The Best Biscuit Recipe (AKA Jess’ Go-To Biscuits)

Why are these the best biscuits you could make? Simply put, I’ve been making homemade biscuits since I was 14 years old. That’s right, my very first job was at the Hardee’s restaurant in my little Minnesota hometown. I’d ride my bike early every morning to start my 5:00 a.m. shift. Back then, the buttermilk biscuits were made by hand (my hands!). It was hard work, but I loved being in the quiet kitchen in the wee hours of the morning next to the hot ovens before the restaurant filled with noisy customers and the clash of the dishroom. 

One would think that after making thousands of biscuits that I wouldn’t want to make them anymore, but that’s not true. I still love making biscuits. Over the years I’ve adapted my process to make it even simpler. For one, now I use a box grater to shred the cold butter rather than cutting it in by hand or crumbling it between my fingers (which, by the way, results in subpar biscuits since warm butter makes less flaky layers). I’ve also adopted a fold-and-press method that’s much faster than kneading and using a rolling pin. 

I hope you love these biscuits as much as I do. My nearly 80-year-old Dad still asks me to make these for him every time I visit. And nothing makes me smile bigger than when I hear him say, “THE Best!” after he takes that first bite.

Ingredient Spotlights

What I love most about this baked biscuit recipe is that I always have what I need to make them, since they require just eight pantry and refrigerator staples. 

• Flour – I use regular all-purpose flour for these biscuits. My favorite brands are King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill because they’re good quality flours.
• Cold unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter to make these biscuits so they have a consistent buttery flavor and texture. If salted butter is all you have on hand, go ahead and use it the biscuits will not taste overly salty. The most important note about the butter is that it should be chilled. I leave mine in the fridge until it’s time to grate it into the flour mixture. And if I’m making these on a hot day, I’ll often pop the grated butter back into the fridge for a few minutes to let it harden up again.
• White vinegar – you just need ½ teaspoon vinegar, but that’s enough to react with the baking powder and create leavening, which means you get fluffier and lighter biscuits.
• Granulated sugar – while it may be tempting to omit the sugar, it adds tenderness and a tiny bit of sweetness to balance the flavor, so I recommended keeping it
• Milk – I always use 2% or whole dairy milk, but my preference is whole milk, since the extra fat makes these biscuits even more tender. If you don’t have whole milk, you can use ¾ cup of 2% milk + 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or buttermilk. If using buttermilk, you can omit the vinegar

Suggested Equipment

You can make perfect biscuits without a few of these tools. But if you have them, they’re super handy to use: 

• Bench scraper – to help shape and cut the biscuit dough. I also like using a bench scraper because it has a measuring tool along the side so you can easily measure the thickness of your dough. If you don’t have a bench scraper, you can also use a knife. Instead of using a biscuit cutter to make round biscuits, this dough is cut into eight square pieces.
• Box grater – this is a stand-up grater mostly used to grate cheese. I think it’s the best tool for quickly breaking the butter into small pieces, which get incorporated into the dough and result in tender and flaky biscuits. 
• Pastry blender – also called a dough blender or pastry cutter, this tool is great for quickly mixing and mashing the butter into the dry ingredients. If you don’t have one, you can use a fork. 
• Baking sheet – any size will do, even a small quarter sheet pan. Either mist the baking sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper to prevent the biscuits from sticking.

How To Make Homemade Biscuits

Trust me, after making biscuits one time, it won’t feel as intimidating and will be much faster next time. I’ve included a photo tutorial to show the simple steps. 

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 Them Gluten Free

Yes, you can make these biscuits gluten. To do so, use an equal amount of 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. The gluten-free biscuits will rise slightly less and have less browning, but they still taste great. Bake them for 1 minute longer than the biscuits made with all-purpose flour, so 13-14 minutes total. 

The Best Ways To Store

Store any leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge, as that can make them dry out faster. 

The baked or unbaked biscuits can also be refrigerated or frozen until ready to bake. Sometimes I make the dough and form the biscuits ahead, then just refrigerate them right on the baking sheet for a day or two, until I’m ready to bake them fresh. See the recipe card notes for baking instructions.   

When I have time to make an extra batch, the unbaked biscuits also freeze well for up to 1 month as a super fast addition to meals in the future. I simply take the frozen biscuit pucks out of the freezer and bake them on a baking sheet for 12 to 14 minutes. See the recipe card for more notes I share about this method.

Favorite Biscuit Pairings

My favorite way to enjoy these biscuits is fresh out of the oven with some melted butter smeared over top. I love to tear one open while it’s still steamy on the inside.

My husband often requests them alongside homemade sausage gravy for a delicious stick-to-your-bones breakfast. 

He also likes them for making the best breakfast sandwiches, topped with bacon, eggs, avocado, and a dash of hot sauce. My youngest daughter, who needs egg-free breakfast recipes, enjoys these biscuits with her favorite jams and jellies spread over top. My Dad, who I mentioned at the top of this post, enjoys them fresh off the baking sheet with a drizzle of honey. 

These biscuits are also great served with this crockpot chicken pot pie soup recipe where they make a delicious stand-in for the typical pie crust. You can also use easy drop biscuits to top the soup. 

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