I tried a new technique for whole wheat buttermilk biscuits, and the outcome was amazing! So I, of course, had to share. :)
I’ve read that when making puff pastry from scratch, which I have yet to do LOL, you fold the dough over itself a bunch of times to make it flaky. I thought I’d see what happened if I tried this with my biscuit dough, and the result was the fluffiest and flakiest whole-wheat biscuits I’ve ever had.
Why use buttermilk in biscuits?
By swapping buttermilk for milk or cream you end up with a more tender, flaky biscuit. Buttermilk also has a slightly sour tang that creates the perfect balance of flavors in this recipe.
How to make the Fluffiest Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits ever…
Keep things cold
This is probably the most important tip if you want your homemade biscuits to turn out well. The steam that is created when your cold ingredients warm up in the hot oven is what makes these buttermilk biscuits extra fluffy.
Freezing the butter for 30 minutes before you start this recipe will help it stay cool during your prep. You should also keep your buttermilk in the fridge until just before you’re ready to add it.
Get the butter just right
I chopped my butter and then worked it in with a pastry blender, but if you don’t have one you can cut the butter in with a pair of knives or mash it in with the back of a fork.
Another easy idea is to use a box grater to grate your butter, but this only works well if your butter is frozen. Finally, you can also use your fingers to blend the flour and butter, just make sure the butter doesn’t get too warm.
Don’t try and completely blend the butter and flour together; you want there to be some buttery chunks. The texture should resemble coarse crumbs.
Tips for shaping homemade biscuits
- Make sure your work surface is floured before starting
- Don’t overwork the dough; be gentle as you fold
- Rotate the dough every few layers to keep things even
- Don’t twist your biscuit cutter when you cut your shapes, press straight down
Troubleshooting tips for this whole wheat buttermilk biscuit recipe
What if the dough is too sticky?
Work in a bit more flour in small amounts until the dough is workable.
How do you brown biscuits?
Brush the biscuits with buttermilk just before baking.
Can I make these into drop biscuits?
I don’t recommend it because you’ll lose that fluffy texture that’s achieved through the folded layers.
Can I make these biscuits without buttermilk?
Try this whole wheat biscuit recipe that uses regular milk instead.
What to top Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits with?
These whole wheat buttermilk biscuits would make a great real food side dish for breakfast, family dinners, or holidays—one great thing to top southern style biscuits with? Homemade gravy!
Biscuits are also amazing with homemade jam, honey, or butter. Even better, turn them into healthy whole wheat egg sandwiches and freeze ahead for a filling grab and go breakfast.
How to freeze and thaw Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
This recipe freezes easily and the buttermilk biscuits thaw out super fluffy. Before you freeze your homemade biscuits, make sure they’ve cooled down completely. If you plan to use your biscuits for breakfast sandwiches or in the toaster oven, you could also slice them in half before freezing.
Place biscuits inside an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
These whole wheat buttermilk biscuits can be thawed on the counter, warmed in the microwave, or heated in the toaster oven (my favorite method).
Check out this video on How to Make the Fluffiest Whole-Wheat Biscuits:
My kids could not get enough of these things, and it was very easy to do so I hope you’ll give the recipe a try yourself. Let me know how it goes!
Fluffy Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter (right out of the fridge)
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.
- Cut the cold butter into pea-sized pieces and work it into the dough using a pastry blender tool or the back of a fork (or your hands – just use your fingers to squeeze the flour-covered butter into smaller pieces). Stir the buttermilk in with a fork until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle more flour on top. Fold the dough over itself and pat it back down 15 or 20 times. Use your hands to pat it into one thick piece about 3/4 to 1″ thick and cut out shapes with a cutter or small glass turned upside down.
- Spread out the pieces on a baking sheet and bake until fluffy and golden brown on top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm and freeze the leftovers for a rainy day.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
I can’t wait to make these tonight! I’ve recently been making biscuits again and one time when I was in a great hurry I formed the dough into a square and cut straight across both ways with my large pizza cutter. They seemed fine and tasted great but would that technique keep the biscuits from rising to their full height?
Super moist and delicious; very flavourful! Will definitely make again and again!
I love this recipe because this is so simple and yummy.
These were awesome and so easy. My 3 kids loved them. Thanks for a great recipe. :)
Glad to hear the kiddos enjoyed them. – Nicole
I can’t find the video for this recipe, could you please provide the direct link?
Hi Melissa, the video is in the post. It is right above the recipe. – Nicole
I made these for dinner tonight with fresh ground whole wheat and used yogurt because I was out of buttermilk….my family said delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome! Glad to hear they stilled turned out great with yogurt. – Nicole
Can these be done as drop biscuits?
