Easy Drop Biscuits

Growing up, there was only one way to eat a drop biscuit..with pure cane syrup. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve enjoying these while the family gathered around the kitchen table. Everyone took their turn to pour their syrup on top or fill up a little dish with syrup for dipping (this was my preferred method). This is one of my favorite recipes because they are three-ingredient buttermilk drop biscuits. That means there is very little effort involved and there's no need to get out the rolling pin. This easy drop biscuit recipe makes fluffy biscuits that can be enjoyed in many different ways.

What are drop biscuits?

Drop biscuits are a much simpler yet delicious version of the traditional biscuits that do not require kneading, rolling, or layering. The ingredients are combined in a bowl and a spoon is used to drop each biscuit onto a baking sheet. If you're just getting started with biscuit making, this is a great place to start. One of the reasons that make homemade drop biscuits so easy to make is the fact that they use self-rising flour and the equipment needed is minimal. Part of what I love so much about these is that it is such an easy biscuit recipe.

Ingredients for easy drop biscuits

• Self-rising flour-all purpose flour with baking powder and salt already added. If you don't have this, I've listed an easy substitution below
• Cold Buttermilk- makes for very tender biscuits; it makes them fluffy
• Cold Butter- adds flavor and added texture

Equipment needed to make easy drop biscuits

To make these you'll need a pastry blender, a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil (or nothing if your pan is nonstick), a large mixing bowl, a large mixing spoon, and a smaller spoon to scoop and drop the biscuits onto the pan. Part of what I love so much about this easy recipe is that it does not require a biscuit cutter. The use of a kitchen scale is optional here as it is the most accurate way to measure ingredients when baking.

How to make easy drop biscuits

In order to streamline this process even more, go ahead and gather all of the equipment and ingredients you need. With that being said, the first thing you'll want to do is preheat your oven- this could take longer than making the biscuits themselves!

Add your flour and butter to a large bowl and cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender; do this until the mixture resembles coarse sand. You should have tiny pebble-sized pieces of butter with small clumps but no large chunks.

Pour in the buttermilk a little at a time. The drop biscuit dough should be more dry than wet but you should still be able to scoop a biscuit out with a spoon. Should you find that you've got too much flour, add a tiny bit more buttermilk and mix again. Repeat this step again as needed until everything is fully incorporated. The amount of required buttermilk could vary just slightly depending on the climate you live in.

Using a spoon, scoop out the desired amount and use a finger to remove the mixture from the spoon as they drop onto your baking sheet. You can accomplish perfect-sized biscuits every time by using an ice cream scoop to portion out the dough.

This recipe makes 6 biscuits but you have the freedom to do as you wish. If you want to make tiny biscuits, go for it! Want to make some jumbo biscuits? You can do that too, just keep in mind that the cooking time will look different depending on the size you make so be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven. The top of the biscuits should be a light tan color once baking is complete. The full recipe is listed below on the recipe card.

What to eat with Easy Drop Biscuits

Of course, you can enjoy all of the typical things you enjoy with a biscuit including jams, jellies, honey, butter, or anything else you like to top a biscuit with. Want to make sausage gravy and biscuits? Go for it! These biscuits pair well with so many things and would be perfect on top of a brunch board-especially if you make them a bit smaller. Brush them with a little melted butter for some extra flavor! Make some honey butter and it would be another great addition!

How to store homemade biscuits

Storing is really quite easy! Place each cooled biscuit inside an airtight container at room temperature. They can be left on the counter for 1-2 days. If you want to extend the life of the biscuits slightly, place the container in the refrigerator and they will keep for a maximum of two additional days. Alternatively; place the drop biscuits into a freezer bag, make sure the majority of the air is removed, and store in the freezer for up to a week.

Substitutions

There are a couple of really great options that can be substituted for two of the ingredients here and they're the buttermilk and the self-rising flour. These are not things that some keep on hand (I certainly don't) and in some areas, they may even be hard to source.

Substitution for buttermilk: This recipe calls for ¾ cup of buttermilk-If you need to sub buttermilk you can use ¾ cup whole milk and 2 teaspoons plus ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar. I have not tried this with any other type of milk so I am not sure what the result would be.

Substitution for self-rising flour: This recipe calls for 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour, for the substitute 2 teaspoons plus ¼ teaspoons baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon of salt. 

If you make this recipe please rate and review on the recipe card below. I would love for you to tag me on Instagram @belovedplate https://www.instagram.com/belovedplate/

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