This easy Drop Biscuit Recipe is FAST! In just 30 minutes, you can have these deliciously fluffy, tender biscuits on the table ready to eat. Customize them with your favorite mix-ins!
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The easiest way to make biscuits.
No more making drop biscuits with Bisquick (learn how to ditch the Bisquik for Fluffy Pancakes next!). These easy, fluffy, and satisfying homemade drop biscuits are the best from scratch recipe.
- There’s no kneading, proofing, rolling, or shaping. And they’re done in 30 minutes! (I use the same technique to make High Protein Egg Biscuits.)
- Drop biscuits are endlessly versatile thanks to yummy optional additions like cheese and herbs.
The individual portion size makes them ideal for dunking in soups or enjoying alongside your favorite protein (these Cornbread Muffins have a similar appeal). And you can stash them in the freezer so you’ve always got a batch on hand!
5 Star Review
“These were the quickest and easiest biscuits to make. Highly recommend! They were incredibly delicious.”
— Rachel —
My Best Tips for Perfect Biscuits
- Work with Cold Ingredients. This especially applies to butter. Cold butter will steam when it hits the hot oven, and that steam is what creates a biscuit’s signature fabulously flaky texture.
- Don’t Stress about the Size of Your Butter Pieces. Keep the butter pieces large-ish. Some pieces can be the size of small peas or your pinky fingernail. Bigger pieces = more steam to escape. Others may resemble tiny pebbles or a coarse meal.
- Keep the Biscuits Light and Fluffy. Take care not to overmix your dough which can cause the gluten to overdevelop. In addition, drop biscuits can get crumbly or dry if they are overbaked or if the flour has not been measured correctly. Be sure not to compact your flour tightly in the cup and level it before adding to the recipe.
- More Butter Is Always a Good Idea. For a special treat, try brushing the top of each biscuit with melted butter before serving. Yum!
How to Make Drop Biscuits
Dice the Butter. Place it in the freezer to keep it as cold as possible.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together. Add herbs, garlic powder, or black pepper (if using).
Cut in the Butter. We want the flour mixture to be crumbly.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients Together. A liquid measuring cup works well for this.
Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
Bake. Drop mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes at 450 degrees F until golden brown. ENJOY!
Drop Biscuit Variations
- Vegan. **Not tested** but here is my best guess: For a drop biscuit recipe with no milk, butter, or yogurt, you could try using a vegan/non-dairy version of each of these three ingredients. I’d suggest a vegan buttery substitute (like Earth Balance), coconut milk, and non-dairy coconut yogurt. If you decide to play around, I’d love to hear how it goes!
- Gluten Free. Check out my recipe for Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake! A shortcake is very similar to a biscuit. Simply omit the sugar to make it savory instead of sweet. You could also try making this same drop biscuit recipe with a 1:1 gluten free all purpose baking blend like this one.
- Herb and Cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, along with 1/2 cup of Gruyere cheese.
- Black Pepper and Cheddar. Fold in 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar with a few cranks of freshly ground pepper.
- Parmesan and Chive. Add 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh chives. Try adding a pinch of garlic powder to the dry ingredients with this one!
- Drop Biscuits With Self-Rising Flour. If you’d like to play around with making these drop biscuits with self-rising flour, you could try swapping it for the all-purpose and whole wheat flour called for in this recipe, omitting the salt, and reducing the baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons. (Do not make easy drop biscuits with no baking powder, or they won’t fully rise.)
- Sweet. Try these Blueberry Biscuits and Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls.
What to Serve With This Drop Biscuit Recipe
- Soups or Stews. A biscuit is the perfect companion for a bowl of soup. Try Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, or Cauliflower Chowder.
- Chicken or Turkey. Baked Fried Chicken and Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes would be tasty with this Southern drop biscuit recipe. And, you can’t go wrong by serving biscuits with a Thanksgiving Turkey.
- Eggs. Serve these biscuits alongside Crockpot Breakfast Casserole, Corned Beef Hash, or Spinach Quiche.
- Chicken and Dumplings and Pot Pies. A personal favorite pairing! Serve biscuits with my Chicken Dumpling Soup, Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings, or Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.
Easy Drop Biscuits
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 biscuits
Video
This easy drop biscuit recipe yields biscuits that are tender, fluffy and perfect for customizing with cheese and herbs. Ready in 30 minutes!
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter cold
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or swap white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (I recommend aluminum free)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
- 1 teaspoon honey
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS/MIX-INS**
- Grated Parmesan and finely chopped fresh chives try adding a pinch of garlic powder to the dry ingredients with this one!
