BEST Homemade Biscuits
The BEST biscuit recipe! These homemade biscuits are buttery, soft and fluffy with lots of flaky layers and delicious crispy edges.
We just can’t get enough of these biscuits! I first shared this biscuit recipe years ago, and since then it has become a reader favorite. With this easy recipe and a few baking tips that I’ve included below, you’ll be making the best biscuits you’ve ever eaten.
These homemade biscuits are buttery, soft and flaky. The tops brown beautifully in the oven, and the bottoms become crisp and golden. They are delicious as is, and even better when you serve them with jam or honey. I’ve made these biscuits so many times that this is likely the recipe on Kristine’s Kitchen that I’ve made most often in my own kitchen!
We’ve been enjoying these biscuits as a side dish at dinner. They complement almost any meal. Try them with Baked Chicken Thighs, Slow Cooker Beef Stew or Butternut Squash Soup. They’re also great for breakfast, alongside some eggs and bacon.
This really is the best biscuit recipe! Just like Grandma used to make ‘em 🙂 I will be making these again very soon.
Lauren
Does Milk or Buttermilk Make the Best Homemade Biscuits?
You can make these biscuits with milk or buttermilk, or a combination of the two. I’ve tested the recipe all three ways, and the biscuits are delicious no matter which you choose.
When you make this recipe with buttermilk, the flavorful tang of the buttermilk comes through in the buttermilk biscuits. If you use milk, the biscuits turn out especially tender. My favorite is to use half buttermilk and half milk for the best balance of flavor and texture.
Whole milk is best in this biscuit recipe, but you can use 2% if that is what you have on hand. I don’t recommend using skim milk, since you need some fat to make the biscuits flavorful and tender. You can also use this homemade buttermilk substitute.
How to Make Biscuits
This biscuit recipe is so quick and easy and you’ll need only 6 simple ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen right now:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Milk or Buttermilk
Here’s an overview of the recipe steps, including my tips for success. You’ll find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Freeze the butter: At least 20 minutes before you plan to make the biscuits, put the stick of butter in the freezer. Freezing makes sure that the butter is really cold, which is important for flaky biscuits. Frozen butter is also easier to shred using a box grater (more on that below).
Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Be sure to use baking powder (not baking soda), and use the full tablespoon (not teaspoon) called for in the recipe. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your taste preferences. We prefer less sweet biscuits, so I usually use just 1 or 2 teaspoons.
Grate the butter and stir it in: This is my favorite biscuit making trick! Once the butter has gotten really cold in the freezer, you’ll grate it on a box grater. This is really quick and easy to do. Then you can quickly mix the grated butter into the dry ingredients with a fork. If you’re like me and don’t enjoy the process of cutting butter into dry ingredients, you are going to love this trick! The grated butter also gives you perfectly sized pieces of butter throughout your biscuits, which makes them tender and flaky.
Mix in milk or buttermilk: Pour the milk or buttermilk into the bowl with the other ingredients. Use a fork to mix until a dough forms. It’s ok if a little bit of the dry ingredients aren’t incorporated at this point. If the dough seems very dry and you are having a hard time getting it to come together, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk or buttermilk.
Fold the dough: Turn the dough (and any flour bits) out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough down into a rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Fold the dough in half on top of itself and press it down into a 1 1/2-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this step, folding and pressing the dough 4 to 6 times total. This is called laminating the dough and it creates those flaky layers that we all love in biscuits.
Cut the biscuits: After you fold the dough the last time, press it out until it is about 1-inch thick. Press a round biscuit cutter straight down into the dough to cut the biscuits. Do not twist the biscuit cutter as you cut. Place the biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops and bake: Before baking the biscuits, brush the tops with milk, buttermilk, heavy cream or melted butter. This helps the tops of the biscuits to brown as they bake. Bake the biscuits until they are lightly golden on top, 13 to 16 minutes.
Biscuit Recipe Tips
- Use cold butter. When baking biscuits, it is important to keep the butter and milk or buttermilk as cold as possible. Keep the butter in the freezer and the milk in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Avoid letting the dough sit at room temperature before baking the biscuits.
- Freeze and grate the butter using a box grater. The small pieces of shredded butter will create little steam pockets in the biscuits as they bake, giving you great rise and flaky layers.
- Use fresh baking powder. According to the USDA, once opened baking powder should be used within 3 months for best results. If your biscuits don’t rise, old baking powder could be the problem.