I’ve made these biscuits several times now❣️And came upon this idea to make them Fluffier: do you actually fold over and Pat out, 15-20 separate times, making 15-20 layers?
Actually, I just watched the video and think I answered my question: you Do fold it 15-20…
I already Adore that they are whole wheat only, and have made them using EVOO instead of butter.
I loved this recipe, will use again
Today while being short of baking supplies instead of using butter and buttermilk I used 4 tablespoons of coconut oil mixed with a bit of coconut shavings frozen ahead of time first along with powdered milk with filtered water instead of the 1 cup of milk. I grated the frozen coconut oil mixture and tossed it into the mixed ahead of time flour, baking powder and salt and then I added the 1 cup of milk. Then ended up having to add about 3 tablespoons more flour to get a workable mixture. It worked well because coconut oil becomes acidic while it is being made out of coconuts. Next time I am going to try using coconut oil with coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk or cashew milk to see if that will work good too.
Hey, I’m about to make these wonderful looking biscuits, but I was wondering if it was possible to add in an extra 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (since the recipe has buttermilk I would think baking soda would react with it and give it just that extra bit of rise)? Thanks!
No need to add any more to these! They turn out nice and fluffy as is. – Nicole
I am starting to bake during this pandemic; this is my second time making biscuits from scratch and the biscuits look good and taste delicious!!! I only had almond milk and it turned out just fine.
Made these tonight and they were simple and delicious! Definitely will make again.
I just got these out of the oven. Never thought in my wildest dreams that whole wheat biscuits could ever compete with conventional biscuits. I love biscuits and love to bake but I am diabetic so I have to bake and eat whole wheat. These greatly exceeded my expectations. I did put an extra tablespoon of butter like a previous post that also used low fat buttermilk. Works great! Thank you for an excellent and wholesome recipe.
Hi! Because of the ongoing lockdown I am unable to buy baking powder anywhere and have only baking soda at home. Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder in this recipe?
You can, but you may need to adjust the proportions as they react differently. I believe you’d need to triple the amount of baking powder. – Nicole
Did you mean baking soda?
No, this recipe is correct with baking soda. – Nicole
NO BAKING POWDER? Use 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tarter as a substitute. The cold butter acts as a layering agent, melting as it bakes and thus making the layers when it melts away. That is why to leave the flour and butter mix a little coarse. no need to add extra when the fat is in the fluid already. Too much baking soda tastes funky, I would hesitate to substitute equally with the baking powder. Just my experience and my opinion.
These were delicious! I was so surprised. We had breakfast for supper tonight and these biscuits were perfect for the occasion. I added an extra tablespoon of butter since I only had nonfat buttermilk. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad to hear that worked out for you and you enjoyed them. – Nicole
Just made these……amazing!! So fluffy and light. Perfect recipe and technique.
I am always making greek yogurt with my instapot and love to use the leftover yogurt whey to make these. The biscuits turn out amazing every time. We eat them with butter or butter and homemade jam. Delicious! Thank you!
Do you think that if I use white whole wheat pastry flour or regular white whole wheat flour, that is sifted, the biscuits would still be good? Thank you for the healthy recipe.
You can sub that if you like, they should still turn out good, but definitely worth the purchase for whole-wheat pastry flour. Some of the other readers have subbed and they turned out fine. – Nicole
Laura
You can use white whole wheat flour in a recipe identically as you would regular whole wheat flour. White whole wheat is just that, it’s whole wheat flour made from a lighter, almost white, wheat grain. It has a lighter taste, but it’s still whole wheat.
The first company I found selling white whole wheat flour was/is King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont, and I had to buy it mail order. However, white whole wheat flour is becoming more widely available, including some larger grocery stores that carry both King Arthur and even their own house brands. I’ve also seen it at Trader Joe’s under their brand, but the last time I was there they didn’t have it.
Delicious, budget-friendly & very easy. My kids won’t eat whole-wheat bread but love these. They make a great snack or side.
Lisa these biscuits truly are the BEST!!! They are so soft and fluffy. I add a tablespoon of coconut sugar since we prefer slightly sweeter biscuits. The flavor is perfect!
these are the best biscuits i ever made!! thank you !!!!!
Just saw this EXACT recipe on another blog. Must be pretty good!
Excuse my ignorance but what kinds of things can these be used for? Sweet or savoury? I am from Australia and I’ve never really seen these… look good though!
These are savory.
I have tried these and the original recipe and my biscuits come out 1/4 to 1/2 the size of the ones you pictured each time. I use WW pastry flour, don’t “over work” the dough and folded about 10 times. Mine are more the thickness of a hockey puck than a biscuit. Thoughts?
