine baked for 15 mins. and they came out perfect. I made biscuits earlier this week with another recipe and ehh. My husband said “wow, these are so much better than the other ones you made” !
This is now my official biscuit recipe. Thanks.
YUM! Just made these biscuits tonight. I’ve never used buttermilk before, as it has always intimidated me. So glad I tried your recipe. They are absolutely perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Any thoughts on making this with GF flour?
I haven’t tried it but if I remember right, several in the comment thread have tried a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend with *I think* good results!
These were delicious and SO easy to make! Quick question though….how do you store the leftovers.? I’m sure they won’t last long but in the meantime… 🙂
I just pop them in a ziploc bag and store them at room temp (we pop them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds for a quick warmup before eating the leftovers).
Do you think the batter could be frozen? Looking to use some buttermilk and would LOVE to freeze these for later. Thanks!
We’ve found our new biscuit recipe! A real keeper and couldn’t be simpler. I ate one with homemade sausage gravy and one with homemade blueberry preserves. Perfect! Thank you so much ⭐
These are heavenly! I have found my favorite biscuit recipe! Thank you.
Yay!
I have been making drop biscuits only for years. After I drop them with my scoop I flour the tops a bit with a flour duster and pat them flat. I find they cook more evenly and look nicer too. No one ever suspects that I dropped them unless they see me do it!
Thanks for the tip, Lana!
I made these biscuits last night and they turned out nice. I found them to be salty, so next time , I will lessen the salt.
Thanks for the review, Nancy. 🙂
1st Homemade biscuits, I’ve made. Easy and delicious !!!
Yay! Way to go, Joni!
Made these today to go with a pot roast – oh my goodness! So easy and so delicious (I hope there are a few left for dinner 😉 ) I used powdered buttermilk + water – the water could have been colder when I added it to the melted butter but the end result tastes ridiculously good. Thanks for another winner! (I sent the recipe to my son who recently moved into his first apartment – great recipe for a new cook or an old gal like me!)
Made these for a quick and easy breakfast. I didn’t need to add any butter, they are already so buttery and the butter on top adds a nice touch. I will definitely make these again.
White Whole Wheat flour works wonderfully in this recipe. Were super yummy smothered in sausage gravy! Thanks for another winning easy recipe!
I made these for my family and everyone loved them! Your recipes are always my favorites. Thank you for all your hard work and time you put into your blog.
Thank you so much, Lauren!
I’m not doing white flour, because it’s January and resolutions…blah blah.
Made these with whole wheat flour and they were AMAZING!!
Also, I hate making biscuits because cutting in butter is the worst. I am so excited about this recipe and I’m going to make them always.
So happy to hear this, Sara! Thank you!
Made these with dinner last night, and they were delicious! I used a buttermilk substitute (milk+vinegar) because I didn’t have any of the real stuff, but everyone still gobbled them up. I used a little less milk (about 1.5 cups of “buttermilk”) for the doubled recipe, and it was perfect. The #20 scoop portioned the biscuits just right, and I got 23 biscuits on my pan. A nice, easy side when I don’t want to mess with cutting butter into flour. 🙂 Thanks for another keeper recipe, Mel!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Arlene!
Wow …. I consider myself an avid baker. However, I never attempted to bake biscuits until today!!! I was so impressed how easy and tasty these biscuits are. Quite frankly. I was so proud of myself but disappoint that it took me so long to try. Thanks to you Mel I am biscuit bakin’ lovin’ fool!!!!
Loved reading this – thank you!
1/26/20 Hi just finished your Easy Flaky Buttermilk Drop Biscuits & Slow Cooker Beef Veggie Noodle Soup, both terrific! Those biscuits are so easy with big taste payoff & soft, buttery. Soup makes a ton! Did add several teaspoons Low Sodium Better Than Bullion Soup Base for deeper flavor. Thank you for your sharing & instructions! Cindy R
Thanks, Cindy!
Made these with my 7 year old tonight- they were so easy and SO good!
