Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

Home » Bread Recipes » Sweet Biscuits

by Stephanie Manley, Last Updated 16 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Homemade old-fashioned sweet biscuits are great for breakfast, dinner, or strawberry shortcakes. These fluffy biscuits with a touch of sweetness are easy to make from scratch.

Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (1)

Table of Contents

Homemade Biscuits

It’s really easy to make homemade biscuits. Biscuit recipes are often passed down from generation to generation, and this sweet biscuits recipe is from the archives of my grandmother, Ethel Eynard.

Why You Should Try This Sweet Biscuits Recipe

The main reason to make these sweet milk biscuits is simple. They are wonderfully light, fluffy, sweet, and taste delicious! This recipe for sweet biscuits is sure to become one of your go-to biscuit recipes.

These sweet breakfast biscuits are fluffy with just the right touch of sweetness. Moreover, you don’t have to limit yourself to breakfast. These homemade biscuits taste so good you will not be able to resist them at any time.

Sweet Biscuits Recipe – Ingredients You Will Need

If you are a regular baker, you probably have these ingredients on hand. This is what you will need to make these sweet homemade biscuits:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Shortening
  • Sugar
  • Milk
  • Cream of tartar
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

CopyKat Tip: To avoid flat biscuits, make sure your baking powder is fresh, as it loses effectiveness over time.

Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (2)

How to Make Sweet Biscuits

This sweet biscuits recipe is not difficult to put together. Here are the steps:

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (3)
  1. Add the shortening until you have a mixture resembling coarse crumbs.
Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (4)
  1. Pour in the milk, stir it into the mixture, then knead slightly.
  2. Make 8 biscuit shapes from the dough.
Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (5)
  1. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes.
Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (6)

How to Shape Biscuit Dough

  1. Shape the dough into a rectangle with your hands.
  2. Fold the dough in half, then in half again five more times (this creates the flaky layers in the dough).
  3. After the final fold, pat your dough down until you have a 1-inch-thick piece.
  4. Using a 2‑1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into round biscuits. Be sure to use a sharp cutter to cut the biscuit rounds so all of the edges puff up.
  5. If your dough seems too sticky, just add some extra flour. Sticky dough may be caused by humidity or how the flour is measured. And, of course, flour the countertop, the surface of the dough, and rolling pin if you use one.

How to Make Sweet Biscuits for Strawberry Shortcake:

  1. Pat the pastry dough into a 6 x 6-inch square about 3/4-inch thick.
  2. Cut the square into quarters.
  3. Place the dough square on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 15 to 20minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
  4. Remove and let the shortcake biscuits cool on a wire cake rack.

Recipe Variations

This sweet biscuits recipe is very easy to change up. Here are some suggestions:

  • Sweet buttermilk biscuits – Substitute buttermilk for regular milk. See this recipe for buttermilk biscuits.
  • Sweet cream biscuits – Make biscuits with heavy cream.
  • Sweet cinnamon biscuits – add a touch of cinnamon.
  • Mini sweet biscuits – Use a smaller pastry cutter to make smaller biscuits.
  • Add a crunchy sweet topping – Sweet biscuits are very similar to scones but a bit sweeter, especially if you go for a crunchy turbinado sugar top. (Turbinado is large coarse-grained raw cane sugar.)
  • Biscuit strawberry shortcake – Use this sweet homemade biscuits recipe to make a shortcake dessert, especially strawberry shortcake. Simply allow your fruit to absorb a little sugar for an hour or so, then serve it between a split sweet biscuit with vanilla whipped cream. Biscuit shortcake is the perfect picnic or summer barbecue dessert.

Recipe Tips

  • A pastry blender, two knives, or a fork should be used to mix the shortening into the dry flour mixture.
  • A preheated hot oven is essential to ensure flaky biscuits.
  • For an added touch of sweetness, once the biscuits are out of the oven, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, then add a sprinkle of coarse sugar.

