Aunt Bee’s easy 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits are flaky, buttery and ready for the oven in 10 minutes!
You won’t believe how flaky, buttery, and easy Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits are! The freezer-friendly treats come together in about 10 minutes, and offer a perfect solution for your next weekend brunch, or for a side with that warm bowl of soup or tender roasted chicken. This versatile recipe is one that you’ll turn to time and time again!
My great Aunt Bee never steers me wrong — especially in the kitchen — and these classic Buttermilk Biscuits are no exception!
Aunt Bee has hosted many Southern ladies for lunches and brunches over the years, so when she says that a biscuit recipe is easy and delicious, I don’t question it.????
I’m no snob, and I certainly believe that there’s a time and a place for those tubes of refrigerated biscuit dough (I use them regularly in a pinch!), but when I want a beautiful, thick, fluffy, and easy biscuit ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, this is the recipe that I turn to.
And since they’re made with self-rising flour, you only need 3 basic ingredients — which you probably have in your kitchen right now! Let’s get started…
HOW TO MAKE EASY 3-INGREDIENT BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Aunt Bee’s recipe calls for self-rising flour, buttermilk, and butter. So simple!
But, if you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, or if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t worry — you can still make these biscuits. I’ll share some simple substitutes below, so don’t miss those tips!
First, cut the very cold butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or forks.
You want the little pieces of butter to look like large peas — that’s when you know it’s ready.
Then stir in your buttermilk, adding small amounts at a time, until a soft dough forms.
Pat the biscuit dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rectangle or circle that’s about 3/4-inch thick. No rolling pin necessary!
I use a 1-1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to yield small biscuits; however, you can use a 2-inch (or similar) cutter for larger biscuits. Whatever you prefer!
Place the biscuits in a round baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure that the biscuits are touching in the pan (this helps them rise nice and tall, with soft sides and crispy tops)!
After about 14 minutes in the oven, you’ll be greeted by a beautiful, golden tray of warm buttermilk biscuits.
Tip! I like to brush the tops of my biscuits with melted butter during the final 2-3 minutes of baking time, just to help them turn a crispier, more golden brown color. It’s totally optional, though!
As I mentioned above, it’s okay if you don’t have buttermilk or self-rising flour on hand. Here are a few solutions when you need your biscuit-fix fast…
HOW DO YOU MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK?
You can make 1 cup of homemade buttermilk by using regular milk + either lemon or white vinegar. To do so, pour your milk into a small bowl. Add either 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe as directed!
And if you don’t have lemon or vinegar? Just use regular milk in this biscuit recipe! They will not have the “tang” of buttermilk, but they will still taste good!
HOW DO YOU MAKE SELF-RISING FLOUR?
If you don’t have a bag of self-rising flour in your pantry, that’s no problem. You can make 1 cup of self-rising flour by placing 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
This recipe calls for 2 cups of self-rising flour, so you would need to combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
See what I mean? You can have homemade buttermilk biscuits any night of the week!
Aunt Bee's 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
Aunt Bee’s easy 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits are flaky, buttery and ready for the oven in 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup very cold butter, cut into pats, plus additional for brushing
- 2/3 - 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan with a light coat of cooking spray and set aside.
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Place flour in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or forks to work the butter into the flour until the lumps are about the size of large peas.
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Add 2/3 cup of buttermilk, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until a soft dough forms. Add small amounts of buttermilk slowly, as needed, until the dough reaches this consistency.
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Flour a work surface. Place dough onto floured surface and knead it once or twice. If the dough is sticky, feel free to sprinkle it with more flour, as needed.
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Pat the dough out until it’s about 3/4" thick.
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Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the individual biscuits. I used a 1 ½ -inch cutter, which yielded 16 small biscuits. You can also use a 2-inch cutter to yield about 12 biscuits.
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Place the biscuits in the prepared pan so that their sides are touching.
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Bake for 12 -15 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter during the final few minutes of baking for an even more golden top.
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Serve biscuits warm.
Recipe Notes
Have leftovers or want to make these biscuits in advance? Allow the biscuits to cool completely; wrap tightly, and store at room temperature for a couple of days or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat room-temperature biscuits, place on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 to 13 minutes, until heated through.
Gorgeous biscuits, Blair! We love buttermilk biscuits, and yes, a store-bought kind doesn’t come close (I actually have an old post about buttermilk biscuits on my blog). Great tip to brush the tops with butter while they are baking, I’ll try that. I always keep buttermilk in the fridge, it lasts forever. If not used to bake biscuits or pancakes, it is a great marinade for chicken breast.
Thanks, Mila! Extra butter is always a good thing! 🙂
Tip, the young things who nuke everything practically. WAXED PAPER, A juice glass, or size of choice, Keep it floured will serve as a cutter.. Grandma always, pinched off a biscuit size piece and stored covered in fridge with watery buttermilk covering. to start her next mornings batch.. She used Lard as shortening.. She made biscuits every morning, iron skillet Traditional Yellow Cornbread every dinner. She never used a cutter in her life, just got used to what the weight/size of a biscuit was. Depression Era. Nothing went to waste. 13 when she started cooking.
