Some recipes never go out of style, and this is one of them. These old-fashioned drop biscuits are simple, reliable, and exactly the kind of thing you can make without thinking too hard (or at all, haha). No rolling, no cutting—just mix, scoop, and bake.

The biscuits are soft on the inside, crispy and lightly golden on the outside, and just as good with butter and jam as they are under a spoonful of sausage gravy.

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Why You’ll Love These Biscuits

There’s no rolling or cutting, the recipe uses all simple ingredients that I bet you have right now, and you’ll end up with consistently soft, tender biscuits in 15 minutes or less.

These biscuits work great for both sweet and savory meals, which makes them easy to make over and over, and over again. In fact, use them in my strawberry shortcake and my old-fashioned biscuits and gravy every time I make them.

Drop vs Rolled Biscuits and Why Drop Biscuits Are Easier

Drop biscuits are the simplifed version of traditional biscuits. Instead of rolling out and cutting the dough, you just scoop and drop it onto the pan. It saves both time and effort, which I love. Plus, the softer dough makes them more forgiving, which means you still get soft, warm, buttery biscuits without any extra work.

Rolled biscuits require kneading, rolling, and cutting to create those classic flaky layers. Drop biscuits are more a little more rustic (which I prefer). They have a soft, tender center and textured, lightly crispy tops and edges.

Ingredient Notes

• All-purpose flour works great for these biscuits.
• I use salted butter, since it adds a little extra flavor and richness.
• The heavy cream makes the biscuit texture soft and tender. You can substitute whole milk if you prefer, but avoid using a low-fat milk or almond milk. They just won’t turn out the same.
• Vanilla extract add just a touch of warmth (optional for savory recipes).

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. Add the cold, cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract just until combined. Don’t overmix the dough.
5. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet in mounds (about 4 tablespoons each).
6. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden.
7. Let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Use very cold butter for the best biscuit texture.
• Don’t overmix the dough. It should be a little rough and on the dry side, but should stick together when scooped.
• For savory use, like biscuits and gravy, you can leave out the vanilla (but, honestly I usually leave it in, since it’s very subtle and a lot of times I use one batch of biscuits for more than one type of meal).
• If the dough feels too dry, add a splash of cream to help it come together, but it should never be wet or sticky.
• If you substitute milk for heavy cream, the biscuits will be lighter, slightly less rich, and also less tender, so keep that in mind.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. To reheat, warm in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes or microwave briefly until heated through.

To freeze, let biscuits cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 300°F oven until warmed through, or thaw at room temperature before reheating in the microwave.

Old-Fashioned Drop Biscuits

By: Kristine Underwood

These old-fashioned drop biscuits are soft, simple, and easy to make with no rolling required. They’re tender on the inside, lightly golden on the outside, and perfect for both sweet and savory meals.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 17 minutes mins

Course Bread & Muffins

Cuisine American

Servings 10 biscuits

Calories 285 kcal

Equipment

• 1 4 TBS cookie scoop

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (all-purpose)
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter (cold, cut into cubes)
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional for savory recipes)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt together.
  2 cups flour, 1 TBS baking powder, 2 TBS sugar, 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Using a pastry cutter or the back of a fork, cut the cold butter in until the mixture looks nice and crumbly.
  1/2 cup salted butter
• Add the cream and vanilla and stir until just combined.
  1 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Using a 4 TBS cookie scoop, scoop dough into mounds, evenly spaced on the baking sheet. There's no need to roll or shape these, craggy tops are perfect here.
• Bake biscuits for 12–14 minutes until golden on top. Let cool slightly.

Notes

• Use very cold butter for the best texture.
• Don’t overmix the dough. It should be a little rough.
• For savory use, you can leave out the vanilla.
• If the dough feels too dry, add a splash of cream to help it come together.
• If you substitute milk for heavy cream, the biscuits will be lighter, slightly less rich, and also less tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 biscuitCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 325mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 721IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 1mg