Why I Love These Homemade Biscuits
There are so many reasons to love these biscuits! First of all, they are super easy to make and no special equipment (like a food processor, rolling pin, or biscuit cutter) is necessary.
It takes no more than 20 or 25 minutes to make them from mixing the dough to pulling them out of the oven. Then once they are done they’re moist and flakey and are so tasty (c’mon, look at the picture—you know you want one!). And best of all, they can be tossed in the freezer for later.
It honestly couldn’t be easier … so go ahead and throw away that refrigerated tube of dough you bought from the grocery store!
Featured Comment
I am so happy to say that these turned out beautifully! Puffed up, flaky, tasty.
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Whole-Wheat Flour – Whole-wheat pastry flour is a great lighter choice for this recipe.
- Baking Powder – Be sure your baking powder is fresh, otherwise they might not rise.
- Salt – A 1/2 teaspoon of salt is all it takes.
- Butter – Make sure to use cold butter.
- Milk – You can use any kind of milk for this recipe, but I used organic whole milk.
How to Make Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk with a fork.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it into the dry mixture.
- Mash the butter pieces into the mixture using the back of a fork. It’s okay if the mixture just looks like tiny butter chunks covered in flour. You can also use a stainless steel dough blender.
- Pour in the milk and stir to combine.
- Knead the dough with your hands 8-10 times, but do not over-knead it.
- Pat it flat on a floured surface so that it’s an even 3/4″ thickness.
- Cut out circular shapes using a drinking glass upside down, or you can use a cookie cutter.
- Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.
Easy 3 Ingredient Biscuit Recipe With Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is just regular flour with baking powder and salt already added to it. Some people prefer it for southern style recipes like biscuits because it saves on prep time, and you don’t have to stock as many ingredients.
To make these biscuits with whole wheat self-rising flour, simply omit the baking powder and salt. You’ll be left with an easy 3 ingredient biscuit recipe!
The amount of baking powder in self-rising flour and this biscuit recipe may differ; if you find your biscuits don’t rise with self-rising flour, add an additional teaspoon of baking powder to the mixture.
Biscuit Recipe FAQ
If you’ve seen our Real Food Rules, you know we prefer 100% whole grain flours (check out my post on understanding grains to learn more). For this recipe, you can use whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour (recommended)! We stay away from refined grains such as white flour and all-purpose flour.
These are a much healthier version than the store-bought biscuits, by far! And as long as you stick to the recipe and use whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, these are definitely good for you. Plus, making anything from scratch is always a better choice so that you know exactly what ingredients are being used and there are no unwanted preservatives or added sugars.
Yes! That’s the best part about these biscuits, they freeze and reheat beautifully. So make a big batch, let them cool completely, and freeze a bunch in a gallon zip lock freezer bag. Then the next time you want to add a biscuit to your breakfast, lunch, or dinner they are ready to go.
You can throw the frozen biscuits in the microwave or toaster oven on the bake setting. This makes for a quick addition to dinner for those busy weeknights.
Healthier Toppings for Homemade Biscuits
If you like biscuits and gravy: Swap out the traditional sausage and white flour gravy with homemade gravy made from roasting pan drippings.
For biscuits and jam: Use homemade jam or opt for 100% pure store bought varieties with no added refined sugar.
Breakfast biscuit sandwich: Make a healthier version of this fast food breakfast at home with egg, cheese, and your choice of meat.
Other yummy real food biscuit spreads: Honey, natural peanut butter, homemade whipped cream, fruit, and butter.
Why Your Homemade Biscuits Didn’t Rise
If you’re new to making homemade biscuits it might take a bit of practice to get a perfect light and fluffy texture. Here’s some of the most common reasons whole wheat biscuits don’t rise properly and what you can do to correct it.
Old Baking Powder
First, check to make sure your baking powder hasn’t expired, especially if you don’t bake often. Even if it’s not expired, baking powder loses its potency about 6 months after opening. This can be even shorter if the container isn’t airtight.
To test baking powder, add ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to ½ cup of hot water. Good baking powder should activate and fizz when it hits the water.
Over Kneading the Dough
It’s important to knead the dough by hand as few times as possible when you make homemade biscuits. Mixing in an electric mixer or over kneading will make the dough rubbery, which doesn’t bake well.
Butter Too Warm or Oven Too Cool
When you place biscuits in the oven the cold butter heats up and produces steam. This steam adds air between the biscuit layers which, along with the baking powder, helps biscuits rise.
For best results, make sure your butter has been chilled before adding it (straight out of the fridge), don’t let dough get too warm while you work it, and wait for the oven to preheat fully before baking your biscuits.
Weather or Altitude
If you’ve tried everything and still can’t get your biscuits to rise your altitude or the weather might be to blame.
In areas with high humidity baking ingredients can draw moisture in from the air, which affects their performance. Even if you’re not in a humid area, a string of rainy weather can have the same effect too. If this could be the issue, try making some adjustments for baking success.