- Fold the dough. Don’t skip the step of folding the biscuit dough in half and pressing it out 4 to 6 times before cutting your biscuits. The folds help to create flaky layers, much like when making croissants.
- Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. Press straight down with your biscuit cutter and do not twist or turn it. Twisting the cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and keeps them from rising as much. If you do not have a biscuit cutter, you can use a small glass to cut the biscuits. Or, make my Drop Biscuits recipe, where you scoop the dough instead of cutting out the biscuits.
The BEST Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk, or buttermilk (or ½ cup of each)
- milk, buttermilk, cream or melted butter, optional, for brushing on biscuit tops
Instructions
- Place butter in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425° F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk together until well combined.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add the butter to the bowl and use a fork to mix it into the dry ingredients.
- Pour the 1 cup milk or buttermilk into the bowl and use a fork to stir until the dough comes together. It is ok if there are a few bits of flour not yet incorporated, but if the dough seems very dry and is not coming together add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk or buttermilk.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 1½-inch thick rectangle. Fold the dough in half on top of itself and pat it down into another 1½-inch thick rectangle. Repeat the folding process 4 to 6 times. Then press the dough down into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Use a biscuit cutter (mine measures 2 ¼-inches) to cut out the biscuits, pressing it straight down into the dough without twisting. Once you've cut out as many biscuits as you can, gather the scraps and pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness a second and third time to finish cutting out all of the biscuits. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- If desired, brush the biscuit tops with milk, buttermilk, cream or melted butter. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown.
Notes
- Store biscuits at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Biscuits are best right after baking. Leftover biscuits can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.
- Recipe updated 4/25/23 to increase salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon for even more flavor. If using salted butter, use only 1/2 teaspoon of added salt.
They were quick, easy and turned out yummy, even though I accidentally used lowfat milk instead of whole milk! ; )
Making them again this morning!
Excellent biscuits!
Best biscuit recipe I’ve ever tried! They were so soft, fluffy and layered! Absolutely delicious. I really appreciated your easy to follow recipe and tips. I just made mine a rectangle and cut them in twelve squares as I didn’t have a biscuit cutter. Thank you!
These turned out great!! Thanks for the recipe and the tips. It really helps to use frozen butter and to turn the dough several times!!
I made these this morning and they were delicious! They were light and fluffy. The bottoms were crisp and just the way I like them!
These are amazing & easy to make! So light and fluffy. I make them all the time now.
I made this recipe and they came out delicious! They look just like the picture!
I always make a recipe as written for the real test. These are delicious! I think I did use salted butter in error, but they were perfect – even with whole milk instead of buttermilk. I slapped some butter on two – just to “test” them.
I think folding the dough is the real trick.
I’ve made a gazillion biscuits in my lifetime, from dozens of recipes. These are the absolute lifetime winner! The lamination is beautiful! I only had 1% milk, so I whisked 2 Tbsp of buttermilk powder into it. Also, I’ve been cutting my biscuits square from the final pat-out and there’s no recombining the dough that way. Every biscuit has the same quality. If you don’t mind square biscuits, that’s a really good method.
Can you freeze the biscuits if so, how long are they good for?
You can freeze the baked biscuits for up to 3 months.
This recipe made the best biscuits! The grandkids made breakfast sandwiches, and I enjoyed some butter and honey on them.
These biscuits are fantastic. First time making them and will be making them much more often!
Have made these over and over again and never disappointed. Added a splash of vanilla to the milk bath and it gives just a slight added flavor. My guests never complain.
These are Amazing! My family couldn’t believe I made them! They were flaky goodness! Love all your recipes! Big fan!
This is my first time making homemade biscuits and I’m super impressed. I psyched myself out and went a little overboard ensuring that everything stayed nice and cold so they turned out ok. Nice and flaky but with a fabulous crunch! Guess I’m going to have to invest in a biscuit cutter because my daughter will want these all the time now. Thanks!
Love the idea of cutting the dough with a knife. I’m at the lake and I don’t have a biscuit cutter, and square biscuits make better breakfast sandwiches too! I’m making them tonight to serve with chilli supper.
Made these with the addition of some frozen grated cheddar and asiago cheese. Fluffy with layers of buttery goodness!
I’ve been making this recipe for a year now and my family absolutely loves it! I follow it to a T and usually have to make double or triple batches because I give so many away lol
I made this recipe and they turned out wonderfully!! Everyone enjoyed them with my beef stew!!! Thank you for a simple yet delicious recipe.