What to Serve With Sweet Milk Biscuits

These sweet breakfast biscuits are delightful when served warm. They only need a slather of butter and maybe a drizzle of honey. Of course, you can also spread them with your favorite jam. Here are some other ways to serve your sweet homemade biscuits:

  • Crumble them into ice cream. (This is especially perfect if, for some reason, your biscuits haven’t turned out exactly as desired.)
  • These sweet homemade biscuits make a great dessert with strawberries and whipped cream.
  • The sweetness of the biscuits goes very well with savory dishes, such as vegetable soup.

How to Store Leftover Sweet Milk Biscuits

  • Fridge: Leftover sweet biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
  • Freezing: Biscuits can be frozen fully baked for up to 2 months. Wrap your leftover biscuits well to avoid freezer burn.
  • Reheating: To reheat pre-baked leftover biscuits, wrap them in foil and place them in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. If you want crisp biscuits, open the foil halfway through.
  • Freezing biscuit dough: Prepare the dough and cut your biscuits. Freeze them uncovered on a cookie sheet for about 1 to 2 hours, then place them in freezer bags or stack them in an airtight container separating each biscuit with waxed paper. Cover and freeze for up to 4 weeks.
  • To bake frozen dough: Thaw the biscuits unwrapped at room temperature for about an hour. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Be aware that pre-frozen dough won’t rise as high when baked because the leavening agents become weaker the longer they are stored.
Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (7)

Love Biscuits? Try These Recipes!

  • Cracker Barrel Biscuits
  • Honey Biscuits
  • KFC Biscuits
  • Red Lobster Biscuits
  • Sour Cream Biscuits
  • Yeast Biscuits

Popular Quick Bread Recipes

  • Apple Bread
  • Beer Bread
  • Brown Bread in a Can
  • Rhubarb Bread
  • Starbucks Banana Bread
  • Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Check out more of my easy bread recipes and family favorite recipes on CopyKat!

This recipe is from the archives of my grandmother, Ethel Eynard. Jefferson City, MO. 1966.

Sweet Biscuits

Fluffy homemade biscuits with a touch of sweetness made from scratch. They are so good you will be crazy for them.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 2/3 cup milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F.

  • Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

  • Add the milk and stir until the dough follows a fork around the bowl. Knead slightly.

  • Pat out the dough onto a lightly floured board and cut it into individual biscuits.

  • Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 20 minutes, or until brown.

Notes

To reheat leftover biscuits, wrap them in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Open the foil halfway through heating if you want them crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 1.6mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

REVEALED: Copycat Secrets for 2023

free email bonus

Yes, you CAN make it at home!I'll show you how.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Previous Post: « Dunkin Donuts Coffee Coolatta

Next Post: Master the Classic Hollandaise Sauce Recipe and Try It On Delicious Recipes! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melda

    Was the baking power old (out of date)

    Reply

  2. Deb

    We enjoyed these biscuits.

    Reply

    • stephaniemanley

      That’s interesting. I think sometimes its buyer beware on kindle books or other self published books.

      Reply

  3. cscavalry

    For those with the biscuits not rising, the recipe is supposed to say “SELF Rising” Flour with the baking powder already in it. Thats why baking powder is not listed as an ingredient. If you use regular flour, you will need 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda. If anyone used buttermilk instead of milk, I bet you got quite a surprise with no neutralizing agent!

    Reply

    • stephaniemanley

      Baking powder is listed at the 4th ingredient. So I am not sure where you would see that it wasn’t listed.

      Reply

  4. Jopie

    My response is the same as Ann’s. They tasted great but did not rise at all, and I followed directions exactly.

    Reply

  5. Ann Moore

    The flavor of these were great… but they were FLAT FLAT FLAT… I’m sure I did something wrong on my end… but not sure what.

    Reply

    • stephaniemanley

      it could be that your baking powder was not fresh. It does loose its effectiveness over time.

      Reply

  6. Bambi5999

    These turned out great just like my grams biscuits, I did use buttermilk tho (no baking soda)
    thanx for sharing your grams recipe. I didn’t know mines she would mix it right in the flour bin 🙂
    These even looked pretty!

    Reply

  7. Bambi5999

    These turned out great just like my grams biscuits, I did use buttermilk tho (no baking soda)
    thanx for sharing your grams recipe. I didn’t know mines she would mix it right in the flour bin 🙂
    These even looked pretty!