- Shredded sharp cheddar and ground black pepper
- Shredded gruyere and finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Dice the butter into small pieces and place it in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. (If adding any herbs, garlic powder, or black pepper, do it here.)
- Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top.
- With a pastry blender (or your fingers), cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Some pieces may be the size of small pebbles, and others as large as peas.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, Greek yogurt, and honey until smoothly combined.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients a little at a time, lightly stirring with a rubber spatula between additions. (If adding cheese, add it slowly as you add the milk.) Stop stirring as soon as the dough holds together. It will be very moist and seem wet.
- Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a muffin or ice cream scoop for this—you’ll have 9 large or 12(ish) more moderately sized biscuits total.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back lightly when touched. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- TO STORE: Store biscuits in an airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Biscuits can be warmed, if desired, by placing them into a preheated 350°F oven until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: Individually wrap biscuits and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove and thaw as desired.
- *INGREDIENT NOTE: Whole wheat pastry flour will yield the most tender biscuit. My second choice would be white whole wheat flour, which is a tiny bit less tender but has a mild flavor. Regular whole wheat flour works too, but the wheat taste will be more noticeable.
- **INGREDIENT NOTE: If adding mix-ins, use about 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 12); without mix-insCalories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 13mgPotassium: 186mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 152IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
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how much cheddar cheese or herbs do you recommend
Hi Mary! You can find more details in the blog post above, but I’d recommend about 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs.
I don’t want to buy whole wheat pastry flour since I don’t know when I would use it again. Could I substitute rregular white flour?
Absolutely! I hope you love the recipe.
I hope you love it Peggy!
These are just like my mom used to make, but I didn’t have a recipe until now! Perfection!
We get these at the local market but with your recipe I can make them homemade! Thanks so much!
I love these with just about every meal!
These reminded me a lot of the Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits in texture, really delicious! Next time I’m going to add some cheddar cheese to the mix and garlic butter to the top to see if they may taste even more so :-) Grrat versatile recipe, and seems foolproof!
Melissa, I’m glad you enjoyed the biscuits! Thanks for taking the time to share this review!
I’ve made these three times now and they were delicious and super easy to make each time. I first made them for Erin’s chicken & biscuit casserole recipe and they were so good I had to make them again as just stand alone biscuits (once with cheddar and once with the parm/chive combo she suggests). Light, fluffy, buttery goodness. Can’t wait to try out some other add ins :)
Sydney, I’m happy to hear the biscuits are a hit! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
Erin, these sound wonderful. I’d like to serve them at Thanksgiving. Can the dough be made ahead of time? Refrigerate or freeze?
Hi Karen! I have never tried freezing the dough for these, but from what I can find online, it should work fine. You could also try baking them and then freezing them. If you try either way, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I don’t know why, but making biscuits from scratch has always intimidated me. Since these said “easy” thought I’d test today ahead of Thanksgiving. They are easy!!! And delicious, I ate three ???
I used buttermilk and did the sharp cheese and pepper oprion.
Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review, Terri! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
I don’t like any kind of yogurt, could I just leave it out completely and could I use sour cream in place of the yogurt….. Thanks
Hi Karen! I have not tried this swap, so I’m afraid I can’t offer any advice. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Really want to make these but don’t have greek yogurt. Could I use regular plain yogurt?
Hi Krissy! I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but you could experiment with it. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Erin, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, I do need it to be gluten free and so I checked out your oat shortcakes (as suggested). My only question before I dive in to the shortcake recipe: if I omit the brown sugar will the shortcake texture be affected? Obviously they wouldn’t be sweet, just savory, but often times sugar contributes moisture to baked goods, I don’t want to negatively affect the structure and texture of the shortcake. Thanks for your input and expertise on this.
Hi Marina! They should still turn out delicious. I hope you enjoy them if you try them!
My family loved it! Thank you!
I’m so happy that the recipe was a hit, Jacquelynn! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Easy and delicious!
Thank you for this kind review, Amber! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Hello, can I use almond milk for this recipe?
Zoey, the biscuits might not be as richly flavored, but that should be fine. I hope you enjoy them!
Baked these with:
-lil scoop of vegan chive cream cheese
-only all-purpose flower
-lil under 1/4 cup of vegan yogurt
-Oatmilk subbed
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 tablespoon ground tyme
& was a huge hit! I thought they were delicious! I can’t have dairy so none of those ingredients were added and had to sub some things. Can’t wait to try this recipe later with more accurate ingredients at my disposal. Thanks for the easy versatile framework! Lovely!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Kgolds! Thank you for sharing this kind review and your adaptations!
