Easy Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

Written by
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Jolinda Hackett
Updated 11/09/20
biscuits hero

The Spruce Eats / Tara Omidvar
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yields: 10 biscuits

Make a fresh homemade batch of quick and easy biscuits for breakfast, whether you're serving them with an egg dish and bacon or making breakfast sandwiches. Top them with sausage gravy or simply serve with jam or preserves and butter. 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.

For easy, flaky, homemade biscuits, try this easy biscuit recipe made from nothing more than flour, baking powder, shortening, milk, and a bit of salt. When making homemade biscuits, you want to be cautious not to overmix the dough. You also want to make sure that you don't over-knead it; it's okay (desired, in fact) for there to still be some ​pieces of shortening intact. These little chunks of fat will make your biscuits flaky, and over-working the dough will lead to tough biscuits.

1:18

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading dough)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening (cold)
  • 3/4 cup milk (2% or whole)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

    Easy Homemade Breakfast Biscuits ingredients

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and the salt.

    flour, baking powder, and the salt in a bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  3. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    shortening added to the flour mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  4. Make a well in the dry mixture and add in the milk all at once.

    milk added to the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  5. Stir together with a fork just until the dough clings together. You want it to still be a bit lumpy; this will help your biscuits be perfectly light and flaky and create those delectable and airy layers when baking. 

    biscuit dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  6. Lightly flour a clean kitchen work surface. Gently knead your biscuit dough on the lightly floured surface just a few times to bring the dough together. 

    biscuit dough on a marble counter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  7. Roll out or pat the dough to about a 1/2-inch thickness.

    biscuit dough rolled out

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  8. Cut the dough into rounds with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between each cut. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, you can also use a knife or even kitchen shears if you have them. 

    biscuit dough cut with biscuit cutter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  9. Space each piece of cut dough out on an ungreased baking sheet.

    biscuit dough pieces on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  10. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake until the biscuits have risen and are lightly golden brown on top, about 12 minutes.

    Easy Homemade Breakfast Biscuits on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  11. Serve warm and enjoy!

    Biscuits final

    The Spruce Eats / Tara Omidvar

    Recipe Variations

    • For buttermilk biscuits, swap the milk for buttermilk. You may need to add slightly more since the liquid is thicker.
    • To make vegan biscuits, swap the milk for non-dairy milk. A thicker, higher fat non-dairy milk works best.
    • Add finely chopped herbs or chives to the biscuits for extra flavor and color.
    • Add finely chopped, cooked bacon for meaty biscuits.

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