Easy Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/25/22
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 5 to 7 servings
Yield: 6 biscuits

Make a fresh homemade batch of quick and easy biscuits to serve with an egg dish and bacon or breakfast sandwiches. Top them with sausage gravy or serve with jam or preserves and butter. These biscuits are simple and fast to make, and are perfect for breakfast, or any time of day.

For easy, flaky, homemade biscuits, this easy recipe is made from nothing more than flour, baking powder, shortening, milk, and a bit of salt. When making homemade biscuits, you want to be cautious not to overmix the dough. You also want to make sure that you don't knead it too much; it's okay (desired, in fact) for there to still be some ​pieces of shortening intact. These little chunks of fat will make your biscuits flaky, and overworking the dough will lead to tough biscuits.

Stack of biscuits Stack of biscuits

The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

"These are the perfect, simple biscuit. I love making biscuits and consider it a form of therapy, and this recipe was just excellent. This recipe was straightforward and easy to follow, so if it's your first time making biscuits, feel confident to dive right in." —Tracy Wilk

easy homemade breakfast biscuits/tester image easy homemade breakfast biscuits/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450 F.

    Easy homemade breakfast biscuits ingredients Easy homemade breakfast biscuits ingredients

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and the salt.

    Flour, baking powder, and the salt in a bowl Flour, baking powder, and the salt in a bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  3. Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    Shortening added to the flour mixture in a bowl Shortening added to the flour mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  4. Make a well in the dry mixture and add in the milk all at once.

    Milk added to the flour mixture to make a well Milk added to the flour mixture to make a well

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  5. Stir together with a fork just until the dough clings together. You want it to still be a bit lumpy; this will help your biscuits be perfectly light and flaky, creating those delectable and airy layers when baking. 

    Biscuit dough in a bowl with a fork Biscuit dough in a bowl with a fork

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  6. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Gently knead your biscuit dough just a few times to bring the dough together. 

    Biscuit dough on a marble counter Biscuit dough on a marble counter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  7. Roll out or pat the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.

    Biscuit dough rolled out Biscuit dough rolled out

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  8. Cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch rounds with a flour dipped biscuit cutter. Be sure to push the cutter straight down, without twisting (this prevents layers from forming). Reroll the dough scraps once more to form additional biscuits.

    Biscuit dough cut with biscuit cutter Biscuit dough cut with biscuit cutter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  9. Space each piece of cut dough evenly on an ungreased baking sheet.

    Biscuit dough rounds on a baking sheet Biscuit dough rounds on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  10. Bake until the biscuits have risen and are lightly golden brown on top, about 12 minutes.

    Easy homemade breakfast biscuits on a baking sheet Easy homemade breakfast biscuits on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

  11. Serve warm and enjoy!

    Baked biscuits with butter Baked biscuits with butter

    The Spruce / Tara Omidvar

    Recipe Variations

    • For buttermilk biscuits, swap the milk for buttermilk. You may need to add slightly more liquid since buttermilk is thicker than milk.
    • Use butter instead of shortening if you don't cook with shortening.
    • To make vegan biscuits, swap the milk for nondairy milk. A thicker, higher fat nondairy milk works best.
    • Add finely chopped herbs or chives to the biscuits for extra flavor and color.
    • Add finely chopped, cooked bacon for savory biscuits.

    How to Store and Freeze Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

    These will keep at room temperature for a couple of days if wrapped in plastic. However, they will last even longer if you freeze any biscuits you aren't going to immediately eat. Simply wrap them in foil or plastic wrap and transfer to a zip-close bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You can reheat any frozen biscuits in the oven or a toaster oven at 350 F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
225 Calories
11g Fat
28g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 7
Amount per serving
Calories 225
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 312mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 152mg 12%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 73mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)