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Buttermilk drop biscuits are fluffy, buttery, and so easy to make. Serve these biscuits alongside a bowl of soup for dinner or as part of a special weekend breakfast.

Bite taken from a buttermilk drop biscuit that has been split in half and topped with butter and berry jam.

Brunch food is the best food. Whether it’s a pan of make-ahead breakfast casserole, a batch of pecan sticky buns, or the classic eggs benedict, I can’t get enough of breakfast and brunch food.

That’s why these buttermilk drop biscuits are a total must-make. 

They are versatile enough to be part of your next brunch menu or be served as a side dish at dinner. They’re buttery, fluffy, and so flavorful.

And even better? They’re super easy to make.

Overhead view of a tea-towel-lined basket filled with buttermilk drop biscuits on a gray countertop.

WHY USE BUTTERMILK IN BISCUITS?

If you’ve made recipes like my lemon cupcakes, blueberry crumb muffins, or pumpkin pancakes, you may already know why buttermilk is such a magical ingredient.

Buttermilk is acidic, which causes it to react with baking soda for tons of lift in your baked goods. Buttermilk also helps to keep baked goods moist and adds a tangy flavor.

So when you make biscuits with buttermilk, it makes them nice and fluffy and super flavorful and keeps them from getting too dry.

If you’re like me and sometimes forget to pick up buttermilk from the store, check out my buttermilk substitute to save yourself an extra trip.

Basket of buttermilk drop biscuits with one of the biscuits broken in half to show the crumb texture.

WHAT ARE DROP BISCUITS?

Wondering what the difference is between regular biscuits and drop biscuits?

For traditional-style biscuits, like cream biscuits, the dough is gently worked into a ball and then patted or rolled out onto a floured surface and cut into rounds or squares.

Drop biscuits, like these buttermilk drop biscuits, Bisquick biscuits, or Red Lobster biscuits, have a wetter dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet.

While regular biscuits have a smooth top and edges, drop biscuits tend to have a craggier outside. Because you don’t have to roll or cut them, they are faster and a bit easier to make.

If you are intimidated by the idea of making homemade biscuits, start out with these buttermilk drop biscuits! They are a great intro to biscuit making and are so buttery, fluffy, and delicious.

Dry ingredients for buttermilk drop biscuits being whisked together in a white bowl.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERMILK DROP BISCUITS

Even if you’ve never made biscuits before, you can make these buttermilk drop biscuits. They’re so quick and easy to make, you can have them made and on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients you’ll need

Good biscuits require only a small handful of ingredients. You will need:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
Butter cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender in a white mixing bowl.

Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly so that your biscuits turn out perfect every time. 

Make sure your butter is cold. I leave mine in the refrigerator until right before I need to cut it into the dry ingredients.

You do need to use buttermilk instead of regular milk for this recipe, but once you learn how to make buttermilk, you’ll be set even if you don’t have any on hand.

Buttermilk drop biscuit batter in a white mixing bowl.

Making buttermilk drop biscuits

Prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If you have a well-seasoned baking sheet or large cast iron skillet, you could use those without lining them.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Work it in until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Unbaked buttermilk drop biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ready to go in the oven.

Stir the buttermilk in until well combined, then use a large spoon to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. You should be able to make 12 large biscuits from this recipe, although you could make smaller biscuits if you like.

Bake the biscuits for about 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Like all biscuits, these buttermilk drop biscuits are best served warm from the oven, but will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To reheat, wrap them in foil and warm them in a toaster oven or warm oven for about 10 minutes.

Baked buttermilk drop biscuits on a piece of parchment paper.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

I don’t know if there’s any better side for a big pot of soup than a batch of buttermilk drop biscuits. Serve them alongside chicken and wild rice soup, corn chowder, or beef and barley stew for the perfect comfort meal.

And of course, biscuits are the perfect brunch food! Top them with sausage gravy for a delicious and easy biscuits and gravy, use them as a base for a simple breakfast sandwich, or simply enjoy them alongside eggs and some million dollar bacon.

No matter how you choose to serve buttermilk drop biscuits, they’re the easy, fluffy addition to any meal that you will want to make over and over again.

Buttermilk drop biscuit cut in half and spread with butter on a white plate.
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Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

By: Jamie
4.78 from 9 ratings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 27 minutes
Servings: 12 biscuits
Buttermilk drop biscuits are fluffy, buttery, and so easy to make. Serve these biscuits alongside a bowl of soup for dinner or as part of a special weekend breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
  • 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk until just combined.
  • Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in large spoonfuls – You should get 12 biscuits out of this batter. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Video

Notes

Use a buttermilk substitute in this recipe if necessary.
Biscuits are best warm from the oven, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit, Calories: 143kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 297mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 219IU, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

4.78 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. Stephanie says:

    Can I use wheat flour instead of all purpose?
    Thank you!

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi Stephanie – I wouldn’t swap out all of the flour for whole wheat flour, as it may make the biscuits quite dense. It’s typically recommended to only swap out 50% of the flour for whole wheat, so I would use a mix of whole wheat and AP flour. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Happy baking!
      Jamie

  2. Daisy says:

    Hello! Just wondering if I can substitute shortening for butter?

    Thanks!

    1. Jamie says:

      Hi Daisy – If you do, I would definitely make sure to use the butter-flavored shortening, as you don’t want to miss out on the buttery flavor of the biscuits. I can’t promise that the texture of the biscuit would be the same, but it should technically work. Hope this helps!
      Jamie