Homemade Biscuits are so easy to make, and these are the fluffiest biscuits you’ll try – buttery and super soft! I’ll share my best tip for cutting them to get that impressive rise. This Biscuit Recipe has just six simple ingredients that come together fast, and there is no rising time required.

Homemade Biscuits served in a bread bowl

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Of all of the different breads I bake, I’m convinced that biscuits are the easiest home-baked bread! There’s no kneading or waiting as with yeast doughs, and you don’t need any fancy equipment. Watch my video tutorial below, and you’ll see how easy it is to whip up a batch of biscuits from scratch. These are so good on their own, but also excellent in Strawberry Shortcake or Biscuits and Gravy.

Homemade Biscuits Video

Helpful Reader Reviews

“I forgot to move my butter from the freezer to the fridge the night before, so I just grated it directly into the dry ingredients. It worked very well. I’ve been trying out a lot of biscuit recipes recently and this is by far the best one! So delicate and moist inside with a nice crust on the top and bottom.” – Johanna ★★★★★

“These are the very best biscuits I’ve ever made! This recipe is my ‘go to’ because they are tall, flaky, and have an excellent crumb! I freeze and shred my butter into the flour before adding the half & half. It all comes together so well and the biscuits are delicious! Thank you for posting!” – Brenda ★★★★★

Biscuit Recipe

If you love homemade bread and fresh dinner rolls, but don’t like to wait for them to rise and proof, this biscuit recipe is for you. They’re perfect for any cooking skill level and taste way better than store-bought biscuits out of a can.

Up close fluffy homemade biscuit with soft layers

Ingredients for Biscuits

I love that this uses pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients.

  • Flour – all-purpose flour works best for a tender crumb
  • Baking Powder – use aluminum-free and make sure to sift if you see clumps in your baking powder.
  • Salt and sugar – add just the right amount of flavor.
  • Unsalted Butter – be sure it’s cold, right from the refrigerator. If you prefer to use salted butter, you will want to reduce the salt in the recipe.
  • Half and Half – this is also called “light cream.” If you don’t have half and half, you can make it by combining equal parts of milk and heavy whipping cream.
Ingredients to make biscuits with butter, flour, half and half, baking powder, salt and sugar

Tips for the Best Homemade Biscuits

  • Measure flour correctly – spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top. Read our post on how to measure ingredients.
  • Dip your pastry cutter into flour between each cut. This will create a cleaner cut for a better rise.
  • Cut Biscuits straight down. Don’t turn your cutter side to side and do not use a sawing motion. Cutting straight down is the KEY to help the biscuits rise better.
  • Use cold butter. The key to making great biscuits is to use cold butter. We dice up the butter and then refrigerate it until ready to use. Cold butter will produce the fluffiest layers in your biscuits.
  • Do not over-mix – once liquids touch the flour, mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Cold diced butter for the best biscuits

Tools for Making Biscuits

The best thing about making homemade biscuits is that you don’t need any fancy equipment. Here are the tools we use to make the process super quick and easy:

  • Baking Sheet – line it with a sheet of parchment paper
  • Biscuit Cutter – we used a 2 1/2″ diameter round cutter. You can also use a knife or bench cutter to cut the biscuits into squares.
  • Pastry Blender – to cut butter into the flour. You can also use a fork with wide tines, two knives, or a food processor (see instructions for this below).
  • Mixing Bowl – this dough comes together in 1 bowl (we used a 4 qt).
  • Wooden spoon or spatula – to stir in the liquid ingredients
Biscuit cutter for making biscuits

How to Make Biscuits

  • Dice butter – Cut into 1/2″ cubes and refrigerate until needed.
  • Whisk dry ingredients – In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk until really well combined before adding butter and liquids.
  • Add diced butter to the flour mixture and cut it into the flour until the largest pieces are pea-sized. It’s easy with a pastry blender.
  • Add liquids -Pour in all the half and half at once and stir it in until the dry ingredients are just moistened then transfer to a floured surface. If the dough is too moist, dust the top with flour.
  • Shape the dough into a rectangle and fold in half. Shape into a rectangle again and fold a second time. Shape dough into a 5×10″ rectangle and cut out 8 2 1/2″ diameter circles. You can pull together the scraps to form 2 more biscuits.
  • Bake – Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 450˚F for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Brush hot biscuits with melted butter.
step by step how to make biscuit dough

Pro Tip:

For the Softest Biscuits, be sure not to overmix the dough so it doesn’t develop gluten strands, which can cause the biscuits to be tough. Mix just until it comes together and you should still be able to see bits of butter in the dough.

how to cut out biscuits and bake

Can I Make Biscuits in a Food Processor?

To use a food processor, pulse together dry ingredients, then add chilled diced butter and pulse just until the largest pieces are pea-sized. Add just 3/4 cup half and half and pulse only until combined.

What is the Secret to a good biscuit?

