Cheddar Garlic Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

A quick & easy recipe for homemade buttermilk drop biscuits that are slightly crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with cheddar cheese + garlic flavor! Bake a batch start to finish in 25 minutes with simple ingredients (no rolling or cutting). Pair them with soup, stew, chili, pot pie, or roasted meats (like chicken, ham, or turkey) for the ultimate comfort food meal!

This has been my go-to savory biscuit recipe for the past 7 years! Why? It's fast, easy, and super comforting. And they taste just like Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

If you love butter + garlic + cheddar cheese, then you have to try these. Who needs store-bought rolls when you can have fresh biscuits with hardly any work? Bring this to your next party or holiday gathering (bake 'em right before going over) and everyone will be in cozy, carby, comfort food heaven.

I almost always serve these drop biscuits with skillet chicken pot pie (pictured below), but they're fabulous with homemade soups (like creamy chicken noodle soup, cabbage roll soup, or creamy tomato basil soup) or alongside a hearty main dish like slow cooker pot roast or Mississippi roast.

Really anything! Heck, fix 'em for an appetizer or snack if you're having a game day party. :D

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Why Drop Biscuits Instead of Regular Biscuits?

Drop biscuits are much simpler than traditional biscuits. No sprinkling the counter with flour, rolling out the dough or cutting it into circles. All you have to do is mix everything in one bowl (cold butter is still important here), drop rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet & pop it in the oven.

This makes them perfect for times when you need a quick side to go with a meal. I'll often make these when I have a lot of other things going on in the kitchen (cooking for a holiday feast like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, for example), so I appreciate how simple they are to throw together.

I've even made these drop biscuits several times at high altitude when I'm visiting my sister in Breckenridge, Colorado. Usually around late November when it's cold, snowy & we're craving comfort food. I transform my chicken pot pie into turkey pot pie usually! The drop biscuits work the same at 10,000 feet, they just take a bit longer to bake.

Recipe Testing This With Swaps

This is a pretty fool-proof recipe as long as you stick to the ratios & don't try to make a bunch of swaps. I know it's tempting, but those changes affect stuff in baking!

What I'm sharing today is pretty close to the original I posted back in 2013 as a topping for my skillet chicken pot pie. I've made a few tweaks to improve it (more baking powder & less garlic) but it's essentially the same.

However, I went out of my way to recipe test these biscuits recently with common kitchen swaps to see how it turned out. I tried it with less butter & baking powder + whole milk instead of buttermilk and all-purpose einkorn wheat flour instead of regular all-purpose flour.

Ehhhhh....they didn't turn out nearly as good. They were much flatter and the texture on the inside was not as flaky and soft. It's possible that I messed with too many variables at once, but I've decided to stick with the version I have here!

Ingredients For Homemade Drop Biscuits

You only need 8 simple ingredients for this recipe, 6 of which you likely have in your pantry & fridge right now. You may have to run to the store to grab some cheese + buttermilk, but it's worth it - I promise!