Perfect biscuits!!! Flakey and flavorful. I omitted the sugar and subbed two TBsp. Bacon grease for 2 of the butter, but other than that kept to your recipe and did not over mix!!
Second time making these and they are yummy 😋 I wish I had known how to do this so many years ago. Think about how much money I could have saved! Only thing different I do is cut the butter into itty bitty cubes then freeze them for a few minutes before adding to rest of ingredients. Thank you for sharing this!
These biscuits came out great! I am 33 weeks pregnant and was craving some biscuits and these were so easy! 🙂
The only thing is that they made 6 for me instead of 12, but other than that they are delicious!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these! My biscuit cutter is 2 1/4-inches in diameter. If your biscuit cutter is larger, you will get fewer biscuits.
I’ve made this recipe twice now. The first time they barely rose, and the “last bit” biscuits were not capable of layers. Second time, I tried to touch as little as possible thinking that maybe I got the butter too warm with my hands. They look a little better but rose maybe a quarter inch? Both times they taste great but I’m missing the fluff.
I’m sorry to hear that. It may be that your baking powder needs to be replaced. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and they always rise incredibly well.
These are so good and easy! I freeze what we don’t eat and reheat per your instructions and they are just as good.
This biscuits are easy to make and so delicious. This will be my new go to recipe!
Suggest the recipe also show metric measurements of ingredients. Do like the “keep page on” feature. Thanks!
First successful biscuit recipe I’ve been able to make, delicious and flaky!!
Was in a hurry and made these for chicken pot pie. They were so easy and perfect. This recipe is a keeper.
I made your biscuits as my first time making biscuits. Oh my!! So tasty. I made a mess of my kitchen, but that is not the recipes fault.
Mine didn’t rise as high as I thought they would
Searched for years to find a delicious biscuit recipe. At last, this is it. Just as described, light layers with nice bottom crust. Follow recipe as written and you have perfection.
These are my favorite biscuits to make for breakfast with a homemade strawberry butter! Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle!
How would you recommend adding bacon and cheddar for bacon cheddar biscuits?
I would suggest stirring in about 1/2 cup each of cooked, crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese when you stir in the shredded butter. Then proceed with the recipe as directed.
Such a great buttery biscuit recipe! I used 2% milk and still they came out light, fluffy and so buttery! We absolutely loved these biscuits! Definitely keeping this recipe! ❤️
I’m 66 years old, and thought I made Great biscuits. But this recipe is The Best I’ve eaten! Thank you! Simple to make, Delicious.
This recipe was Divine and just perfect to the T !! Loved it. Was definitely the talk during breakfast. Thank you. 🥰
I love this recipe! My Mother tried to teach me growing up but I never got the hang of it. I used your recipe and was sensitive to over working the dough (I’ve done that before) and the biscuits were great! I grew up in the South and everyone but me seemed to know how to make biscuits..lol I live in Indiana now and they won’t ever know that this Southern girl just learned to make biscuits 🙂
Can I use this recipe to make tea biscuits?
Hi Elaine, My understanding is that tea biscuits are very similar to these.
I’m an experienced cook, but I was skeptical about trying (once again) another biscuit recipe because I’ve heard biscuits are finicky. I tried them this morning and wow! I followed the recipe to a “T” and they turned out better than any biscuits I have eaten or made myself. Grating the butter and patting out the dough into rectangles were a tad laborious, but the results are well worth it! So many recipes do not include the techniques needed to produce great results or explain why it is done a certain way but your instructions are always full of good information.
I’ve enjoyed so many of the recipes you share. I like that you often present basic recipes we may not have gotten from our family cooks — like these biscuits. Good job!
Can I prepare the dough , cut out biscuits and store in fridge the night before , then bake the following morning?
I don’t recommend that because the baking powder will start to activate as soon as you mix in the milk/buttermilk so when you go to bake them the biscuits won’t rise as much.
Mine only made 7 biscuits not 12. Maybe I didn’t roll them out thin enough, but it definitely seemed like an inch if not less. Needed a bit more time to bake too.
Hi Amanda, it sounds like you used a larger biscuit cutter than I did. My biscuit cutter measures 2 1/4-inches in diameter. If you cut out larger biscuits, they will need longer to bake. I hope you enjoyed them regardless!
Very easy. Made the dough a bit sticky, but it’s a matter of doing it a couple of times. Love the flavor.