OH!! I commented previously with a story of success with vegan subs – I also subbed vegan butter but had to use a bit under what’s recommended. Thanks again!
These were the quickest and easiest biscuits to make. Highly recommend! I had to make a few adjustments because I didn’t have all of the exact ingredients on-hand, and they still came out perfectly. My subs: I used all-purpose flour (2 cups) and vegan coconut yogurt. I only had 1% milk so I used 3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup heavy cream. I made these plain (no herbs or cheese) and served with honey. I didn’t have a pastry cutter so I used a box grater to grate in the butter. I used an ice cream scoop to “drop them” onto the parchment. I added a sprinkle of flaked salt to the top and they were incredibly delicious.
Rachel, I am so so pleased to hear it! Thanks for sharing this kind review and your tweaks. It means a lot to me and is so helpful to others!
I made these this morning with the chives, garlic, and parmesan cheese – WOW – so easy and so delicious. Hit with the friends. :)
I’m so glad they were a hit, Amy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Excellent.
I used coconut milk, and King Arthur gluten free flour
Perfection
Will use this recipe only from now on ???
I’m so happy that the recipe was a hit, Panda! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Dropped these on leftover chicken pot pie mixture and baked up great! I seasoned the biscuits with sage, rosemary and thyme—amazing!
So glad to hear it Tricia! Thank you so much for taking time to let me know!
Healthier and still tasty. I did make a few adjustments. I only had regular whole wheat flour so I used that but added about 1 teaspoon extra baking powder. I also didn’t have whole milk so I used whole milk greek yogurt thinned out with 2% milk as a substitute. I decided to fold/flatten the dough by hand and cut into squares. Came out golden on the top and pretty fluffy in the middle. Yummy and pretty simple!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What is the purpose of the yogurt? Seems you put yogurt in a lot of recipes that normally wouldn’t include it.
Hi Barb! I replaced half of the butter you’d find in traditional drop biscuit recipes with Greek yogurt to lighten them up. The yogurt also mimics the tang you’d get from buttermilk. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
I notice that in your book and in the site, you often use volume measurements for flour rather than weight. In the every baking class that I’ve taken (which are many), I’ve always been taught not to rely on volume measuring flour because it can vary widely depending on who is doing the measuring and how they do it. (You probably know the standard line, “A cup of lead and a cup of feathers are the same volume but their weight is dramatically different.”)
I don’t tend to worry so much when cooking. (If I’m making a stew and dice more carrots than a recipe calls for, it does no harm just tossing the extra into the pot.) I tend to see cooking as an art. Baking, on the other hand, is part art / part science. Too much or too little flour can ruin a recipe and make consistent results all but impossible.
I’m wondering if you would consider offering weight measurements in addition to volume. I can, of course, make the conversions (King Arthur Flour says 1 cup = 120 grams, other sites say 125-130) but I don’t really know if that’s the way you’re measuring. Alternatively, if you could just give me a sense of how much your measured cup of flour weighs, I can take it from there and make the conversions for the rest of your recipes.
I’ll be making these biscuits tonight to accompany a fish stew. I’m sure that for this particular recipe a few grams more or less of flour won’t make an appreciable difference. Thanks for your many healthy contributions to our household’s culinary adventures!
Hi Mark, I hear you! I don’t do weights in my recipes at the moment because the majority of my readers do use cups and providing both isn’t something I’ve had the bandwidth to take on, but I completely understand where you are coming from. A cup of AP flour for me weighs 120 g – I use what is listed on the back of my flour bag. I’ll note your feedback for future consideration too. Thanks for weighing in (pun not originally intended but I can’t help myself but leave it now ;) ). Have a great day!
I LOVVVVVVE BISCUITS!!! I can’t wait to try these!! And thank you for explaining the ingredient swaps more in detail – I have not had any luck finding white whole wheat flour in stores yet, or on Amazon – I think I will try a 50/50 mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Thanks for the tips, Erin!
I hope you love the recipe, Deborah!