• Butter: This is what makes the biscuits flaky & soft in the middle. It is the KEY ingredient so don't add less cause you're convinced you can save calories or some nonsense. In that case, you should add an extra tablespoon for good measure. (TIP: Kerrygold butter is my favorite! Look for deals on it at Costco, Trader Joe's & Walmart so you can snag it for $2.99 per 8-oz stick. It tastes better than 99% of other butter.) 
• Buttermilk: This adds richness & tang to the biscuits. It gives them a lot of flavor & moisture, as well. Please use this if you can as it really makes the biscuits! If need be, you can make a buttermilk substitute with 1 cup of whole milk + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Combine those in a cup and let it sit 5-10 minutes before adding to the recipe.
• Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour (this King Arthur one specifically). If you swap out the flour (use white whole wheat, whole wheat, einkorn wheat, etc.) it will likely mess with the wet & dry ingredients ratio and make the biscuits too moist or dry. 
• Baking Powder: This adds lift to the biscuits so they rise in the oven! Make sure your baking powder is fresh! I use this aluminum-free baking powder. 
• Baking Soda: This also helps the biscuits rise & reacts with the acidic element in the buttermilk. If you don't use buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute in the recipe (just plain whole milk for example) omit the baking soda. 
• Granulated Garlic (or Garlic Powder): This is definitely a recipe for garlic lovers. Some savory biscuit recipes call for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in the dough. Mine has 1 TABLESPOON. Perfect for date night - LOL! You can also brush melted butter mixed with sauteed minced garlic on top of the biscuits when they're fresh out of the oven to bump up the garlic flavor.
• Salt: Much needed here if you're using unsalted butter. I like to use Celtic sea salt. You can adjust this up or down based on the saltiness of your cheese.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Did you know cheddar is normally white? I grew up on bright orange cheddar cheese and only realized as an adult that brands were adding annatto. The orange color does make these biscuits POP way more (especially if you sprinkle the tops with minced parsley or green onion) so that's what I typically use. And I always grate my own cheese so the anti-caking stuff they add to the pre-shredded cheeses doesn't mess with anything in the recipe. Oh, and sharp cheddar = WAY more flavor than mild or medium cheddar. You want to taste the cheese in the biscuit, right?

Ways to Use Up Extra Buttermilk

Buttermilk may not be a staple in your fridge, so I want to give you some ideas for using up any leftover after you make these biscuits. This is my way of encouraging you to use buttermilk instead of skipping it for whatever other milk is in your fridge.

It's a good ingredient for adding richness & tang to recipes (savory or sweet) so don't let it go to waste. If all else fails, milk is freezable so you can save it for later & thaw it in the fridge for another dish down the line.

Ideas for Using Buttermilk in Recipes:

• Mashed Cauliflower "Potatoes"
• Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes)
• Cornbread Muffins (sweet or savory)
• Homemade Garlic Ranch Dressing
• Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing 
• Baked Crispy Chicken Drumsticks via Everyday Eileen
• Soft Buttermilk Sandwich Bread via Kylee Cooks
• Lemon Blueberry Pancakes via Everyday Delicious
• Buttermilk Waffles via Mom's Dish
• Amish Buttermilk Pie via Tastes of Lizzy T
• Buttermilk Sweet Potato Pie via Vintage Kitty
• Rainbow Chip Brownies (I would use avocado oil in these) via Shugary Sweets
• Rustic Buttermilk Apple Cake via Cooking with Carlee

Tips For Making The Best Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits

• Make sure your butter & milk are VERY COLD. Especially the butter. You want little cold chunks in the dough when you stick it in the oven. Then, when it heats up and steam forms it creates flaky little pockets of goodness. This is why the very first step in the recipe is preparing the butter & buttermilk to put in the freezer. Even before turning on the oven. The chances are high that your kitchen is already hot (from cooking or the weather), so this ensures those ingredients stay cold in case you get distracted or are multi-tasking. Just don't forget about them in the freezer. Keep them in there probably 15 minutes max so they don't start turning solid.
• Use fresh baking powder & baking soda. This is important for making sure the biscuits don't flatten like a pancake in the oven. If you're not sure, grab some new ones from the store and write the date on the bottom or top of the container so you know for future recipes when it was opened. I replace mine every 2-3 months.
• Measure your flour using the "spoon & level" method (or with a digital scale). How you measure the flour has a huge impact on how much ends up in the measuring cup and/or recipe. Also, the brands and types of flours because they have different weights. To be safe, replicate what I did by spooning your flour from your bag into the measuring cup and overfill it so it's heaping (you can do this over a bowl to save any spillage). Run the spoon handle evenly across the top of the measuring cup to level it off and remove any excess. 

