Name: Buttermilk Biscuits
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1 ½ teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ cup butter ((frozen)); ¾ cup cold buttermilk; Biscuit Topping; 2 tablespoons buttermilk; 2 tablespoons melted salted butter

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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

Is there anything more quintessentially North American than some good old-fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits? With a crumbly yet surprisingly rich texture, these biscuits can be enjoyed with every meal, whether spread with jam for breakfast or served alongside gravy for dinner!

Try a hearty, stick-to-your ribs plate of Sausage Gravy & Biscuits for a weekend breakfast that just can’t be beat! Or try using this recipe to make Biscuit S’Mores for a fun take on an old classic!

A hand holds a biscuit with a bite taken out, showing a layer of melted butter spread on top.

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make
Total Time: These buttermilk biscuits come together in just 35 minutes!
Variations: Add grated cheddar cheese to your biscuit dough, or brush the tops with a mixture of melted butter and honey when you pull them out of the oven for an extra pop of flavor! You can also bake these biscuits on top of your favorite pot pie or casserole filling as a hearty alternative to mashed potatoes or pie crust!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need mixing bowls, measuring cups, a whisk, a grater (for the butter) and a biscuit cutter to make this recipe.

Freshly baked biscuits rest on a parchment-lined cooling rack, with jars and bottles of milk in the background on a kitchen counter. A beige-striped kitchen towel is partially visible at the bottom.

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Buttermilk: You can get buttermilk at most supermarkets, but if its hard to find in your area, you can make it yourself by making homemade butter! Whisk or beat cream vigorously until the fats clump together and form butter; if you leave the liquid that results out for a bit, you’ll end up with buttermilk!

Karlynn’s Tip: For a lower-effort buttermilk alternative, add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, top it off to the 1 cup mark with whole milk, stir, and let the mixture set for 5 to 15 minutes to allow the milk to curdle a bit. This quick option is best for recipes that call for 1 cup of buttermilk or less.

A top-down view of baking ingredients in bowls: flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, salt, melted butter, and a stick of butter on a dish, arranged on a marble surface with a striped cloth in the corner.

How To Make Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

A glass bowl with flour, baking powder, and sugar sits on a marble countertop, surrounded by ingredients like melted butter, milk, sugar, flour, and a whisk. A striped cloth is on the side.

A bowl of flour with grated cheese and butter, surrounded by jars of flour, sugar, milk, melted butter, and a striped kitchen towel on a marble countertop.

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined.
Grate frozen butter into the mixture and toss with a fork to work throughout the dry ingredients.
Add buttermilk to the mixture and mix gently until the dough starts to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat into a rectangle shape using your hands.
Fold the rectangle of dough in half lengthwise, then flatten back into a rectangle three times, then flatten one last time into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle (this makes your biscuits flaky). Use a biscuit cutter to cut out as many rounds as you can. Gently bring the remaining scraps together and cut out more biscuits—you should get 8 biscuits in total.
Place your biscuits on your prepared baking sheet and brush each with buttermilk, then bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted salted butter.

A basket lined with parchment paper holds seven golden, freshly baked biscuits on a marble surface, next to a beige-striped cloth and two glass containers.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

That’s Just Grate: While it can be tedious, grating cold butter into the dough not only helps to keep the dough tender and delicate, but it also ensures that the fat permeates throughout the dough when you bake it, giving the biscuits a crumbly and delicious texture. If you melt the butter into the dough, you’ll end up with a dry and greasy biscuit.
Top of the Line: I suggest brushing the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk before baking, and then with melted butter once you pull them out of the oven. This makes the biscuits look glossy and beautiful, and forms a thin glaze that adds a little touch of richness! Feel free to skip this step if you can’t be bothered, but it definitely makes the biscuits just a little bit better!
Chill Out: Try not to overwork your biscuit dough while shaping it so that the butter doesn’t just melt and leave you with a flat baked good! Freezing the butter before grating it can help, and if you have particularly warm hands, you can toss your dough back into the fridge for a few minutes between folds to keep things at the right temperature!

A hand holds a half-eaten biscuit with melting butter on top, with milk bottles and another biscuit blurred in the background.

Storage Instructions

You can store fully cooled buttermilk biscuits in an airtight container at room tempertaure for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator: After taking your biscuits out of the oven and allowing them to fully cool, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Freezer: Buttermilk biscuits freeze excellently! Allow them to cool completely after taking them out of the oven and wrap them individually in a tight layer of foil (or a freezer-safe bag, being careful to keep them separate) to store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, unwrap them and transfer them to a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through—no need to defrost!

More Delicious Biscuit Recipes

Looking for more biscuit options? Try my recipe for The Best Biscuits Ever!
My Simple Cheddar & Chive Biscuits make a perfect side for soup, chili, or stew!
For a savory, smoky bite that can’t be beat as a snack or side, why not try myBacon Cheddar Biscuits?

I love having a basket of buttermilk biscuits on the table for a family breakfast or dinner; they’re a great alternative to the dinner roll (especially since you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise and proof)!

Try out this recipe and let me know how it went for you in the comments below! I always love hearing about your baking adventures!

Happy Baking!

Karlynn