Cracker Barrel biscuits are an easy quick breakfast side made with cold butter, buttermilk and six pantry ingredients, ready in just 20 minutes. That makes this Cracker Barrel biscuits recipe a great make ahead option for holiday brunch, potluck meals or weeknight dinners alongside any comfort food.
Keeping the butter ice cold and working it into the flour by hand until pea sized crumbs form is the step that builds flaky layers. Warm butter melts into the dough before baking, so cold chunks create steam pockets that puff each biscuit upward.
Most copycat recipes call for shortening, but this version uses all butter for a richer taste and better browning on top. The folding technique also sets it apart, since layering the dough five or six times is what gives these biscuits their tall flaky rise.
Cracker Barrel Biscuits
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes12
minutes205
kcalCold chopped butter rubbed into flour with sugar, baking powder and salt, then stirred together with buttermilk, folded several times and cut into rounds. Baked at 425F for 12 minutes until golden, then brushed with melted butter.
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, chopped
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
Directions
- Preheat and mix dry ingredients:Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in butter:Add the cold chopped butter and work it into the flour with your fingers or a food processor until pea sized coarse crumbs form.
- Add buttermilk:Pour in the buttermilk and stir until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Fold the dough:Flatten the dough with your hands to 1/2 inch thick. Fold it in half, rotate 90 degrees and flatten again. Repeat this folding process 5 to 6 times.
- Cut biscuits:Flatten the dough to 1 inch thick and cut rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Gather scraps, flatten again and cut until all dough is used.
- Bake: Arrange biscuits on the prepared sheet with 1/2 inch between them. Bake for 12 minutes until the tops are golden. Brush with melted butter if desired and serve warm.
FAQs
Why does this recipe add sugar to a savory biscuit dough?
A tablespoon of sugar balances the buttermilk tang and helps the tops brown faster in the oven. It does not make the biscuits taste sweet, since the salt and butter keep the flavor on the savory side. Cracker Barrel’s own biscuits have that same golden crust, and a small amount of sugar is what drives it.
Can you make these biscuits without a biscuit cutter?
A drinking glass or mason jar lid works if you press straight down without twisting, since twisting seals the layers and blocks the rise. Pat the dough into a square and cut triangles with a knife for rustic wedge biscuits. The key is a clean cut edge, so avoid dull rims that compress the dough instead of slicing through it.
Can you add cheese or herbs to this biscuit dough?
Fold in half a cup of shredded cheddar or crumbled bacon after cutting in the butter and before adding the buttermilk. Fresh chives, rosemary or garlic powder also work well and pair easily with soups, stews or roasted meat. Keep add ins to about half a cup total so the dough stays light enough to rise properly in the oven.
Why do you fold the dough multiple times instead of rolling it out once?
Folding the dough five or six times stacks butter between flour layers, which creates steam during baking and puffs the biscuits upward. A single rollout presses everything flat, so the finished biscuit comes out dense and heavy rather than tall. This lamination technique is the same idea behind croissants, just faster and simpler with biscuit dough.
Do these biscuits work as a base for biscuits and gravy?
These biscuits hold up well under thick sausage gravy because the flaky layers absorb sauce without falling apart or turning soggy. Split each biscuit in half while warm, then spoon the gravy over both pieces so it soaks in evenly. The buttery flavor pairs well with peppery white gravy, which is why Cracker Barrel serves them together.
