Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
With a few simple tips and tricks, you can make the best cream biscuits from scratch with just 4 ingredients! These soft, tender treats rise a mile high, creating layers of fluffy, old-fashioned goodness.
Table of Contents
If you love homemade biscuits as much as we do, be sure to try these 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, cheese drop biscuits, classic flaky biscuits, and giant cathead biscuits, too!
In the Southeastern United States, “biscuits” are typically soft leavened quick breads, similar to scones (but not sweet), and made with baking powder and/or baking soda instead of yeast. While the recipe and ingredients are incredibly simple, I’m sharing a few tricks to mastering tall, decadent cream biscuits that you’ll want to add to your weekly rotation!
Why You’ll Love This Cream Biscuits Recipe
- The biscuits are quick and easy, thanks to just 3 main ingredients: self-rising flour, sugar, and cream. Since you don’t have to work cold butter into the dough, this is just about the easiest homemade biscuit recipe ever! You can brush them with melted butter for flavor at the end, but it’s not mandatory.
- They are puffy and tall, not dense or flat, and exhibit that hard-to-achieve cross between a tender crumb and a golden brown, crisp exterior.
- The versatile base recipe can be adapted to suit your family’s preferences. For instance, add cheese and herbs, make them sweet and add warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, or stir in some bacon or sausage for a heartier addition to your table.
What Heavy Cream Does for Biscuits
You might notice that this biscuit recipe doesn’t require incorporating cold butter, lard, or shortening into the dough. Unusual for biscuits, right?! That’s because in America, heavy whipping cream contains between 36 and 40 percent fat. Since heavy cream is essentially an emulsion of butterfat globules suspended in milk, this single ingredient takes the place of the butter and a lower fat liquid (like milk or buttermilk) that you otherwise find in traditional biscuit recipes.
In other words, the heavy cream plays the role of both the fat and the liquid in the dough. It provides tenderness and flavor from the fat, as well as moisture from its water content. That’s why it’s important to only use heavy cream in this recipe — the biscuits will not work with lower-fat substitutes like milk, buttermilk, or half-and-half.
The tender and fluffy cream biscuits have a softer, more cake-like texture than flaky buttermilk biscuits. The contrast between the soft insides and the crisp exterior is heavenly!
How to Make Biscuits Rise High
If your ideal whipped cream biscuits include tall, fluffy layers, then you’ve come to the right place. After years and years of practice, I’ve learned a handful of simple ways to achieve those elusive mile-high treats:
- Very cold ingredients are essential. Biscuits get their light, fluffy texture when cold ingredients expand in a very hot oven, creating pockets of steam. That’s why this recipe calls for freezing the cut biscuits for about 10-15 minutes before baking.
- The oven must be very hot — in this case, 425°F. When the cold biscuit dough interacts with the high heat of the oven, the water in the cream heats rapidly and releases steam, pushing the dough upward.
- Folding the dough on itself multiple times builds visible layers.
- Do not twist a round biscuit cutter — just punch straight down and pull it straight back out. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high.
- Arrange the biscuits with sides touching. Place the biscuits in a cast iron skillet or baking pan so that they’re all touching their neighbors. This will help them “climb” in the oven so that you get that great, tall lift! While a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper will work, the biscuits can spread more easily to the side when they don’t have the walls of a skillet or pan to prop them up.
Ingredients for Cream Biscuits
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of easy heavy cream biscuits. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Self-rising flour: a common pantry staple in most Southern households, self-rising flour is simply flour with the leavening and salt already added. I prefer an extra-fine soft winter wheat flour made by White Lily. This low-protein, low-gluten flour gives Southern biscuits that perfectly crisp-on-the-outside, light-on-the-inside texture.
- Sugar: this doesn’t make the biscuits actually taste sweet (they’re not scones, after all!). Instead, the small amount of sugar enhances the cream’s natural flavor.
- Heavy cream: for its fat and liquid content. The fat in the heavy whipping cream gives the biscuits an ultra-tender, soft crumb and rich flavor. Keep the cream nice and cold before adding it to the dough.
- Melted butter: to brush the tops of the biscuits for added flavor after baking.
How to Make Biscuits with Heavy Cream
This go-to biscuit recipe comes together in just minutes, so they’re not only a great breakfast or brunch option when the troops are hungry, but they’re also a nice addition to the bread basket at supper. Busy weeknights can still include homemade biscuits!
You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the self-rising flour and sugar in a large bowl.
- Stir in the cream.
- Fold and pat the dough on a lightly floured surface.
- Punch out the biscuits.
- Arrange the biscuits in a cast iron skillet or baking pan.
- Bake until golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter.
Serving Suggestions
Heavy cream biscuits are suitable for just about any meal, at any time of day. Serve them on their own for breakfast with honey butter, jam, fig preserves, or apple butter. Add eggs on the side, use them to make an egg sandwich with sausage, bacon, and cheese, or stir up a skillet of sausage gravy. In Virginia, country ham biscuits are a classic snack!