Yay! Love hearing that!
We love these and make them every time we have beef stew. The melted butter in the buttermilk is genius! And yes, my kids make them without a problem. They are fantastic!
Drop biscuits were one of the first recipes I learned to bake a a child, fifty something years ago! My Dad said his family always called this type biscuit a billy goat biscuit because of the little horns that sometimes stick up on top as you bake. Still love them now.
Love that!
After a crazy morning getting everyone off to school I realized I hadn’t eaten. I happened to open my inbox and these biscuits were staring at me and then the buttermilk in my fridge started calling to me. 15 minutes later I was enjoying these delicious biscuits for breakfast! I have now declared buttermilk to be a staple in my fridge! Thanks Mel!
This is amazing, Chantelle! I’m so glad you loved them.
Just made these with my #mrfour (we had buttermilk that expires today and needed a recipe to utilise it!). As we mixed them together I mused that the resulting dough looked a lot like scone dough – turns out American biscuits are pretty much Australian scones! Happily eating them now for lunch (with butter and strawberry jam, because that’s how we roll over here :p) Thanks for sharing!
Mel,
Ina has an amazing recipe for a super easy Fresh or Frozen Blueberry Rhubarb Jam. Its so good and it’s foolproof. My family loves it and since you can’t find your recipe I thought you might enjoy this one.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cassis liqueur, such as Mathilde
5 cups (1-inch-diced) fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and small-diced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
Directions
Place the sugar and cassis in a large (8-by-4-inch) heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the rhubarb, blueberries, apple, and lemon zest and toss well to coat the fruit with the cassis and sugar. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until there is a lot of liquid and it comes to a full boil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered at a low boil for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has disintegrated and the mixture has thickened. (I test a little by putting some jam in a dish in the freezer to check the consistency when it cools.) If necessary, cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate.
Thank you so much! That sounds amazing.
I’m making these for breakfast, thank you! We love your cheddar and herb biscuits, but this will be nice for a sweet version. I’m so sad you can’t find your strawberry bluebarb recipe. I hope it turns up and when it does, you share it with us! I’ve made bluebarb pie before and it was amazing…I’m thinking strawberry bluebarb would be delicious too. Have you made lemon curd before? It’s a staple around here and I’ll send my recipe if you’d like.
Thanks, Liz! I’d love your recipe if you have time to send it. I have a pretty good lemon curd recipe but it’s not a best-ever recipe, I don’t think.
I have read through every comment and not one person is as sad about your lost bluebard jam recipe as I am! I have wanted to try making some and have looked at so many different recipes for it and just don’t want to blow it. Keep searching Mel, you’ll find it!!
Well, I’m so sad and obsessed about it I’m sure I’ll figure out a new version this summer! I’ll keep you posted!
I’ve made this recipe probably 20+ times. It is my absolute goto for biscuits. I always add a little more buttermilk than the recipe reads. So, freaking, good. AND EASY! I highly recommend! Thank you Mel!
I used this as the base of a biscuits and gravy casserole, instead of cut up canned biscuits. The difference was fantastic! Canned biscuits are so doughy in this recipe. FLUFFY! Now I need more gravy! Thanks Mel!
These are so easy and they were perfect , love them !
I have never gotten so many compliments on these biscuits! I started using self-rising flour and use a whole stick of butter. If this makes them less tasteful welllllll they will never know and my husband inhales them so I have to make 2 batches at a time!
2 cups (10oz)??
The ounces is referring to the weight measure not the volume measure.
These are the best biscuts ever! I add pepper to them when I make them for sausage gravy. This time I added hot honey and OMG!!
these were the fluffiest biscuits I’ve ever made. really tasty. I halved the recipie cause no one else in my house likes them.
Such a fabulously easy way to make biscuits! Happy to share the biscuit load with my Texas born and raised husband.
Omg looks so gooood!!!!
These biscuits are amazing!
