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These super simple, buttery Honey Biscuits recipe made from scratch are a perfect compliment to any meal, cup of tea and more. Ready in under 30 minutes and only basic kitchen staples needed. You don't even need a biscuit cutter, promise!
For a long time I have been on the hunt for a no nonsense biscuit recipe. I have tried a lot of them, and had many delicious biscuits. But I hadn't found just the ONE.
Recently, I decided to take some of the knowledge I learned from studying up on biscuit best practices and put them into my own made from scratch ridiculously simple biscuit recipe.
Biscuits don't have to be a lot of work, you just have to know a few things to make them just right.
What makes the best honey biscuits:
- Butter: It needs to be very very cold. VERY cold. Pop it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before prepping. You can even leave it in for an hour or so. Grate the butter for the best made from scratch biscuits. For best results, use a grater to cut the butter versus a biscuit cutter. As I mentioned, you want the butter to be cold and you also want to get the butter into the flour without working it much at all. Grating it will disperse it very nice and evenly.
- How you work the dough: Gentle is the word here. You do not want to overwork biscuit dough. The more delicate you can be with it, the better off you will be.
- Leavening agents: Baking powder that is not fresh is one of the biggest culprits in failed baked goods. The way to wow everyone with your biscuits is all about the rise. If your baking powder isn't fresh, then you are going to have some sad and sulky biscuits.
Ingredients and Swaps:
- butter: as I mentioned, make sure it is ice cold. Pop it in the freezer at least 20 minutes before even preheating the oven to make these honey biscuits.
- milk: same as the butter--make sure it is COLD.
- baking powder: one TABLESPOON of baking powder--make sure you don't use a teaspoon. I know we are used to a much smaller amount in recipes, but a tablespoon is what you need for these honey biscuits.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Before you do anything, freeze your butter for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour or so. Also make sure your milk is very cold.
- Whisk flour, salt and baking powder to combine. Check this out for best practices on how to measure flour correctly. (steps 1 and 2)
- Using a grater, grate the butter and add to the dry ingredients. If you don't have a grater, use a pastry cutter, but for best results, you will want to grate it. You can cut up the last bit of the butter so that you don't slice your hand! (steps 3 and 4)
- Gently mix the butter into the dry ingredients trying not to overwork or break down the butter. The key here is to get the pieces of butter covered by the flour to help form those flaky layers when baking, not to actually combine the butter fully as one with the flour.
- Whisk together the honey and milk in a separate bowl or cup. Add the cold milk and honey mixture and gently mix. The dough will be somewhat in pieces and almost big crumbles and that is what you want. (steps 5 and 6)
- Bring the dough onto a flour dusted surface and pull it together. Very gently, press it out and then fold it over. Rotate each fold by about 90 degrees and press once again. Repeat this about 4-5 times. This will help form the flaky layers as well. (see video)
- After folding the honey biscuit dough, press out to about one inch in height. Using a glass, biscuit cutter, or whatever you have that makes about a 2 ¾ inch biscuit, make super close cuts to get as many biscuits into the first round of dough. The sharper the object you are cutting with, the better, but not everyone has a biscuit cutter so I wanted to show that you can use everyday objects and still have delicious biscuits. Pull the excess dough together and fold over a couple times, cutting biscuits once again. (see video)
- Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for about 12 minutes and the biscuits become a very light golden brown on top. Try not to over bake!
Expert Tips:
- The less you work the dough the better. You want the butter to stay cold and in form to form layers versus warm butter that will give you just one dense layer inside.
- Don't use a rolling pin to flatten this dough to cut. Just press it out as softly as you can.
- I have only used whole milk to make these so I cannot say whether another milk will be successful as of now.
- Do not over bake your biscuits. The bottoms will be too hard and the inside can easily dry out. And who wants that??!
Other breakfast recipes you will love:
- BANANA BREAD BAKED OATMEAL
- PUMPKIN CHIP BANANA BREAD
- CINNAMON ROLL BREAKFAST COOKIES
- SPINACH EGG MUFFINS
- SPIRALIZED SWEET POTATO AND ARUGULA FRITTATA
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Honey Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 c flour
- ½ c unsalted butter (one stick)
- ¾ c whole milk
- 3 T honey
- 1 T baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Before starting, freeze your butter for at least 20 minutes for best results. Also make sure your milk is ice cold.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sea salt and baking powder. Using a box grater, grate the butter and add into the bowl with the flour. If you don't have a grater, you can use a pastry cutter. Gently stir the butter into the dry ingredients trying not to overwork it or break it down.
- In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk and honey. Pour the milk into the flour and butter mixture and gently stir to combine. This will still be sort of chunky and in pieces, not a uniform dough.
- On a flour covered surface, pull the dough together as one. If it seems a bit sticky, just dust with some extra flour. Very gently, press the dough out and fold it over. Press out once again, turn 90 degrees, and fold it again. Do this step 4-5 times. (see video for help)
- Press the dough out gently to about 1 inch in height. Using a biscuit cutter (or another round object that will cut into the dough), make close cuts into the dough and place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently pull the excess dough together and press it out once again. Cut the remaining biscuits.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until a very light golden brown on top. Enjoy warm with an extra drizzle of honey, butter or however else you prefer your biscuits! I typically get about 6-8 biscuits out of this recipe, depending on what I use to cut the biscuits.
Notes
- The less you work the dough the better. You want the butter to stay cold and in form to form layers versus warm butter that will give you just one dense layer inside.
- I have only used whole milk to make these so I cannot say whether another milk will be successful as of now.
- Do not over bake your biscuits. The bottoms will be too hard and the inside can easily dry out. And who wants that??!
Jill B says
These biscuits are, hands-down, the best biscuits I have ever eaten or made. I had a couple of them leftover and stored them overnight in a Ziploc freezer bag. They were soft and good even the next day. I have been looking up recipes without sugar, made with honey, and found these, and I am so happy. Thank you for the great recipe.
Lorie says
So so happy to hear this Jill! Glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!
Steve says
Did you use self rising flour mine came out half the size of yours?
Lorie says
Hi Steve! I use all purpose flour when making these biscuits. I am going to assume that your baking powder may not be fresh anymore. Sorry to hear they didn't rise much!