Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
These homemade Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits can be served drizzled with rich sausage gravy or topped with eggs, bacon, country ham or jam. They’re a Southern staple that you can also enjoy simply with a drizzle of honey or a dollop of homemade preserves as a side dish at any meal.
Fluffy Tender Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
The aroma of homemade biscuits baking is only eclipsed by the first heavenly bite. If you gathered any number of Southern cooks together, none of them would make their biscuits exactly the same way. Each cook would have their own favorite techniques and tricks to give their biscuits the edge that sets them apart. Serve these fluffy biscuits at any meal and enjoy a taste of the South at your own kitchen table.
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Homemade biscuits are heritage bread of sorts. They’ve been served in the South for eons and are made using simple pantry ingredients. They bridge the gap between modern day cooks and those who came before us. When I bite into a biscuit, I’m instantly transported back to my Mothers and Grandmothers tables and the are widely considered to be the house bread of choice in the South tying only with a skillet of homemade cornbread. Savory or sweet, recipes are handed down for generations by the cooks who came before us, each one claiming that they knew the closely guarded “secret” to the perfect biscuit. The truth of the matter is; that perfecting the art of biscuit making takes practice. Rest assured, you can master biscuit making with my expert tips. How to make simple Buttermilk Biscuits:
- Flour – All purpose flour not self rising for this recipe.
- Leavening – Baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Buttermilk – Whole fat buttermilk not fat free.
- Fat – Cold butter or butter flavored solid vegetable shortening. You can also use plain unflavored shortening or lard.
- Tops – Brush the tops of the biscuits with additional melted butter.
How to Make the BEST Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Follow these expert helpful tips for Making the BEST homemade buttermilk biscuits. The ingredients needed to make biscuits are so basic, it’s important to use the very best for making tender fluffy biscuits.
- Kitchen tools you’ll need: A large bowl for mixing, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry blender, a non stick surface for rolling or a pastry mat. You’ll also need a food processor, a pastry blender or two forks to cut the cold butter into the flour. A biscuit cutter and a baking pan. A pastry brush for brushing the tops.
- Ingredients you’ll need to make biscuits from scratch: All purpose flour, cold butter, baking powder, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Also, melted butter or heavy cream for brushing the tops and a drizzle of honey, jam or butter for serving.
- Start with quality ingredients. Biscuits require so few ingredients to make it’s worth making sure everything is fresh and top quality.
- Don’t overwork the biscuit dough or the biscuits could be tough.
- Use fresh baking powder.
- Use a sharp biscuit cutter. When cutting the biscuit dough into rounds, dip the cutter in flour, press down, then lift, never twist to make the cut. This ensures the biscuits will have flaky layers.
- Use cold butter. The butter will melt and create steam while baking resulting in a fluffier biscuit.
- To make your own buttermilk: To every one cup of whole milk add one tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.
- Be gentle when mixing the dough and knead as little as possible to avoid developing the gluten in the flour.
- I recommend baking the biscuits closer together. Doing so, they will rise upwards while baking.
- You can bake these biscuits in a cast iron skillet (preferred) or in a similar oven safe skillet, baking dish or pan.
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are best made and served immediately. That being said, you can keep them for 1-2 days then reheat in single servings in the microwave.
- You can also freeze the biscuit rounds prior to baking. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment and freeze solid. Package and store frozen then pull them out to bake when you’re short on time.
- Bake frozen buttermilk biscuits per the recipe brushing the tops with cream adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
More Variations and Southern Biscuit Recipes to Make
Whatever your preference, a classic Southern buttermilk biscuit and a few simple technique tips will put you on the path for biscuit making success. Biscuits come in many flavors, but this basic buttermilk biscuit recipe is probably the one that people most often make and clearly one that will never go out of style.
- The most common kind of Southern biscuit served is savory with occasional add-ins such as cheese and bacon as seen in these Cheddar Bacon Buttermilk Drop Biscuits.
- They can also be served as a a sweeter version such as incorporating sweet potatoes with sugar and cinnamon in my recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits.
- Use leftover holiday ham to make these Ham and Cheddar Biscuits.
- Just like a scone, at times they feature fresh or dried fruit and they’re topped with a sweet glaze honey glaze like my Honey Butter Biscuits or Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Biscuits.
- Then, there are the beloved Angel Biscuits which are a cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a yeast roll.
- Easy 7 Up Drop Biscuits are a fan favorite!
- You may also like to try this recipe for Cinnamon Biscuits with Honey Butter from Butter with a Side of Bread.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 5 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
- 1 – 1 1/4 cup cold buttermilk
- melted butter or heavy cream to brush the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Cube the butter or shortening then cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor. Cut until it becomes crumbly and resembles peas.
- Mix in 1 cup cold buttermilk, just until the crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Add up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk, if needed. The dough shouldn’t be overly wet but, slightly sticky.
- Roll or pat out on a lightly floured surface about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter dipped in flour. Do not twist the dough with the cutter. Cut the dough, then lift the cookie cutter up. Re-roll any scraps and repeat.
- Place biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter or heavy cream.