I make these regularly as do my son in college. They are easy and excellent. I do add a little bit more buttermilk to make them “drop” easier. They are great as a potpie topping, too!
Great recipe! Simple,, easy, and tasty! Made these last night with my sausage and gravy. A keeper recipe. Thanks!
These are so good- !I have made a lot of biscuits and these are one of my favorite. Good proportions. I always sift the flour baking powder mixture because clumps are not good to eat.
These were easy to make but I guess I’m not a biscuit person. They didn’t impress me much.
Excellent biscuits. Easy and always comes out great I’ve used Mel’s recipes many times/ buttermilk, plain milk , and always comes out a hit. Thanks.
The best biscuits ever !! Thank you for sharing
We messed up the important part of the recipe- the melted butter in the buttermilk part. I melted the butter for too long, it was at a rapid boil, and didn’t have time to let it cool. So, I think we instantly warmed the buttermilk (I actually used whey from homemade yogurt as a substitute) rather than create any kind of solid. Despite the failure, biscuits were still a success! Kids raved, the biscuits were there “peace offering” – the only part of the meal made with them in mind, since there was no way they were touching the lentil potato soup (also from this site and AWESOME). Husband was just gaga over the whole meal. I can’t wait to try these again and not mess up!
This reccipe makes amazing biscuits, they’re crisp on the outside, dense and fluffy on the inside.
These biscuits are so good and so easy to make! I add fat free cheddar and parmesean before I bake them.
These biscuits are lightly crisp on the outside, and fluffy and tender on the inside. Very buttery deliciousness. We loved them!
These are simply the BEST drop biscuits. Simple, quick. They’ve become a staple with my family. Breakfast or dinner. You can even scramble an egg, a little cheese, maybe some ham and you’ve got an amazing sandwich. I even keep them in the freezer. I feel really lucky to have found Mel’s website!!
Thanks, Tiana!
These are so good and easy to make!
These are the best biscuits! I think I’ve made them four times in the past week. They taste great and are easy to make. I love the use of the quarter cup measuring cup to scoop out the biscuits! This is my new go to biscuit recipe.
These are my go to biscuits! So easy and so good!!
These babies r to die for yummy! I was sure to pull them out of the oven just as soon as the cook time was over, so between not over cooking them & the buttermilk-they were just amazingly tender & Delish.
Quick question on these – I generally prep dinner during nap time and cook it right before we eat. Could I prep the batter and put it in the fridge then drop them onto the baking sheet before dinner?
Sure – or even easier, I’ve portioned them out on the baking sheet and refrigerated that until ready to pop them in the oven.
Very tender biscuits! The buttermilk butter combo merhod makes them extra tender!! My new go-to biscuit recipe!!!!
Has anyone tried using buttermilk powder in this recipe?
These biscuits are wonderful! I have made them countless times, since I came across this recipe about 2 years ago. They come out perfectly every time. Sometimes, I substitute half of the flour for white whole wheat flour, and they are just as light and fluffy and moist. I love how quick and effortless they are to throw together. Although they don’t have the flaky layers you would get in a classic biscuit (and Mel has a great recipe for those too!) the delightfully crisp, buttery exterior totally makes up for it.
I want to cry these are so good. YASS for not having to cut in cold butter!!!Whatever that means anyway. These taste a million times better than any biscuit I’ve ever made!! And i make them often cuz I love them so much!!! So happy right now!!!! I did half sour cream and half milk for the buttermilk sub. Perfect.
Amazing and so easy! So happy I don’t have to cut in cold butter! They turned out so well. I literally said out loud in my kitchen, “You’ve done it again, Mel!”
I’ve made these 5 Times now and LOVE them. Beyond easy recipe. I add a couple additional tablespoons of buttermilk if the mix is a little dry. Perfect every time. Th best part is mixing the melted butter and chilled buttermilk. Genius technique.
Do you think you could refrigerate the dough if you want to bake them later?
Yes, definitely – I do that a lot.
