Home » Bread recipes » Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Tall and flaky, these easy buttermilk biscuits have tons of layers that can be pulled apart to be slathered in butter or strawberry jam. Homemade buttermilk biscuits from scratch are ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish. This easy recipe is perfect for every level of cook.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my Parmesan potato biscuits and my potato dill biscuits recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my bread recipes in one place.

Buttermilk biscuit with strawberry jam on plate.

Pook’s Pantry participates in affiliate programs. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Easy buttermilk biscuits

This easy biscuit recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and uses 7 common pantry ingredients.

They pair perfectly with most soup recipes and make an excellent addition to breakfast as well.

Basket of buttermilk biscuits from scratch.

Growing up, the only biscuits we had were out of a can. Homemade biscuits always seemed a mystery to me. I assumed they were difficult to make and I was afraid to attempt them when I was younger.

If only I’d known how easy they are to make, I could have been enjoying these fluffy homemade biscuits much more often.

Ingredients

These basic buttermilk biscuits use common pantry ingredients to keep this recipe simple.

Ingredients for buttermilk biscuits.
  1. All purpose flour – the regular flour you have in the pantry.
  2. Baking powder & baking soda – these are leaveners to help the biscuits rise.
  3. Salt – the biscuits need to be seasoned.
  4. Cold butter – butter needs to be very cold to help build those flaky layers.
  5. Cold buttermilk – the liquids should be cold to keep everything else cold.
  6. Sugar – a little sugar gives the biscuits good flavor.

How to make easy buttermilk biscuits

  • First, sift all of the dry ingredients together into a medium bowl.
  • Next, cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender. You can also do this in a food processor by pulsing until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Step by step instructions for making  biscuits from scratch.
  • Pour in buttermilk and stir just until the mixture comes together.
  • Dump the crumbly dough out and pat it together, folding several times to form layers.
  • Cut biscuits out, place on baking sheet, then brush with buttermilk or cream before baking.
One biscuit on small plate.

Tips and tricks for success

Making easy buttermilk biscuits from scratch is not difficult, but there are a few tricks and tips to follow that will guarantee tall, fluffy, perfect biscuits every time.

Two biscuits on wooden board.
  1. Not too thick: My number one piece of advice would be to pat out the dough to no more than 1/2 inch. The photo above shows what happens when your biscuit dough is too tall. They tend to flop over instead of rising up nice and straight.
  2. Don’t overwork the dough: The dough will be crumbly when you dump it out of the bowl, that’s normal. Resist the urge to knead the dough. The goal is to bring it together with the least amount of handling possible.
  3. Even thickness: Another helpful tip is to make sure the dough is fairly level. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure the dough is patted out to roughly the same thickness.
  4. Cold butter: As the butter melts, it creates pockets of steam in the dough. For best results, put the cubed butter in the freezer for 15 minutes right before you cut it into the flour. The butter should be very, very cold.
  5. Don’t twist the biscuit cutter: Press straight down and pull up. Twisting the cutter will prevent the buttermilk biscuits from rising to their potential.
Basic buttermilk biscuit recipe with jam.

Frequently asked questions

How long do biscuits last?

Biscuits are best the day they are made. They will be noticeably less delicious the next day and by day three, they will be stale. Warming them in the oven (or even the microwave) will help them a bit, but plan to make as many biscuits as you’ll need for just that day.

Can I freeze them?

Yes! Freeze the baked biscuits in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and warm in a low oven to breathe life back into them.

Can I make them ahead?

Unfortunately, biscuits aren’t a good make ahead recipe. Instead, measure out all of the dry ingredients and sift them together. Put in a jar labeled “biscuit mix” and then carry on with the rest of the recipe when you are ready to bake. This will save you a few minutes next time.

Want to add in some extra flavor? Chop up a tablespoon or two of fresh herbs like dill and add in when mixing the dough.

Easy biscuit recipe from scratch on white plate with jam.

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

Image for Pinterest.

I hope you love this buttermilk biscuit recipe as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Easy buttermilk biscuits

Cheryl Bennett
Easy buttermilk biscuits from scratch in under 30 minutes.
4.84 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Bread recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 biscuits
Calories 220 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 6 tbsp. chilled butter diced into 1/4 in. pieces
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp. buttermilk or cream for brushing on top

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C / Gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Sift flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and baking soda together.
  • Using a pastry blender (or a fork) cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Add buttermilk and stir in flour just until it comes together – dough will be crumbly.
  • Turn out onto a floured surface, pat dough out and fold over on itself a few times to help create layers.
  • Pat out to 1/2 in. thickness. Using a 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out biscuits by pushing straight down.
  • Lay biscuits on parchment lined sheet pan and brush tops with buttermilk or cream.
  • Bake for 10 – 14 minutes, rotating tray halfway through baking time.
  • Serve immediately. Biscuits are best the day they are made.

Video

Notes

White Lily flour is really nice for biscuits, but any flour will do.
Make sure the butter is VERY cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuitCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 673mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

Originally published 3/21/13, most recent update 3/29/22.

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos or recipe (other than for personal use) without prior written permission. Thank you!

2 Comments

  1. Oh, Sissy! Them are Loverley!! They rose so high and beautifully!!

    I am glad that you are my sissy. I am sorry we live so far away from each other. Looking forward to May!! <3

4.84 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating