If you’ve ever had a Hardee’s cinnamon raisin biscuit you know the allure of that tender biscuit studded with plump raisins and generously drizzled with sweet icing. As a self-proclaimed ‘biscuit queen’ who’s been perfecting her recipe and technique for decades, I drew upon my experience as a Hardee’s baker to create this copy cat recipe that’s a bit lower in fat and sugar than the original but every bit as deliciously nostalgic. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a strong cup of coffee and easy enough for bakers of all skill levels to make at home.
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Easy Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits At Home
My first job was baking biscuits at the Hardee’s restaurant in my hometown. I was only 14 years old but already knew how to make flaky buttermilk biscuits and I didn’t mind waking before dawn so this was the perfect job for me. The cinnamon raisin biscuits were officially retired from the menu in 2002 but in recent years they’ve made a limited time return for the holidays. If you’re missing them like I do, or have never had them but want to know what the hype is about, I’ve recreated a real food version using simple, wholesome ingredients so you can enjoy them anytime of year.
Recipe Highlights
- Made from real food ingredients: The original recipe which I’ve recreated from memory used hydrogenated oils in the form of vegetable shortening and cinnamon chips made with palm oil and flavorings. My version uses real butter and relies on a pantry staple for their warm cinnamon flavor
- Lower in fat and sugar: I’ve spent years perfecting my technique for flaky, tender biscuits made with less butter and sugar. They’re still not a low calorie food but these modifications along with a higher proportion of naturally sweet raisins has earned them our team’s stamp of approval
- Created with love: Creating this recipe has been a labor of love for me and the sequel to The Best Biscuits story and my very first job making the biscuits at Hardee’s
Ingredients you’ll need
Here are some of the key ingredients you’ll need to round up from the pantry and fridge to make a batch of these biscuits for yourself.
- Flour: Any brand will work but my go-to for consistently excellent results is King Arthur All-Purpose Flour in the red bag. See below for notes about using gluten-free flour in this recipe.
- Cold butter: Unsalted butter is the best bet for baking because it lets me adjust the saltiness by adding more salt if needed. Since this is a sweet biscuit I always reach for unsalted butter straight from the fridge so that it’s cold. If I’m baking on a hot day or the kitchen is unusually warm because the oven has been on for a while, I’ll pop my stick of butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before grating it. Melted butter has no place in a biscuit recipe so keep that butter cold.
- Whole milk: I typically use whole milk when making biscuits because the extra bit of fat increases their tenderness. However, 2% milk also works beautifully and so does cold buttermilk if you’ve got it on hand. If using buttermilk you can omit the vinegar.
- Granulated sugar: While it may be tempting to reduce the sugar even more, I’ve found that this is the minimum amount of sugar to give the biscuits a tender bite and just the right amount of sweetness.
- White vinegar: Mixing white vinegar with milk is an easy, cost-saving alternative to buttermilk. The acidity of the vinegar reacts with the leaving agents to give the biscuits a lift in the oven
- Raisins: because we’re saving time and skipping the step of soaking, draining, and wringing out the raisins I recommend using raisins that are soft and plump. Save the dry and shriveled ones for your morning oatmeal
Suggested Tools & Equipment
- These are a few of my favorite tools that I reach for every time I bake up a batch of biscuits. You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t require any appliances like a food processor or mixer. These are hand-powered, old fashioned biscuits just like grandma used to make which makes them even more satisfying to make.
Bench scraper: I use my bench scraper so often that it has earned a spot in my uppermost utensil drawer. It’s great for cleaning flour and bits of dough off the countertop and shaping and cutting the dough since these biscuits are cut into squares not rounds using a biscuit cutter. Mine has a measuring tool marked that makes it easy to get biscuit dough just the right thickness - Kitchen scale: I have found that my $10 digital kitchen scale is one of the most valuable tools in my kitchen when it comes to baking. Weighing flour and other dry ingredients ensures accuracy and eliminates the need to dirty extra measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Pastry blender: Also called a pastry cutter. This tool makes quick work of cutting cold butter into flour which is essential for flaky biscuits and pie crusts when making blueberry cobbler, chicken pot pie, homemade apple pie or berry galette
- Baking sheet: Any size baking pan will work but I almost always grab a quarter sheet pan for this recipe and line with parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat
- Box grater: This stand-up grater (with integrated storage container) typically used to grate cheese or zucchini makes quick work of grating a stick of butter to create a mound of thin buttery curls that are easy to cut into the flour so that it’s evenly distributed ensuring tender cinnamon biscuits
My time-tested method for perfect no-fuss biscuits
Over the years I’ve perfected my method for making homemade biscuits to make them as simple and unintimidating as possible, even for beginner bakers. I’ve included a step-by-step photo tutorial to make it easy.