Best biscuits ever – very light & delicate. Will never make a rolled biscuit again. I used self rising flour, (since I didn’t have baking powder), the teaspoon of sugar and the butter and buttermilk. Followed directions as recipe instructed. Even made in a toaster oven and they still came out perfectly.
Husband said they were the best biscuits he’s ever had.
Super simple to whip up. Perfect with butter and homemade raspberry jam.
Thanks Mel!
The best biscuits, ever! Light and fluffy! Will make these again!
I made these biscuits for the first time last night and they were great! I was scared I would mess them up since I am a newbie to making biscuits. However, these turned out great and I will definitely make them again.
Oh man, these were awesome! I used the 1 to 1 gluten free flour, and because I’m too impatient to actually melt the butter, I used a stick of butter that was super soft on my counter. (It was almost melted) Also, I used a bit more buttermilk because gluten free flour soaks up the liquid more than regular flour. I didn’t measure how much, just a splash to make sure the dough didn’t dry out. I look up recipes on the interntlet all the time, and have never left a review. Not only were they awesome, but they were incredibly easy. My husband says they are the best biscuits I ever made!
These were wonderful, Mel! Instead of oiling a measuring cup, I used my OXO Scooper that I usually use to make regular sized muffins. Perfect tool for the job. With the scooper, I made 10 biscuits, so they were a little larger than if I had used a 1/4 cup. Never buying refrigerated biscuits again. These were super easy and more tasty! Thanks once again for helping me keep my family fed!!
I just made these today for dinner with the slow cooker wild rice and chicken soup (from the menu plan that so conveniently showed up in my email). My husband raved about both, but especially the biscuits, and he isn’t the easiest to please :). I told him once again to thank Mel for the dinner. You have become my go to recipe blog. So I just wanted to thank you for all of the great recipes that have become regular in my kitchen.
3/23/17
Made these tonight, and they passed the Father & Son test.
Some observations/questions from me: Are they supposed to be a bit dry? Mine crumbled even though they were baked exactly 12 minutes. Didn’t affect the taste at all, but were more like a baking powder biscuit to me.
Will try a lower temperature next time, probably will try 450° instead.
Oh, btw: you mentioned using parchment paper in the pan. I have different brands of parchment paper, & nearly all of them said the paper was good to use up to the temperature of 420°. Seeing that on the box, I used foil on the pan instead, & also brushed a bit of the olive oil that can be used for baking. That worked out well, & I didn’t have to worry about the paper catching on fire.
Good base recipe to start with.
Ive been a long time reader, and I have celiac disease. I REALLY wanted to make these biscuits so, I attempted this recipe using a gluten free cup for cup baking flour (bobs red mill 1 to 1 to be specific), and they turned out amazing! I have since made them 4 times, and for people who don’t need to eat Gluten free and everyone loves them! I’ve also coverted many of your other recipes to GF as well, with much success. I Thought I’d share this for anyone else who might need it! Thanks for This simple and delicious recipe that is now a go-to!
So happy these worked out gluten-free!
I was browsing the comments to see if anyone tried these with GF flour. Thanks for commenting so I know it works! Can’t wait to try them.
I never told you but the biscuits for our youth activity were so delicious! Cooked over coals in a Dutch oven made them so tasty. I am making 150 more for a family reunion in a couple of weeks. I’ve got three triple batches in the freezer. One more triple batch to go. Thanks, Mel!
You are amazing!
Mel – I have to make 150 biscuits for a youth activity and I was thinking of using this recipe. Do you still make these biscuits and would you recommend them for throwing in dutch ovens over coals? With 150 to make I am trying to avoid “cutting in butter” and “rolling out” if at all possible! 🙂
Yes, I still make these all the time and I think they’d be great in a dutch-oven – they are much softer than a traditional cut biscuit, though, so I guess I’d recommend they are spaced pretty close together so they don’t lose their shape.
Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter?
I always use salted so if using unsalted, you might want to add a bit more salt to the recipe.