    Reply

    • stephaniemanley

      I am so happy to hear that these turned out well for you.

      Reply

  8. Anonymous

    I’m crazy for these biscuits. Thank you for sharing your Grandmother’s wonderful biscuit recipe. I’ve always been able to make bread like nobody’s business, but my home made biscuits could have been used for hockey pucks. Bisquick to the rescue. This is the FIRST time that a scratch recipe has worked for me. These were flaky, picture perfect and delicious. Thank you…thank you and thank you.

    Reply

  9. Kat

    There is no baking soda in this recipe.

    Reply

  10. Trsh

    I just made these tonite, they looked beautiful but I could taste the salty baking soda flavor in them, I’m going to try, perhaps using less Baking soda next time, but they were flaky and picture perfect.

    I am guessing you meant baking powder ~Stephanie

    Reply

    • Mizbev

      you only use baking soda if you are using buttermilk. Otherwise it is baking powder just as the recipe for the biscuits states.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Best Homemade Sweet Biscuits - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most!

What kind of flour makes the best biscuits? ›

White wheat in general is around 9-12% protein, while the hard reds are 11-15%. As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

Are homemade biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

What does adding cream of tartar do to biscuits? ›

And baking powder is typically made of 2 parts baking soda to 1 part cream of tartar. In the presence of a liquid, the acidity of the cream of tartar activates the baking soda, causing it to start bubbling away, and that, in turn, is what makes the biscuits rise.

What is the king of biscuit? ›

Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.

What does adding an egg to biscuits do? ›

For super light, crumbly biscuits try grating or pushing the yolks of hard-boiled eggs through a sieve into the biscuit dough. This increases the fat content and slows down the development of gluten. Cookie recipes on the other hand are more likely to contain eggs. Adding moisture as well as binding the mixture.

What flour do southerners use for biscuits? ›

SouthernKitchen.com says, "Ask any Southern chef or sagacious biscuit grandma and you'll hear a pattern emerge: they all swear by White Lily flour."

Does sifting flour make a difference in biscuits? ›

The solution: Use half cake flour and half all-purpose flour. This combination will give you a biscuit with light and airy interior with a pleasant, satisfying bite on the outside. Also, sifting the flour and other dry ingredients will give you a smoother, airier dough.

What makes biscuits rise better baking powder or baking soda? ›

Baking soda is a much more powerful leavener than baking powder, about 3-4 times as strong.

Is buttermilk or heavy cream better for biscuits? ›

When you're making biscuits, you use buttermilk for its acidity as well as its fat and liquid content. The acidity is used, in conjunction with leaveners, to help the dough rise.

What kind of liquid is best for making biscuits? ›

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›

What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.

Why do you put cornstarch in biscuits? ›

The cornstarch lowers the protein of the flour, which produces a more tender biscuit. The heavy cream provides the fat that helps create the flaky layers in great biscuits.

Why do you put milk in biscuits? ›

One of the main roles of milk in baking is to provide moisture. It can help to keep baked goods from becoming too dry and crumbly, and can also add tenderness to the texture.

What happens when you add baking soda to biscuits? ›

Baking soda neutralizes some of the yogurt's acidity, helping the biscuits to brown. Patting the dough by hand keeps the biscuits light, as a rolling pin can easily crush the soft dough.

What makes a good biscuit and why? ›

Texture: A good biscuit should have a fluffy and tender texture, with a slightly crispy exterior. It should not be too dry, hard, or crumbly. Flavor: A good biscuit should have a rich and buttery flavor, with a hint of saltiness.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

Should you chill biscuit dough before baking? ›

But if you chill your pan of biscuits in the fridge before baking, not only will the gluten relax (yielding more tender biscuits), the butter will harden up. And the longer it takes the butter to melt as the biscuits bake, the more chance they have to rise high and maintain their shape. So, chill... and chill.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Errol Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 6193

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Errol Quitzon

Birthday: 1993-04-02

Address: 70604 Haley Lane, Port Weldonside, TN 99233-0942

Phone: +9665282866296

Job: Product Retail Agent

Hobby: Computer programming, Horseback riding, Hooping, Dance, Ice skating, Backpacking, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.