- Bake biscuits at 450°F for 13-15 minutes until lightly golden and puffed.
- Brush with melted butter after removing from the oven. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Whole fat or low fat buttermilk preferred, not fat free.
- To make your own Buttermilk: To every one cup of whole milk add 1 Tbsp of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.
Husband told me to pitch all other biscuit recipes that I’ve saved. Only thing I did different was to grate the butter and then freeze it before mixing. Made that part easier. Sooooooo good.
Can I use almond milk or soy milk instead of regular milk?
I haven’t tested it, but you could likely adapt, sure.
I just had to leave a review. These biscuits are delicious! So soft and just yummy, though I didn’t add butter to the tops.
I am the biscuit maker in my family and over the years had gotten to the place of perfect fluffiness with melt in your mouth texture and people love them, but I had never made buttermilk biscuits.
I stumbled across this recipe and decided to five it a whirl. (Note: I was a bit hesitant after trying 2 recipes over the weekend 1 being huge waste of ingredients)
But needless to say I am sooo happy I took the plunge. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I will be keeping this in my line up!
Thanks so much!
Hello Melissa,
Just wanted to thank you for your recipe, I’ve made these biscuits a few times and they have been really good. The last time, they were even better! Why? It was because I paid more attention to your tips. Making sure the baking powder was fresh is essential! Also, I found a correctly sized cutter & paid closer attention to the thickness of the dough prior to cutting. My husband and in-laws love them!
Thanks again,
Beth
Hi Beth, it sounds like you’re just getting the hang of it the more you make them. I’m the first to say, biscuit making takes practice. Well done, I’m so happy you’re loving these!
Excited to make these tonight! I’m sorry if this has already been asked, but what kind of butter did you use?
I have found that Kirklands brand (Costco) performs very well in baked goods as well as Land O Lakes, of course. Some inexpensive versions don’t always.
Hi Melissa
I found your recipe on blueberry scone can you use fresh strawberries because my grand daughter loves strawberries
Thank you
Rose
Hi Rose, you could adapt using strawberries.
Can you freeze the biscuits? If so do you freeze after baking or before?
You can freeze these biscuits, either way. My preference is to freeze them prior to baking on a sheet pan separately, then place into an airtight container. Bake however many you need from frozen, adding a few minutes to the time and you’ll be good to go.
Family reports “this is a keeper” – thank you for a great recipe! Thank you!
Wonderful, thanks!
I love biscuits but did not know how to make them. So when I looked at this recipe, I decided to make and wasn’t it good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed these, thanks!
So easy and delicious, perfect recipe!
Thank you!
For the last 35 years I have been trying to make biscuits and they were always like hockey pucks so I started making drop biscuits. Tonight I decided to try again following your recipe and boy am I glad I did. They turned out beautifully. Thank you for your wonderful recipe
Hi Karla, I’m so happy you loved these, thanks!
Excellent! They rose beautifully and were crispy on the outside and fluffy and tender on the inside. Great flavor and did not crumble.
Thanks!
Thanks so much!
Tasted great but my batch didn’t rise in oven – maybe it’s the high altitude I’m in at 6800 feet? (My baking powder was newly purchased so don’t think it result of having old BP.). Thanks!
No doubt, you have to adapt all recipes for high altitude baking it’s not an even swap.
I’d put 1 Tbsp of sugar and it’ll make a beautiful difference.. Thanks..
These are the best biscuits I have ever made! Finally! I’ve found my forever-recipe! Thank you!
Thank you, Betsy!
These biscuits rose well but the lower time was too much by 3 minutes and my oven was just recently checked for accuracy. I’m glad I checked them. I used a harder wheat but they were very tender.
Bake time is pretty much always exclusive to your oven. The fact they took 3 minutes less shouldn’t be surprising at all. Some ovens will need 3 minutes more. This is why you have to engage with this, or any recipe that you make, and tweak times to your individual appliance. Also,while this recipe can be adapted using different flours, there’s a huge difference between wheat flour and all purpose flour. When making such a major adaptation you should expect the end result to be different.
Delicious!
The kids are grown and now my parents, 88 and 86, live with us. Mama was talking yesterday about how she used to make cornbread or biscuits twice a day. I have always enjoyed cooking and baking, but for some reason haven’t made biscuits. Just never really liked eating them I guess. Anyway, found your recipe and went for it. Mama stood by giving me a few pointers. They were not just good, they were great. Tender and flavorful. Light and fluffy. We could cut them or split them easily, but they didn’t crumble. I am so excited to have found this wonderful recipe. I see lots of buttermilk biscuits in our future! Thanks!
Hi Deb, your Mom sounds like mine. I’m delighted you all included my recipe in such a special cooking project. Thank you!
Hi this is Becky from Nebraskabeen cooking for 60 years as my mom could not cook at all she passed away at 98 years. Young so could you use homer renders lard instead of butter thanks becky
Hi Becky, you can most certainly use lard in place of butter, yes.
Thanks for all your help will make them tonight for 75 people I am catering thanks again becky
Girl!! You received so many positive reviews, this has to be the one..
