Homemade biscuits don’t have to be fussy. This 3 ingredient biscuit recipe is quick, simple, and always reliable!
With just self-rising flour, cold butter, and tangy buttermilk, you’ll have tall, flaky biscuits on the table in about 30 minutes. Perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers, this recipe is one you’ll turn to again and again.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
My great Aunt Bee never steered me wrong — especially in the kitchen — and these easy 3-ingredient biscuits are no exception! Here are a few of her best tips to help your biscuits turn out light, tall, and buttery:
- Self-rising flour is key. It already has the leavening and salt included, which gives the biscuits their classic lift. White Lily is my go-to.
- Keep your ingredients cold. Cold butter and buttermilk create the steam that makes biscuits fluffy.
- Don’t twist your cutter. Press straight down and lift straight back up so your biscuits rise high.
- Fold gently. A few turns of the dough builds flaky layers without overworking it.
- Chill before baking. A quick rest in the fridge helps the biscuits puff beautifully in the oven.
Step-by-Step: How to Make This 3 Ingredient Biscuit Recipe
- Cut in the butter. Start with flour in a large mixing bowl. Cut cold butter into small pieces or grate frozen butter with a box grater. Toss it in the flour so every piece is coated.
- Shortcut Tip: grating frozen butter makes the dough come together faster.
- Mix with buttermilk. Stir in the buttermilk until you have a soft dough that just holds together.
- Get the Texture Right: Add a splash more buttermilk if it feels too dry and crumbly, or a little bit of extra flour if it’s too sticky. You definitely do not want a wet dough.
- Shape and cut. Turn the dough out on a floured counter. Fold it over itself a few times, then pat it into a Âľ-inch thick slab. Use a biscuit cutter to punch out rounds.
- Remember: press down, don’t twist. Otherwise you seal off the edges of the biscuits and they won’t rise as high.
- Chill and bake. Place the biscuits close together in a cast iron skillet or dish. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then brush the tops with melted butter and bake until golden. Finish with another swipe of butter when they come out of the oven.
Serving Suggestions
These biscuits work for breakfast, lunch, or supper:
- Spread with honey butter, blueberry jam, this blackberry jam recipe, or apple butter.
- Sandwich with eggs, sausage, or bacon.
- Pair it with fried cabbage.
- Smother with sausage gravy or stuff with country ham.
- Serve as a side with corn chowder, chicken corn chowder, chicken and noodles, crock pot beef stew, Brunswick stew, chicken and sausage gumbo, Dutch oven pot roast, hamburger steak with gravy, chili, chili mac, ham and bean soup with canned beans, or shrimp pasta salad.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Biscuits are best warm from the oven, but you can bake them up to 3 days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. Warm them in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- How to Freeze Biscuits: Let baked biscuits cool, then freeze in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven.
- How to Freeze Biscuit Dough: Cut out the biscuits, place on a tray, and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and bake from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Lard or Shortening. You can replace 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of either shortening or lard. While butter has more flavor, the shortening or lard will give the biscuits an even lighter, puffier texture.
- Add Cheese. Stir in shredded cheddar or Parmesan for cheesy biscuits.
- Herbs. Mix in chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or chives for a bright, savory addition.
- Brush with garlic butter right out of the oven.
- You might also like these 4-ingredient heavy cream biscuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why didn’t my biscuits rise? Usually the flour is expired (so the leaveners don’t activate), you used all-purpose flour instead of self-rising, or the cutter was twisted and sealed the edges.
- Can I make these without buttermilk? Yes, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Can I use all-purpose flour instead? Yes, you can make your own self-rising flour by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt for every 2 cups of flour.
- How do I get them extra fluffy? Keep the ingredients cold, fold gently, and chill the dough before baking.
- Can I make drop biscuits instead? Yes, spoon the dough onto a sheet pan instead of cutting into rounds.
I just made these biscuits. Not only are they extremely easy to make, but they are the best I’ve ever made! They’re so light and fluffy, they’re like eating clouds. I’ll use this recipe forever!
– Sandra
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Aunt Bee’s 3 Ingredient Biscuits
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Chilling Time 10 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Easy, buttery biscuits that bake up tall, flaky, and golden with just 3 simple ingredients. This is the recipe to start with if you've never made biscuits from scratch.
Ingredients Â
- 2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
- ÂĽ cup very cold butter, cut into pats, plus more melted butter for brushing
- ⅔ – ¾ cup very cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray an 8 or 9-inch round pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Spoon the flour into a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to work the butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of large peas. (Or freeze the butter and grate it into the flour on the large holes of a box grater, then toss with your hands to coat.)
- Add ⅔ cup of the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a soft dough forms. It should hold together when pressed but shouldn’t be wet. Add more buttermilk a little at a time, as needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 1 minute by folding the dough over onto itself, adding flour to the counter and your hands as needed to prevent sticking.
- Pat the dough to ¾-inch thickness. Firmly press a 2½-inch biscuit cutter straight down into the dough and lift it out without twisting. Pat out the scraps once or twice more to cut the remaining biscuits.
- Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill.
- Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown on top.
- Brush the hot biscuits with more melted butter and serve warm.
Notes
- Check your flour’s date. If the self-rising flour is old or expired, the leavening may not activate and the biscuits won’t rise.
