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Quick Cheddar Drop Biscuits with Cold Butter

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Level
medium
Quick Cheddar Drop Biscuits with Cold Butter

Buttery drop biscuits loaded with sharp cheddar cheese, made by cutting cold butter into flour for a tender crumb. Mixed with milk and baked until golden, these require minimal shaping and come together in under 30 minutes. Perfect warm from the oven or at room temperature.

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Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
    salted butter1:1dairy

    use salted if reducing added salt

    Full guide →
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    whole wheat flour0.75:1baking

    coarser texture, denser crumb

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • cup cheddar cheese, grated
    gruyere cheese1:1dairy

    nuttier flavor

    Full guide →
  • ¾ cup whole milk
    buttermilk1:1dairy

    tangier flavor, more tender crumb

    Full guide →

Method

7 steps
  1. 1

    Chop butter into 1/4-inch pieces and refrigerate until needed.

  2. 2

    Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter.

  3. 3

    Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

  4. 4

    Add chopped butter and cheese to dry ingredients, tossing to coat. Rub or cut butter and cheese into flour using your fingers or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

  5. 5

    Add milk and stir with a fork until a slightly sticky, shaggy dough forms; do not over-mix.

  6. 6

    Transfer generous mounds of dough using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to the prepared baking sheet.

  7. 7

    Bake until golden brown, then let cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

Tip 1

Keep butter cold throughout mixing to ensure tender, flaky biscuits.

Tip 2

Do not over-mix the dough once milk is added; a shaggy consistency is correct.

Tip 3

Use a cookie scoop for uniform sizing and consistent baking.

Good to Know

Storage

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Make Ahead

Prepare dough, scoop onto baking sheet, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before baking. Add 2-3 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.

Serve With

Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with butter and jam.

See pairing guide →

Common Mistakes

Watch

Over-mix the dough to avoid tough, dense biscuits.

Watch

Use warm butter to avoid a tender crumb with proper flaky layers.

Watch

Skip refrigeration of butter to avoid melting during mixing and loss of structure.

Substitutions

Dairy-Free Swaps

unsalted butter
salted butter1:1dairy

use salted if reducing added salt

Full guide →
cheddar cheese
gruyere cheese1:1dairy

nuttier flavor

Full guide →
whole milk
buttermilk1:1dairy

tangier flavor, more tender crumb

Full guide →
whole milk
greek yogurt thinned with water0.5:0.25dairy

richer, tangier biscuits

Full guide →

General Alternatives

all-purpose flour
whole wheat flour0.75:1baking

coarser texture, denser crumb

Full guide →
Find more substitutions →