Want To Make These Drop Biscuits Ahead of Time? Here's How To Do It:

1. Bake these biscuits the day before you plan to serve them (like for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.) and as soon as they're cool, stick them in a ziplock bag, and freeze them. 
2. When you're 10-15 minutes away from eating, preheat the oven to 350 or 375 degrees. 
3. Lay the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until they're hot all the way through. They should get a little crispy on top again. 
4. Brush the tops with melted salted butter (optional) and serve immediately. 

Tools That Make This Recipe Easier

Here are my favorite tools for prepping & baking these biscuits. Clicking on the links will take you over to Amazon where you can check out more of their features & see a picture. 

• large rimmed baking sheet: Thes are the workhorses of my kitchen. I use them for roasting, baking, broiling, and prepping. I prefer to use a rimmed sheet for baked goods since it's more versatile than a jelly roll pan. 
• parchment paper: I use these for non-stick baking (cookies, biscuits, etc.) or when I want easy clean-up. FYI: Parchment paper is only safe up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit so watch out for recipes calling for 450 degrees or higher that use it!
• stainless steel magnetic measuring cups & measuring spoons: I've had both of these for YEARS. I love the magnetic part, which helps to keep them together so I don't have to go digging in a drawer. They're also dishwasher safe.
• glass mixing bowls with locking lids: I have the four bowl set with lids that nests so you can stack them to save space. These are sturdy, come in different sizes, and are see-through, which makes them fun for colorful recipes - you can serve them right in the bowl. And if you have any leftovers, just pop the lid on and stick it right in the fridge.

easy, homemade, baking powder, how to make, quick, best, cheese

baked goods

American

Yield: 8 biscuits

Author: Elaina Newton - The Rising Spoon

Cheddar Garlic Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 25 M

A quick & easy recipe for homemade buttermilk drop biscuits that are slightly crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with cheddar cheese + garlic flavor! Pair them with soup, stew, chili, pot pie, or roasted meats (like chicken, ham, or turkey) for the ultimate comfort food meal!

ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 3/4-1 1/4 cups of buttermilk
• 2 cups (9.2 ounces) of all-purpose flour (I used this unbleached all-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder (I use this aluminum-free one)
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (if using salted butter, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon)
• 4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded

instructions:

How to cook Cheddar Garlic Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

1. Cut the butter into small pieces (about dice size) and spread on a plate in an even layer. Measure your buttermilk into a glass. Place the diced butter & buttermilk in the freezer to keep cold while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Meanwhile, measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated garlic, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
4. Grate the cheddar cheese and set aside. Get ready to work fast from here on out so the butter doesn't get too warm. (Cold butter = flakier biscuits!)
5. Grab the butter & buttermilk from the freezer. Dump the cold butter in with the dry ingredients and toss to coat. Use two large forks, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (You'll end up with some butter pieces that are pea-sized and some that are a bit larger - that's okay!)
6. Stir the cheese into the flour & butter mixture so it's evenly dispersed.
7. Add the cold buttermilk (start with 3/4 cup) and gently stir until the mixture just comes together (don't overmix). If needed, add more buttermilk 1/4 cup at a time until all the dry ingredients are incorporated (I used 1 1/4 cups total). The dough will be sticky and clumpy.
8. Form 1/4 cup-sized rounds of dough and drop them on the baking sheet an inch apart until all the mixture is used up. (You can also place these in a greased cast-iron skillet and stick that directly into the oven to bake.)
9. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly browned on top (check on them sooner if you made smaller rounds). 

NOTES:

CHEDDAR BAY OPTION: These biscuits already taste pretty close to Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits but to really seal the deal, brush the tops with melted garlic butter right out of the oven while they're still hot, then serve them warm with the rest of your meal. FREEZING & REHEATING: Homemade biscuits taste are best texture-wise the same day you bake them, so if you have any leftovers, freeze them in an airtight bag as soon as they've cooled. To reheat, place on a baking sheet and pop them into a 350-375 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until they've just warmed through. They should keep fine in the freezer for 1-2 months.

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