Biscuit Recipe you’ll want on repeat, made with 5 ingredients, no stress, and melt in your mouth flavor every time.
author’s note
The Only Biscuit Recipe You’ll Ever Need!
My dad’s all-time favorite breakfast is biscuits and gravy, so I made it my mission to make him the best he’s ever had.
That started with perfecting the biscuit. I love biscuits—especially the sweet kind with butter, jam, and some homemade whipped cream! After lots of testing and tweaking, I finally perfected the best biscuit recipe I’ve ever made.
They turn out perfect every single time. If you’re after a foolproof, go-to biscuit, this is it. And once you’ve got the biscuits down, don’t miss my biscuits and gravy—I finally nailed that too!
Biscuit Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | What to Know |
|---|---|
| All purpose flour | Spoon and level so it is light and not packed. |
| Granulated sugar | Optional for a lightly sweet biscuit. |
| Baking powder | Gives rise and lift. Make sure it is fresh. |
| Salt | Adds necessary flavor. |
| Heavy cream | Use full fat cream straight from the fridge. Buttermilk also works. |
| Butter | Use unsalted so you control salt. Good quality butter gives better flavor. |
Quick Tip
If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this homemade Biscuits Recipe! Use a pastry cutter or even two table knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
How To Make This Biscuit Recipe
There are a few ways to make these (see the recipe card for more), but using a food processor works best for me. Like pie dough, it’s all about minimal handling.
- Start with cold butter. I cube it, then freeze the cubes.
- Pulse dry ingredients with butter until the butter looks like small peas.
- Add cream. Pulse just until a dough starts to form.
- Knead lightly. Just enough to bring it together, then press into a 1-inch disc.
- Cut, brush, chill, and bake. Cut out biscuits, brush with cream, chill, then bake.
Tips To Make The Best Biscuit Recipe
- Keep everything cold: Chill the flour, freeze the cubed butter, and use cold cream.
- Cut straight down: Don’t twist the cutter so biscuits rise tall.
- Don’t over-knead: Stop once the dough comes together. Warm hands melt butter.
- Watch the bake time: Pull them out when lightly golden.
- Let them rest: Leave on the pan 5 minutes to finish cooking. A hollow tap on top means they’re done.
Quick Tip
Don’t have a biscuit cutter? No worries! Cut the dough into 2×2-inch squares instead!
Storage
- I prefer these biscuits the same day they are baked, but leftovers store well. Let them cool fully, then place in an airtight bag and refrigerate. Enjoy within a few days.
- Can you freeze baked biscuits? Yes. Cool completely, wrap each biscuit in plastic wrap, place in a freezer safe bag or container, and freeze for 2 to 3 months.
What To Serve With Biscuits
- Spread with Honey Butter and a little jam or this Blueberry Syrup.
- Make a ham, Swiss cheese, and hot honey sandwich (like these Ham and Cheese Sliders).
- Serve alongside Ham and Cheese Quiche or Quiche Lorraine.
- To enjoy a biscuit recipe for dinner, try adding some fried chicken and hot honey to make a delicious dinner sandwich.
More Biscuit-Style Bread Recipes:
Muffins And Quick Breads
Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe
Breakfast
Strawberry Scones
Desserts
Air Fryer Donuts
Muffins And Quick Breads
Drop Biscuits
Biscuits
This easy, five-ingredient Biscuit Recipe is a must-try! Perfectly buttery and simple to make, they’re great with dinner or as a sweet treat with butter and jam.
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- 2-inch biscuit cutter or a knife to cut dough into 2 x 2 inches
- Large food processor or pastry cutter or two knives, see note 3
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream divided, see note 1
- Softened butter to brush on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a sheet pan with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper (not foil). Cut butter into small cubes, then put in freezer to get as cold as possible—ideally about 15 minutes.
- If using a food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cubed butter from freezer into a large food processor. Pulse (don’t puree) 5–8 times at 1-second intervals. Butter should be pea-sized crumbs. (Pulse another few seconds if not.) Pour 1 cup heavy cream over everything. Pulse again just until cream is incorporated, about 8 more 1-second intervals. Don’t over-pulse; dough should still be crumbly. Scrape dough onto a clean working surface. Knead a few times to bring dough into a ball (the less kneading the better). If needed, add a sprinkle of flour, but avoid adding too much—you’ll end up with drier biscuits.
- Use your hands to press dough into a 1-inch thick disc. Grab a 2-inch biscuit cutter (see note 2 for bigger biscuits) and first press into flour, then press directly into dough (don’t wiggle or shimmy the cutter). Use a metal spatula to scrape the cut biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet (avoid touching the biscuit with your hands). Repeat until you’ve cut as many as possible, then reroll scraps, flatten, and cut out a few more. I typically get 14 or 15. See note 3 if you don’t have a food processor!
- Set biscuits close together on sheet pan, about 1/2-inches apart. (Rising close together helps them rise straight up.) Brush the tops with remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Bake 12–16 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottoms and tops. Remove and let stand 10 minutes. (Steam will finish cooking the interior.) Out of the oven, brush on some softened butter with a pastry brush if desired. Serve warm, split in half with butter and jam, or even some cream if you’re feeling fancy!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I love what heavy cream does for the texture and flavor of the biscuits, but if you prefer regular milk, that works as well. Replace the 1 cup heavy cream with 3/4 cup whole milk or low-fat buttermilk.
Note 2: For larger biscuits, use a 2-3/4-inch biscuit cutter. I typically get 6–7 biscuits. Bake for 17–22 minutes.
Note 3: Pastry Cutter or Knife Method:
- To use a pastry cutter or two table knives, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Remove frozen, cubed butter from freezer and put right on top of dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of this bowl. Pour heavy cream, straight from the fridge, into the well. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir until combined. Do not overmix or overwork dough.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently work the dough together. (If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour, but avoid adding too much more flour, or you’ll get dense/drier biscuits).
- Once ingredients have formed a ball, fold dough in half. Gently flatten dough with your hands to a wide rectangle. Rotate dough 90° and fold in half again. Flatten with your hands again. Repeat this process a total of 4–6 times, being careful to not overwork the dough or make it too warm.
- Finally, flatten dough to 1-inch thick. Grab a 2-inch biscuit cutter and, first press into flour, then press directly into dough (don’t wiggle the cutter). Use a metal spatula to scrape cut biscuit onto prepared baking sheet (avoid touching biscuit with your hands). Repeat until you’ve cut out as many as possible then reroll scraps, flatten, and cut out a few more. I typically get 14 or 15.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
- If you’d like to make a buttermilk biscuit recipe instead, replace the heavy whipping cream with 3/4 cup buttermilk.
- For a 3-ingredient biscuit recipe, use self-rising flour, heavy cream, and butter! You can leave out the salt and baking powder if using self-rising flour, since both are included in that mix.
Biscuit Recipe FAQs
Why are my biscuits flat?
Two common issues:
1. Old baking powder: Make sure it’s fresh or the biscuits won’t rise.
2. Warm butter: Use cold butter to create steam pockets. If it melts too early, biscuits turn out flat and dense.
Are biscuits better with butter or shortening?
Butter and shortening both work in biscuits, but I prefer butter for the flavor and flaky texture.
Shortening helps with rise and makes softer, more cake-like biscuits. But cold butter gives better flavor and crisp, flaky layers—just make sure it stays cold to avoid flat biscuits.
