Get ready to fall in love with every flaky layer of these Buttermilk Biscuits. Perfect melt in your mouth biscuits you can make in 20 minutes!
This recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits is one of the first recipes I posted on A Bountiful Kitchen back in 2008. I love big, flaky, homemade biscuits. If you haven’t ever tried to make homemade biscuits, this is the recipe for you. It’s quick and easy and pantry friendly too. So easy your kids can make them alone or with your help. Nothing says comfort quite like a homemade biscuit!
I grew up eating my mom’s biscuits. I loved it when she made biscuits, which was every time we had stew for dinner. One of my favorite food memories is sitting at the dinner table eating my mom’s baking powder biscuits, which were made with shortening. This recipe is similar, but has a secret ingredient…Buttermilk!
When we were first married back in 1982, I found a recipe in the newspaper for Buttermilk Biscuits. I knew buttermilk made baked goods tender and I decided to give biscuits made with buttermilk a try. That was 38 years ago in June, and I’ve been making biscuits for Grant, and then my kids and grandkids since!
I love all the flaky layers of this biscuit. Perfect for spreading a little (or a lot!) butter or jam on top. Buttermilk Biscuits are also great with Biscuits and Sausage Gravy– a prefect quick and easy dinner everyone will love. Nothing quite compares to the goodness of a homemade biscuit, hot out of the oven. I promise once you eat a homemade biscuit, you will never go back!
This recipe post has been updated with new photos and content in March 2020.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons Crisco or other solid shortening, I like "butter flavor" best
- 1 cup buttermilk, see notes for substitutions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make sure oven preheats for at least 15 minutes before baking.
- Sift all dry ingredients into bowl. Actually, I never sift, but that’s what the original recipe says.
- Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk all at once. Stir until dough follows fork around bowl. Do not overmix!
- Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Pat out to about 3/4 to 1″ thick. Cut out into circles with either a glass or biscuit cutter.
- Bake on ungreased cookie sheet or baking pan for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can easily make some at home. The key is to let this mixture sit on counter top for 10 minutes before using to allow it to thicken to the consistency of buttermilk! Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a one cup measure. I prefer lemon juice. Bottled is fine! Fill the cup with milk. I have found that the more fat in milk, the better it works. If you have half and half, use 1/2 cup of half and half and the rest milk along with the lemon juice. Greek yogurt is also a great substitute for buttermilk. Replace the amount of buttermilk with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt, cup for cup. OR, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt also works. No need to add the lemon juice if using Greek yogurt.
- Depending on the size of the cutter, this recipe yields 8-12 biscuits.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Michele
These look amazing! Anyone try making gluten-free? Any suggestions before I risk money down the drain again?
Stephanie
I hope it’s okay to share these links here since you are looking for a gluten free biscuit. Check out these two recipes:
https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2015/05/04/gluten-free-biscuits/
https://thereislifeafterwheat.com/2018/08/easy-gluten-free-biscuits-dairy-free-option/
They are both excellent. I usually half each recipe and combine them together to make 8-9 biscuits. I’m currently also grain free and miss these so much!
Anna
My biscuits didn’t rise! Any ideas?? They were delicious, but weren’t nice and tall and fluffy like my mom’s were when I was growing up. Any advice would be appreciated!!
abountifulkitchen
Anna,
Wow, that is so unusual! I have been making these for years and never had that issue. Was your baking powder old?
Si
Sharon H.
Baking powder biscuits take me back to my junior high school foods classes … Mrs.Brandon, Deer Lodge Junior High, Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. My Mom as a perfect cook, but Mrs. Brandon inspired me to graduate in Home Economics, and to love food, cloth and everything creative. She, my friend Debbie Nielsen, my sister in law Kathy and now Sy! I love this recipe and when I want comfort food, like this morning, baking powder biscuits work! The beginning of a perfect day! P.S. Laurie, chocolate cake, has always been an inspiration also.
Aubrey
I’m a huge fan of your daughter Corrine’s cooking and since she says all her good recipes come from you, I guess a big “Thank You” is due to you! I look forward to trying some of your delicious recipes.