Southern Honey Biscuits are my kind of breakfast side: flaky, tall, and just a little sweet from the honey in the dough. They’re Southern-style buttermilk biscuits with a warm honey butter brushed over the top.
I like that these stay soft in the middle with those crisp, layered edges, especially when you bake them close together. The honey butter finish makes them taste a little more special than plain biscuits, but they still work with savory food.
For me, these are best with eggs and bacon, a bowl of chili, or anything you’d normally serve with cornbread. I also like them when I’m putting together an easy brunch spread and want something warm on the table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flaky layers: The cold butter and gentle folding give you that classic biscuit texture with real layers, not a bready roll.
Honey in the dough: A little honey in the biscuit dough adds a mild sweetness that tastes right with both sweet and savory toppings.
Quick to bake: These go from mixing bowl to table fast, which is exactly what I want from a biscuit recipe.
That honey butter finish: Brushing the tops while they’re hot gives you a glossy, buttery top that you don’t have to think twice about.
Easy to serve a crowd: Make one pan and you’ve got a warm side for breakfast, dinner, or a holiday meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Biscuit dough
- All-purpose flour: I use regular all-purpose flour here. Don’t swap in self-rising flour for this one since we’re already using baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Baking powder: This is the main lift. Make sure yours is fresh, because old baking powder makes flat biscuits.
- Baking soda: This works with the buttermilk to help the biscuits rise and brown nicely.
- Fine salt: I stick with fine salt so it mixes in evenly. If you only have kosher salt, just be aware the texture is different and measure carefully.
- Granulated sugar: It’s not a sweet biscuit, but the little bit of sugar helps with color and rounds out the flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Cold butter is the whole point here. I cube it and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to cut it in.
- Buttermilk: Use it cold. If you don’t have buttermilk, the milk-and-lemon trick works fine in a pinch.
- Honey: Adds that gentle honey flavor throughout the biscuit, not just on top. Use whatever honey you like to eat.
Honey butter topping
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter makes this easy to stir together and brush on quickly.
- Honey: This is what gives that classic honey-butter biscuit taste. If your honey is thick, warm it for a few seconds so it mixes smoothly.
- Salt: Just a pinch makes the topping taste more balanced and less flat.
Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If your kitchen is warm, chill a mixing bowl so the butter stays cold while you work.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Cut in the butter: Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in until you have pea-size pieces and crumbly bits throughout. It’s fine if some pieces are a little bigger.
- Add the buttermilk and honey: Stir in the cold buttermilk and honey just until you get a shaggy dough and you no longer see dry flour. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together.
- Fold the dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 4 to 6 times to build layers, without kneading it like bread.
- Cut the biscuits: Pat the dough to about 1 inch thick and cut 8 biscuits with a floured cutter. Press straight down and lift straight up (don’t twist) so they rise evenly.
- Arrange on the pan: Place the biscuits close together for softer sides, or space them out for crisper sides. If you want extra rise, chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake: Bake for about 10 to 14 minutes, until the biscuits are tall and deep golden on top.
- Make the honey butter: Mix the melted butter, honey, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until smooth.
- Glaze and serve: Brush the hot biscuits with the honey butter and let them rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Some of my tips!
This is the part that really makes a difference. If you only read one section, make it this one because this is where I share the little trick that helps the recipe turn out so well.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Keep the butter and buttermilk very cold. That’s what gives you flaky layers instead of a dense biscuit. If the butter starts feeling soft, pause and chill the bowl or the dough.
Stop mixing when the dough looks shaggy. If you keep stirring until it looks smooth, the biscuits usually bake up tougher. A few dry streaks are okay before you turn it out and fold.
Fold, don’t knead. Those 4 to 6 folds are enough to make layers without working the dough too much. Press gently and keep the flour on the counter light.
Don’t twist the cutter. Twisting seals the edges and can keep the biscuits from rising as high. Straight down and straight up works better.
Brush the glaze while they’re hot. The warm biscuits soak in some of the honey butter, and the tops get that shiny finish. Let them sit a minute or two so the glaze doesn’t just slide off.
Make some touches!
There are plenty of easy ways to serve this depending on the occasion. Keep it simple, or add a few small touches to make it feel a little more special.
Serving Suggestions
- Breakfast plates: Serve these with scrambled eggs, bacon, or sausage. I like them on the side instead of toast.
- Chili or soup: They’re really good with chili, chicken soup, or ham and bean soup. The honey butter gives you that slightly sweet contrast.
- Fried chicken: If you’re doing a Southern-style dinner, biscuits belong on the table. Add a simple green salad or collard greens and call it done.
- Jam on the side: Strawberry jam, blackberry preserves, or even apple butter are great with these. I usually serve the jam in a small bowl so people can choose.
Save it for later
This section covers how to store leftovers and what parts of the recipe you can prepare ahead of time.
Storage and Make Ahead
Store baked biscuits covered at room temperature for 1 day, or keep them in the fridge for a couple of days if your kitchen runs warm. They’re best the day they’re made, but they still reheat well.
To reheat, warm them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes until heated through, or microwave one biscuit briefly if you’re in a hurry. If you want the tops glossy again, brush with a little extra melted butter or honey.
You can cut the biscuits and refrigerate them on a parchment-lined pan for a few hours before baking. Bake straight from cold; you may need to add a minute or two to the bake time.
If you want them longer-term, freeze unbaked cut biscuits on a sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 425°F, adding a few extra minutes, and glaze after baking.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk?
Mix milk with lemon juice and let it sit for about 5 minutes before using. For this recipe, use 3/4 cup milk plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
Why didn’t my biscuits rise very much?
The most common reasons are warm butter, overmixed dough, or old baking powder. Keeping everything cold and mixing just until the dough turns shaggy makes a big difference.
Should I bake the biscuits touching or spaced apart?
If you bake them close together, the sides stay softer and they rise a little more upward. If you space them out, you get more browned edges and a slightly crisper outside.
Can I make the honey butter topping ahead?
Yes. You can mix it and keep it covered in the fridge, then warm it briefly so it’s brushable. I like to brush it on right after baking so it melts into the tops.
How do I know when the biscuits are done?
Look for tall biscuits with a deep golden top. If you gently lift one, the bottom should be browned and set, not pale or doughy.
You might also like
Before you go, take a look at a few other recipes below the recipe card. They use similar ingredients in a different way and are worth saving too.
MORE DINNER RECIPES TO TRY
Southern Honey Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
Biscuit dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 3 4 cup cold buttermilk
- 2 tbsp honey.
Honey butter topping
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch salt.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
- heat oven to 425 F
- line a baking sheet with parchment
- chill a mixing bowl if kitchen is warm.
Make dough and bake
- whisk flour baking powder baking soda salt and sugar
- cut in cold butter until pea size crumbs remain
- stir in buttermilk and honey just until a shaggy dough forms
- turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold dough over itself 4 to 6 times to build layers without overworking
- pat to about 1 inch thick and cut 8 biscuits with a floured cutter
- place biscuits close together on the sheet for softer sides or spaced for crisper sides
- bake until tall and deep golden 10 to 14 minutes.
Glaze and serve
- mix melted butter honey and salt
- brush hot biscuits with honey butter and rest 2 minutes before serving.
