Cream Biscuits

Square side shot of a cream biscuit with butter and honey on a plate.

5 from 3 votes

With just 4 simple ingredients and no cold butter to cut in, these cream biscuits bake up tall and tender with a golden, crisp top. Heavy cream does the work of both the fat and the liquid, so the dough comes together in one bowl.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cream biscuit recipe, cream biscuits, cream biscuits recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 19

Chilling Time 10

Total Time 39

Servings biscuits

Calories 261kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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 9-inch cake pan, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
Add the cream and stir with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Fold the dough over onto itself 6 to 8 times, until it comes together. The dough should be soft but not too wet or sticky. If it is sticky, add extra flour to the counter, to your hands, and to the dough. Pat the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick.
Dip a 2 to 2½-inch round biscuit cutter in flour and punch out the biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Arrange the biscuits in the prepared pan with the 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 to 15 minutes to chill before baking.
Bake for 15 to 19 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter. Serve warm.

Notes

Heavy cream only. The cream replaces both the fat and the liquid in this dough. Milk, buttermilk, and half-and-half do not have enough fat and the recipe will not work.
Cold dough is the whole trick. The 10 to 15 minute freeze before baking is what creates the steam that lifts the biscuits.
Do not twist the cutter. Press straight down and pull straight up so the edges stay open and the biscuits rise tall.
Bake them touching. Sides-touching biscuits in a skillet or cake pan climb higher than biscuits spaced out on a sheet pan.
No self-rising flour? Substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour whisked with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt.
Add-ins: Stir about 1 cup shredded cheddar, or a teaspoon of chives, thyme, or garlic powder, into the flour before adding the cream. For a sweeter, scone-like biscuit, increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons.
Storage: Airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months. Reheat on a baking sheet at 300°F for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition