Published: April 29, 2020 · Updated: September 3, 2025 by: Cindy Gibbs

These Soft and Tender Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are the easiest biscuits you’ll ever make and you can mix and bake them within minutes!  They are so easy, you just mix them and drop by spoonfuls or a large cookie scoop onto a baking sheet. 

These buttermilk drop biscuits are so soft and tender, and you don’t even need a biscuit cutter. Let the kids help mix and drop the dough onto a baking sheet. The whole family will love them!

At the age of nineteen, I ate my first drop biscuit when I had just finished a year of college and was renting my first place on my own…oh, and very poor at the time.

My wonderful landlady, Mrs. Lilly Mae Thomas, invited me to Sunday dinner and made drop biscuits while I watched.  I couldn’t get over how quick she mixed them up and dropped them by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.  The biscuits and the meal were delicious, partly because they just were…and partly because my fridge was almost empty and I was really missing my mother’s cooking.  Now each time I make these easy but wonderful biscuits I think of Mrs. Thomas.

Buttermilk drop biscuits.

Once you see how easy these biscuits are to make, you won’t stop at making them for breakfast. You’ll be fixing them for a side to your favorite soups and stews as well.

Don’t worry, if you’ve never made a homemade biscuit in your life, you can make these Soft and Tender Buttermilk Drop Biscuits. It takes about 1 minute to pop open a can of biscuits and 5 minutes to mix these up, and these are so much better than store bought. You can make these in no time, I promise.

The secret to perfect drop biscuits is using very cold butter, and cutting it into small pieces, before cutting it into the dry ingredients.  Then add very cold buttermilk and mix everything together.  It’s that easy.  Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake them.  No kneading…no cutting!

Ingredients for this recipe

Butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter in this recipe. The salt is added separately. You want to make sure you don’t add too much salt.

Buttermilk – Use full-fat buttermilk, not low-fat, for the best flavor.

Flour – Use all-purpose flour and add the leavening agents to the flour.

Salt – Salt enhances the flavor.

Baking Powder – Helps the biscuits to rise.

Baking Soda – Promotes a light airy texture when mixed with an acid, such as buttermilk. It also promotes browning.

How To Make This Recipe

Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas.

Add the buttermilk to the mixture.

Mix with the pastry cutter, just until the mixture comes together and forms a wet dough. Do not over mix.

Drop the dough on a greased baking sheet by large spoonfuls, or you can use a large cookie scoop. I used a 1/2 cup cookie scoop here, and made 6 large biscuits.

Don’t think you have to make these biscuits for breakfast only. I make these biscuits to use in my Chicken ala King recipe. They’re perfect for soaking up the gravy.

Pro tips for this recipe

  • Make sure your butter and buttermilk are very cold. I like to cut my butter into cubes and place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
  • Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. This is very important. Here is an easy guide to show how to check both.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute by adding one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk.
  • If you don’t have buttermilk or vinegar or lemon juice, you can use plain milk, and use 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and omit the baking soda. The baking soda needs the acid (buttermilk) to work.
  • Don’t over mix the dough. As soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing. Over mixing causes tough biscuits.

If you’re eating these biscuits for breakfast, they’ re great with jam, fried apples, or gravy.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits.

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Soft and Tender Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 6 to 8 1x
  • Category: Breads/Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These Soft and Tender Buttermilk Drop Biscuits are the easiest biscuits you’ll ever make and you can mix and bake them within minutes!  They are so easy, you just mix them and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  Easy!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) real unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup full fat buttermilk, or milk if you don’t have buttermilk (see pro tips above)
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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Grease a cookie sheet with solid shortening.
  3. Cut the butter into small pieces, trying to handle as little as possible, and set aside.
  4. Measure and level off flour and place it in a large bowl. Add the salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
  5. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small peas.
  6. Add the milk to the mixture and mix with the pastry cutter, just until the mixture comes together and forms a wet dough. Do not over mix.
  7. Drop the dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the greased baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown on the tops and bottoms.
  9. Remove from oven and brush the tops with butter and serve.

Notes

  • For a soft and tender biscuit, make sure you mix just until the mixture forms a wet dough and stop mixing. This should only take a few seconds.