Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are quick and easy to make from scratch. They are soft, fluffy with a crisp exterior, and are ready in under 30 minutes, including baking time.
Why You'll Love These Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Drop biscuits are one of the easiest biscuits to make! Simply mix the dough and drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet—no rolling, cutting, or shaping needed. They’re quick, fuss-free, and have that lovely rustic, homemade look.
Buttermilk adds a subtle tang that balances the rich butter, while its acidity reacts with the baking soda to help the biscuits rise. The result? Light, fluffy biscuits with soft, moist centers, ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
-maria doss
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Tips for Making Fluffy Drop Biscuits
My secret technique in achieving exceptionally fluffy drop biscuits is the magic in the butter and buttermilk. When cold buttermilk hits hot melted butter, it forms little lumps, which look like curdled milk—exactly what you want! Those buttery bits create steam pockets that make buttermilk drop biscuits extra fluffy and tender. It is a baking hack for biscuits! It is similar to the process of making pie crust, where you mix the butter just until small pieces of butter remain unmixed. The butter melts in the hot oven, creating steam and resulting in a fluffy texture.
Another tip is to avoid overmixing the dough and to bake in a super hot 450-degree oven. The intense heat rapidly sets the outer edges of the soft, wet drop-biscuit dough, locking in the height and creating a golden, crisp exterior while keeping the inside soft and cake-like.
FAQ'S
Buttermilk adds a subtle tang that balances the richness of butter, while its acidity reacts with baking soda to help the buttermilk biscuits rise beautifully. This gives them a light, fluffy texture and keeps the inside soft and moist. For best results, use cold buttermilk straight from the fridge and mix it in just before combining with hot melted butter—it’s key to creating tender, airy drop biscuits.If you are out of buttermilk, refer to our homemade buttermilk substitute with lemon juice.
The main difference is how the dough is handled. Drop biscuits are made by mixing the dough and scooping it straight onto a baking sheet—no rolling, cutting, or shaping required! They have a rustic appearance and a soft, tender texture, making them perfect when you want homemade biscuits with minimal effort.
Regular biscuits, on the other hand, are rolled out and cut into shapes, often with a few gentle folds to create distinct layers. This gives them a more structured shape and a flakier, layered texture, while drop biscuits are simpler and quicker to prepare.
Both heavy cream and buttermilk make delicious biscuits, but they give you slightly different results. Buttermilk biscuits have a subtle tang and can develop tall, flaky layers when the dough is handled and folded properly. The acidity in buttermilk also reacts with baking soda to help the biscuits rise.
Heavy cream biscuits, on the other hand, have a rich, milky flavor and a soft, tender crumb without the tang of buttermilk. They’re also simpler to make because the cream provides both the fat and liquid, so there’s no need to cut cold butter into the dry ingredients. If you want homemade biscuits with minimal fuss, heavy cream biscuits are a great option. If you prefer a tangy flavor and distinct flaky layers, buttermilk biscuits may be more your style. Looking for a biscuit recipe without buttermilk or heavy cream? Try our sweet potato biscuits!
When hot melted butter meets cold buttermilk, the butter quickly cools and solidifies into tiny lumps. It might look like the mixture has curdled, but don’t worry—that’s exactly what you want!
This simple trick mimics cutting cold butter into flour, without the extra work. As the little bits of butter melt in the hot oven, they help create a tender, fluffy texture in your drop biscuits. So, resist the urge to keep stirring until the mixture is completely smooth—those tiny buttery lumps are part of the secret.
Tips for Success
- Use cold buttermilk straight from the fridge. The cold temperature helps the melted butter form tiny lumps, which are key to the biscuits’ fluffy texture.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving to bring back that freshly baked warmth.
- Freeze for later! Let the biscuits cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat before serving.
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 gms) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (85 gms) unsalted butter (½ cup)
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210 ml) cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¾ teaspoon salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix wet ingredients. Measure ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon cold buttermilk in a medium measuring cup or small bowl. Melt 1 stick of butter until hot but not bubbling. Quickly pour it into the cold buttermilk and stir. This creates a slightly lumpy mixture, and that’s the secret to achieving perfectly fluffy biscuits.
- Finish dough. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Be careful not to overmix—it’s okay if the dough is a little shaggy and not completely smooth.
- Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to drop the biscuit dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each biscuit about 2 inches apart. No cookie scoop? A ¼-cup measuring cup works just as well!
- Bake. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. For an extra touch of deliciousness, brush the hot biscuits with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make drop biscuits?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Step 5 - Scoop the dough onto your baking sheet using a cookie scoop, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, a ¼-cup measuring cup works just as well.
Step 5 - Bake for 17 to 22 minutes at 450 degrees, or until the tops are golden brown.
Serving 👉 These warm buttermilk drop biscuits are absolutely delicious with a generous smear of salted butter. You can also drizzle them with honey or hot honey for sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors. They make a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table, especially alongside Jiffy corn casserole. Looking for more homemade bread recipes? Try these almond flour biscuits with cheddar and garlic, or these soft no-knead avocado dinner rolls.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Shyam
These look easy and tasty! I am going to add them to my Thanksgiving dinner menu.
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