These biscuits were easy and quick, and oh so delicious! Thank you!
I made dees for breakfast there were perfect and delicious
Oh Mel, I can’t wait to make these! Do you think I could use this recipe to make cobbler? The cobbler I grew up with had biscuits baked on top of fruit and I haven’t been able to find a good recipe for it! Thanks!!
Sure – although I think I’d make the biscuits slightly sweeter.
These are the easiest and best biscuits I have ever made. I am usually intimidated by a rolled biscuit and have been looking for the perfect drop biscuit.
I have found it! Just perfect, flaky and great flavor.
These are now my go-to biscuits. They’re delicious. The first time I made them, I only had 5 tablespoons butter, and they still were great, so that’s all I use now. Makes me feel a little better when I eat them 🙂
OMG!!!
these are to die for!!!!
i sub’d the buttermilk with the tried and true milk/vinegar solution.
DELICIOUS.
why fuss with rolling out dough? these are pillowy and buttery and Oh So Good!!
mine doubled in size when baked. awesome!!!!
I made these tonight…they are good and easy to make…if you add cheddar cheese and garlic they would be a dead ringer for the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits…I didn’t brush the tops with butter because lets face, they have enough butter in them…that said, they were a hit with our fried chicken dinner! My husband ate his for dessert with a little honey on it!
I feel the need to leave a comment because I have searched long and hard for a biscuit recipe that did not taste like dust and did not contain the word “Bisquick”…ALAS! These were fantastic. I added grated extra old cheddar and they were superb! Thanks for posting, this is definitely a keeper!
Just made these for biscuits and gravy, and they Are the best drop biscuits I have ever made!! Thank You!!
I just found this recipe this morning, and I made these biscuits with whole wheat flour. They turned out perfectly! Thank you.
I baked at 425′ for 10-12 minutes since I used the muffin tins. As I said in an earlier post, they reminded me of my grandma’s biscuits. She would have been so proud!
475 degrees, really!? Made these tonight by the recipe. After setting off the smoke alarm several times (it’s sensitive), I pulled these from the oven after only 8 minutes, when the tops were browner than I’d really prefer. Still edible, but I’ve had better, and worse, biscuits.
Yes, I use a 475 degree oven. Sorry they didn’t work out that great for you. Every oven heats a bit differently; if your oven cooks faster or hotter the baking time may be less.
These were awesome. I made them in muffin tins for uniform shape without having to roll out and cut . Reminded me of my grandmas biscuits.
These are great…and fast.. I often mix the dry ingredients in advance and leave in a sealed container, especially when I am short on time and want to prepare them for supper, after getting home from work. Thanks for posting! 🙂
These were AMAZING! This is definitely my new go to recipe when I need a quick batch of biscuits! Thank you!
Wha is the other option if we don’t have buttermilk … And what will be the quantity…
Thanks
Talat – HERE is a link to buttermilk substitutions. Same quantity if using a buttermilk sub.
I have made this biscuits a handful of times and they come out perfectly every time! Thanks!
My mom made them with wheat flour on Sunday. Yummm Thanks for the recipe
Thanks. I never bake or do any type of dough – so it is a totally blind mission. Happy New Year
Happy New Year To You! Wondering if these drop biscuit dough can be made ahead. Thanks for the wonderful recipes.
Nilsa – I haven’t tried making the dough ahead of time since it’s so fast to mix it together but it’s worth a try. Good luck!
Mmm! These biscuits are amazing! I was introduced to the recipe a couple of years ago and my life has never been the same! The melting/clumping butter is what makes them simply divine!
Another variation is before you bake them is melt some butter and spread on the biscuit and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture. When you take them out of the oven, have a glaze ready to drizzle on them. And then you have a drop cinnamon biscuit for breakfast. They are yummy:)
Delicious! Flaky, moist, buttery! Went perfectly with the pot roast I made 🙂 Thank you for posting this delicious recipe, it’s a keeper!
