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Impress your friends and family with this delicious recipe for Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits. These are the easiest biscuits to make from scratch and take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
This recipe alone will be the star of your meal, but if you’re wondering what to serve with drop biscuits then try these ricotta and thyme baked eggs or this goat cheese and egg quiche with sweet potato crust. They’re also a perfect savory side to your dinner.
Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Growing up in the south biscuits were a standard meal-time staple. These bread-like confections were often lovingly prepared with unique recipes behind them. Many times these particular recipes were kept as family secrets. Even so, you never had to travel further than the local barbecue joint or family-owned local eatery to get some of the best tasting biscuits around.
Now living in Charleston we have places like Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit to indulge our cravings for these delicious bites of dough. Still, though the weekend cravings surface for soft and fluffy homemade biscuits. Often I’d just prefer they came from my kitchen rather than from downtown.
I never learned out to prepare this southern staple though and grew too intimated to try later in life. There are many ways to prepare them, but these quick drop biscuits are perfect for breakfast, brunch, and dinner with all the savory ingredients.
While these aren’t exactly the homemade flaky sweet biscuits they’re quite close in consistency. The best part, is how easy they are to prepare.
What Are Drop Biscuits
Drop biscuits get their name from the process of forming the dough into a ball and simply dropping it on the baking sheet. There’s no need for a biscuit cutter or rolling pin to make this recipe, which makes these the easiest biscuits from scratch to make.
How to Make Homemade Drop Biscuits from Scratch
Making biscuits is definitely an art form or perhaps a labor of love. Being in the south we take them very seriously. Not all of these delicious doughy pieces of bread are complicated though. When it comes to making this drop biscuit recipe there’s not much labor involved.
Below is a guide of everything you need to know to make these homemade drop biscuits from scratch. For an easy printable scroll to the bottom and click “print” on the recipe card.
Ingredients in Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits
- Flour
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Crumbled Bacon
- Fresh Parsley
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Pepper
- Unsalted Butter, frozen
- Buttermilk
Directions for Preparing
The combination of bacon, cheddar, and parsley creates a traditional appetizing flavor. Below is a very detailed step-by-step guide to preparing these homemade drop biscuits, which includes the ingredient prep work.
- Step One. Cook the bacon in a large skillet and crumble it into pieces after it cools.
- Step Two. Grate the cheese into a medium-sized bowl using the large holes of a box grater and set aside.
- Step Three. Using the same large holes of the box grater, grate the frozen butter into a small bowl and set it aside.
- Step Four. In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, parsley, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and pepper together until fully combined. Add the butter to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Step Five. Pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to incorporate it. Finish using your hands to knead the buttermilk evenly into the mixture.
- Step Six. Place 3-inch sized balls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake at 475ºF for 14 to 18 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn a golden brown.
Tips for Making the Best Drop Biscuits
- Grate the cheddar cheese instead of purchasing shredded cheese if you can.
- Slightly freeze the Butter before you grate it.
- If you don’t like using parchment paper you can spray each of your baking sheets with cooking spray.
How to Substitute Buttermilk
Sometimes I don’t want to purchase the huge carton of buttermilk I only need for a 1/4 cup in a recipe. Then there are those times I want to make and am missing it as an ingredient. On such occasions, I just make a quick version of substitute buttermilk.
Substitute Buttermilk Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Milk (any kind will work but whole milk is best)
Place the lemon juice into a small bowl and add the milk. Then whisk the ingredients together for 1 minute. This causes the milk to sour and will then work as a substitute buttermilk.
Why to Shred Your Own Cheese
Freshly shredded or grated cheese always tastes better and has a fuller flavor than cheese that’s been shredded and packaged. By shredding your own cheese you’re leaving out preservatives, chemicals, and anti-caking agents, which are found in the pre-shredded versions. Better taste and a healthier option are always a win.
Do Drop Biscuits Need Yeast?
No. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare biscuits. Once all the ingredients are combined in a large bowl you slightly knead the bread using your hands. This is only to get the ingredients to fully mix.
How Do They Rise?
These biscuits are very dense, unlike the flaky version you make and have to knead over and over again. However, the baking soda and baking powder cause the dough to firm up and rise just slightly.
How to Store Drop Biscuits
These biscuits can be stored in an air-tight container and kept on the counter or in the pantry for up to 3 days. If storing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator they will last up to a week.
Can You Freeze Drop Biscuits
Yes. Wrap them in aluminum foil and then seal in a plastic bag with the date marked on the outside. They will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Can You Make These Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits Gluten-Free?
Yes. In order to make these gluten-free drop biscuits, you’ll need to omit the flour and replace it with the ingredients listed below.
- 3 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- 1/3 cup Cornstarch
More Drop Biscuit Flavor Combinations
- Ham and Gruyere Cheese Drop Biscuits: replace the bacon and cheddar with ham and gruyere cheese.
- Pancetta and Parmesan Cheese Drop Biscuits: leave out the bacon and cheddar and add pancetta and parmesan cheese.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Cheese Drop Biscuits: remove the bacon and cheddar and add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese.
- Feta and Dill Drop Biscuits: leave out the bacon and cheddar cheese and feta cheese and 2 tablespoons of dill.
Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 3/4 cup Chopped Bacon about 6 slices cooked
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter chilled
- 1¾ cup Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. If you prefer to not use parchment you can spray the sheets with cooking spray.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet and crumble it into pieces after it cools.
- Grate the cheese into a medium-sized bowl using the large holes of a box grater and set aside.
- Using the same large holes of the box grater, grate the frozen butter into a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, parsley, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and pepper together until fully combined.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to incorporate it. Finish using your hands to knead the buttermilk evenly into the mixture.
- Place 3-inch sized balls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and cook for 14 to 18 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn a golden brown.
