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.
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Pavani says
WOW, those biscuits look so flaky, buttery and inviting. With just 3 ingredients - this is such an easy to make recipe. Thank you for the detailed tips - will try these out for my family.
Pam says
Hope everyone loves them as much as we do!
Alicia J Hoffman says
I have been making biscuits for nearly 40 years because my husband loves biscuits and sausage gravy. However, mine have never come out as high and flaky as every recipe I've tried has claimed...UNTIL NOW!!! This simple recipe is PERFECT. I made them tonight and they came out flaky, tender, and so, so, high! And they were delicious! Thank you so much! My husband will never have to suffer another biscuit fail again!
Pam says
Yay! So happy to hear this, Alicia! Thank you for coming back to let us know. Happy Biscuit Making!
Toni says
These biscuits were so good! And the recipe is really easy to follow!
Pam says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Toni.
Beth Sachs says
A nice easy to follow recipe for buttermilk biscuits.
Pam says
Thanks, Beth!
Shanna says
These look so light and fluffy. I am definetly going to try these with a little sausage and gravy this weekend.
Pam says
That sounds wonderful!
Cookilicious says
I didn't know you could make them eggless..will try this for sure.
Pam says
Well, that's a new one on us as we have never heard of putting eggs in biscuits. Hope you'll enjoy this recipe.
Margi says
Saw a chef on TV who's specializes in biscuits and gravy but prior to starting he takes his measured flour and the bowl and puts both in the freezer. When he's ready to make them just pulls it and the butter out, which has been cut and frozen and makes the biscuits. I've thought what a neat idea but I'm only cooking for one now and it takes a real special occasion to make these but always thought I would try his method.
Pam says
Interesting... same concept except we just chill the bowl and flour.
Heather says
This is now my go to biscuit recipe. I do use equal amount of crisco vs butter just because I like the texture better. Absolutely perfection.
harold gordon says
what temperature do you bake these at ? i did'nt see that in the instruction s!?
Pam says
Hi Harold, Yes, please check the recipe card for step #7. It starts out "Bake at 450 degrees..."
Enjoy those biscuits!
Pj says
I made these today. Total time including baking, 20min. They are beautiful , light , flaky, and delicious !
Brushed butter, and honey on top, and shared with the neighbors . A hit all around. Sorry l could not take picture. Thank you, for this simple easy to follow recipe...
Pam says
You are making me hungry, PJ! Thanks for your kind comment.
Joe says
DELICIOUS! The first words out of my grandsons mouth when he bit into the biscuit was "MMMMMMMM" They were great I had to agree. I folded them too many times so they didn't rise as much as the could have but they looked and tasted great!
Pam says
That's great to hear! Thanks for letting us know Joe!
Hansel says
I tried this biscuit recipe this morning I didn’t have buttermilk but I had powdered buttermilk so I use milk and powdered buttermilk I didn’t have self rising flour so I added 1 tablespoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt because my butter was unsalted the biscuits were light fluffy airy and a I got rave reviews. I will definitely try it again. I served it with agave and my family ate it with strawberry jelly
Pam says
So happy to hear it, Hansel! Be sure to note that we have included substitutes for buttermilk and self-rising flour, but it sounds like your workarounds turned out fine.
Jessie says
Buttermilk biscuits are one of my favorite foods! But, I've always been intimidated to make them. Love these helpful tips and the recipe looks gorgeous!
Pam says
Thanks so much, Jessie! They're really easy - give it a try.
Shanna A. says
These were so light and flaky and were the perfect addition to my sausage gravy.
Pam says
Yay! Glad you loved them Shanna.
Alison says
These biscuits are gorgeous! They baked up so light and fluffy! Using the self-rising flour really helped!
Pam says
Super simple, huh? Thank you Alison.
Angela says
3 ingredients! It doesn't get easier then that. So flaky and delicious.
Pam says
Exactly right. Thanks, Angela!
Beth says
There are few more delicious food treats on the planet! We just loved them with chicken fried steak!
Pam says
Agreed! Thanks, Beth!