I made these this evening, and yes, they are very, very good. Also, as stated, a quick and easy recipe to follow! Thank you for sharing this recipe with me.
I’ve turned up my nose at drop biscuits before, as they seem to be the ugly step-sister. (“Biscuits should be rolled out and be perfectly round!”) However, I decided these would be perfect to go along with a lesson on pioneers. And guess what, not only were they super quick (yay!), but they taste fabulous and they actually look pretty good when made with a quarter cup scoop! Not surprisingly, they were fantastic slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar. This one’s definitely a keeper!
Made these tonight. They were super easy and very yummy. I bought a 1/4 cup scoop awhile ago and I am in love with it. 🙂
Well today I made broccoli cheese soup and decided that it needed biscuits. Pulled out several cookbooks but the recipes just did not sound like the delishous ones I made last time. I decided to check my recipes on my iPad notebook. There it was under breads, and guess whose name was on it? Yup, yours! Best drop biscuit there is, I add an extra spoon of sugar as we like them a little sweeter.
I made these last night with some ham soup we had from Easter leftovers. They were great! And I couldn’t believe how easy they were. I made them slightly larger so I ended up with only 8 and due to half the butter exploding in the microwave, subbed in 1/4 cup of oil for the lost butter. Still delicious! Thanks!
Wow, this is one of those “don’t need to look anymore” recipes.
Thank you so much. Think that honey butter recipe will go well with these!
Made these tonight and they were super yummy! Thank you!
These are my new go-to biscuits!! Undercooked just a bit they Saar perfect for breakfast sandwiches, a little overdone and they’re sturdy enough for biscuits and gravy… Cook them just perfect and they’re dessert with honey and butter.
Thank you!!
Thank you- I lost my standby recipe and this looks similar. I triple the recipe, mixing all dry ingredients in a food processor then adding in cold butter to texture of peas. Then I freeze this in three freezer bags, dividing in thirds by weight. When I want biscuits – simply grab a bag, dump in bowl, break up clumps with my hands and stir in buttermilk or yogurt. Bake as you instruct. It is a great treat to have fresh biscuits easily on hand!
Just made these easy biscuits! I used half whole wheat. They turned out fantastic! How about my husband said they were the best homemade biscuits he’s ever had, I think it’s because I covered them with butter and honey 🙂 I’m going to cover the rest with strawberrys and whipped cream!!
DS – I give credit for all the recipes I use unless they are originals of mine. You’ll note under the recipe that I got this from America’s Test Kitchen (the parent company of Cook’s Illustrated).
This recipe was *borrowed* from the November 2007 issue of Cook’s Illustrated.
Brittany – sorry, I just realized you said you already read through the comments!
Brittany – I’ve never frozen these so I can’t tell you exactly (did you read through the comments…someone may have tried it) but my recommendation would be to freeze them before baking. Good luck if you try it!
Hi Mel! I tried to read through the other comments to see if you already answered this question, but didn’t see it anywhere…
Are these freezable? If so, would you reccommend freezing them before or after baking?
Thanks so much!!
These biscuits are amaaaaazing! I have no need to try and make fussier biscuits after these easy and delicious ones! I am convinced that they are a piece of what heaven must be like when they are fresh from the oven! I don’t use buttermilk because I never have it on hand, but I don’t think it makes a difference because my boyfriend and myself enjoy them all the same. Thanks for this recipe!
Made these for dinner tonight, with chili, and they are AWESOME! …we won’t say how many of these I ate for dinner (4), but between these biscuits and the S’more cookie bars I’ve eaten today…I think I’ve consumed an entire stick of butter. Oh boy.
Made these tonight! They were super yummy and probably the easiest biscuits I’ve ever made. I love that I didn’t have to cut in the butter! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe calls for meaningfully more butter than any biscuit recipe I’ve ever seen (probably why they’re so good!). I reduced it to 4T butter and left everything else the same and they were still probably the best scratch biscuits I’ve ever had. I think buttermilk is such a treasure of an ingredient (which I improvised with skim milk and vinegar).