I have been searching for a biscuit recipe like my mom’s for years. I mean, I can make biscuits but mine have never been light and fluffy, I agree with your techniques concerning over kneading and cutting, as I did learn these from Mama too. I am going to give this recipe a whirl and get back to you.
I hope you love these!!
Hello. I need to make a very legendary batch of these. How far in advance can I make them without baking them? Or can I make them and freeze them until it’s time to bake? Any suggestions? Need by Sunday. Thank you
You can make and freeze the unbaked dough rounds, sure. Once they’re frozen solid pop into a freezer safe bag to store.
Ok, so I made my first attempt yesterday. Now honestly, my baking soda and baking powder were a bit old and not the good stuff, I’ll leave labels out. But anyway, as you clearly stated, they did not rise to expectations and a bit dense. On the other hand, OMG!!!! They were very tasty with a golden tender crunch on both top and bottom.
Now, today I bought fresh ingredients and just made another batch😅. I knew as I was washing dishes this batch was going to come out right. How? The little crumbles of dough left in the bowl were fluffing up under hot water (like drop dumplings). As expected, they raised to a beautiful fluffy, light and golden brown. My husband liked those from yesterday and asked for some more for supper. Mmmmmm good! As Rachel Ray says, YUMM-O.
Hi Lorrine, I’m so happy you loved these. You’re becoming a biscuit making maven in no time flat. Well done!
All thanks to you Melissa, all thanks to you. So my neighbor came over for a pit roast dinner last night and of course I had my (your recipe) biscuits as part of our feast.
She was so impressed that she ran back over to her house and grabbed a couple of restaurant made biscuits which she had bought earlier that day. Mind you, I have eaten those restaurant biscuits which are very good, but she wanted to compare. We both agreed that mine were better in taste and texture as well as the fact that mine are not factory made with all the added preservatives.
Since she prepares meals for meals on wheels, she asked if I would be willing to make her breakfast biscuits from now on.
OMGosh!!!! Yes!!!
This morning I made 5 dozen biscuits for her by 6:30 AM. I doubled the recipe to fill a 1/2 sheet baking sheet. Again, absolutely amazing. She was so happy with the turn out.
Wow, you are BUSY! Love it ♥
Melissa,
May I add a tip here? You are more then welcome to edit my tip out if you want, after all this is you page.
I have noticed many comments concerning the change in texture and crispness or crunchiness.
As a person who worked in the food industry for many years, although until now I couldn’t get biscuit making down right, one of the many things I learned from the food industry is this:
Food products such as meats, poultry and even baked goods, usually should be allowed to rest in the pan for a few minutes before removal. Why? Food will continue to cook in it’s own heat as it cools. (True fact, look it up on askUSDA.gov). As pastries cool in the pan it is also setting the texture of your finished product similarly as jello sets up.
So let the biscuits cool a few minutes before brushing the tops with butter (the second time), then remove from the pan. I wrap mine in a clean kitchen towel and place in a bread basket on the table. I have put leftovers in a ziploc bag and refrigerated them, pulled them out the next day and microwave 30 seconds and they are as awesome as if fresh from the oven.😃
As Melissa has also stated several times, fresh baking powder and baking soda, as well as chilled or frozen butter are key the final results of biscuits.
Another concern may be altitude. Many recipes need to be adjusted to the climate and altitude in which we live.
I know this from my travels while working in the food industry. When I lived on the Kansas-Colorado border, I have to adjust my bread machine recipe to the altitude, and re-adjust it when my job moved us to Up State New York, and then again when I promoted to North Carolina. Needless to said, when I came back to my Southern Oklahoma home, I had to adjust back my original recipe.
So, you see, this is truly a Southern biscuit recipe that honestly may need to be adjusted according to ones own climate and altitude.
Melissa, I must say, as a Southern biscuit recipe, you have truly knocked this one out of the park!!! I do love it. You’re a Super Star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in my book. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
All great points, thanks for such a thoughtful note!
I made your biscuits today. When they came out of the oven had a couple. Thwy were flaky the bottoms were nice and crisp. When they cooled not so good. They tasted on the doughy side and the bottoms didn’t have that nice crunch. What happens?
I’m not sure why they tasted doughy unless they were under baked, but you say they were flaky. That said, it’s not unusual for a biscuit to change texture as bit as it cools.
Hello I was wondering if it matters what type of flour you use self rise or just regular
It does matter, they aren’t interchangeable. This recipe uses all purpose flour. If you want to make biscuits using self rising flour checkout this recipe for Cream Biscuits.
Do i chill dough before cutting bicuits?Thanks Keith
There’s no need to chill the biscuit dough.
I’ve tried several biscuit recipes and this one has by far been the most successful. Thank you for sharing!
Hi.
Can I use homemade buttermilk that is left over after making butter?
Sure, no problem!
Ok. I ended making these biscuits with buttermilk I had from making butter. Wow. This is the first time I have ever tried making biscuit and these were delicious! The instructions were perfect. I just cut them into squares and they were perfect. Cannot wait to make them again.
Sounds great, I’m so happy you enjoyed these!