15 of our best biscuit recipes for fluffy, flaky, buttery bakes
From classic buttermilk biscuits to innovative flavor spins, we have a biscuit for everyone.
Date
May 14, 2025
At King Arthur, we're currently obsessed with biscuits.
We just launched our brand-new Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend, which is made with soft wheat flour and dried buttermilk to yield tender biscuits with rich flavor (no fresh buttermilk, salt, or leaveners needed). We’re also about to drop a biscuit-focused episode of our podcast, Things Bakers Know. The episode is out on Monday, May 19th — be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss our deep dive into biscuits’ American history, troubleshooting biscuit-baking tips, and plenty of hot takes about these buttery bakes.
Finally, our Test Kitchen has been going through pounds of butter and bags of flour to create plenty of new biscuit recipes. From new favorites to old standbys, here are 15 of our best biscuit recipes to make if you, like us, are craving a simple, comforting bake.
1) Buttermilk Biscuits
These biscuits are our perfected version of a classic: Cold butter is worked into the flour to produce flaky layers, and buttermilk hydrates the dough, adding a touch of tangy flavor. The biscuits rise beautifully in the oven and boast golden brown tops. These versatile biscuits are ideal for serving with butter and jam, turning into a sandwich, or standing in as a last-minute side for practically any meal.
Get the recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Pastry & Biscuit Cutters and King Arthur Half Sheet Pan
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Buttermilk Lemon-Apricot Scones, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
2) 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
It’s possible to make tender, flaky, high-rising biscuits with just three ingredients when you have a bag of Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend on hand (along with butter and milk). Cold butter is worked into the biscuit flour to create lofty layers, while a simple folding method gives these biscuits their impressive height and irresistible texture.
Get the recipe: 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Buttermilk Pancakes, Easy Drop Biscuits with Buttermilk Biscuit Flour
3) Small-Batch Biscuits
Biscuits are best when they’re fresh from the oven — they’re at their flakiest and most tender right after baking. You can avoid having day-old leftovers by making exactly the number of biscuits you need, which is sometimes just two! This small-batch recipe is the perfection solution for those moments: Just stir together five pantry staples (you don’t even need to cut in butter!) and briefly bake.
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Bench Knife and King Arthur Quarter Sheet Pan
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Small-Batch Parker House Rolls, Just 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
4) Pretzel Biscuits
This bake combines the flakiness of a homemade biscuit with the signature salty, malty flavor of a soft pretzel. To achieve this, the biscuit dough is brushed with a baking soda solution that makes the tops turn a deep mahogany brown, while also contributing that characteristic alkaline pretzel flavor. Our Test Kitchen especially likes enjoying these as breakfast sandwiches.
Get the recipe: Pretzel Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Bowl Scraper and King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Pretzel Focaccia, Pretzel Buns
5) Sourdough Discard Buttermilk Biscuits
The next time you have to feed your sourdough starter, put the discard to good use by making these biscuits. Thanks to our new Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend, they bake up light, lofty, and have a slight tang — a flavor that comes from both the sourdough discard and the buttermilk powder in the biscuit flour.
Get the recipe: Sourdough Discard Buttermilk Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend and Classic Fresh Sourdough Starter
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Buttery Sourdough Biscuits, Sourdough English Muffins
6) Easy Drop Biscuits
These biscuits were formerly known as “Never-Fail Biscuits,” because we promise you just that: You won’t ever go wrong with this recipe. Simply stir together equal parts (by weight) Self-Rising Flour and heavy cream to make a soft, slightly sticky dough; once baked, the biscuits have a delicate, cake-like crumb. The dough can easily be customized with spices, herbs, or other mix-ins to create your personal favorite flavor combination.
Get the recipe: Easy Drop Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Self-Rising Flour and Tablespoon Scoop
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Easy Self-Rising Blueberry Muffins, Easy Self-Rising Biscuits
7) Flaky Biscuits
These biscuits are simultaneously flaky and sturdy. The dough is enriched with an egg, which adds richness and helps bring the dough together without overworking it. Shortening is incorporated into the flour mixture for extra tenderness, then chunks of cold butter are worked in to create flaky layers. The result is biscuits that are photo-worthy: tall with striking layers and golden tops.
