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Easy Homemade Biscuits

Homemade Biscuits are incredibly easy to make and turn out wonderfully soft, fluffy, and buttery every time. With just six simple ingredients and no rise time required, this is the ultimate quick bread recipe that you can pull together in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, you’ll love how fast and foolproof these biscuits are.

Why You’ll Love This Biscuit Recipe

  • No Yeast Needed: Skip the rising time—these biscuits use baking powder for lift.
  • Simple Ingredients: Everything you need is likely already in your pantry or fridge.
  • Ultra-Fluffy Texture: Thanks to cold butter and a few shaping tricks, these biscuits bake up tall and tender.
  • Versatile & Delicious: Serve them with jam, honey butter, gravy, or use them for breakfast sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt (fine sea salt recommended)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
  • 1 cup half and half (minus 2 Tbsp)*
  • 1/2 Tbsp melted butter, for brushing after baking

*Tip: If you don’t have half and half, combine equal parts heavy cream and milk.

Tools You’ll Need

  • Mixing bowl
  • Pastry blender or two forks
  • 2 1/2″ biscuit cutter (or a knife for square biscuits)
  • Baking sheet lined with parchment
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Tips for the Best Homemade Biscuits

  1. Use Cold Butter: Cold butter creates steam as it bakes, making those signature flaky layers.
  2. Don’t Over-Mix: Once the liquid hits the flour, mix just until the dough comes together.
  3. Cut Straight Down: Avoid twisting the cutter to help your biscuits rise evenly.
  4. Flour the Cutter: Dip your biscuit cutter into flour between cuts for clean edges.
  5. Fold the Dough: Folding helps build layers for extra flakiness.

Instructions

Make the Dough

  1. Dice butter into 1/2-inch cubes and refrigerate until needed.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
  3. Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (pea-sized butter pieces).
  4. Pour in the half and half all at once and stir until just combined. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Shape and Cut

  1. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Lightly flour the top if it’s too sticky.
  2. Gently pat into a rectangle, fold in half, and repeat. Pat the dough into a 5×10-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick.
  3. Use a floured biscuit cutter to cut out 8 biscuits. Gather and reshape scraps to cut 2 more.

Bake

  1. Place biscuits 1-inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Bake at 450°F for 12–15 minutes until golden brown on top.
  3. While hot, brush with melted butter. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and enjoy warm.

Make-Ahead & Storage

  • Make Ahead: Cut biscuits can be refrigerated overnight and baked fresh in the morning.
  • Store: Keep cooled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temp or 1 week in the fridge.
  • Freeze: Freeze baked or unbaked biscuits for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

  • Spread with jam or honey butter
  • Top with gravy for a Southern-style breakfast
  • Use as buns for breakfast sandwiches

More Quick Breads You’ll Love

  • Banana Bread
  • Irish Soda Bread
  • Zucchini Bread
  • Classic Scones
  • Pumpkin Bread

Homemade biscuits are a family favorite and so simple to make from scratch. Once you try them, you may never go back to store-bought!