There are a few ‘secrets’ that are important for good biscuits. Make sure you don’t overwork the dough, cut straight down when you cut out your biscuits, and avoid overbaking.

three fluffy biscuits stacked

Serve Biscuits with

  • Gravy – there’s nothing more classic than biscuits and gravy.
  • Jam – spread sweet jam over biscuits and enjoy them with tea.
  • Honey Butter – we love how butter melts onto a warm biscuit
  • Breakfast Sandwiches – break the biscuit in half and use it for a sandwich.
Biscuits served with jam

Make-Ahead and Storage

It’s easy to make biscuits in advance. You can prep them in advance and enjoy freshly baked biscuits in the morning.

  • Overnight Make-Ahead Biscuits – Cut the biscuits, place them on a baking sheet, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake before serving. Bake the cold biscuits in a fully preheated oven.
  • Storage – once the biscuits are cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator. Biscuits can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Make ahead biscuits cooling on wire rack

Homemade biscuits truly are easy and such a treat. These always disappear fast and are a hit with our whole family. The kiddos can’t resist a warm buttered biscuit.

More Quick Bread Recipes

Quick Breads are great because they don’t need rising time. Instead of using yeast, they use baking soda or baking powder for leavening to give them a beautiful rise. If you love these homemade biscuits, then you won’t want to miss our top-rated quick-bread recipes.

Easy Homemade Biscuits

4.98 from 479 votes
Homemade Biscuits served in a bread bowl
This is the only Biscuit Recipe you will need. Homemade Biscuits are super soft and these are quick and easy to make with just 6 ingredients.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 biscuits
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder, (aluminum free)
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt, (we use fine sea salt)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold (8 Tbsp = 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup half and half (minus 2 Tbsp)*
  • 1/2 Tbsp melted butter, to brush the baked biscuits

Instructions

Make the Biscuit Dough:

  • Dice butter into 1/2" cubes and refrigerate until needed.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Whisk thoroughly.
  • Add diced cold butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender (or two knives or a fork), until the largest butter pieces are pea-sized.
  • Add 1 cup – minus 2 Tbsp of Half and Half all at once and stir until mixture comes together and is mostly moistened. Do not over-mix.

Fold Dough and Cut Biscuits:

  • Turn dough out onto a floured surface. If dough is very sticky, lightly sprinkle the top with flour.
  • Pat dough into a rectangle then fold it in half and pat into another rectangle. Fold a second time and pat into a 5"x10" rectangle or 3/4" thickness. Dip a 2 1/2" round biscuit cutter into flour and cut out 8 biscults. Pull together scraps and form into a rectangle to cut an extra 2 biscuits.

Bake Biscuits:

  • Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet 1-inch apart and bake at 450˚F for 12-15 minutes or until tops are golden brown and biscuits are baked through. While biscuits are hot, brush tops with 1/2 Tbsp melted butter. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes then serve.

Notes

*Notes on half and half – you can substitute with equal parts heavy cream and milk. In very humid climates, reduce the amount of half and a half to 3/4 cup. 

Nutrition Per Serving

212kcal Calories21g Carbs3g Protein13g Fat8g Saturated Fat35mg Cholesterol193mg Sodium240mg Potassium1g Fiber1g Sugar387IU Vitamin A1mg Vitamin C110mg Calcium1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Homemade Biscuits
Amount per Serving
Calories
212
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
13
g
20
%
Saturated Fat
 
8
g
50
%
Cholesterol
 
35
mg
12
%
Sodium
 
193
mg
8
%
Potassium
 
240
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
387
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
110
mg
11
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: biscuit recipe, biscuits, homemade biscuits
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 212
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.98 from 479 votes (284 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Sue
    September 10, 2023

    I have tried many biscuit recipes and when I served these today, my husband said, “these are the best biscuits you have ever made”. As always, Natasha, your recipes are a hit with my family.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 10, 2023

      Aaaw, that is so heart warming. Thank you so much for sharing, Sue. That means a lot to us!

      Reply

  • Linda Kent
    September 4, 2023

    Love your biscuit recipe came out crispy on the bottom and top, flaky and tender inside

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 4, 2023

      I’m so glad to hear that!

      Reply

  • Karen Little
    August 19, 2023

    Hi Natasha! I am almost 50 and just recently set my mind to learning how to make biscuits. I tried your recipe first and they turned out good, but not fluffy at all. I measured my ingredients per your instruction video. So after reading through all the notes again the only 2 things I see are the reference to humid regions. I’m in NE Ga and we have HIGH humidity. So I guess I need to cut down the half n half? And also, my baking powder is not aluminum free and also expired in May.😳 I plan to buy some today. Could these 2 things alone result in the lack of fluffy/softer depth of biscuit? Also, is buttermilk equally interchangeable with the half n half? Thank you! So much love to you from Ga!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 19, 2023

      Hi Karen! I have not tested buttermilk myself but many of my readers reported having used this with good results.
      I believe both the humidity and expired baking powder had an effect on that. I don’t have much experience with high humidity baking, but I think that starting with fresh baking powder would definitely help solve your problem. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Patty
    August 13, 2023

    I followed your recipe and instructions and these are by far, the best homemade biscuits I’ve ever made.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 13, 2023

      Aw, thank you, Patty! I’m so glad to hear that.

