This crazy easy drop biscuit recipe is my go-to when I need something quick, warm, and carb-y to go with dinner. They bake up fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside-- the perfect biscuit without all the work!
I've been making this drop biscuit recipe for 10+ years and it's one of my absolute favorites! When I learned that buttery, tender biscuits were achievable without all the fuss of mixing, rolling, and cutting traditional biscuits, I was sold!
Yes, it's true, you don't have to have a degree in baking to make some crazy delicious and buttery biscuits! Pull out a bowl, a wooden spoon or spatula, and a cookie sheet and you'll be good to go!
I've made these to go along with sausage gravy for breakfast and to top chicken pot pies, but they are also great on their own with jam and butter or alongside a big bowl of chili, or a rack of bbq ribs!
Jump to:
📋 Why This Recipe Works
Traditional biscuits are made with cold butter, lard, or shortening to create tender and flaky lakers. If the dough is handled too much, the fats melt and the flakiness is lost. This recipe skips the solid fats and uses heavy whipping cream instead. The cream is fat-heavy and creates a thick dough that is placed by the spoonful on a baking sheet, forgoing the rolling and cutting that is needed for traditional biscuits. The result is tender, moist, and buttery biscuits, just as satisfying as their traditional counterpart, without all the fussy work.
🔪 How To Make The Recipe
Step 1.) Mix The Dry Ingredients
The dry ingredients include flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Give them a good whisk in a large mixing bowl and that's it!
Step 2.) Add the Heavy Whipping Cream
Just pour that heavy cream right into the dry ingredients.
Step 3.) Mix gently and don't over mix!
Once the cream is in gently start stirring. Stir just until no dry spots remain, no longer! The dough will be thick!
Step 4.) Scoop and Bake
Use a spoon or large cookie scoop to place even-sized mounds of dough onto a lined baking sheet (hence the name drop biscuits!). Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until the biscuits are golden brown on tops and bottoms.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Don't Over Mix: The more you stir, the tougher your biscuits will be! When flour and water (in this case cream) are combined they form gluten. Gluten is what gives bread structure and the more it is kneaded, the more structure it has. We want our biscuits to stay light and fluffy, so only stir it until no dry spots remain.
- The Cream Matters: Opt for the carton that says "Heavy Whipping Cream" when grocery shopping. It has a higher butterfat content which means richer, fluffier, more buttery rolls.
👪 Scaling The Recipe
Cooking for two or a crowd? This recipe is easily adaptable. Use the slider on the recipe card to change the quantity and the ingredient amounts will change accordingly.
These drop biscuits are a great homemade side to make when you're feeding a large number of people because they are so easy to mix and bake.
🍽 Serving and Topping Suggestions
- Top with country sausage gravy
- Use as a crust for chicken or turkey pot pies
- Serve with lemon curd or fresh jam and butter
- Make a breakfast sandwich with soft scrambled eggs and bacon
- Scoop spoonfuls of the dough into boiling soup to make dumplings
💭 FAQs
Can you use this recipe for chicken and dumplings?
Yes! Note that they will create a fluffier dumpling that won't be as dense, but will still be delicious!
Is whipping cream the same as heavy whipping cream?
No. The difference is in the butterfat content. Heavy whipping cream has a higher fat content and will whip up thicker and hold its shape longer. Whipping cream has a lower fat content and will whip up lighter and softer.
What kind of flour should I use?
Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
🥘 Storing, Reheating, and Freezing
I'll be surprised if you have any leftovers, but if you do, place cooled biscuits in a large ziplock baggie and place them in the fridge. When you're ready to reheat, place the biscuits in a baking dish tented loosely with foil and bake at 400' for 5 minutes or until heated through.
You can also freeze the baked biscuits for up to 3 months in an airtight bag or container. When ready to eat, use the reheating directions above, adding a few extra minutes if the biscuits are still frozen.
📖 Recipe
Whipping Cream Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle position, Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheight and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add in the cream and mix by hand just until smooth and no dry spots remain- do not over mix!
- Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, spoon even portions of dough onto baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, and serve hot!
Chef's Notes:
- Don't Over Mix: The more you stir, the tougher your biscuits will be! When flour and water (in this case cream) are combined they form gluten. Gluten is what gives bread structure and the more it is kneaded, the more structure it has. We want our biscuits to stay light and fluffy, so only stir it until no dry spots remain.
- The Cream Matters: Opt for the carton that says "Heavy Whipping Cream" when grocery shopping. It has a higher butterfat content which means richer, fluffier, more buttery rolls.
Hi, thanks for the recipe! This is probably the easiest biscuit recipe out there 🙂 Loved how they turned out too.
Here's a link to my blog post about them if you'd like to see: http://busymomrecipes.com/breakfast/whipping-cream-biscuits-easy/
Hi Heather! I know you posted this 2 years ago, but I just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I was searching for a cream drop biscuit recipe one day and yours was the first one I've tried. And the only one I've made since. They are so yummy! And so simple, which is a huge win in my book. 🙂 Thanks again!!!
Could you use these in chicken & dumplings?
Lovely recipe! I used the dough (with 2 tbsp sugar instead of 2 tsp) to top raspberries and pears for a cobbler and it turned out DIVINE.
I look forward to trying the dough biscuit-style as it is so easy! I did find it too stiff for my cookie dough scoop, and wound up just tearing off rough balls with my fingers.
Great idea to use it as a cobbler topping!
I remember you as a little girl in Medford; wow, have you grown up!! I have just stumbled onto your website and have been enjoying my FAVORITE pastime; copying recipes that look delicious and will probably never try them. I love your introductions. Your photography is amazing; you should publish a cookbook. Question. Your Hawaiian Macaroni. It can't be just noodles and mayonnaise. I just was recently in Medford (Feb), and went to Nono's- or whatever it's called. Can't be just noodles and mayonnaise. It's sooo good. Keep up the great work!
Hi BJ! So glad you found my site! This blog has been a fun project and hopefully will turn into a cookbook one day.. we'll see though :). It's been a few years since I've had Noho's but if I remember it's really similar to my recipe. I know it's crazy that it takes so few ingredients! Where are you at these days?