These are AWESOME! I did decrease the butter by half and increase the milk a splash with no noticeable difference. Followed another reviewer & froze the leftover that didn’t fit on the pan & cooked them up the next day. They seemed even more moist! Will definitely make more to have on hand in the freezer. Must make chicken soup to have with it now…
These are truly wonderful biscuits. They are easily adapted to gluten-free/vegan. Just use a a true all-purpose GF flour (Pamela’s or Better Batter would work great here), or make your own and be sure to add some xanthan gum, probably 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. for a full recipe. (I cut the recipe down to 1/4 since it’s just me eating these, and I only used about 1/8 tsp. of xanthan which was perfect for me.). I made my ‘buttermilk’ by adding adding some cider vinegar to plain, unsweetened almond milk and let it chill out in the fridge for a little while. I replaced butter with soy-free Earth Balance. Everything came to together beautifully, and the result was fluffy, tender biscuits with great taste and not even the slightest hint that they were g-free.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m definitely using this one from now on.
xx
Mel, I made these today and substituted in one cup of whole wheat flour and they turned out soooo good! Plus they took about 5 minutes to throw together, yay! Thanks again.
Loved these oozingly fantastic buttery biscuits!!! Used 1/2 C. whole wheat flour and home-made buttermilk (1 C. milk, 3 tsps vinegar) and cooked them on waxed paper on a cookie sheet – crust was equally delicious — especially hot out of the oven!!! A buttery explosion of — as Mel calls them — THE BEST — drop biscuits!!! TFS Mel! Delicious!!!
Oh, wow … delicious. So perfectly fluffy and perfect for savory or sweet scone-like breakfast biscuits. Will definitely be using this basic recipe to experiment some more! Used a bit of shredded sharp cheddar and buttermilk substitution (white vinegar in milk). Amazed and so pleased at how easy and yummy these are! I’m going to be the biscuit rock star in my house.
Just made these with homemade sausage gravy for our Sunday breakfast. Wow. I can’t believe how easy they are to put together…and how fluffy and buttery they were! No more buying packaged biscuits again! The only thing I did differently was by making a substitute buttermilk with 1c milk with 1 tbs white vinegar…thank you for this recipe- it’s a keeper.
These are fabulous! I surprised the husband with these, but next time I make them I will reduce the oven temperature. I ended up surprising the husband initially with the smoke alarm. LOL
It was too late to get bread made for dinner so I opted for these biscuits instead. Oh my goodness! These were so delicious!!!!! They were the perfect compliment to chicken noodle soup on a cold, wet and dreary night. Another winner Mel 🙂
Finally got around to making these today……they are amazing! So easy, tender and very tasty! Thanks for sharing!
Mel you are a life saver! I cook just about the same things every week and I want something diffrent and not out of a box! Are these also called Cathead biscuits if so my grandmother used to make these when I was growing up! I would love to make these with some white gravy!!! Yummo
These are the best biscuits ever! Period. The end. These are so easy and taste delicious. I have no desire to try any other biscuit recipe. 🙂
If I don’t have buttermilk, I add a tablespoon of vinegar to to a cup of milk and they turn out great. As much as I would love to eat a full batch for dinner, I usually freeze some for later. I’ll drop the dough onto a small cookie sheet and put them in freezer for several minutes. After that I wrap them in plastic wrap.
I’ll cook the frozen ones at 475 and I think it usually takes around 20-25 minutes for them to cook.
Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve made these as written and they’re delicious … but last night I made them again with 100% whole wheat flour and they were fantastic! Delicious and a bit less guilt! The whole family loved them.
