18 Flaky Homemade Biscuit Recipes

Flaky Biscuits

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

The South is famous for many iconic foods and biscuits are surely near the top of the list—but, this beloved baked good can be be found around the globe. Biscuits can be buttered hot and served plain, or topped with sausage gravy, ham, or chicken. They're even used to make old-fashioned biscuit pudding dessert, breakfast casseroles, and stuffing or dressing.

The good news is, you don't have to be a pastry chef to make delicious biscuits, but there are a few technique tips to know. Soft wheat flour produces a higher and lighter biscuit than harder wheat flour, and many cooks swear by buttermilk, self-rising flour, shortening, and other "secrets."

The real key, however, is in the handling of the dough. Once the dough is moist, work it just a few times, or only until it holds together. Pat the dough out or roll it lightly and cut it into rounds or squares. The biscuits you cut after you re-roll the scraps will be a bit denser, so keep them in a designated portion of the baking pan.

  • 01 of 18

    Make-Ahead Buttermilk Biscuits

    Make-Ahead Buttermilk Biscuits

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

    Prepare and freeze these easy make-ahead buttermilk biscuits and bake one or a dozen whenever you like. The savory pucks are made with butter and buttermilk, but add a tablespoon or two of sugar if you like them slightly sweet.

  • 02 of 18

    Paleo Biscuits With Almond Flour and Honey

    Paleo Biscuits With Almond Flour and Honey

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Need something to put that Paleo Pepper Gravy over? Look no further these crunchy yet crumbly biscuits are totally Paleo and delicious at that. No matter what type or flavor you are looking for in a delicious, paleo-friendly biscuit you can adjust it and get exactly what you want.

  • 03 of 18

    Easy Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

    biscuits hero

    The Spruce Eats / Tara Omidvar

    For easy, flaky, homemade biscuits, this easy recipe is made from nothing more than flour, baking powder, shortening, milk, and a bit of salt. These biscuits are simple to make and fast, making them perfect for breakfast time, but they're also a delicious side dish for dinner, too.

  • 04 of 18

    Quick Beer Biscuits

    Quick Beer Biscuits

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    These easy quick beer biscuits take no longer than 25 minutes from start to finish. The savory rounds are excellent with soups and stews (like this chicken stew) or dipped into a hearty chili.

    Continue to 5 of 18 below.
  • 05 of 18

    Flaky Biscuits

    Flaky Biscuits

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    This recipe for flaky biscuits is really foolproof, but each batch you make will be better than the last. Practice really does make perfect in this case. Notice the different ingredients and proportions in this biscuit recipe. The bread flour is necessary because, for flaky layers, you need more gluten, or protein, in the biscuits. 

  • 06 of 18

    Duck Fat Biscuits

    Duck Fat Biscuits
    Diana Rattray

    Duck fat has many uses since it has a fairly high smoke point. It's great for roasted and deep-fried vegetables, and it's even making a name for itself as fat for baked goods. These duck fat biscuits are a prime example.

  • 07 of 18

    Sour Cream Biscuits

    Southern Sour Cream Biscuits

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    You can easily go sweet or savory with sour cream biscuits, which pair wonderfully with syrup and jam or topped with slivers of country ham or sausage gravy.

  • 08 of 18

    Blueberry Biscuits

    Blueberry Biscuits

    The Spruce Eats / Anita Schecter

    For breakfast or brunch, bake blueberry biscuits. Fresh berries and lemon zest give them an inviting flavor, while the lemon glaze adds the ideal finishing touch.

    Continue to 9 of 18 below.
  • 09 of 18

    Buttermilk Biscuits

    buttermilk biscuits on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

    Say hello to the classic Southern biscuit. These straightforward buttermilk biscuits contain a combination of butter, flour, and buttermilk to form a fluffy, light round.

  • 10 of 18

    Sausage Cheddar Biscuits

    Sausage biscuits

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Cooked sausage, cheddar cheese, and herbs add to the savory goodness of these sausage cheddar biscuits. The biscuits are a little out-of-the-ordinary—in a good way!—because they are baked in a casserole dish.

  • 11 of 18

    Savory Pumpkin Biscuits

    Pumpkin biscuits

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Here's yet another tasty way to use pumpkin pureé—in savory pumpkin biscuits! A small amount of brown sugar and a dash of cayenne help deepen the pumpkin flavor and add a zippy kick.

  • 12 of 18

    Brown Butter and Sage Biscuits

    Brown butter and sage biscuits

    The Spruce / Nita West

    These brown butter and sage biscuits have an extra nutty flavor. The combination of herbs makes them an excellent choice for Thanksgiving dinner or the leftovers.

    Continue to 13 of 18 below.
  • 13 of 18

    Easy Cream Biscuits

    Easy Cream Biscuits

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    The heavy cream provides the fat in these rich easy cream biscuits. All you need is five simple ingredients and a bit of melted butter for the golden-brown tops.

  • 14 of 18

    Dairy-Free Vegan Bisquick Biscuits

    Dairy-Free Vegan Bisquick Biscuits

     The Spruce

    You may not know this, but Bisquick Pancake and Baking Mix is actually dairy-free and vegan, which allows for all sorts of variations on this simple biscuit recipe. Add your favorite herbs, spices, or even dairy-free cheese to your dough to add a personal touch to these simple treats.

  • 15 of 18

    Pennsylvania Dutch Lard Biscuits

    Pennsylvania Dutch Lard Biscuits

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    The rich culinary heritage of the Pennsylvania Dutch means their classic cooking methods and ingredients are still used on a daily basis. When it comes to biscuits, lard gives them the perfect texture. Easy to make, these savory biscuits can be on your table in less than 20 minutes.

  • 16 of 18

    Sourdough Biscuits

    Sourdough Biscuits

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

    This recipe is great for sourdough bakers who do not like wasting starter. These biscuits are not sourdough in the true sense because biscuits are a quick bread and sourdough requires fermentation. The taste is more like buttermilk biscuits, except here the cultured tang comes from sourdough starter discarded as part of the refreshment process. 

    Continue to 17 of 18 below.
  • 17 of 18

    Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

    copycat red lobster cheddar bay biscuits

    Pete Scherer 

    Cheddar Bay biscuits were invented by Red Lobster executive chef Kurt Hankins, sometime in the late eighties or early nineties. Cheddar bay biscuits are dropped, which means that to form the biscuits, you simply scoop some dough and drop it on the baking sheet, no rolling or cutting necessary.

  • 18 of 18

    Irish Soda Drop Biscuits

    Irish Soda Drop Biscuits

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    Irish soda drop biscuits are a great twist on the classic Irish soda bread, a quick bread that uses baking soda (or bread soda, as it is referred to in Ireland) as the leavening agent, instead of yeast. The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form little bubbles in the dough, making for a light and airy bread.