You know it is when you get into a dinner rut: protein, veggie, starch over and over again. There’s nothing wrong with simple dinners, but sometimes you need a little something extra to liven it up. That’s where a great simple biscuit recipe comes in.
Everyone loves warm fluffy biscuits straight from the oven. While you can rely on refrigerated biscuit brands, you can make homemade biscuits from scratch with just a handful of ingredients, most of which you have right in your cupboard. That’s right—you’re never more than five ingredients and 30 minutes away from amazing homemade biscuits that can liven up any meal.
Simple Biscuit Recipe
Making biscuits from scratch is such a worthwhile endeavor, and it doesn’t need to be challenging. This simple biscuit recipe is a snap to put together and it uses ingredients you likely already have on hand.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
Directions
Step 1: Get the Dough Going
The first step to making great simple biscuits is to whisk together your dry ingredients. Use the biggest mixing bowl you got and just give the flour, baking powder and salt a quick whisk—just to get them incorporated.
Then grab your cold butter and cut it into cubes. Cut these butter bits into your dry ingredients with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. The last step of creating the dough is adding the milk. Stir it in until the dough is just moistened—no need to overwork it.
Step 2: Knead the Biscuit Dough
Next up, you’ll give the biscuits a quick knead. Sprinkle your clean work surface with a bit of flour (just so it doesn’t stick) and turn the dough out. Knead the biscuits gently eight to ten times. Then press the dough with your hands until it’s a half-inch thick. Grab a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter and cut out your biscuits.
Editor’s tip: If you don’t have a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter, just use a glass or cup with a thin rim. Dip the edge into some flour and use that as a cutter. It works just as well.
Step 3: Bake
Finally, place your biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Give them a little room—about an inch between each. Bake at 450ºF for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve them warm. If you love vintage cookbooks, try these cottage cheese biscuits.
Biscuit FAQs
These simple biscuits are a breeze to make once you’ve got a hang of the recipe. Here are some answers to your most common biscuit questions and some tips to make sure you bake the fluffiest biscuits possible. They’ll be so good you won’t have leftovers!
How do you keep biscuits fresh?
Biscuits are best served fresh from the oven. Who doesn’t love a warm biscuit anyway?
However, you can store biscuits, too. Pop them in an airtight container and they’ll keep on the countertop for two to three days. You can also store them in the freezer for up to three months. You can put them in a warm oven for a few minutes to revive them.
How do you make homemade biscuits fluffy?
The key to making fluffy homemade biscuits is not to overwork the dough. The more you stir or knead the dough, the tougher the biscuits will be. The trick is to stir the milk in until just combined and kneading the biscuits very gently.
Also, be sure that you’re measuring flour correctly. If you add too much flour, you can make the biscuits heavy and dense.
Are biscuits better with butter or shortening?
There are some recipes out there that call for shortening (like these fluffy biscuits), however, most call for butter. Butter provides more flavor than shortening and can create more flaky layers the way butter creates a flakier pie crust.
What should you serve with biscuits?
Biscuits make a great side with any dinner. As we said, these biscuits can make even simple weekday suppers special.
But you don’t need to save biscuits just for dinnertime. They’re great served up at breakfast with country gravy or topped with good honey, homemade jam or even a little more butter.
Try More Biscuit Recipes from Our Recipe Box
I'm a big fan of homemade biscuits, but not the rolling and cutting that goes into making them. The drop biscuit method solves everything! —Christina Addison, Blanchester, Ohio
Go to Recipe
Sweet cream biscuits were the first kind I mastered. Since the ingredients are so simple, I can scale the recipe up or down. In fact, I've actually memorized it! —Helen Nelander, Boulder Creek, California
I started with my grandmother’s biscuits and added a bit of my personality. When I make these with my kids, it feels like she’s with us. —Amy Chase, Vanderhoof, British Columbia
These biscuits are a wonderful pairing for soups. I've made them with all-purpose white flour as well as whole wheat, and both work equally well. —Bonnie Appleton, Canterbury, Connecticut
The recipe for these four-ingredient homemade buttermilk biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina
Because these sweet treats are so easy, I'm almost embarrassed when people ask me for the recipe. They're a snap to make with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and your favorite fruit preserves. —Ione Burham, Washington, Iowa
These wonderful, buttery biscuits complement any dinner. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
Homemade biscuits add a warm and comforting touch to any meal. My grandmother makes these tender biscuits to go with her seafood chowder. —Melissa Obernesser, Utica, New York
My grandchildren are always happy when I pull a pan of my cheese biscuits from the oven. The golden brown goodies are perfect for dipping into chili or stew. — Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
This recipe is simple but a delicious addition to any meal. The children love to dip the ready-made biscuits in butter and coat it with the cheese. Warm from the oven, one biscuit per person usually isn’t enough. —Linda Becker, Olympia, Washington
These colorful little drop biscuits are very easy to put together and yet are packed full of flavor. I serve them warm out of the oven. —Keith Mesch, Mt. Healthy, Ohio
When I was young, my mom would make these biscuits with fresh cream she got from a local farmer. I don't go to those lengths, but the family recipe is still a real treat. —Beverly Sprague, Baltimore, Maryland
I grow many herbs, so I can just go out to the garden and pick them. These biscuits contain my favorite ones. —Melissa McCabe, Long Beach, California
Whole wheat flour gives these biscuits a nutty, homey flavor. Ever since I started making these, white flour biscuits just don't taste as good! Pair them with soup or slather them with whipped cream and sweetened berries for a dessert treat. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
My biscuits won the prize for best quick bread at my county fair. One of the judges liked them so much, she asked for the recipe! These buttery, savory biscuits go with just about anything. —Gloria Jarrett, Loveland, Ohio
These fluffy buttermilk biscuits are so tasty slathered with butter or used to mop up every last drop of gravy off your plate. I can still see Mom pulling these tender gems out of the oven. —Vera Reid, Laramie, Wyoming
Melt-in-your-mouth good when warm, these shortcut biscuits with a hint of orange prove that the right mix really can offer homemade taste. —Betty Saint Turner, Attalla, Alabama
Here's our crack at the never-ending biscuits from Red Lobster. Made from scratch with lighter ingredients, they're just as cheesy and buttery as the original. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
"These can be made ahead and frozen. To heat them up, place on an ungreased baking sheet in a 375° oven for 6 to 10 minutes or until heated through. They go great with the soup and salad.” —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Everyone asks for these cheesy corn biscuits, especially when I serve soup. If you're lucky and have leftovers, rewarm them and pass the butter and jam. —Susan Braun, Swift Current, Saskatchewan
My teenage granddaughter, Holly, and I have enjoyed cooking together since she was 4 years old. We like to make these golden biscuits for holiday gatherings. Fill the centers with homemade jam, orange marmalade or cheese. —Mary Lindsay, Dunrango, Colorado
My family likes biscuits for breakfast. One Sunday, I decided to make those golden goodies extra special by adding white chips, dried cranberries and a simple orange glaze. —Lori Daniels, Beverly, West Virginia
After we had cinnamon-topped biscuits at a restaurant, I came up with my own version at home. I keep crystallized ginger on hand so I can whip up a batch at a moment’s notice!—Rebecca Littlejohn, Vista, Califiornia
Lemon and blueberries make such a fresh and flavorful combination in all kinds of baked goods, especially these biscuits. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
My family gobbles up these biscuits, which are low in fat, cholesterol and sugar. I almost always make these now instead of my old shortening-based recipe. —Wendy Masters, Grand Valley, Ontario