Drop Biscuits

When you need some buttery, starchy goodness on the table in a hurry, drop biscuits are here for you. Some people call them “emergency biscuits” because they can be made quickly and in just one bowl. In fact, this easy drop biscuit recipe comes together in 30 minutes flat!

What are drop biscuits?

Drop biscuits are a type of biscuit that’s made with more liquid than a rolled biscuit. The batter is thin enough to scoop or “drop” onto a baking sheet, whereas the dough for scones and standard biscuit recipes needs to be rolled and shaped. Drop biscuits aren’t as tall and fluffy as regular biscuits, but they develop some nice browning on the tops and bottoms from the extra liquid.

Drop biscuits taste marvelous warm from the oven, especially when drizzled with melted butter and honey. They also store and freeze well, so they’re a great batch-baking recipe when you want biscuits for dinners and holidays ready in the freezer. Since they can be made so quickly, you can easily bake a few batches in an afternoon and have biscuits for months to come.

Ingredients for Drop Biscuits

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• All-purpose flour: This type of flour contains just enough gluten to give the biscuits structure and chew while still keeping a relatively tender crumb.
• Baking powder: Baking powder acts as the leavening agent in these biscuits, giving them rise and structure as they bake. There’s a difference between baking powder and baking soda, so double-check that you’ve grabbed the right one from the pantry.
• Sugar: Sugar enhances the sweet, earthy flavors of the flour in these biscuits, creating a nice backbone for adding either butter or honey to your warm biscuits later.
• Salt: Salt brings flavor to these biscuits and helps strengthen the gluten’s structure. It can also help with browning, giving your biscuits those golden tops.
• Heavy whipping cream: This is the only liquid you need for these drop biscuits. It provides a rich creaminess in both flavor and texture.

Directions

Step 1: Whisk the batter

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

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Add the cream and stir just until the batter is moistened.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t overstir once you add the cream, or you risk overdeveloping the gluten in the flour. Overmixed biscuits can turn out tough and dense.

Step 2: Bake the biscuits

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Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls, 1 inch apart, onto greased baking sheets. Bake them in the preheated oven until the biscuit bottoms are golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Serve the drop biscuits warm.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t serve your biscuits right away, transfer them to a wire rack after five minutes or so. If they stay on the hot baking sheet too long, the residual heat and steam can soften the bottoms of the biscuits, turning your nice, firm bottoms into soft, soggy ones.

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Drop Biscuits Variations

• Add cheese: Stir shredded or grated cheese into the biscuit batter before baking. Cheddar and Parmesan are two great options.
• Make them porky: Adding crumbled cooked bacon or sausage to the biscuit batter can transform your humble side biscuit into a hearty breakfast or brunch staple. They’ll taste especially good if you also add cheese.
• Include herbs: Fresh, green herbs like chives, parsley and basil all taste great in biscuits. Finely chop your herbs of choice and stir them into the batter before baking.
• Bake them in a skillet: For an old-fashioned take on these biscuits, drop the batter into a greased cast-iron skillet instead of a baking sheet. It’s OK if the biscuits touch a bit in the skillet—that gives them even more of that ultra-homey, from-scratch look.

How to Store Drop Biscuits

You can store drop biscuits at room temperature, in the fridge or in the freezer. Let them cool fully, then store them in a well-sealed airtight container.

How long do drop biscuits last?

At room temperature, drop biscuits will last for up to five days. In the fridge, they’ll also keep for about five days, although they may start to dry out after a few days.

Can you freeze drop biscuits?

Yes, you can freeze biscuits for up to three months. Let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly in storage wrap and place them in an airtight freezer container. You can bake biscuits from frozen or thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

How do you reheat drop biscuits?

Reheat your biscuits gently in a 350° oven until they’re warmed through. If the tops start to look very browned, you can loosely cover your biscuits with foil while they reheat in the oven. When reheating frozen biscuits, pop them in the oven directly from the freezer (they may take up to 20 minutes to fully reheat).

Drop Biscuits Tips

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How do you keep drop biscuits from falling apart?

Drop biscuits can fall apart and become overly crumbly if they are made with too much flour. When measuring flour by volume (instead of by weight), it’s important to use fluffy, airy scoops instead of packed or compacted scoops, which can lead to dry, crumbly biscuits.

Here’s how you measure flour the right way: Scoop your flour from the bin using a large spoon and gently drop it into your measuring cup. Don’t press the flour in the measuring cup; you want it to stay airy. Continue scooping until the measuring cup is a little more than filled. Then, run the flat edge of a butter knife across the top of the measuring cup, leveling off the flour with one quick swoop.

Can you refrigerate drop biscuit dough overnight?

Yes, you can refrigerate the dough from this easy drop biscuit recipe. Generally, you can refrigerate batters made with double-acting baking powder (baking soda batters, on the other hand, need to be baked quickly). You might lose just a bit of leavening power over time, so biscuits made from refrigerated dough can be slightly denser.

What can you serve with drop biscuits?

Serve your drop biscuits simply with butter or margarine, or add sweetness with honey or maple syrup. We also like serving biscuits with bright-flavored accompaniments like strawberry jam or strawberry compote.