This recipe for 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits comes out flaky and perfect every time. Video instructions are included.
FEATURED COMMENT: "I made these today. Total time including baking, 20min. They are beautiful , light , flaky, and delicious !"
Jump to:
- Basic buttermilk biscuits are a homemade southern staple
- The 3 Ingredients for the biscuits
- How to make these flaky biscuits (be sure to watch the video):
- Why it's so important to keep the ingredients cold:
- Expert tips
- Storing 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits
- FAQ's about this recipe for 3 ingredient biscuits
- 📖 Recipe
- Items you may need for making your easy buttermilk biscuits:
- Classic Southern Recipes
Basic buttermilk biscuits are a homemade southern staple
We have some fun and unique biscuits here on our site. Sweet Potato Biscuits are a fall favorite, but really they're good any time of year.
Asiago Cheese and Black Pepper Biscuits are another super easy recipe with a twist. They go perfectly with lots of soups and stews. Cinnamon Biscuits are made with a very similar recipe and are great with a little icing on top.
Mexican Style Biscuits will make you think of Mexican Cornbread, but in biscuit form. If you love a spicy kick you'll love them. And then there are Cajun Hush Puppies and Pimento Cheese Biscuits, oh my!
But, we thought it was high time we had a recipe here for basic but best recipe for 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits. We worked a while perfecting the recipe because we want you to be sure your biscuits will come out just right every time.
The 3 Ingredients for the biscuits
All you need to make them is self rising flour, buttermilk and butter.
- Buttermilk - Naturally full fat makes the richest biscuits, but you can use low fat buttermilk. If needed you can make a buttermilk substitute with plain milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. Just put a Tablespoon of one of those acidics in a measuring cup and then fill it up with milk to make one cup. Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before using.
- Self-rising flour - You can easily make a self rising flour substitute too. For every cup of all purpose flour add two teaspoons of baking powder and one-half teaspoon of salt. Stir well and then re-measure before adding to your recipe. This works for all your recipes that call for this flour, like Brown Butter Pecan Cookies.
- Butter - Use butter in stick form. We've had equal success making these biscuits with salted or unsalted butter.
How to make these flaky biscuits (be sure to watch the video):
THE NUMBER ONE TIP FOR MAKING PERFECT BISCUITS EVERY TIME IS TO KEEP YOUR INGREDIENTS COLD!
Follow these steps
- Freeze the butter.
- Chill the buttermilk in the measuring cup.
- Measure the flour into a bowl and chill the bowl.
- Lightly flour a surface for rolling and cutting the biscuits.
- Grate the butter with a box grater on the side with the larger holes.
- Add the butter to the flour a little at a time tossing after each addition.
- Stir in the buttermilk just until blended.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat down until it's about ½ inch thick.
- Fold the dough over in half and pat down, repeating this step four times.
- Roll with a rolling pin or pat down until about ½ inch thick and then cut with biscuit cutter in desired size. Use a straight down and up motion with the cutter - do not twist.
- Place biscuits nearly touching on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter if desired.
Why it's so important to keep the ingredients cold:
The little grated pieces of butter are what creates the flakes in your biscuits. If it starts to get warm the butter will just sort of "melt" into the flour.
Keeping everything cold means the butter will remain intact. When you pat down the dough you are flattening the butter bits. Your biscuits will then bake into flaky pillows of southern buttermilk goodness!
Even though we know there are times a freshly baked biscuit is what you want on your table, sometimes you just don't have the time to dedicate to them. That's why we recommend this Best Biscuit From a Mix.
Sliced open your biscuits are going to make a classic southern meal when topped with homemade sausage gravy, Cajun gravy, or old fashioned tomato gravy.
THIS RECIPE MADE OUR "BEST OF THE YEAR" LIST. ALL THE OTHERS CAN BE FOUND HERE.
Expert tips
- We can't emphasize enough how important it is to keep your ingredients and equipment COLD!
- Don't overwork the dough. Folding over and gently patting down 4 times is enough.
- Don't twist the biscuit cutter. If you do it forms a seal around the edge of the biscuit that prevents it from rising as well.
Storing 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuits
We keep them on the counter for a full day as long as they're tightly covered. After that put them in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days, again tightly covered.
Biscuits will freeze well for up to 4 months if in an airtight container.
FAQ's about this recipe for 3 ingredient biscuits
100% the answer is butter! We know that may ruffle some feathers but Crisco has no taste. The butter and buttermilk are where the flavor comes from.
