Quick Easy Biscuit Recipe from Scratch

These tender, buttery dinner biscuits are an easy addition to ANY meal! 5 simple staple ingredients like flour and butter combine for perfectly fluffy, flaky biscuits, adaptable for extra flavors.

Do you ever take a bite of something and do the little “I’ve died and gone to heaven” eye-roll thing? Yeah. That’s what my husband does every time he has these buttery biscuits!

Besides being easy (and delicious – did I mention that already?), they’re REALLY quick to pull together. Even more so if you have a KitchenAid, but if you don’t, it’s only a five-minute job.

Below is the plain-Jane version of our easy biscuit recipe, but that doesn’t make them any less of a star at the table. There’s nothing like warm flaky biscuits slathered with butter.

Plus, since this biscuit recipe is basic, you can easily spruce them up to fit the meal you’re having. A sprinkling of Italian herbs or grated Parmesan cheese will pair with Homemade Spaghetti or Tomato Basil Soup.

And believe it or not, they can even be transformed into a dessert biscuit with a simple sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar and topped with strawberries!

Did I just say herbed dinner biscuit AND strawberry shortcake? With the same recipe? Without any additional work? Without any more dishes?!

Sold.

HOMEMADE BISCUIT RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Many people don’t realize that recipes of biscuits are so simple to make. No canned biscuit dough full of preservatives here!

• Flour. Any kind will do. I typically use all purpose flour for this biscuit recipe. Gluten-free flour works too!
• Baking Powder. This is what makes your biscuits rise. It’s very hard to make biscuits without baking powder!
• Salt. Just for a touch of flavor.
• Cold Unsalted Butter. Make sure your butter is cold. This is what makes the biscuits flaky!
• Milk. Whole milk, low-fat, or nondairy milk will work!

Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).

HOW TO MAKE BISCUITS FROM SCRATCH

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper if desired.

Step 2: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir together.

Step 3: Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives or a fork, taking care not to melt the butter or create a paste. The mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs, and you’ll still be able to see pieces of butter in the biscuit dough.

Step 4: Add ½ cup of milk and combine until the flour is moistened. Knead the dough into a ball, pressing against the sides of the bowl to pick up any small pieces of dough. If additional milk is needed, add just 2 Tablespoons at a time, kneading thoroughly after each addition.

Note: The dough should not be wet enough to stick to your hands or the bowl. It should be dry enough to handle easily, and when you’re done kneading, the bowl should be fairly clean.

Step 5a: For drop biscuits: Pull off a golf ball-sized portion and form it into a ball. Pat down slightly and place the biscuits on a prepared baking sheet, 1″ apart.

Step 5b: For rolled biscuits: Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle that is approximately ½ inch thick onto a floured surface. Cut into equal pieces with a round cutter and place on a prepared baking sheet, 1″ apart.

Step 6: Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the pan at 180 degrees and bake for another two minutes, if needed. The biscuits should be light golden brown on the bottom and barely browning on top. Cut in half and serve with melted butter in the middle!

Note that this recipe is written to make 12 medium-sized biscuits or 8-9 large biscuits. Large biscuits may need an extra minute or two in the oven.

If you have leftover biscuits, let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container. They are good for 2-3 days if left on the counter and up to 1 week if refrigerated. Leftover biscuits are delicious warmed up the next day, turned into breakfast sandwiches, or they make an excellent PB&J.

TIPS FOR RECIPES OF BISCUITS

• The high temperature helps with the rise. 450F might seem extra hot, but that helps the baking powder work most effectively for tall, fluffy biscuits.
• Use COLD butter. The cold butter and cold milk make the biscuits fluffy and flaky. You can cut the butter with a pastry cutter, a knife, or a box grater. The stand mixer is also AMAZING for this (along with these 50+ uses!). But if you are mixing by hand, cut the butter into cubes with a knife before adding, or use a box grater to sliver it up.
• Don’t overwork the dough. Avoid warming up the butter by keeping your hands off the dough! Knead only until the ingredients come together. Then fold the dough over twice to create the flaky layers.
• Add flour to your work surface. The dough will be slightly sticky and to flatten it out, you will want a lightly floured counter or Silpat mat. (This DIY Flour Shaker is a game-changer!)
• Cut homemade biscuits with a mason jar ring. There’s no need to have extra items in your kitchen like a biscuit cutter. A mason jar ring works perfectly! Or just slice the dough into even squares before baking.

BISCUIT RECIPE VARIATIONS

2-Minute Breakfast Biscuits with Stand Mixer

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle blade (not the dough hook). Carefully turn it on low to avoid spilling the flour. Once you’re sure the flour won’t spill, turn it on one step higher and allow the paddle to cut in the butter with the flour. Proceed with step 4 above as noted.

Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

Reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add ½ tsp baking soda. Substitute real buttermilk (or any one of these variations) for the milk. The buttermilk will react with the baking soda for extra fluffy, tangy biscuits.

Shortcake Biscuits

Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the flour and roll the dough out to ¾″ thick. Cut into desired squares or rounds before baking. Allow to cool and split horizontally before filling.

Drop Biscuits

Instead of rolling out the dough and cutting biscuits, pull off a golf ball-sized portion and form into a ball. Press down slightly and place the biscuits on a large cookie sheet, 1″ apart. Bake as directed.

Garlic and Herb Biscuits

Add 1 teaspoon of dried herbs and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to the biscuit dough. Roll out or scoop out drop biscuits and cook as directed.

Cheese Biscuits

Add ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the dry mixture after cutting in the butter. Add milk and shape the biscuits. Bake as directed. Cheddar biscuits are easier as drop biscuits rather than rolled out.

SERVE WITH BISCUITS

Homemade biscuits make an easy side dish to almost any meal! Slather on some butter and jam and you’ll be in heaven.

They’re especially tasty with soups like these:

Or try them with one of these:

HOW DO RECIPES OF BISCUITS FIT WITH NUTRITION GOALS?

Can you eat biscuits while working on specific nutrition goals? Absolutely! Eating carbohydrates is part of a balanced diet, and there are ways to adapt the biscuit recipe to fit your needs.

• Make smaller biscuits. Instead of splitting the biscuit dough into 12 portions, make 16 or 18. Remember to track the nutrition information accordingly.
• For less fat, use less butter. Lower the butter from 6 Tablespoons to 4 Tablespoons. You may need to add an extra Tablespoon of milk to make sure the biscuit dough is moist enough. You’ll still have plenty of buttery flavor!
• For higher protein, use whole wheat flour, which naturally has more protein than white flour. Note that this will give you a slightly denser biscuit.
• Flax seed, collagen, and vital wheat gluten are also options to add protein to bread and biscuit dough. Mix them in with the dry ingredients.
• Remember to pair biscuits with protein! This helps stabilize your blood sugar.

BISCUIT BISCUIT FAQS

MORE RECIPES OF BISCUITS AND BREADS

Try these other delicious recipes of biscuits and breads!