Fave recipe i add fresh rosemary, garlic,onion and pepper so good for a savory option
I cannot thank you enough for sharing this recipe. My Mother was one of those amazing southern cooks whose recipes were not often documented and my biscuits never lived up to hers, until now. These biscuits had everything I was looking for in a biscuit including buttery flavor, fluffy, flaky high rise, and they were really easy to make. I had fun making these, and more fun watching them rise in the oven!
I will definitely be trying more of your recipes!!!
I made plain whole milk and it turned out perfectly baked! I brushed the tops of biscuits with milk! Crunchy yummy! Will bake it again! Thank you for the recipe 😁 I served slow cooked beef stew with the biscuits😀
Not bad. I’ve made these around 3 times now and still have not perfected them. Each one is just a little different. The first time I rolled them out too thin, the next they were very dense and almost fought still. This time, they were crispy and fully in the middle but still flat around the edges. They are shaped almost like a dome, like they only rose in the middle. Any suggestions?
I’ve made biscuits for years and Kristine’s tips are absolutely top notch for the best biscuits — fold the dough multiple times, don’t twist the cutter, cold milk, and freeze the butter for easier grating. I just have one tip to mention — even easier and faster than grating the butter is to use a salad shooter with frozen butter. It makes little butter pebbles, goes really quick and is easy to cleanup the parts in the dishwasher if you want. I didn’t own a salad shooter, but bought one just for this purpose after trying my friend’s.
They where amazing
First time ever making biscuits. Was always a little nervous to try. These were so easy and turned out amazing. I didn’t pat them thin enough, so they leaned over a bit after baked, but the taste was lovely. My 5 year old won’t eat Grand biscuits but he gobbled these down.
I’m going to try this recipe with sourdough discard next time. If anyone has any tips…
These turned out great! My grandson polished them off! Good, flaky and wonderfully tasty! Definitely saved and will use again
Wonderful biscuit recipe. No adjustments necessary, perfectly delicious!
When I made them the second time, they turned out crunchy, BUT THEY WERE STILL DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So easy to made and so delicious.
My wife said they were excellent! Better than her hockey pucks, she said. And she was a home ec teacher.
This recipe is amazing. 6 ingredients and so delicious!!
I love baking but biscuits have always been a bit not so fun thing to make for me. But this was so easy and satisfying! I used buttermilk that I had from a thanksgiving recipe and they turned out so good! Soft, layered, and buttery 😋 Definitely writing this down in my recipe book.
Just made these…my first ever attempt at homemade biscuits. So easy to make and tastes way better than anything else I’ve had from the store! Recipe was so easy to follow. Doubled the batch and used a larger biscuit cutter so I got 18 big ones.
OMG, the best recipe in world. Light, fluffy, buttery, melt in your mouth goodness.
This recipe is good. use lots butter on top I used salted butter
they don’t have a taste like a crackle barrel biscuit and are
a little bland but are grate if you want a quick biscuit recipe!
Never made biscuits before and am relatively new to baking. These turned out amazing!! Light, tasty and an easy to follow recipe. Mine didn’t rise as expected but after reading through the reviews and seeing Kristine mention to check the date in the baking powder, the mystery was solved! 100% making these again with fresh baking powder and am excited to see the result!
Husband loves these!
Love the straight fwdness! Nice job explaining and I will check you out for other recipes😋
Magnifique!
These look great! Planning to have them tomorrow for Christmas Eve. Can the dough be made in advance and refrigerated?
I don’t recommend making the dough in advance because the baking powder will start to activate as soon as you mix in the milk/buttermilk so when you go to bake them the biscuits won’t rise as much. If you want to do a few steps ahead of time, you can whisk together the dry ingredients and keep them in a covered bowl at room temperature. You can also grate the butter ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer, then mix the dough together right before you’re ready to bake the biscuits.
These were wonderful! The bottoms were lightly crispy, thanks to the butter. The insides were delicate and moist. I used my food processor to cut in the butter. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Mine tasted great but didn’t rise at all. What went wrong??? I used all-purpose flour. Should I use self-rising??
I’m sorry to hear these didn’t rise for you. These rise very well every time I make them, which is often! Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that they rise: Use the full tablespoon (not teaspoon) of baking powder (not baking soda), be sure to use very cold butter, and bake the biscuits immediately after mixing up the dough. I hope that helps for next time!
I made this for our Christmas morning breakfast today. They were absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I used buttermilk in the biscuits and also brushed the tops with some buttermilk. So yummy!
Looks great but can I use half and half?