Keeping the ingredients cold is how you get flaky biscuits.
We've included an easy substitute in our recipe.
📖 Recipe
3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2½ cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 stick butter 1 stick equals ½ cup
Instructions
- Freeze the stick of butter. Chill the measured flour and buttermilk.
- Grate the buttter, tossing it with the flour a little at a time.
- Stir in the buttermilk just until the ingredients are blended. If dough feels dry 1-2 Tablespoons additional buttermilk can be stirred in.
- Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat down to about ½ inch thickness. Fold in half and pat to ½ inch again. Repeat the fold and pat down step 4 times.
- Roll with a rolling pin or pat down with hands until about ½ inch thick.
- Cut with a biscuit cutter using a straight down and up motion (do not twist). Place biscuits on parchment lined baking sheet nearly touching.
- Bake at 450 degrees 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter if desired.
Video
Notes
- Using a 2 and ½ inch biscuit cutter will yield approximately 12 biscuits. You can cut biscuits once and then re-roll the dough and cut again to get the most biscuits from the dough.
- Salted or unsalted butter may be used.
- Check the recipe post for substitutions for self rising flour and buttermilk.
Nutrition
Items you may need for making your easy buttermilk biscuits:
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- Glass measuring cups
- Box grater for grating the butter
- Rolling pin (we love a traditional wooden one)
- Biscuit cutters
- Parchment paper
- Sweet Potato Butter for spreading on those biscuits
If you make any of our recipes we'd love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you're into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
Classic Southern Recipes
- Easy Homemade Butter Pecan Syrup
- Apple Cobbler with Bisquick
- Easy Blackberry Freezer Jam Recipe
- 25 Easy Southern Casserole Recipes for Any Occasion
- Easy Deep Fried Turkey Breast Recipe
- Blackened Seasoning Recipe
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- 21 of the Best Pecan Recipes for Fall
Debby perry says
What would be the best way to reheat leftover biscuits? If in the oven, what temperature and for how long? Would you wrap in foil or just place uncovered on a baking sheet? We loved this recipe. Thanks for the great tips.
Pam says
Thanks so much Debby! I usually leave mine uncovered and warm them at 400 for about 5 minutes (if they're room temperature). If you have something else in a cooler oven you could wrap in foil and heat a little longer - depending on the temperature of your oven.
Cheryl says
I’ve been cooking for 40 years and have been too intimidated to try a homemade biscuit because my grandma made the best! This recipe was not only easy, but they were delicious. Reminded me of my grandma and simpler times. Thanks for sharing. I will definitely be making them again.
Pam says
Awww... comments like yours are why we do this. Thanks so much Cheryl!
Ethel says
Can you send me your grandmother's. Thank you
Theresa says
I loved these biscuits. They were so easy to make and were so fluffy. It's the best biscuit recipe I've tried. I can't wait to make more especially since my family loved them.
LeLa says
I made the biscuits and they did NOT turn out like the picture. My biscuits didn’t rise at all!
Pam says
So sorry to hear that LeLa. Are you sure that you used self-rising flour?
Tanya says
Turned out great and tasted wonderful Thank you best recipe yet!!
Pam says
Thank you so much Tanya!
Barbara says
Can I make the dough and chill it for 2 hours before baking??
Pam says
We haven't tested that Barbara, but I think it should be fine. You may need to add a couple of minutes of baking time. Please come back and let us know how it worked out.
Kat says
Perfect, Perfect….. I have made 4 batches of these and Perfect every time. My husband took them to his work to show off😁
RACHEL rOBBINS says
These biscuits look wonderful & I'm definitely going to make them, but I have a question? Do these biscuits freeze well? I always like to have something like this on hand for any last minute meals.
Thank you!
Pam says
Yes, we have frozen them after baking. Then just sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to thaw and reheat in a hot oven.
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed these with dinner tonight and they did not disappoint! Turned out light, flakey and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
kushi says
These buttermilk biscuits look so beautiful and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Seema Sriram says
Ooo i nearly burned my hands trying to grab of one before they cool off! so good, couldn't resist.
Shashi Charles says
These came out so well - the layers were insane! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Helen says
I love how easy this is, with just three ingredients! And just look at those fabulous flaky layers 🙂
Jennie says
My favorite biscuit recipe! They are easy and delicious.