      Reply

  • Martha
    August 9, 2023

    Hi I just wanted to ask can I use heavy whipping cream instead of half and half?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 9, 2023

      Hi Martha, I recommend using half whipping cream and half whole milk as a substitution.

      Reply

  • Lisa
    August 6, 2023

    Using a cheese shredder, grate a frozen stick of butter, then you don’t have to use a pastry cutter.

    Reply

  • Parker
    August 1, 2023

    Nevermind!! I just reread and saw it at 450 not 350, I’m sure that will fix it:)

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 1, 2023

      I’m sure it will be so much better!

      Reply

  • Parker
    August 1, 2023

    They tasted good and I don’t think it was a problem with the recipe that’s why I gave 5 stars but mine took more like 20 or 25 minutes at 350 and they were not at all fluffy and dense, I used the food processor to cut in the butter. Do you have any tips?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 1, 2023

      I just saw your other comment, I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • NK
    July 31, 2023

    Hi.. really want to try to make them for a brunch.. Can I freeze them before baking?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 1, 2023

      I haven’t tried freezing these to advise on the outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Christopher Lewis
    July 29, 2023

    I’ve made this recipe 3x now, having never before made homemade biscuits. The recipe is explained well and quite easy, also extremely delicious. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 30, 2023

      That’s great! Thank you for trying my recipe!

      Reply

  • Ashley
    July 20, 2023

    Would you be able to use this recipe like you would canned biscuits for things like donuts?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      July 20, 2023

      HI Ashley, I haven’t tested that but it sounds like a delicious idea! If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  • Amy
    July 16, 2023

    Did not disappoint! Seriously the best biscuit ever! and the recipe was easy to follow!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 16, 2023

      That’s great to hear! Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply

  • Ellen
    July 10, 2023

    Thank you Natasha. These biscuts came out perfectly. I have made biscuts before and they always came out dry and dense. I followed your instructions exactly but used pastry flour. I have made many of your recipes and they always come out perfectly and tasty. My family ate every biscut. This is my go to recipe. Thank you again!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 10, 2023

      Hi Ellen! That’s great to hear. I’m so glad you found a new go-to. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.

      Reply

  • Cathy Krueger
    July 5, 2023

    Great recipe. Will be my go to for Biscuits. Could I double the recipe or would I have to make some changes?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 6, 2023

      Hi Cathy, I haven’t tried doubling it but I imagine that will be fine.

      Reply

      • Linda
        August 9, 2023

        I use up to 4 cups of flour but use two tbsp. of baking powder
        when I want lots of biscuits.I also use about 1/4 to1/3 cup sugar.this dough makes great cinnamon rolls also.
        Love your recipes.

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          August 9, 2023

          That’s great to know, Linda!

          Reply

  • Connie
    June 19, 2023

    Hi, if I was to make your chicken pot pie casserole, do I bake these first and add on top or put them on top uncooked when making the casserole?
    Kind regards

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 19, 2023

      Hi Connie, if you’re making the Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, you will not pre-bake these. On the Casserole instructions during step 5 we add the uncooked biscuits to the casserole before baking. I hope this is helpful.

      Reply

  • Jen
    June 16, 2023

    I followed your recipe exactly and mine came out dry, not fluffy or moist. The flavor was good just dry.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 16, 2023

      Hi Jen! That often happens if you bake them too long or use too much flour. I would recommend watching my tutorial on how to measure ingredients to ensure you are measuring your flour correctly.

      Reply

  • Brenda
    June 8, 2023

    This recipe was just so easy, and liked that it used ingredients easily found in the pantry.
    I also whipped it up in the food processor, following your tips.
    Of course I did still have to knead it a few times.
    Let me just say,,,,,Loved this recipe and probably will be my “go to”
    Easy to whip up and have a batch of fresh homemade biscuits, in a flash!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 8, 2023

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Brenda! I’m so glad you found a new go-to recipe on my blog!

      Reply

  • Daniella Labelle
    May 9, 2023

    I am gluten free and dairy free
    so i used king arthurs gluten free flour and coconut powder to substitute the half and half
    and the biscuits came out very fluffy!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 9, 2023

      That’s great, Daniella! So glad to hear that.

      Reply

  • Kathy Hodkin
    May 4, 2023

    I made these biscuits with dinner last night and they were so good! I cut the recipe in half and made them in my food processor as I don’t have a pastry cutter. I used Almond milk. They turned out perfect and I will make them again! The sugar gave them a touch of sweetness.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 4, 2023

      Hi Kathy! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Penny
    April 27, 2023

    This recipe has truly become my BFF! Absolutely amazing~ Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      April 27, 2023

      So glad to hear that, Penny! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

      Reply

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