Get the recipe: Flaky Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Pastry Blender and King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Flaky Cheese Twists, Lachha Paratha (Flaky Paratha)
8) Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits
These generously sized biscuits (they’re as big as a cat’s head!) are loaded with cheddar cheese and bursting with scallions. This recipe comes from baker Cheryl Day, who is known for her Southern bakes — pulling from her experience baking cakes, she calls for cake flour in these savory biscuits to make them pillowy soft, which is a pleasant complement to their crispy bottoms.
Get the recipe: Scallion and Cheddar Cathead Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Cake Flour and Scone and Muffin Scoop
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Tahini-Scallion Rolls, Scallion Pancakes
9) Green Goddess Herb Biscuits
Inspired by creamy, herb-packed Green Goddess dressing, these biscuits can be paired with a salad to make it feel like a meal. A combination of spinach, basil, parsley, and chives adds vibrant green color and fresh flavor. Cake flour ensures the biscuits have a tender, almost cake-like texture, while mayonnaise adds richness and nods to its namesake dressing.
Get the recipe: Green Goddess Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Cake Flour and Popover Scoop
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Coffee Cake Biscuits, Sky-High Garlicky Herb Biscuits
10) Fluffy Biscuits
This recipe for super tender biscuits is also known as “Angel Biscuits,” because of their light-as-air texture. The secret? Baking powder and yeast, which help ensure the biscuits rise beautifully in the oven and have a fluffy interior crumb. While these biscuits are more delicate than most, they still hold up to being slathered with butter and jam.
Get the recipe: Fluffy Biscuits
Shop the recipe: SAF Instant Yeast and Professional Pastry Brush
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Soft Dinner Rolls, Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
11) Chocolate Biscuits
For a fun biscuit twist, add high-quality cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips to a basic cream-based dough. These chocolatey biscuits can be used to make summery strawberry shortcakes, or simply split and topped with raspberry jam for a breakfast treat that feels decadent without being overly sweet.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend and Callebaut Semisweet Mini Chocolate Chips
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Breakfast Muffins
12) Gluten-Free Biscuits
These gluten-free biscuits will appeal to everyone: They’re flaky, buttery, and more tender than most of their wheat-based counterparts. (Gluten can make biscuits tough if the dough is overworked, something you don’t need to worry about here!) Plus, they’re exceptionally freezer-friendly: Keep a batch tucked away, and you’ll be just minutes from freshly baked gluten-free biscuits any time the craving strikes.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour and Xanthan Gum
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Gluten-Free English Muffin Bread, Gluten-Free Doughnut Muffins
13) Sweet Potato Biscuits
Slightly sweet and spiced but still versatile enough to sandwich a variety of fillings, these Sweet Potato Biscuits can be made with either fresh or canned sweet potato purée. The potato adds a beautiful golden color and makes the dough easy to roll out and handle. Their modest height and relative sturdiness also make them a prime candidate for breakfast sandwiches.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Vietnamese Cinnamon and Rolling Mat
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls, Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Pound Cake
14) Blueberry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze
If you love the combination of lemon and blueberry, these easy cut-out biscuits belong on your next brunch menu. They’re packed with fresh blueberries and topped with a simple lemon glaze, making them feel special despite their short ingredient list (only seven ingredients, thanks to our Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend).
Get the recipe: Blueberry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze
Shop the recipe: Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend and Pastry Blender
If you like this recipe, you may also like: Blueberry Shortcakes with Lime and Ginger, Blueberry Grunt
15) Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
These super-savory biscuits are about as flavorful as they are easy. The cream-based dough holds up to a cup of cheese and is amped up with garlic powder for well-rounded (not pungent!) flavor. If you are partway through making dinner and realize you need a garlicky, cheesy side to complete the meal, turn to this recipe for freshly baked biscuits in just about a half hour.
Get the recipe: Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Shop the recipe: Buttermilk Biscuit Flour Blend and Scone and Muffin Scoop
If you like this recipe, you may also like: No-Knead Garlic Cheese Flatbread, Bacon Cheddar Scones
Cover photo (Sourdough Discard Buttermilk Biscuits) by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.
