OMG, these Easy Drop Biscuits are to die for. They’re tender, rich, fluffy, and a total cheddar-cheesy delight. Plus, I love how there’s no kneading or shaping involved, so they’re insanely easy. So, if you’re looking for a simple biscuit or roll to serve with dinner, give these cheddar biscuits a try. You won’t be disappointed…I know I wasn’t the first time I tried one. ;)
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What is a “Drop Biscuit”?
Drop biscuits are the easiest biscuits to make in the biscuit world. Why? There’s no kneading, shaping, or cutting needed. You literally just scoop up some batter with a spoon and then “drop” it onto a baking sheet. The dough for these cheddar drop biscuits is a bit more wet and sticky than a traditional biscuit dough, which means I can easily scoop it up with a spoon. Less mess and less fuss is always a win in my book!
“Love these, they turn out so fluffy. The simplicity of the recipe makes this a great way to use up leftover heavy cream.”
Zachary
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy drop biscuits:
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and substance to the dough.
- Baking Powder: I use this leavening agent to help the drop biscuits rise and create fluffiness. Be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda.
- Cheddar Cheese: Adding cheese gives them a savory flavor and an extra boost of protein! I prefer shredding my own cheese when possible for the best melt, but pre-shredded cheese will work in a pinch. You could also swap out the cheddar for another melty cheese, like pepper jack or mozzarella.
- Garlic Powder: A bit of garlic powder adds depth and flavor without being overpowering.
- Green Onions: I slice these up and mix them into the batter for a subtle onion flavor. You could also use chives or omit them altogether.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You want to use heavy whipping cream for these biscuits, not regular milk. The higher fat content in the cream helps create the most tender and moist result.
- Sugar and Salt: You only need a little of each, but they’re both important for flavor. The sugar also helps with browning in the oven.
Can I Substitute the Heavy Cream?
No. Unfortunately, heavy cream is the magic ingredient in these biscuits. Because this recipe does not contain any butter, you need the high fat content of heavy cream to make up for its absence. The fat in the heavy cream is what allows these biscuits to turn out so deliciously light, fluffy, and tender.
Recipe Tips!
- Use the correct measurements. Baking is a science, so measuring your ingredients accurately is important! Too much or too little of an ingredient can drastically affect the outcome of your drop biscuits. Your dough should be stiff and sticky, not too dry or too wet (see my process photos below for reference). If your dough is too dry, add a splash of more cream. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a bit more flour.
- Make sure your baking powder is in date. Baking powder can expire and lose its potency, so make sure yours is fresh. To test if it’s still active, mix 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder with 1/4 cup hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, it’s still good to use.
- Don’t overwork the dough. The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to throw together in a mixing bowl…no kneading required! But you still have to be mindful not to overwork the dough when mixing in the ingredients. Overworking can cause the gluten in the flour to overdevelop, creating tough biscuits instead of light and fluffy ones.
- Fully preheat your oven! Most baking powders are double-acting, meaning they react first when mixed with liquid and again when exposed to heat. Starting with a fully preheated oven at 400°F ensures the dough bakes evenly, rises properly, and doesn’t spread too much.
Serving Suggestions
These tasty little biscuits make a delicious side for soups, stews, and chili. The cheddar scallion flavor makes a particularly nice side to vegetable soup, like our butternut squash and bean soup. But my favorite meal to serve these with has to be chili, with beef stew coming up a close second! And what’s breakfast without some tasty drop biscuits? I’d have them as-is, slathered with butter or topped with candied bacon (the sweet, salty, and cheesy flavor combo is amazing) or scrambled eggs.
Storage and Reheating
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. But like most bread and baked goods, these easy drop biscuits are freezer-friendly! Which is great, especially if you’re a smaller household, and I like how freezing preserves the freshness better than the fridge. Once baked and cooled, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. To thaw, simply allow them to come to room temperature and then warm briefly in a hot oven.
Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Servings 12 biscuitsIngredients
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour ($0.41)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder ($0.13)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded ($1.10)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.30)
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream ($2.84)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and sugar until well combined.