Fold, Don’t Knead
Avoid the urge to knead the dough. Excessing handling of the dough such as kneading or over stirring in the mixing bowl to get every last bit of flour will result in tough biscuits.
Make it easy on yourself and do just enough to incorporate the flour by doing the four rounds of patting and folding I recommend before cutting the biscuits into squares to bake.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Make It Gluten-Free
I’ve tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour with excellent results. To make your cinnamon raisin biscuits gluten-free simply replace the all–purpse flour with gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio. Stirring the flour before lightly spooning it into the measuring cup and scraping off any excess flour with a knife will help ensure you don’t use too much flour and end up with a dry, crumbly biscuit. The best method, however, is the weigh the flour and use the exact measurement provided in the recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to preheat oven fully before baking and use an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven. The temperature in many ovens can differ from what’s displayed on the control panel by 10-25 degrees which can have a big impact on your recipe results.
The gold standard for measuring flour is to weigh it using a kitchen scale. I’ve provided weights for both all-purpose and gluten-free flour for this recipe to help ensure success.
If you don’t have a scale the next best option is to stir the flour in the container then use a large spoon to scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup (not the one used to measure liquids). The use a table knife to gently scrape the excess off so that you have a level measure.
You don’t have to but if you’ve got a box grater it’s both easy and highly effective. If you want to skip the grating I suggest cutting the butter into small pieces (roughly the size of the tip of your pinky finger) then placing the cubed butter into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes before adding to the dry ingredients.
Yes. Buttermilk makes these cinnamon raisin biscuits so delicious so if you’ve got it, I suggest using it. Simply replace the milk with buttermilk and omit the vinegar.
My Top Tips For Baking Biscuits At Home
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- Grate, don’t cut, your butter: Grating your butter make the pieces small so you can quickly and easily incorporate them into the flour mixture
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- Spoon, don’t scoop, your flour into measuring cups: Scooping the flour with a measuring cup over packs the cup resulting in too much flour which will make the dough dry and crumbly. Even better than spooning and leveling off the top is to weigh the flour with a kitchen scale
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- Use cold ingredients only: Make sure your butter is straight from the fridge when you grate it. If it’s a hot day or your kitchen is warm, place the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before grating
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- Work quickly and use a light hand: Use a pastry cutter or pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. Avoid using your hands as this will make the butter soft and lead to flat, tough biscuits
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- Mind your baking time: Start with the minimum baking time and check for doneness when the time is up. The biscuits should be lightly browned on the bottom and not feel wet or sticky. Add more baking time in 1 minute increments. When the biscuits are done, transfer to a wire baking sheet to cool before spooning the glaze over top
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- Don’t overthink it: Seriously, baking should be enjoyable and not stressful. Your folds don’t have to be perfect, your edges don’t need to be totally straight, and it’s okay if your biscuits aren’t exactly square. They’ll still taste delicious!
The Best Way to Store and Reheat Leftover Biscuits
Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container with lid or under a pastry dome for up to 3 days. Reheat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave before enjoying.
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
My first job was making the now retired cinnamon raisin biscuits at Hardee’s. I set out to recreate them using real food ingredients and my time-tested method for no-fuss biscuits. My dad loved those biscuits and he gives these two thumbs up.
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (245-250g), plus more for rolling (295g if using gluten-free flour)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (60g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup raisins
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk (may substitute ¾ cup buttermilk)*
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar (omit if using buttermilk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream (may substitute half and half or whole milk)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Get Recipe IngredientsInstructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda to a medium bowl and whisk together to combine.
- Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture.
- Use a fork or pastry blender to work the grated butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Avoid using your hands as this causes the butter to melt and will not give you the fluffiest biscuits.
- Stir the raisins into the flour mixture.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the milk, vinegar, and vanilla into the well and stir until a soft, craggy dough forms. Almost all of the flour will be incorporated into the dough but some may remain on the edges or bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the dough and any loose bits of flour out onto a lightly floured surface. If the dough is very sticky, lightly dust the surface with flour.
- Use your hands to pat the dough into a rectangle 1-inch thick.
- Working quickly, fold the rectangle of dough in half and then press it into a rectangle again.
- Repeat this fold and press process 3 more times (for a total of 4 folds). By now all of the flour should be incorporated into the dough.
- Without performing another fold, shape the dough into a rectangle ¾-inch thick (about 6 x 8 inches). Use your hands or a bench scraper to help make the edges tidy.
- Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 squares making one cut length wise then 3 cuts width-wise.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the tops and bottoms are a very light golden brown.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow them to cool while you make the glaze.
- To make the vanilla glaze, combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
- Spoon the glaze over the warm biscuits and serve. Store any leftover biscuits in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Reheat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave before enjoying.
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Notes
*We do not recommend substituting dairy-free milk or butter in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 11 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 430 mg
- Carbohydrate: 50 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 25 g)
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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