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

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Colleen
    November 12, 2021

    Thank you Natasha for this delicious recipe My family loves these biscuits.
    I often change them up with adding shredded cheddar cheese,raisins,or dried cranberries and orange zest.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 12, 2021

      That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Marty
    November 10, 2021

    Thank you for the recipe. I tried them this morning they came out perfectly round, the flavor was there, the moist inside, but they didn’t rise like yours. The only change i made was using milk vs half and half. What went wrong?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 10, 2021

      Hi Marty, I haven’t tried using just milk to advise. Usually, the substitute for half and half can be using half whipping cream and half whole milk

      Reply

  • Marianne Kenney
    November 9, 2021

    I was wondering if it would be possible to make them ahead and freeze them? They look wonderful and can’t wait to try them! Thanks for ALL of your wonderful recipes! I use a lot of them!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 9, 2021

      Hi Marianne, we have always enjoyed this fresh. I don’t have tips on freezing this, but if you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!

      Reply

  • Pam C
    November 6, 2021

    Delicious, easy, and quick! What’s not to love? I will make these often.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 6, 2021

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Pam!

      Reply

  • Christina
    October 9, 2021

    Great biscuits. I was out of butter so I used lard and chilled them before baking. Best biscuits I’ve had. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 10, 2021

      You are so welcome, Christina. Glad you enjoyed these biscuits!

      Reply

  • Tracey Carpenter
    September 29, 2021

    Great biscuits. I didn’t have cream or half and half. I used milk and they turned out delicious. Next time I think I will use buttermilk.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 29, 2021

      I’m so glad that worked for you, Tracey! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Stacy
    September 22, 2021

    This is probably a dumb question but if you cut raw biscuit dough rounds ahead of time, won’t they be too soft and lose their round thick shape?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 23, 2021

      Hi Stacy, make sure to cut straight down without twisting your biscuit cutter to ensure the best rise of your biscuits, but as long as you keep the dough covered and refrigerated, it will be ok. See our section titled “Make-Ahead:” in the post.

      Reply

  • Laraine
    September 20, 2021

    Can you grate the cold butter into the flour mix?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 20, 2021

      Hi Laraine, I bet that could work! If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can freeze the butter for 30mins and Grade it with a cheese grater — one of my readers shared this with me!

      Reply

  • Ashley Wilks
    September 16, 2021

    Suppose You Don’t Have Any Half N Half Or Heavy Cream But You Have Milk only Can It Work

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 16, 2021

      I haven’t tried using just milk to advise. Usually, the substitute for half and half can be using half whipping cream and half whole milk

      Reply

  • Randy
    September 15, 2021

    Can I make these and bake a day later?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 15, 2021

      It’s easy to make biscuits in advance. Cut the biscuits, place them on a baking sheet then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake before serving.

      Reply

  • Amanda H.
    September 12, 2021

    Yesss! Thank you! This recipe is IT! For years I have made flat hockey puck style biscuits much to my family’s dismay. These are wonderful, flaky, and have a ton of loft. This will now forever be my go to recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 12, 2021

      Hi Amanda, I;m happy to know that you love this recipe and you found a new facorite! Thank you for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Kevin
    September 10, 2021

    Thank you for sharing your biscuits recipe with me, I am looking forward to making them and sharing them with my family, with biscuits and country style beef gravy, I’ve been cheating and using can biscuits and I decided to make homemade biscuits, and my sister said oh use one of the 2,000 cookbooks that I have, after ten cookbooks and a no biscuit recipe I found your recipe online.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 10, 2021

      I’m so glad you tried our recipe, Kevin! Thank you for your wonderful feedback!

      Reply

  • Jaime B
    August 11, 2021

    We like to to make biscuits and gravy. I usually make biscuits with Bisquik. However, I decided to try this recipe. I did not have half and half, so I used whole milk. They were delicious! Light and fluffy! We will use this recipe again. Next time, I would like to try them with buttermilk!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 11, 2021

      The coziest breakfast! I’m so glad you enjoyed these biscuits!

      Reply

  • Kasia Perkosz
    August 4, 2021

    Instead of a baking sheet can I use a cast iron pan ?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 4, 2021

      Hi Kasia, I haven’t attempted this in a cast iron to advise. If you happen to experiment, I’d love to know how you like that.

      Reply

  • Sheryl Burns
    August 3, 2021

    Natasha, are you using metric measurments?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 3, 2021

      Hi Sheryl, click “metric” in the recipe card and you will see metric measurements.

      Reply

  • Shab
    June 18, 2021

    Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour ?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 18, 2021

      Hello Shab, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us too how it goes.

      Reply

  • Toby Bryant
    June 4, 2021

    I just made these with canned evaporated milk because that’s all I had and they came out great!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 4, 2021

      I’m so glad that worked out! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

    • Emmie
      June 8, 2021

      I had no idea that I could use evaporated milk! Thanks so much for the comment, it saved my biscuits because I ran out of milk!

      Reply

    • Bruce Phillips
      July 4, 2021

      Canned evaporated milk, and biscuits turned great.

      Reply

  • David
    June 2, 2021

    Your recipe sounds delicious. Do you bake your biscuits on the middle or upper third rack?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 2, 2021

      Hi David, we make it on the middle rack.

      Reply

  • Pedro Macias
    May 23, 2021

    I researched many recipes, but this one just stood out. I have been craving homemade biscuits and so I stumbled on to this one, but I didn’t have milk. Being a cook myself I decided to make them with what I had on hand. I had almond milk and coffee creamer. I substituted the half and half with 1/4 creamer and 3/4 almond milk, had to cut the salt , because my butter has salt as well…needless to say I nailed it! They were the hit of the breakfast table. AWSOME recipe. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 23, 2021

      That is fantastic! I’m happy to know that you were able to make the recipe work by using what you hand on hand. Thanks for sharing that we us, we appreciate it!

      Reply

  • Myra Walters
    May 20, 2021

    These biscuits are delicious. Mine were fluffy layers like you’d find in a can biscuit. I smothered some homemade strawberry jam between them. Yummy 😋

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 21, 2021

      Hi Myra, great to hear that you enjoyed these biscuits!

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.