Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Published March 31, 2018. Updated March 8, 2019

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Who doesn’t love fresh from the oven homemade biscuits? These Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are unbelievably easy, yet they still have all those irresistible buttery flavors of the classic buttermilk biscuits. And they have that super tender texture.

These are likely to become your go-to biscuit recipe. Ditch that boxed mix, because these are a hundred times better!

drizzling honey onto stacks of Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Homemade Drop Biscuits

I got this buttermilk drop biscuit recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, so obviously it’s going to be good, right? I love that it doesn’t require kneading or rolling/patting and folding and cutting.

In other words, it’s an ultra basic buttermilk biscuit recipe that’s practically guaranteed to become a staple. I’ve been making these for years!

The only two thing I tweaked was to melt the butter until it’s about 2/3 or 3/4 melted, then stir. This way, that unmelted portion cools down the rest so you don’t need to wait 5 minutes to cool it down. Then I listed that remaining 2 Tbsp butter as optional because I don’t always add it. Obviously, these drop biscuits are better with it, but it cuts back the fat just a bit to omit it.

And I didn’t quite understand why they listed a 5-minute wait time after baking either, I’m diving right in! Okay, maybe after one minute so they aren’t scorching.

These easy drop biscuits make the perfect addition to a nice weekend meal (like a roast or ham), they go perfectly with soup, and of course they’re great for serving at breakfast (egg breakfast sandwich or biscuits and gravy, anyone?).

I’m thinking I even need to try making these into strawberry shortcake and try adding in a few tablespoons of sugar just to make them a little sweeter for a dessert.

Don’t pass this recipe by. It’s one you may just find yourself making on a regular basis, everyone in the family will be requesting them time and time again!

brushing butter onto the tops of Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Ingredients

These homemade biscuits only require 7 ingredients, and chances are you always have each of those ingredients on hand — at least if you’re a buttermilk pancakes fanatic like me.

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Buttermilk

someone grabbing a Buttermilk Drop Biscuit from a baking trayHow to Make Buttermilk Biscuits

Thanks to this “drop” method of this recipe, you get to skip a few steps.

  • First you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients.
  • Then melt a stick of butter and blend that with buttermilk until the butter starts to re-solidify (it will appear clumpy).
  • Fold that buttermilk mixture into the flour just enough to fully to bring it together.
  • Spray a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup with non-stick spray and scoop dough up using the measuring cup then drop onto a lined baking sheet.
  • Bake in the oven until golden brown, brush with a little more butter and serve warm with jam or honey if desired.

If you’ve been hooked on a box biscuit mix, this recipe will be a game changer for you. They’re practically just as easy and it’s just a few extra ingredients but the flavor is one hundred times better!

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits on a baking tray

Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute?

Yes, a buttermilk substitute (like milk mixed with lemon juice or vinegar) should work for this drop biscuits recipe. Just make sure you’re using a milk with fat in it. Skim milk won’t give the same results!

How Will I Know When the Biscuits Are Done?

You should take the homemade drop biscuits out of the oven when the top is a lovely golden brown color. They only need to bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

The Best Biscuit Toppings

These delicious buttermilk drop biscuits can be enjoyed so many different ways. A few of my favorite biscuit topping ideas include:

  • Fruit jam or jelly
  • Honey
  • Butter
  • Sausage gravy
  • Sliced cheese
  • Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato
  • …and more!

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits in a white bowl with a purple towel

Tips for the Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

  • Level the top of the flour to make sure you’re measuring the correct amount.
  • If you only have salted butter on hand, scale back the amount of salt you add to the drop biscuit dough.
  • Make sure to use both baking powder and baking soda. You need both to get a good rise on these biscuits!

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Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
4.95 from 20 votes

Easy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

These biscuits are unbelievably easy yet they still have all those irresistible buttery flavors of the classic and they have a fluffy, super tender texture. Likely to become your go-to biscuit recipe. Ditch that box because these are a hundred times better!
Servings: 12
Prep10 minutes
Cook12 minutes
Ready in: 22 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper (made to withstand 475 degrees) or a silicone baking mat (made to withstand 475 degrees), set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, make a well in center of mixture.
  • Place 1/2 cup diced butter in a medium microwave safe dish and heat in microwave until about 3/4 melted. Remove and stir to melt fully.
  • Pour buttermilk in with butter and whisk until mixture appears lumpy.
  • Pour buttermilk mixture into well in flour mixture then fold mixture with a rubber spatula just until incorporated.
  • Spray a 1/4-cup round measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray. 
  • Scoop dough out a scant 1/4 cup at a time and drop onto prepared baking sheet spacing them 1 1/2-inches apart.
  • Bake in preheated oven until tops are slightly golden brown, about 12 - 14 minutes. 
  • Brush with melted butter and serve warm.

Notes

  • Recipe source: adapted from Cook's Illustrated
  • If you only have salted butter on hand, scale back the amount of salt you add to the drop biscuit dough. 
Nutrition Facts
Easy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Amount Per Serving
Calories 246 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 221mg10%
Potassium 152mg4%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 340IU7%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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41 Comments

  • Shawna

    Since I wasn’t able to edit my previous review I wanted to add that I used 3.25% fat Bulgarian style Buttermilk, it has the little flecks of butter in it, seems like the stores have mainly 1% and 2% but the higher fat content makes a huge difference in flavor and honestly the 3.25% looks just like the buttermilk my late grandma used when I was a child.

  • Shawna Williams

    Delicious! I wanted to find a drop biscuit recipe that was similar to my grandmas and this one definitely fit the bill! These biscuits are easy to make, I didn’t alter the recipe, they came out fluffy and flavorful, this will be my “go to” biscuit recipe, I am picky about things I bake and I highly recommend this recipe.

  • Chris

    Thank you! I needed to use up some self rising flour (which I will never buy again) and I had some buttermilk for fried chicken, so I used it to make your biscuits. They were really good, and I especially appreciated learning the melted butter trick so that I didn’t have to dirty my food processor. Brilliant!

  • Hiawatha Love-Johnson

    Since the pandemic I’ve had time to try recipes and do lots of cooking for my family. I’ve always traveled for business and did not have time to explore my interest for baking. Over this past year I’ve tried many drop biscuit recipes and this is by far the best one ever!!!! My family Loves them especially my pre-teen daughter. It’s a battle to get her to eat anything beyond Chick-fil-A nuggets (smile). Thank you for posting this recipe. Can’t wait to try more recipes from your site. Toodles, Mrs. Hiawatha Love-Johnson

  • Klara Grigg

    Holy Cow! These are amazing. And easy. Decided at the last minute I needed to round out the soup-meal with biscuits. I didn’t have any buttermilk, but had a half cup nonfat Greek yogurt and some nonfat milk. So I combined the two and used that combo. Fabulous, light biscuits. Hubby took one bite and said “Do we have more?” I made half the recipe and didn’t use parchment because mine only went to 450 degrees. They came off the pan easily-no problem. Thank you for this great recipe.

  • Michael Carlin

    The absolute best! Followed directions to a T. But only had salted butter. And still used same amount of salt. Oops. Was still perfect. Three days later I’m making again. I love the butter method on this recipe. This is my new go to recipe. Thanx!