Melanie,
I have loved this America’s Test Kitchen recipe for awhile now–it IS the BEST drip biscuit recipe around 😉 I use 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 white flour and the texture and taste I actually like better than the all white flour. The wheat flour gives them a little more flavor, kind of a nutty taste. I also use the ‘homemade’ buttermilk trick with powdered milk (because I am so cheap and rarely have buttermilk in my fridge). Just use 1 c. water, 2 T. lemon juice and 3 T. dry powdered milk=1 c. buttermilk. It works perfectly and they are SO amazing! I will be blogging about a Biscuit & Gravy recipe with homemade turkey gravy with mushrooms, peas, carrots, etc. over these bicuits. We had it for dinner tonight and it was CRAZY good!!! Thanks for another great recipe–love them all!!
Just made these, I love the flavor…which I can thank the butter for 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
These were awesome! Reminded me of the biscuits at a local chicken place in Marble Falls, Texas-so good with honey! We live in Australia-so a little “home” cooking always tastes great!
I made the biscuits using powdered buttermilk. They turned out light and fluffy. My husband said, “they are good enough to eat by themselves.” I could taste baking soda in the biscuits so if I make them again I will only use 1/4 teaspoon of soda. Thanks for the recipe. Maybe I will try the red velvet cake this week.
this is EXACTLY the recipe my bakery uses for its brunch biscuits, and you’re right–having made them every sunday for the past few months, i can state with certainty that they couldn’t be simpler to make! bonus–they’re dead tasty too. 🙂
I love love love real biscuits, but without the fuss and folding -these were buttery and delicious
I will be trying this one for sure! I don’t like messing with the rolling and cutting too much either.
Perfect timing – I made these last night and they were SO good. Much better than any drop biscuits I’ve made before and easy too! I couldn’t believe how light and moist they were. Thanks!
Just made them! Added 1/2 c raisins and 3 more tsp sugar…with blueberry jam and a dab of whipped cream…oh dear… 🙂
All day I’ve been thinking that I needed some sort of bread to go with our dinner, but I didn’t want to invest the time in rolls. Thanks for this, I’m excited to try it!
I am not really a biscuit lover (although I do like your cheddar and herb variety), but if you say these are good, I believe you. I’ll try them soon!
Hey Mel-
We love cheddar biscuits at my house. How do you think these would work if I added a little cheddar cheese?
Michelle – they would probably taste delicious….it’s definitely worth a try!
These look delicious, and easy. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I just made the cream biscuits from the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook yesterday and they are really good too.
you SERIOUSLY must be reading my mind!! I’ve never made biscuits in my life, but I am getting ready to make some fresh strawberry preserves (lazy person preserves, as I call them), and I think these are going to be the perfect ‘vehicle’ for the delicious preserves!!!! can’t wait to try them!
You are definitely allowed to call something ‘the best’ because everything I make from your website is ‘the best!’ I trust ya 🙂
I’m excited to see a biscuit recipe with that much rise that doesn’t call for shortening 🙂
These look amazing and we love biscuits at our house. We have them often and I can’t wait to try this version!
Okay….don’t knock this before you’ve tried it……We prepare fresh strawberries (sliced and slightly sweetened) and pour them over a warm (maybe buttered) biscuit for an instant shortcake and it’s delish!! These will probably work great for this.
All my life I’ve eaten strawberries and drop biscuits, this is our family’s, (and extended family’s), idea of strawberry shortcake!
I always have buttermilk in the fridge so guess what I’m making this weekend? I’m excited that they aren’t the complicated rolling and folding that I usually think of when I think of biscuits.
Have you tried these with wheat flour? If so, how did they do? They look delicious!
Elisabeth – I haven’t tried them with wheat flour.
yum!
easy, buttery delicious biscuits!
I bet they’d go awesome with ham and homemade mac and cheese.
Can’t wait to try these – I get tired of always buying canned biscuits or frozen rolls. I’m hoping these turn out better than past biscuits I’ve made LOL
I am soo trying these this Sunday!! Thanks for all the amazing recipes!!! Have you thought about putting together a cook book..so we can have all these amazing recipes in one place!! =)
I’ve been thinking about biscuits like this for a couple of months now. I think it may be time.