The Best Butter Biscuits

The best butter biscuit recipe EVER, perfect for lazy mornings lounging around the house when all you want is a cozy, comforting breakfast!

This is a no-fuss recipe with simple instructions that anyone can make with ease, and they come out fluffy and flaky every time.

Homemade Butter Biscuits

If you’ve never made warm, flaky, homemade biscuits before, stop whatever you’re doing and get out the flour and butter! These guys are wicked-good and entirely easy to make, whether you’ve made biscuits a million times or this is your first time. I love biscuits and gravy or a warm biscuit on the side of a savory egg and sausage plate, spread generously with butter and jam. No matter how you take yours, these butter biscuits are seriously one of the best biscuit recipes I’ve ever made, and I think you should probably try it soon!

The key to making great biscuits is using cold — or even frozen — butter. When you cut it into little-bitty pieces (or use a cheese grater to break it up), those small chunks stay formed in the dough and eventually melt as the biscuits bake, creating little pockets and layers of flaky, buttery goodness.

I’ve made these with all-purpose flour, as well as with half whole wheat and half all-purpose, and both ways turn out lovely. I wouldn’t recommend using just whole wheat, though, as they don’t rise when they bake as well. And make sure to use a biscuit cutter so the dough is sliced through, not squished! This helps them to rise to perfection, and that’s what we all want out of our biscuits, don’t we?

What is a butter biscuit made of?

In my perfect butter biscuit recipe, I use flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cream of tartar, butter, and milk. Very simple and oh-so delicious!

Can you use melted butter in biscuits?

No! You want your butter as cold as possible before you cut it into small pieces so that it creates little pockets in the dough for a flaky and puffy biscuit. Melted butter will make the biscuit chewier and more solid than flaky.

Why don’t my biscuits rise?

One of the main reasons biscuits don’t rise is when the butter isn’t cold enough (are you sensing a theme?) or the oven isn’t hot enough. The butter should be chilled or even frozen before use so that it maintains its shape when you cut it into little pieces and mix it with dry ingredients.

You might also experience trouble with biscuits not rising if you don’t use a biscuit cutter to shape the dough into circles. Biscuit cutters are specifically designed with sharp sides so it slices through the dough, rather than squishing the dough down, and lets the biscuits rise tall while baking.

How long do butter biscuits last?

Freshly homemade biscuits will last for about 1 to 2 days at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container. You can also keep them in the fridge for up to a week.

How to make butter biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar.
3. Grate the butter into the bowl with a cheese grater.
4. Stir butter into flour mixture until the butter is broken up.
5. Add the milk and stir until just combined – do not over mix.
6. Pat dough on a floured surface until it’s 3/4 inch thick. Cut into biscuits using a biscuit cutter.
7. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve right away.

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Serve with these main dishes to complete your meal:

• Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
• Cheesy Broccoli Soup in the Crock-Pot
• 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
• Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pork Chops
• Garlic Herb Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin
• Easy Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole

Other Biscuit recipes that you’ll love:

• Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches for a Crowd
• How to Make Homemade Biscuits
• Homemade Biscuits and Gravy
• The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
• Sausage and Cheese Biscuits
• Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Biscuits
• The Best Biscuit Recipe Ever, Really
• Pumpkin Skillet Biscuits
• Maple Cornmeal Biscuits
• Cream Biscuits

This post was originally published in 2012, and has been updated and rephotographed in October 2019.

Butter biscuits are a heavenly and flaky pastry, perfect to include in any breakfast and super simple to make no matter your baking experience!