Hey Tara. Sorry for the delay. Were all your ingredients fresh? Sometimes old baking powder can be the culprit.
Cant wait to try these! My family doesn’t love whole wheat, but I think these may change their minds!
I’d love to make these and freeze some! No problems with freezing?
No, they freeze well.
Once frozen, would you recommend thawing at room temperature?
Yes. I thaw these on the counter.
I am always making greek yogurt with my instapot and love to use the leftover yogurt whey to make these. The biscuits turn out amazing every time. We eat them with butter or butter and homemade jam. Delicious! Thank you!
hi, thanks for this recipe. had to make these for a pot luck and they turned out great. i did add 2 teaspoons of baking powder though, just to make sure they rose right. i also made my mock buttermilk with a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk amount. turned out light, fluffy and tasted amazing! i’ll be making these with all the soups i make during the winter. yum!
Shouldn’t there be baking soda if you are using an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk? Just wondering:)
Just the baking powder in this one. :)
what a great tip and great idea to apply the puff pastry fluff technique to biscuits! Love that they are whole wheat too as an extra bonus! Thank you for sharing this tip and recipe!
Thanks for sharing. Must try. Has very much a resemblance of a “scone”. :)
These was fantastic only my biscuits didn’t fluff up as much as shown in the picture, but they were still delicious and everyone gobbled them up! Made them to go with the cracker baked pork chops—yum!
What makes these fluffier than your Super Easy Whole Wheat Biscuits? Is it the pastry flour and buttermilk?
Definitely the folding technique and also the pastry flour!
Hi. I don’t have pastry flour. Can I use regular wheat flour?
You can – it won’t be as light and fluffy, but it will work. Good luck!
If you freezethe butter you can grate it on a box grater and then mix it in… I do this when I make scones to make them light and flakey
Grating frozen butter is a great trick for biscuits – thanks for the reminder!
Can you use regular whole wheat flour, or does it have to be pastry specifically?
I’ve made biscuits with both. They’re fine with regular WW flour, by fluffier and more tender with the pastry WW flour!
I agree you can sub regular ww flour, but it would be better with ww pastry flour – definitely worth the purchase!
That is the way it used to be done. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly. BTW, whole wheat pastry flour can sub for all-purpose in a great many recipes.
Did you use 2 cups of pastry flour by weight or volume? I ground soft white wheat (what is usually used for pastry flour), and by weight, the dough was really, really wet. I had to add a lot of flour. They were still delicious, but I’d love a clarification for future use!
Do I need to use a pastry blender to get the same results or can I use my food processor? I have no problem cutting in shortening by hand, but cold butter takes a lot longer.
You can use a fork or your hands instead of a pastry blender. If you try it with a food processor, just be careful not to over-mix. – Jason
My favorite cheat with cutting in butter is to freeze it and then grate it with a box grater. It stays nice and firm and grating it allows you to cut it in so quickly. If you grate it and need to keep it cold just put it back in the fridge/freezer. It is a great cheat with biscuit and scone making!
So I finally got around to trying this recipe and my oldest daughter delcared it her and favorite biscuits (after cheddar chive biscuits)! And bonus, they are 100% whole wheat. I usually do 2/3 wheat 1/3 white flour to keep my usual drop biscuits from becoming too dry and crumbly. Not sure if the difference, was butter instead of sustainable palm shortening, but I will switch to making biscuits this way from now on! Next time, I will try adding cheddar and chives to this recipe to see if it becomes my daughters ultimate favorite.
I’ve got a kid with a genuine allergy to dairy products. Wondering if you’ve ever tried this recipe using EarthBalance and a buttermilk alternative? (I’ve heard you can add vinegar to almond milk to mimic buttermilk but I’ve never tried it.)
Megan,
I have used 1Tablespoon of vinegar then fill the rest of the cup with almond milk, let it sit for 5min, and you’ve got a great substitue for buttermilk. The recipe I used it in was for buttermilk pancakes and they turned out great.
I have and it worked the same!
I use Earth Balance (sticks) and almond milk and the biscuits are yummy! Also, I use regular whole wheat flour, but sift it.
Lisa – Thanks for the tip to help make them fluffier, I will try that next time.
Glad it worked with your substitutions! Thanks for sharing :)
I have used vinegar with almond milk to make buttermilk alternative – I prefer lemon juice, both do the same thing, I prefer the scent of lemon vs vinegar. It works great.
Biscuits and gravy are on the menu this week, I’m going to try this recipe. Thank you!