Southern Honey Bites are little fried biscuit dough bites tossed in a warm honey butter glaze. They’re golden and crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and they disappear fast when I set them out.
The flavor is straight-up buttery and honey-sweet, with that light tang you get from a good biscuit dough. I like a pinch of cinnamon in the glaze, but I keep it optional so the honey still shines.
I make these when I want a quick Southern-style dessert or a snack to go with coffee. They’re also really good on a brunch table next to fruit and something salty.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fast and Easy: It’s simple biscuit dough, a quick fry, and a toss in glaze. Start to finish doesn’t take long.
That Honey Butter Coating: The glaze clings to all the little edges and cracks, so you get honey and butter in every bite.
Soft Middle, Crisp Outside: Frying gives you that deep golden exterior while the inside stays tender like a biscuit.
No Yeast, No Waiting: You get a doughy, cozy result without proofing time or any complicated steps.
Great for Sharing: The bite-size pieces are easy to pass around, and they’re meant to be eaten warm.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dough
- All-purpose flour: I use regular flour here. Don’t pack it into the measuring cup when you measure for the recipe.
- Baking powder: This is what gives the dough that biscuit-style lift.
- Baking soda: Helps the buttermilk do its job and keeps the bites light instead of dense.
- Kosher salt: You need salt in the dough or the glaze will taste flat.
- Granulated sugar: Just a little sweetness in the dough makes the honey glaze taste more balanced.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it cold and cut into cubes. Cold butter is what makes the inside fluffy.
- Buttermilk: Cold is best. It gives a slight tang and keeps the dough tender.
- Vanilla extract (optional): I add it if I’m serving these as dessert, but you can skip it if you want a more classic biscuit flavor.
Frying
- Vegetable oil or canola oil: Either one works well for frying. Use a neutral oil so the honey butter stays the main flavor.
Honey Butter Glaze
- Honey: Use the kind you like the taste of, since it’s the main flavor in the glaze.
- Unsalted butter: Melt it so it whisks in smoothly with the honey.
- Ground cinnamon (optional): A light sprinkle is nice if you want a warmer, spiced finish.
- Salt: Just a pinch makes the glaze taste more like honey-butter and less like straight sugar.
Recipe Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Cut in the butter: Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in until you have pea-size crumbs. A pastry cutter works well, but you can also use your fingers quickly.
- Add the buttermilk: Stir in the cold buttermilk (and vanilla, if using) just until a shaggy dough forms. Stop when you don’t see dry flour.
- Fold the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it 3 to 4 times. Pat it to about 1/2-inch thick.
- Cut the bites: Cut the dough into about 1-inch pieces, then dust them lightly with flour so they don’t stick together.
- Heat the oil: Heat oil in a heavy pot to 350°F, with the oil at least 2 inches deep.
- Fry the dough: Fry in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels for 1 minute.
- Mix the glaze: Whisk the honey, melted butter, cinnamon (if using), and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Toss and set: Toss the warm bites in the glaze until coated, then let them rest about 2 minutes so the glaze can set. Serve warm.
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 cold. Warm butter melts into the flour too fast and the dough can turn a little heavy. If your kitchen is hot, pop the flour-and-butter mixture in the fridge for a few minutes before adding the buttermilk.
Don’t work the dough too much. A few gentle folds is all you need. If you knead it like bread, the bites can get tough.
Watch the oil temperature. Try to hold it around 350°F the whole time. If it dips too low, the bites soak up oil and brown unevenly.
Fry in small batches. Crowding the pot drops the temperature fast, and you’ll end up babysitting the color. A little space makes everything easier.
Glaze them while they’re warm. The coating sticks better and sets up quicker. If they cool off too much, the glaze slides instead of clinging.
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
- Coffee: These are really good with coffee, especially if you add the cinnamon in the glaze. I usually do black coffee or a latte.
- Milk: A cold glass of milk is simple and classic with honey butter bites. It also keeps the sweetness in check.
- Ice cream: Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla on the side. Let the glaze mingle with the melted ice cream a little.
- Fresh fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, or sliced peaches are nice next to these. It makes the plate feel less heavy.
- Brunch spread: I like these on a brunch table with scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage. Sweet and salty works here.
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 leftovers covered at room temperature for 1 day, and they’re still good, just a little less crisp. If your kitchen is warm, I’d keep them in the fridge instead.
For longer, store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The glaze will soak in more as they sit, which isn’t a bad thing.
To warm them back up, I like a quick oven or air fryer warm-up so the outside perks up again. The microwave works too, but they’ll be softer.
You can make the dough ahead and keep it covered in the fridge for a day, then cut and fry when you’re ready. I’d wait to glaze until right before serving.
A few quick answers
This section covers a few extra details that may help before you head to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Yes. Bake the pieces at 425°F for about 10 to 12 minutes on a lined baking sheet, then toss them in the warm honey butter glaze. They won’t be as crisp as fried, but they’re still very good.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
You can swap it with regular milk plus a little lemon juice. Stir the lemon juice into the milk, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then use it like buttermilk.
How do I know when the oil is at the right temperature?
A thermometer is the easiest way, and I really recommend it for frying. If you don’t have one, drop in a small piece of dough; it should bubble steadily right away and turn golden in a couple minutes, not instantly dark.
Why did my bites turn out greasy?
Usually the oil temperature was too low, or the pot was crowded and the oil cooled down. Fry in smaller batches and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
Can I make the honey butter glaze less sweet?
You can cut the honey back a bit and add an extra pinch of salt, or skip the cinnamon and keep it simple. Just keep enough honey in the bowl so the bites still get coated.
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 Bites
INGREDIENTS
Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cold cubed
- 3 4 cup buttermilk cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional.
Frying
- 3 cups vegetable oil or canola oil for frying.
Honey Butter Glaze
- 1 3 cup honey
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 2 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- pinch of salt.
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix and shape
- whisk flour baking powder baking soda salt and sugar
- cut in cold butter until pea size crumbs form
- stir in buttermilk and vanilla just until a shaggy dough forms
- turn out and gently fold 3 to 4 times then pat to 1 2 inch thick
- cut into 1 inch pieces and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking.
Fry and glaze
- heat oil to 350 F in a heavy pot to at least 2 inches deep
- fry dough bites in batches 2 to 3 minutes per batch turning once until deep golden
- drain on a wire rack or paper towels for 1 minute
- whisk honey melted butter cinnamon and salt in a large bowl
- toss warm bites in glaze until coated
- rest 2 minutes for the glaze to set and serve warm.
