No rolling or cutting dough required for these easy drop biscuits! They’re made with seven simple ingredients and take less than an hour to make.  

A pile of homemade drop biscuits in a bowl, with a jam jar in the background.

Classic buttermilk biscuits have long been a favorite of mine. And while I love mile-high, freshly baked biscuits, I don’t always have time to pat out the dough and cut each individual biscuit with a biscuit cutter. 

When I’m short on time, I prefer making buttermilk drop biscuits instead.

If you’ve never made drop biscuits before, the name says it all. The biscuit dough is mixed together, then scooped straight from the bowl and onto a baking sheet. Simple as that! 

Drop biscuits may not be as uniform in appearance as classic biscuits, but they’re just as delicious alongside a bowl of soup or stew, or as the base for biscuits and gravy!

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make drop biscuits.

Ingredients for This Recipe 

While many of my recipes call for room temperature ingredients, you want everything to be cold for these homemade drop biscuits! The colder the dough, the flakier and softer the drop biscuits will be.

  • All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour rather than scooping it straight from the bag. This prevents you from measuring out too much, which can lead to dry biscuits.
  • Baking powder & baking soda: A combination of the two helps the biscuits rise in the oven. The baking soda also helps them brown on the outside.
  • Granulated sugar: Just two teaspoons are needed to flavor the dough. 
  • Salt: If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to 3/4 teaspoon. 
  • Unsalted butter: It’s very important that the butter is fridge cold before being added to the dry ingredients. As the biscuits bake, the chunks of cold butter will create pockets of steam. This is what makes biscuits so flaky. 
  • Buttermilk: You can use either reduced fat or full fat in this recipe. If you’re out of buttermilk, you can make your own substitute in about ten minutes. 

How to Make Drop Biscuits 

Buttermilk drop biscuits are incredibly easy to throw together. You’ll only have to dirty a single mixing bowl and some measuring cups for this recipe! 

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. 
  • Cut in the butter: Add just 6 tablespoons of the butter to the dry ingredients. Cut it into the flour mixture using a fork or a pastry cutter. If possible, avoid using your hands as that will warm up the butter (you want it to stay as cold as possible!). You should see small pea-sized pieces of butter in the dry ingredients, but some larger chunks are fine too.

A parchment-lined baking sheet dotted with drop biscuit dough.

  • Add the buttermilk: Stir just until the dough comes together. You never want to over work the dough, this can over develop the gluten and your biscuits won’t turn out as soft.
  • Drop the dough onto a baking sheet: Scoop the dough out of the bowl using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, then drop it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 
  • Bake the biscuits: Brush each biscuit with additional buttermilk, then bake until golden. 
  • Brush with butter: Once the biscuits are out of the oven, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over the warm biscuits. 

Homemade drop biscuits on a wooden serving board.

Can the Recipe Be Halved or Doubled? 

This is a very easy recipe to halve or double, depending on how many people you’ll be feeding. Simply adjust the ingredient ratios as needed, then follow the recipe as written. 

Can Mix-Ins Be Added? 

Yes! Some great options would be:

  • Cooked and crumbled bacon
  • Shredded cheese
  • Fresh herbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Everything bagel seasoning

Two drop biscuits on a white plate. One biscuit has been cut in half and topped with butter.

Storage Instructions 

Storing at room temperature: Baked and cooled biscuits should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll last up to four days if stored properly. 

How to freeze them: You can also scoop the raw biscuit dough onto a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer the balls of dough to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The frozen biscuit dough can be baked from frozen, but you’ll need to add a couple minutes to the bake time. 

An overhead view of homemade drop biscuits on a white plate. One biscuit has been halved and topped with butter.

Baking Tips 

  • The dough should be a little sticky to the touch. If you find that your dough is too dry, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
  • Make sure to gently stir in the buttermilk and avoid over mixing the dough. The more you mix it, the tougher the biscuits will be.
  • You want the butter in your dough to be as cold as possible! If you feel that the butter is too warm, place the baking sheet with the biscuits in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. 
  • These easy drop biscuits can be topped with sausage gravy, butter, jams or preserves, and so much more! 

More Savory Bread Recipes to Try! 

Recipe Video

If you want to see exactly how to make these drop biscuits, watch the full video below!

Several drop biscuits on top of a wooden cutting board topped with a piece of parchment paper.

Drop Biscuits

5 from 2 ratings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
No rolling or cutting dough required for these easy drop biscuits! They're made with seven simple ingredients and take less than an hour to make.  
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Ingredients

Servings: 10 biscuits
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter divided (115 grams)
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk (240 ml)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt together.
  • Cube 6 tablespoons (85 grams) of the butter and add it to the dry ingredients (set aside the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) for later).
  • Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you have small pea-sized crumbs.
  • Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined (do not over mix the dough or the biscuits will be tough). If the dough is too dry, add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of buttermilk as needed.
  • Scoop ¼ cup mounds of dough at a time onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave a little room between each one. You can use a ¼ cup measuring cup coated with nonstick cooking spray or a large scoop for this step.
  • Brush the tops of each biscuit with buttermilk.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the biscuits are browned and cooked through.
  • Remove from the oven. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of butter. Brush the top of each biscuit with the melted butter.
  • Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Biscuits may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave, if desired.
Freezing Instructions: Scoop the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and transfer to the freezer. Once the biscuits are frozen, transfer them to a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The biscuits may be baked from frozen, but you will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. If they begin to brown too much before they're cooked through, simply cover with a piece of foil until they're done.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Author: Danielle
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.