Easy Drop Biscuit Recipe, Homemade Drop Biscuits

I make Easy Drop Biscuits with just five simple ingredients and a little time-saving trick that gets homemade biscuits on the table in under 30 minutes.

I cant resist a recipe that looks like it took effort but barely did. These Homemade Drop Biscuits Easy are exactly that.

With simple all purpose flour and cold unsalted butter they turn out flaky and surprising, ready in under 30 minutes, and yeah I know that sounds fake but it really works. I love how every batch comes out a little different so you never know if youll get a super tender one or a crisply golden edge, which is part of the fun.

If youre in a hurry, Quick Biscuits Drop will change the way you do weeknight baking.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour gives structure and carbs, some protein from gluten, makes biscuits tender.
• Baking powder is the leavening agent, adds lightness, can taste metallic if overused.
• Salt boosts flavor, balances sweetness and helps the dough taste less flat.
• Cold unsalted butter adds flaky richness and tender texture, cold cubes create pockets of air.
• Whole milk provides moisture, fat for richness, helps browning and mild sweetness.
• Simple ingredients, mostly carbs and fat, not a health food but pure comfort food.
• Fat to flour ratio controls tenderness, more butter equals richer, flakier crumb.
• Milk’s lactose gives slight sweetness, milk proteins help crust color while baking.
• No sugar here, these biscuits stay savory, perfect with jam, gravy or soup.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold whole milk

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease it.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder and 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt.

3. Add 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed. Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea sized pieces of butter. Dont warm the butter with your hands; if its too soft chill the cubes for 10 minutes or grate them frozen.

4. Pour 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold whole milk over the dry mix. Stir gently with a fork or wooden spoon just until the dough comes together; it will be sticky and a little shaggy. Dont overmix or the biscuits will be tough.

5. Use a 1/4 cup scoop, large spoon, or two spoons to drop mounds of dough onto the prepared sheet about 2 inches apart. Wet your spoon or hands slightly if the dough sticks.

6. If you want more even tops, gently pat the drops once or twice with a floured finger, but dont press them flat.

7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan once if your oven cooks unevenly, until the biscuits are puffed and golden on top.

8. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving. Theyre best warm.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 450°F)
2. Baking sheet
3. Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray, dont skip this if you want easy removal
4. Large mixing bowl
5. Whisk (for dry ingredients)
6. Pastry cutter or two sharp knives, or use your fingertips if you like
7. Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale for grams
8. Wooden spoon or fork for stirring
9. 1/4 cup scoop or two large spoons for portioning dough
10. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts for safe handling

FAQ

Easy Drop Biscuit Recipe, Homemade Drop Biscuits Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour: swap for whole wheat pastry flour at the same weight (240 g) for a nuttier, slightly denser biscuit, or use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend with xanthan for gluten-free biscuits — expect small texture changes.
• Baking powder: if you’re out, mix 1 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp cream of tartar for every 1 tbsp baking powder called for. Mix and use right away.
• Cold unsalted butter: replace with cold vegetable shortening or cold lard, 1:1 by weight (85 g) for a flakier result; chilled solid coconut oil works too but may add a hint of coconut.
• Cold whole milk: use cold buttermilk 1:1 for tangier, extra-tender biscuits, or use cold half-and-half for richer biscuits; for dairy-free, unsweetened almond or oat milk 1:1 works fine.

Pro Tips

– Keep the butter and milk as cold as you can. If the butter starts to warm up grate it frozen or pop the cubes back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Cold butter gives better lift and little flaky pockets.

– Be gentle and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together; it should be a little shaggy and sticky. Overworking makes tough biscuits, so fold and stir only a few times.

– For extra layers, do a couple quick folds: pat the dough into a rough 1 inch thick rectangle, fold it into thirds, rotate, repeat once, then scoop. Dont press the drops flat or youll lose the rise.

– Bake on a very hot, fully preheated sheet (or preheat the sheet too) so the bottoms get an instant blast of heat and rise better. Right out of the oven brush with melted butter and let rest a few minutes before moving them.