Buttermilk Butter Biscuits are tender and delightfully buttery. With just four simple ingredients you can make homemade biscuits that are soft inside and crisp on the outside. These biscuits are quick to prepare and ready in about 30 minutes.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These biscuits come together fast. This buttermilk biscuit recipe is a classic and includes a helpful shortcut: using a pre-mixed baking mix such as Bisquick. The method minimizes hands-on time and eliminates the need to cut butter or measure shortening.
Serve warm with simple spreads like honey butter or homemade raspberry jam for a comforting treat straight from the oven.
Shape the biscuits to suit your meal — round, square, small, or large — and they’ll pair beautifully with breakfasts or hearty dinners.
🥘 Ingredients to Have on Hand
This is a simple, foolproof buttermilk biscuit recipe that relies on a few pantry staples.
Pre-Mixed Baking Mix: A product like Bisquick supplies flour, shortening, leavening, salt and sugar so you don’t have to measure each dry ingredient separately.
Buttermilk: Adds tang and helps create tall, fluffy biscuits.
Sour Cream: Contributes moisture and richness for a tender interior.
Scroll to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and measurements.
📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to make buttery, tender Buttermilk Butter Biscuits.
- Mix: In a large bowl, stir together the baking mix, sour cream, and buttermilk until just combined. The dough should be thick — avoid overmixing to keep the biscuits tender.
- Prepare surface: Sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of additional baking mix on a cutting board or counter.
- Turn out dough: Place the dough on the prepared surface. Fold it in half and gently knead 4–5 times until the dry mix is mostly absorbed and the dough holds together. If adding mix-ins (cheese, herbs), fold them in during this step.
- Pat and cut: Pat the dough into a rectangle about 10″ x 7″ and 1″ thick. Use a round cutter or a knife to cut rounds or squares, depending on how you want to serve them.
- Butter bath: Pour melted butter into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Place the cut biscuits into the butter, turning each one so both sides get coated.
- Arrange: Place the biscuits side by side with the edges touching so they rise upward rather than spreading.
- Chill: Refrigerate the baking dish for 10 minutes (up to 30 minutes if you have time). Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms the butter for a better rise and crisper bottom crust.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and the biscuits are puffy. Baking time varies with biscuit size and chilling time.
- Serve: Remove with a spatula and serve warm.
⭐ Pro Tip
Cutting the dough into squares with a knife uses all of the dough with no scraps left over. For tall biscuits, place them close together in the baking dish so they support each other as they rise.
📖 Substitutions
Baking Mix: Any pre-mixed baking mix (Jiffy, Krusteaz, etc.) will work. Pancake mix can be used but will yield a slightly sweeter biscuit.
Buttermilk: To make a buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and fill to 1 cup with milk; let sit 10 minutes before using.
Soda option: For a different flavor, substitute 1 cup lemon-lime soda (7Up) for the buttermilk — it creates a slightly sweet, tender biscuit.
Sour cream: Full-fat plain yogurt is an easy swap if you don’t have sour cream.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes. Placing biscuits close together encourages them to rise upward and stay tall rather than spreading out flat.
A pre-mixed baking mix combines all-purpose flour with added shortening, salt, sugar, and baking powder so you can skip measuring multiple dry ingredients.
Yes — use stick margarine (not tub spreads) if substituting for butter in this recipe.
Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms the butter, so when the biscuits bake the butter melts and releases steam, helping the biscuits rise and creating a crisp, buttery bottom crust.
🍽 What to Serve With Buttermilk Butter Biscuits
These biscuits are versatile — here are some great pairings:
- Jam and Butter: Spread warm biscuits with butter and your favorite jam or jelly.
- Honey Butter or Syrup: Add a smear of honey butter or a drizzle of maple syrup for a sweet touch.
- Fried Chicken: Use large rounds as buns for fried chicken sandwiches or serve them alongside crispy chicken and gravy.
- Egg Sandwiches: Split and fill with scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and cheese for a hearty breakfast.
- Soups and Stews: Serve instead of bread to mop up chilis, stews, or chowders.
- Dessert: Top with whipped cream and fresh berries for a simple biscuit shortcake.
💭 Leftovers and Storage
Short-term: Store leftover biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerate: For up to 7 days, keep biscuits sealed in the fridge.
Reheating: Microwave on low for about one minute or wrap in foil and warm in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.
Freezing: Cool completely, wrap tightly in foil or place in zip-top freezer bags, and freeze up to three months. Reheat frozen biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, covered with foil if needed to prevent over-browning.
🥘 More Recipes
Buttermilk Butter Biscuits pair well with many family-friendly main dishes and sides. Try them with roasted meats, soups, or casseroles for a comforting, homey meal.
If you try these Buttermilk Butter Biscuits, please leave a star rating and a comment to share how they turned out — feedback is always appreciated!
Recipe
Buttermilk Butter Biscuits
5 minutes
15 minutes
10 minutes
30 minutes
12 biscuits
277kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups Bisquick baking mix, plus 2–3 tablespoons extra for kneading
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat and Mix
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, stir the baking mix, sour cream, and buttermilk together until just combined. Do not overmix.
Cut Biscuit Shapes
- Sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of baking mix on a board or counter.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared surface and fold gently 4–5 times until firm.
- Pat the dough to about 1″ thick and cut into squares or rounds.
Assemble
- Melt the butter and pour it into a 13″ x 9″ baking dish.
- Place cut biscuits in the butter and turn each to coat both sides.
Chill and Bake
- Chill the dish in the refrigerator for 10–30 minutes.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. Remove with a spatula and serve warm.
Notes
Why chill: Chilling lets the gluten relax and firms the butter so the biscuits rise taller and develop a crisp, buttery bottom crust.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates and should be used as a guideline.