On the dinner table, here are some entrées that go well with the biscuits:
- Crispy Fried Chicken, Cornflake Chicken or Pecan-Crusted Chicken
- 3-Ingredient Crock Pot Pulled Chicken, Oven BBQ Chicken Breast, Sheet Pan Herb-Roasted Chicken and Veggies, or Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
- Southern Meatloaf, Muffin Tin Meatloaf, Cheeseburger Meatloaf, or Meatloaf with Oatmeal
- Crock Pot Beer Pulled Pork with Maple BBQ Sauce, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Oven-Baked Pork Tenderloin, Cider Braised Pulled Pork, or BBQ Pork
- Egg Salad or Chicken Salad
- Shrimp and Grits
- Crock Pot Ribs or Baked Baby Back Ribs
- Crab Cakes or Crab Imperial
- Shrimp Creole
- Dutch Oven Beef BBQ, Cast Iron Skillet Filet Mignon, Grilled New York Strip Steak, Steak Salad or Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tenderloin
- Classic Beef Chili, “Good Luck” Southern Chili, Easy White Bean Chicken Chili, Leftover Turkey Chili, or Texas Chili
- Beef Stew, Chicken Stew, Brunswick Stew, or Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Frogmore Stew
- Grandmother’s Hamburger Soup, Corn Chowder, Tomato Soup, Easy Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup, or Split Pea Soup
- Ranch Style Beans, Southern Lima Beans, Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans or Black Eyed Peas with Bacon
- Rosemary Oven Roasted Chicken, Chicken and Rice Casserole, or Dump-and-Bake Chicken Potato Casserole
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: While they’re best served warm, straight from the oven, you can bake the biscuits up to 3 days in advance.
- Storage: The biscuits will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- How to Reheat: Place day-old biscuits on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave individual biscuits for 15-30 seconds in the microwave.
- How to Freeze: Allow the biscuits to cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter overnight or in the microwave for a few seconds.
Cream Biscuit Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have self-rising flour in your pantry, you can make your own self rising flour at home using all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add cheese. About 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack would be delicious.
- Stir in diced pimentos and shredded cheese for “pimento cheese” biscuits.
- Add seasonings or herbs. Try a bit of garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, or chives.
- For sweet cream biscuits that are more like scones, use 3 tablespoons of sugar. You might also like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into squares instead of rounds.
Tips for Making the Best Heavy Cream Biscuits
- Do not substitute a lower-fat alternative for the heavy cream. You need the high fat content in the cream, or the recipe will not work. Do not use half-and-half, milk, buttermilk, etc.
- Keep the dough cold. I’ll say it again — the key to tall, fluffy biscuits is cold ingredients. Don’t forget to chill the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Use a cast iron skillet or baking pan, rather than a rimmed baking sheet. The sides of the skillet or pan help the biscuits rise upwards, rather than spreading or falling.
- Arrange the biscuits with sides touching. Place the biscuits in the skillet so that they’re all touching their neighbors. This will help them “climb” in the oven so that you get that great, high rise.
- Don’t twist the round cutter. Firmly press the cutter down into the dough, and then pull it straight back out. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high.
- Brush with melted butter. A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor and buttery taste to the warm biscuits.
More Homemade Biscuit Recipes
Flaky Biscuits {a Farmhouse Favorite!}
45 minutes mins
Grandma’s Sweet Potato Biscuits
33 minutes mins
Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon
50 minutes mins
Cream Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour (I prefer White Lily brand)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ cups very cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch cake pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and sugar.
- Add the cream, and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Fold the dough over onto itself 6-8 times, until it comes together. The dough should be soft, but not too wet or sticky. If it’s sticky, add extra flour to the counter, to your hands, and to the dough so that it’s easy to work with. Pat the dough into a rectangle that’s about ¾ inch-thick. Use a 2 ½ -inch round biscuit cutter that’s dipped in flour to punch out the biscuits (do not twist the cutter). Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan with sides touching. Re-roll the scraps and cut out additional biscuits until all of the dough is used. Cover loosely and place the biscuits in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to chill before baking.
- Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
- Do not substitute a lower-fat alternative for the heavy cream. You need the high fat content in the cream, or the recipe will not work. Do not use half-and-half, milk, buttermilk, etc.
- Keep the dough cold. I’ll say it again — the key to tall, fluffy biscuits is cold ingredients. Don’t forget to chill the dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Use a cast iron skillet or baking pan, rather than a rimmed baking sheet. The sides of the skillet or pan help the biscuits rise upwards, rather than spreading or falling.
- Arrange the biscuits with sides touching. Place the biscuits in the skillet so that they’re all touching their neighbors. This will help them “climb” in the oven so that you get that great, high rise.
- Don’t twist the round cutter. Firmly press the cutter down into the dough, and then pull it straight back out. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high.
- Brush with melted butter. A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor and buttery taste to the warm biscuits.