I am so going to try this. Unfortunately we do not get buttermilk in stores here so will make my own using your tip in the blog post. Pinned this right away and definitely trying this over weekend! Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Awesome! Enjoy the biscuits! 🙂
Salted or unsalted butter?
I always use salted, but either will work — so go with your preference! 🙂
It’s funny, I remember my mom melting the Crisco in a saucepan, adding the milk, then the flour and pinching dough, rolling it into a ball and flattening them on the baking sheet. They were delicious and we kept a plate of them on the stove and just grabbed one whenever we wanted! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Sounds delicious!!!!
Why are my biscuits not rising?
Hi, SAJ! Since I wasn’t in your kitchen, it’s hard to know for sure. My two first guesses would be: (1) that you were using regular all-purpose flour rather than self-rising flour; OR (2) the self-rising flour that you used was old and therefore the leavener in the flour mix was no longer working. Hope that helps!
When you say white vinegar is distilled white vinegar?
Yes. 🙂
Tank you!
Thank you!
I made these biscuits once before and they are best I ever made or tasted and I come from a longline of biscuit makers. Just take the time to read the instructions and ingredients before proceeding and make sure any missteps are yours and not the author of the recipe.
Thank you so much, Mae!❤️
These biscuits look absolutely WONDERFUL!
But they look a LOT BIGGER than 1 1/2″!
Might the biscuit cutter be 2 1/2″?
I’ve never used anything smaller than 2″, and wonder how they would work with biscuits and gravy.
Thank You for your wonderful website!
Hi! These are truly the smaller size, but I think the close-up photos make them look larger. That said, I’ve made them with the 2 and 2.5-inch biscuit cutters as well, and they work beautifully no matter which size you choose. I would stick with the larger size that you prefer!
I am having trouble getting my biscuits done with the temp and baking time suggested. Maybe my oven runs a little cooler than yours. Other than that, this recipe is easy to follow and the finished product is oh so amazing and delicious!!! ????
Thanks, Tasia! 🙂
One remark contributor mentioned that her mother melted Crisco and added to the mixture. Do you have a biscuit recipe for that usage and/or how much Crisco would be used and melted to equate the butter used in this 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits recipe? Thank you for your thought and reply.
Hi, Linda! I honestly don’t — sorry! I haven’t made biscuits with shortening, so it’s not something that I can point you to.
One remark contributor mentioned that her mother melted Crisco and added to the mixture. Do you have a biscuit recipe for that usage and/or how much Crisco would be used and melted to equate the butter used in this 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits recipe? Thank you for your thought and reply.
I have not submitted this question before.
The amount of fat needed is the same regardless of the type of fat being used. Melted or not; butter, lard or Crisco, 1/4 cup is how much to use!
Made these using the smaller biscuit cutter and then deep fried! Talk about a wonderful creation. You have to try them fried with sausage gravy.
OH MY GOSH — deep fried! That’s genius! I bet they were amazing! 🙂
will this recipe work if I drop into simmering chicken stock to make dumplings?
Hi, Jackie! I’m honestly not sure — I’ve never tried it that way, but I think it would probably work. I always use these Bisquick dumplings, though: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/bisquick-dumplings/
🙂
Could you add grated cheese to this recipe?
Absolutely! Cheese is a delicious addition. I often add about 1/2 cup of grated cheddar to my biscuits. I prefer grating the cheddar by hand from a block, since it tends to melt and incorporate into the biscuits better than the pre-shredded packaged cheese. Enjoy!
My biscuits never have a smooth top: look like mountain peaks: even if I roll: taste good though!
Sorry but I can’t see how much of each ingredient we would need.
Hi! There’s a recipe card at the bottom of the post that lists the exact measurements for each ingredient. I’ll copy and paste them here, too:
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ cup very cold butter, cut into pats, plus additional for brushing
2/3 – 3/4 cup buttermilk
I jused this recipe to make buttermilk biscuits tonight. I’ve tried several times to make them, but something is usually lacking. These were perfect and my husband was so impressed!
Yay! So glad that they were a hit, Christa! They’re my go-to recipe as well. 🙂
Love the biscuits! Lil question though, you mention how to reheat the leftover room temperature biscuits but not the frozen. Do I defrost then use the same method as room temperature biscuits? If you could please let me know if appreciate it! Thank you!
Hi, Sara! You can do it a couple of different ways. If you’re just defrosting one or two biscuits at a time, you can pop a frozen biscuit in the microwave for about 20 seconds to thaw, and then put it in the oven (or toaster oven) at 350 degrees to continue warming through and to get crisp on the outside again (about 5 minutes or so). If you have time to thaw the frozen biscuits on the countertop first, then just reheat with the same instructions that you would use for room temp biscuits (as described in the recipe card). Finally, if you want to reheat a whole batch of biscuits straight from the freezer, you can use the same reheating instructions in the 350 degree F oven, tenting loosely with foil, but you’ll just need to keep them in the oven much longer — probably closer to 20-30 minutes. Hope that helps!
Can these be frozen and then baked? You know like the frozen biscuits you can buy in the stores?
Hi, CIndy! I’ve never actually tried that (I always freeze after baking), but I imagine it would work fine. You’ll just need to increase the baking time when cooking directly from the freezer. Enjoy!