- No buttermilk? Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, add milk to equal 1 cup, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- No self-rising flour? Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Cutter size: A 2½-inch cutter makes 6 large biscuits. A 1½ or 2-inch cutter makes more, smaller biscuits, so start checking them a couple of minutes early.
- Freeze the dough: Freeze cut, unbaked biscuits on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuitCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 90mgPotassium: 80mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 281IUCalcium: 39mgIron: 0.4mg
I have always wanted to learn to make biscuits! Thanks to you and Aunt Bee for super recipe! See old dogs can learn new tricks! 61 years young!
– Stacy
More Popular Biscuit Recipes to Try
Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
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Sweet Potato Biscuits
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Flaky Biscuits
45 minutes mins
If you love biscuits as much as we do, be sure to try these farmhouse-favorite flaky biscuits, a batch of these 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, and these classic Southern buttermilk biscuits, too!
Originally published in September, 2018, this post was updated in October, 2025.
I used this as the basis for a blackberry shortcake. Delicious!
I love that idea. Thanks, Shelley!
Hello! Blair, I wanted to know. If, I don’t have Self-rising Flour, can I uses Baking Powder, in my Flour, to make my Biscuits? And, do I’ve to uses Baking Soda as well?
Thanks for hearing me out. And, I’m looking forward to hearing back from you soon.
Hi Virginia!
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 ÂĽ 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 ½ teaspoon of salt.
Hope that helps!
Amazing! They have become a classic!
Thank you, Phillip!
I love this recipe! I don’t even do the folding, just drop them on baking dish to cook. Everyone in the family begs me to make these.
Thank you, Dianne! We’re so happy it’s such a hit.
Would regular All-Purpose flour work as well?
Hi Nassera! We haven’t tested it but it should work with the proper adjustments. The general rule of thumb is to substitute one cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ÂĽ teaspoon baking soda for every cup of self-rising flour. Hope that helps!
Excellent. I grate my butter, put it in the freezer, measure my flour, put it in the freezer, both for 15 minutes. When ready to make, I dust my surface and measure my buttermilk. I bring out my flour and butter, mix together with dough whisk, add buttermilk until it all comes together, drop on my floured surface to knead. I cut each biscuit, placing them on parchment on a cookie sheet, then to my freezer for flash freezing. When ready to bake I follow the directions. They cook beautifully and RISE UP high, and taste delish!!!!!
If I want my biscuit sweet for perhaps a shortcake, I brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Viola, dessert! Thanks Blair!
Such a great idea to turn it into dessert! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe and appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback!
I just wanted to “Thank you” for all of these awesome recipes. I am going to try them all. I know it takes a lot of time and patience to make all of this to happen so beautifully. I was looking through your recipes and remembered my Mom and Grandmother making a few of these. You brought back some wonderful memories, Thank you , God Bless you and yours .
Your note made my day, Linda. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the recipes. I hope that you get to try a couple of them soon!
I love this recipe. I’ve been making them for a couple of years and they never disappoint. Super easy and they come out great every time.
Thank you, Barbara! I’m so happy to hear that!
My family and I Loved these biscuits
Thank you, Patricia!
White Lily is the only brand of flour that I use for biscuits! In my opinion, there is a noticeable difference. I don’t keep buttermilk on hand, so I sub “sour” milk. Vinegar/Lemon juice and milk. Another idea to try, if interested, frozen butter grated into your flour. Makes nice little beads of butter in the biscuits. Again, just a personal preference.
I totally agree, Candace. You can tell a difference in texture and “lift” with the White Lily flour. Definitely the only self-rising brand I buy. 🙂 And yes — grated butter is so easy! That’s how my dad always made his biscuits, and I often do the same now.
Biscuits are in the freezer, can’t wait to put them in oven. Done, they look yummy! And l am 74 years old. I never made biscuits that turned out good. My mother in law always made cat-head biscuits, they were to die for. Thanks for sharing. My daughter made your recipe a couple weekends ago, they were so good. No more store bought frozen biscuits.
Hi, Ruby! I’m so glad that you and your daughter have enjoyed them! 🙂
Biscuits are in the freezer, can’t wait to put them in oven. Done, they look yummy! And l am 74 years old. I never made biscuits that turned out good. My mother in law always made cat-head biscuits, they were to die for. Thanks for sharing. My daughter made your recipe a couple weekends ago, they were so good. No more store bought frozen biscuits.
I love this recipe!!! Not only do I use it when making biscuits, but I also use it for dumplings when making chicken and dumplings. They are light and fluffy EVERY TIME.
Thank you, Lauren! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe.
This is my go-to biscuit recipe! I was skeptical at first but this is the best recipe I’ve found for fluffy made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits so far! Thanks for sharing it!!!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! We’re glad you enjoy it and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
I was a fan of White Lily flour until I found out how it was made and who owned the company. Smucker’s Jelly Company bought out all the traditional flour companies. They added a lot of different powders that aren’t good for people. If you have YouTube on your TV, you can find out all about it. Plus, other flours that Smucker’s owns. Go to YouTube and type in the flour that Smucker’s owns. I don’t know where you live, but where we live, Walmart has a flour that has only one ingredient. Flour. All-purpose and bread flour. The name is Arrowhead. If you don’t have it there, look at the ingredients on other flour brands. And find out what is added to it. Simple flour. I hope this helps you.
Thanks for the tip, Raymond!