I have only tried this recipe with whole milk and buttermilk. Half and half would probably work, but would give you a richer tasting biscuit.
I made them and mine didn’t rise,:(
There really dense. Can anyone give me pointers?!.
Hi Ashley,
Here are a couple of reasons why they may not have risen: (1) Using older baking powder that isn’t fresh or using less than the recommended 1 tablespoon. (2) If the butter isn’t very cold, they won’t rise as well. (3) Overworking the dough. (4) Be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda. (5) Don’t twist the biscuit cutter when cutting the biscuits, just press it straight down into the dough.
Would this work with powered milk made up?
I have not tried the recipe with powdered milk.
These were fantastic and so easy to make!
Great recipe! Easy to follow, tasty and so flaky! Will definitely make these frequently!
This really is the best biscuit recipe! Just like Grandma used to make ‘em 🙂
I will be making these again very soon.
Perfect biscuits! They turned out exactly like pictured. Grating the frozen butter is the key.
I make biscuits all the time and have tried so many recipes, just for fun! This is a great one and was super easy. Thank you, they are gorgeous and taste so good!
These were so easy and DELICIOUS!
Biscuit didn’t rise like they should unsure why
Delicious! I know you can freeze them after baking, but can I freeze them before they are baked? Thanks!
Yes, you can cut out the biscuits, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then once they are frozen transfer them to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
These biscuits are amazing!! They turned out so buttery and flaky!
Tried the recipe tonight, it’s a keeper, loved the biscuits, will be making it again
I love this recipe. I add an extra 1/2 stick of butter and extra pinch of salt ( butter is unsalted) but it’s a no fail recipe. I do need an extra TBS of milk when the air is super dry. Thank you!! Yumm
Easy directions, delicious biscuits! The bottoms are deliciously crunchy, the rest is soft, fluffy, and buttery!
I can’t wait to make these for my husband. I can’t have gluten or dairy. Is there anyway I could sub non dairy milk and Bob’s 1 to 1 gluten free flour for these. I’m thinking they may not raise the same. Just wondering if you’ve tried.
Hi Kath,
I haven’t tried using non dairy milk or gluten free flour, but if you try it I’d love to hear how the biscuits turn out.
I am going to make my biscuits now. thanks Kristin
These were fabulous biscuits that tasted great! Easy to make. I will be putting this recipe in my collection box! Thanks for a great recipe!
looks great can’t wait to try. thanks
I’m no baker and these were still a hit! Will make these again!
I forgot to say that I used self rising flour because I didn’t have baking powder and I used oat milk and they still were great!
Best biscuits ever, since I found this recipe last year I have not bought any from the store and been making them every Sunday. My family loves them.
Can you fteeze them then bake when you want?
Yes, you can cut out the biscuits and freeze them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once they’re frozen, transfer the biscuits to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Turned out great. Used on chicken pot pie casserole. Nice and flaky just like grands.
I didn’t care for the taste, it was kind of bland.
Hi Debbie,
Did you add the full amount of salt? That’s essential for flavor.
Very good directions and taste!
My husband loved these biscuits and they turned out beautiful, so fluffy on the inside. I used 2 oz of dough for each biscuit, which was rolled into a ball with the top mashed down for a biscuit shape. Before baking, I put a little bacon grease over the tops of them and they were baked on flat stoneware…PERFECT!!!
Biscuits came out dry and flat. Is the temperature too high? should it be 350?
I’m sorry to hear that. The most common reason why biscuits don’t rise is that the baking powder is not fresh/active. Flat biscuits can also be caused by overworking the dough. The baking temperature given in the recipe is correct. As you can see by the positive reviews on this recipe, many others have had great success with the recipe as written.
The biscuit came out too thin for our liking. I might try again in a couple of days and actually make them triple thick
I’m sorry to hear that! Two reasons why they might come out too thin are that the biscuit dough was pressed out thinner than 1 inch, or the baking powder was old/not very active.
Can you double batch
Yes, you can double the recipe. Enjoy!
I made these biscuits yesterday and they are amazing. I loved how light and fluffy they were. My husband had 2 of they with hi sausage and gravy.
I will be making them again.
delightfully easy recipe. Maybe I folded it too many times because many of my biscuits fell over while baking!
So I wanted to make a big patch and freeze them. So I had to cook them then freeze them or can I just freeze the raw dough?
You can freeze them before or after baking. To freeze unbaked biscuits: Cut out the biscuits and freeze them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once they are frozen, transfer the biscuits to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time. Enjoy!