Cheese Biscuits

Close up side shot of fluffy cheese drop biscuits on a plate

5 from 1 vote

Light and flaky, rich and buttery, these fluffy Cheese Biscuits are a quick way to add a special homemade touch to any meal. Perfect with soup, chili, stew and more!

Course bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Southern

Keyword cheese biscuits, cheese drop biscuits, fluffy cheese biscuits, southern cheese biscuits

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings biscuits

Calories 246kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, frozen
1 ¼ cups very cold buttermilk, plus more as needed
1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
For brushing: 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Grate the frozen butter into the flour. Using a wooden spoon or your finger tips, toss the butter and flour mixture so that the little butter pieces are coated in flour and dispersed throughout. (Tip: if you don’t want to grate the butter, you can just cut in diced, chilled butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal).
Gradually add the buttermilk to the flour mixture; stir or knead just until a soft dough comes together. If you still see dry pockets of flour, gradually add a little bit more buttermilk, one splash at a time, until the dough holds together. Fold in the grated cheese.
Scoop about ¼-cup to ⅓ cup of dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. I use an ice cream scoop for this step, which keeps the biscuits the same shape and size. If the dough is sticking to your scoop, spritz the scoop lightly with nonstick spray.
If the dough becomes warm while you mix and scoop (or if your kitchen is warm), pop the trays of biscuit dough back in the refrigerator or freezer for about 5-10 minutes to chill before baking. You want the dough as cold as possible when it goes into the oven so that the biscuits rise high and don't spread too much.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm.

Notes

For smaller biscuits, use a cookie dough scoop to portion out the dough. You should get about 28 total biscuits. Bake the smaller biscuits in the 425°F oven for 11-12 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Brush with melted butter.
Hot Oven: It’s important to bake the biscuits in a hot oven — 425°F — which helps the biscuits rise quickly. The water in the butter and buttermilk heats rapidly and releases steam, pushing the dough upward.
Preheat Oven Early: Before you even get started with the ingredients, make sure that your oven is preheated. It can take some ovens quite awhile to get to 425°F. Once the dough is stirred together, scoop-drop-and-bake quickly.
Don't over-mix the dough. Just fold together to combine the ingredients...and stop. Otherwise you'll end up with tough, dry biscuits.
Keep the Dough Cold. The key to tall, fluffy and puffy biscuits is cold ingredients. If you're waiting for your oven to preheat, or if your kitchen is particularly warm, place the baking sheet with the unbaked biscuits into the refrigerator or freezer for about 5-10 minutes before baking. This will chill the dough so that the biscuits rise high and don't spread in the oven.
Brush with Melted Butter: A quick swipe of melted butter adds a ton of rich flavor to the warm biscuits. Don't skip this step!

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