- Add the shredded cheddar and sliced green onions to the flour mixture and stir to combine again.
- Add the heavy cream and stir until a soft sticky batter forms.
- Spoon the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheet, about ⅓ cup for each biscuit. You should get about 12 biscuits. Make sure to leave an inch or two between each biscuit because they will expand as they bake.
- Bake the biscuits for 18-20 minutes in the fully preheated 400ºF oven, or until they are lightly golden brown on top. Serve warm.
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Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
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How to Make Cheddar Drop Biscuits – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together 2.25 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp baking powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp sugar.
Add 4oz. shredded cheddar and three sliced green onions to the bowl with the flour mixture, then stir to combine.
Pour 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream into the bowl with the flour mixture.
Stir until a soft, sticky batter forms. Don’t overwork the dough!
Scoop up the batter with a spoon, about ⅓ cup at a time, and drop it onto the lined baking sheet. Make sure to leave an inch or two between each biscuit because they will expand while baking. You should get about 12 biscuits.
Bake the biscuits in the fully preheated 400ºF oven for 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top.
Serve warm and enjoy that rich, fluffy, cheesy goodness!!
Made these for a family brunch & they were a hit. I used minced fresh chives instead of the green onions. (I didn’t have any green onions, but I had chives in the garden).
Haha, this one is one of best, everyone that tried this after I cook it, was licking their fingers and asking for more. Thank you for this recipe. <3
I made these for the first time the other night. They were just as described, light, fluffy and tender, and absolutely delicious. My adult son even asked for the recipe, and he never does that! I saw the info on freezing these. We had a few left, which we ate with leftovers tonight. If eating within a day or two, can leftovers be wrapped and left on the counter or should they be refrigerated because of the cheese. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
We enjoyed these so much, I had to make them again tonight (less than a week after I made the first batch) to have with the soup I made for tonight.
Love these, they turn out so fluffy. The simplicity of the recipe makes this a great way to use up leftover heavy cream.
YUM! I have made your ranch drop scones multiple times – today I tried these instead and added some nutritional yeast and everything bagel seasoning to the mix. Another winning recipe!
Made exactly as written and they were wonderful!! So much easier than cutting in butter, rolling out, and slicing. Will definitely make these again, adding another pinch of salt and maybe some cayenne to punch up the flavor a tad.
I halved the recipe and ended up with the over spreading issue mentioned by others. I’m pretty sure it was due to the wrong oven temperature – my oven seemed to have dropped temps. and so it took forever to cook. Next time I’ll be more careful – but regardless the actual flavor was delicious and the recipe was so quick and simple. I will try again!
I added 1/3 cup green olives with pimentos chopped to the batter an it tasted great. An I made an apricot-Dijon mustard glaze to go on top when they came out of the oven.
I meant in the batter. Duh 🙄
Mine also spread quite a lot – looking at the photos, my dough seemed smoother than than what is pictured. I think maybe there was too much liquid? Though I also am in a European kitchen and I think the pan was too crowded with 12 biscuits, which might have also had an effect.
It’s my third time making these, they are impossible to mess up. This recipe never lets me down and by now I can whip up the biscuits in a jiff :)
So good! I made these along with a big pot of chili. Such a treat on a cold and snowy day. They’re so moist from the cream that I didn’t even bother to butter the biscuits. This one’s a keeper! Thank you.
Totally my mistake but I misread and only used 1 cup cream. Seemed a little too dry so I added maybe 1/4-1/3 cup more cream. Still Turned out amazing and so tender! Might not even add the extra cream next time!
Omit the whipping cream substitute almond milk and flakiness use 1/3 cup of cold butter. More healthier. I made a better version of this.
I tried these changes and they really weren’t nice at all. Wouldn’t recommend.
These were really great! I put strawberry jam on top of mine and it was super savory and sweet, just how I like it!
I love budget bytes because she takes recipes that would otherwise be daunting to me and makes them easy to follow and DELICIOUS. This was the first time I ever made biscuits and they came out so good!