These old fashioned honey butter biscuits are so flaky and delicious. This recipe was given to me by my Southern Grandma who cooked every single day of her life.
What is Honey Butter Biscuits
Honey Butter Biscuits are a little slice of Southern heaven that'll make you wanna slap yo'mama!
I mean, not really slap your mama because I am against violence in any form... but it's one of those Southern sayings I can't get away from!
These thick cut buttermilk biscuits were passed down from my Southern Meme, whose hands were practically ordained to bless the kitchen.
These biscuits are more than just a recipe—they're a warm, flaky homage to a life spent turning the simple into the divine.
Imagine the golden glow of honey butter melting into the crumbly nooks and steamy crevices of these old-fashioned beauties.
Each bite a perfect harmony of sweet and buttery that'll have you swooning faster than a porch swing in a summer breeze.
Every batch is a testament to the kind of love that's kneaded into dough, a love that's been making bellies and hearts full in a way that only true Southern Grandmas can.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Honey Butter
- Salted Butter - If you're using unsalted butter, just add an extra pinch of kosher salt.
- Honey - I recommend using whatever local honey you can get your hands on. Down here in the South, I always go for Tupelo or Orange Blossom.
For the Biscuits
- All Purpose Flour - I'm not much of a baker so I'm not sure if this recipe would work with other types of flower.
- Baking Powder - Same goes for baking powder. Sorry!
- Kosher Salt - Kosher salt is ideal but I"m sure you can use Himalayan or sea salt if you had to.
- Sugar - Regular ole' white table sugar, folks.
- Super Cold Salted Butter - No sub for butter in this biscuit recipe but please please PLEASE make sure your butter is ice cold!
- Buttermilk - I've never used a substitute for buttermilk but I do know that regular milk works just fine if that's all you have.
How to make it
Making Honey Butter Biscuits is super easy! To begin, you'll want to mix your honey butter.
This is super easy -- just add all ingredients to a bowl and whip or stir until light and fluffy.
Feel free to add more honey if you prefer it sweeter!
Now it's time for the biscuits.
You'll want to start by preheating your oven AND your cast iron skillet to 425F degrees.
Grab a large mixing bowl and mix 3 cups flour, 1 hefty tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon sugar together.
Now it's time to grab that super cold butter out of the freezer and grate it using a cheese grater - right over the flour bowl.
You should use your dry hands to break apart the butter into the flour mixture so that it starts to feel like sand.
Now slowly pour in buttermilk, little by little, making sure to whisk with a fork or pastry whisk.
Use hands to knead the dough together - just be careful not overwork it so the butter doesn’t melt. It should be kind of loose.
Now pour your dough onto a floured surface and add another 1-2 tablespoon of buttermilk if it looks too dry. You want the dough to be pretty shaggy but still hold together.
Using your hands, quickly pack it into shape into a long oval.
Add 2 more tablespoon grated butter on top and fold both sides of the dough inwards to create 3 layers.
Use a flour dusted rolling pin to flatten it out so you have enough room to use your biscuit cutter.
Swiftly cut the biscuits (6-7 biscuits) and place them in a HOT buttered cast iron skillet.
Cut up the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter and cover the top of the biscuits.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the biscuits from the oven and melt some honey butter evenly across the biscuits so it soaks in and absorbs.
And when you're ready to serve the biscuits, split them in half and add another smear of honey butter.
What goes with Honey Butter Biscuits
Honey Butter biscuits are one of those things that go with so many dishes!
I love pairing them with soups, specially this roasted feta soup, this sausage, kale and white bean soup, or even this Florentine soup.
These biscuits are so hearty, that they also work perfectly for sandwiches.
You can swap out the bread on any of these sandwiches - turkey cranberry sandwich, the copycat chick fil a pepper pimento cheese sandwich or even this first watch elevated egg sandwich.
Frequently asked questions
What are honey butter biscuits made of?
Slather a dollop of sunshine on your breakfast plate with honey butter biscuits. You can make them using all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter and buttermilk with honey butter melted on top.
Does homemade honey butter need to be refrigerated?
Homemade honey butter is a match made in heaven that doesn't require the chill of a fridge. Just store your sweet, spreadable gold in a covered, cool, dark place and slather generously.
Why did you need to keep the butter cold when making biscuits?
Keep that butter chilly as a winter's morn before you fold it into your biscuit batter! Doing so guarantees you get those flaky, buttery layers that'll make your taste buds do a happy dance just like a cheesy, gooey bite of grilled cheese perfection.
Save this recipe for later
If you don't want to forget about this recipe, there are a few things you can do!
- You can print the recipe card below!
- Tap that little heart icon over to the right...
- Or you can pin any image on this page to your baked goods pinterest boards.
And if you don't already, feel free to follow me on pinterest, instagram,youtube, facebook, and tiktok for tasty inspiration shared daily!
And if pinterest isn't really your thing, remember you can always scroll down to the bottom of this post and print the printable recipe card.
Recipe
Honey Butter Biscuits
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Honey Butter
- 1 stick Salted Butter room temp
- 2 tablespoon Honey
For the Biscuits
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 hefty tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1.5 sticks Super Cold Salted Butter divided
- 1 cup Buttermilk
Instructions
For the Honey Butter
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and whip or stir until light and fluffy.
For the Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
- Mix 3 cups flour, 1 hefty tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar together.
- Grate 1 stick of super cold butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Then mix with hands until it feels like sand.
- Slowly stir in buttermilk, little by little, with a fork or whisk.
- Use hands to knead the dough together - just be careful not overwork it so the butter doesn’t melt. It should be kind of loose and shaggy but also pliable.
- Pour your dough onto a floured surface and add another 1-2 tablespoon of buttermilk if it looks too dry. Use your hands to quickly pack it into a long oval shape. Add 2 more tablespoon grated butter on top and fold both sides of the dough inwards to create 3 layers.
- Use your hands or a flour dusted rolling pin to flatten it out so you have enough room to use your biscuit cutter.
- Swiftly cut the biscuits (6-7 biscuits) and place them in a buttered cast iron skillet. Do not spin/turn the cutter - this will seal the layers closed.
- Cut up the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter and cover the top of the biscuits.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and brush each biscuit with honey butter so that it melts into them. When serving the biscuits, split them in half and add another smear of honey butter.