Not going to lie: I was dubious about these as they went into the oven. The temp seemed too high, the batter was weirdly chunky. And then they came out AND I ATE THREE. Absolutely delicious. I just added some thyme and oregano to the dry ingredients to complement the chicken pot pie base I had made, and they were perfect. Will definitely be adding these into the regular rotation when I need a starchy side!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Kelly! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Just made these biscuits tonight for the first time on a whim. Didn’t have whole wheat flour so used Robin Hood Nutri blend (Omega & Fibre). It worked perfectly so crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Erica! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made vegetable pot pie soup tonight to have over the next few days and I was just going to eat it with crackers. On a whim decided I wanted something better but still relatively easy. I googled “healthier drop biscuits” and found your recipe pretty quickly and it sounded better than the other one I looked at. I only have skim milk so I used that and the nonfat plain greek yogurt and all AP flour but the mixture turned out very thin and not dough like at all, which isn’t necessarily the recipe’s fault. I added some Trader Joe’s protein pancake mix to help with that issue and just dropped them on a baking sheet with my fork. At first I was worried about the texture and although not super buttery, they baked up wonderfully! I used fresh thyme and dried chives and the biscuits were delicious! Thanks for posting this recipe!
So happy to hear it, thank you!
If using buttermilk, shouldn’t you use baking soda along with baking powder?
Hi! I found that using baking powder was perfect for this recipe. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Very simple and absolutely delicious! I used buttermilk and added garlic and sharp cheddar cheese. It’s a hit with the whole family.
YAY, so glad to hear it Sheila! Thanks for taking time to share this kind review.
Is there a suggested substitution for the honey? Or can it be eliminated altogether? Thanks!
Hi Lori! You can omit it if you prefer. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Absolutely wonderful! I didn’t have any fresh herbs but used Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and shredded parmesan. The next day (can’t believe we even had any left) they reheated great in my toaster oven on “Toast”.
Easy and delicious!
Hooray! So glad to hear it, thank you!
Looks amazing! I’d love to add some dried/crumbled bacon with shredded cheddar to the recipe. Would I need to refrigerate any leftovers, or would they be OK at room temp for a couple of days? Thanks for your thorough recipes!
Hi Jillian! You can store the biscuits at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made these for Easter dinner and they were so, so good! I added sharp cheddar cheese, thyme, and garlic powder. I made up the dough a couple of days ago and froze it in ice cream scoop portions. They baked like a dream at 450 for 18 minutes. Thank you, Erin!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed them, Bonnie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Wendy! I typically use unsalted butter! Hope you enjoy them!
Very simple to make and delicious! Served with the crockpot pot pie & they were all gobbled up! 🙂
Hi Colleen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hello, I do not have any yogurt, what can I use as a substitute?
Hi Kim! I haven’t tested the recipe with substitutions, sometimes you can use sour cream instead but I am not sure how it would work here. If you decide to experiment with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
This is the best drop biscuit I have ever made. We all like it.
Hi Catrina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely delicious! Great texture and flavor. I will definitely make these again!
Hi Genevieve! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hack – use grated cold/frozen butter. So easy!!!
Great tip Barbara!
Would it work to use this recipe to make rolled biscuits instead of drop biscuits?
Hi Diane! This recipe will only work as drop biscuits, as the dough is too moist to roll.
These are outrageous! I added rosemary (some fresh and some dried -ran out of fresh!) and cheddar cheese. And a pinch of garlic powder. And only had white flour on hand.
My kids and husband LOVE them!
YAY! So pleased to hear it, thank you!
Mmmkkk… I think mama recreated the cheddar bay biscuits but from scratch at home! Added some cheddar then melted some butter and garlic salt to drizzle on top. The whole family devoured these! So easy to make. Thank you!!!
Hi Ashley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I just made these for the first time. I couldn’t find whole wheat pastry flour, so I just used plain ol’ white pastry flour. They turned out fantastic! Tonight they’ll go in the fridge and tomorrow I’m going to use them to make your chicken and biscuits recipe! :).
Thanks!
Hi Dan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was a very good recipe! The biscuits were tender and very flavorful. I used shredded Parmesan and garlic salt.
YUM! Thanks for sharing Lou Ann!
I Would love the sodium level on your recipes, this helps me a lot because I am Stage 4 CKD, Thank you.
Hi Jill! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!
Really easy and delicious! I used 2c AP flour, sour cream instead of Greek yoghurt and 1%milk (all of that is what I had), addins were chives and shredded medium cheddar. My husband and son really enjoyed them along side Wellplated beef stew. Soooo good! Thanks Erin for another hit!
Great to hear! Thank you Kara!
If I wanted to add wet mix ins, like fruit or a cinnamon swirl how much should I adjust the wet ingredients if at all? I was thinking about doing these with raspberries or strawberries and chocolate mixed in!
Hi Vik, I haven’t used those types of substitutions in this particular recipe so it would be hard for me to say for sure. We do have a blueberry biscuit recipe that uses 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries so that might be a starting point. Here is that recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/blueberry-goat-cheese-drop-biscuits/ If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!