Altitude is another issue for baking; it can affect how baking powder reacts and how quickly liquids evaporate. Since baking is a chemical reaction, even small differences in how ingredients react can have a negative effect on your baking.
Try a Different Whole Wheat Biscuit Recipe
If you want to try other biscuit recipes, check out these super fluffy biscuits using buttermilk instead.
Other Whole Wheat Biscuit Recipes
- The Fluffiest Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Cinnamon Raisin Yogurt Biscuits
- Whole Wheat Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits
- Whole Wheat Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits
The Best Whole Wheat Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole-wheat flour (or whole-wheat pastry flour)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (cold, unsalted)
- 1 cup milk (any kind)
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients. Mix well with whisk or fork.
- Cut the ½ stick butter into little pea sized pieces and then mix the pieces into the flour mixture.
- Using a fork or pastry blender, try to mash the butter pieces as you mix it together with the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. It is okay if the outcome just looks like the same pea sized pieces of butter covered with flour.
- Then pour in the milk and mix it all together. Knead the dough with your hands 8 to 10 times (for best results do not over-knead the dough) and then turn out onto a floured surface (like a counter or cutting board).
- Pat it out flat with your hands until the dough is a somewhat even ¾-inch thickness (sprinkle with a little flour if necessary).
- Turn a drinking glass upside down and cut out biscuit rounds. I have also used shaped cookie cutters (like a heart or star) if you have little ones helping you!
- Then place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Hi! We are trying this recipe out. The biscuits rose but did not have the layered look as in the photo. Did you book fold your biscuits to get the layers?
Thanks!
Hi Erica, Lisa didn’t do any special fold for these. – Nicole
Firs time making whole wheat biscuits. These biscuits are the best. They are so tender and sweet and I don’t even need butter to add to the flavor. Thank you for this recipe I will be making this recipe over and over again and forwarding this recipe to all that I know!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. My husband is crazy about biscuits so I just had to make them. Your recipe is easy to make but still tastes good. I’m already making my second batch
It was my first time making biscuits from scratch but it won’t be my last. The biscuits were good but they did not come out looking anything like those in the picture. The dough was very sticky and did not want to cooperate with my cup cut out I literally could not get the biscuit shape off the cutting board in tact. So I have globs of delicious biscuits more like big spoons. Will definitely try this again
Dust your cup with flour before every cup. Flawless results.
Thanks will try this!!
Yayy!! So good! My modifications:
+a bit more SALT
+a bit of widely SHREDDED CHEESE (I used cheddar)
+a bit of JALEPEÑOS or a good amount of FRESH CHIVES
+a tiny bit of POWDERED GARLIC
-I did use the BUTTERMILK instead of regular mild as suggested.
I also used parchment paper when cooking but that’s only because my oven is an ancient monster that gets way too hot from below! and I didn’t add flour to the mixture even though it was sticky but I did flour the cutting board you use to flatten it.
Attempted to make whole wheat biscuits in the past but they have turned out to be teeth breaking hockey pucks!
Have since learned that you do not knead biscuit dough like bread dough (thanks to Utube).
Just pulled these out of the oven and they look pretty good. Think this recipe will be a keeper
This is a great recipe! To make them vegan, I used whole wheat pastry flour, coconut oil and almond milk. I’ve made them twice now and expect I’ll make them many more times. We love them!
Any chance you can post this recipes in metric? Thanks!
It would have been more helpful to have a warning about over-kneeding the dough in the recipe. I didn’t read the comments until after I let my 6 year old help me and I’m afraid the dough was too roughly handled between the 2 of us.
Hi Nicole, we sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you. We have updated the recipe with a note to ensure others don’t have the same issue. I hope you still had fun cooking with your little one! – Nicole
Mine did not rise up at all. Is that an overkneading problem?
Hi Heather, yes, it can definitely be an over kneading issue. – Nicole
Mine taste great but they didn’t rise! :-( The dough was *really* sticky so I added a bit more flour, I wonder if that was the problem.
Sorry to hear that, were all your ingredients fresh including the baking powder?
Thanks for replying! Yes, everything was fresh…I might have over-kneaded :-)
This recipe didn’t work out well for me, as a novice biscuit-maker. Came out dense and tough rather than fluffy and soft, perhaps because I kneeded it too much. Have successfully made a couple other (usually drop biscuit) recipes, so maybe I’m better off sticking with drop biscuits.
Sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you. You do need to make sure that you don’t over kneed them, that could be an issue. If you want a fluffier biscuit, try using we pastry flour. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/whole-wheat-biscuits-fluffiest/
-Nicole
They turned out pretty good! I used almond milk and whole wheat flour. Very tasty, but a little bland so consider adding in some spices of your own to make it more exciting. I added maple syrup and cinnamon on a whim and it tasted very delicious. Be careful not to burn the bottoms!
Glad to hear they turned out good for you. I’ve used almond milk too before since that’s all U usually have available. I like your suggestion to sweeten them up. – Nicole
These were great! After reading the comments I used 3/4 cup buttermilk, which turned out well. I let my 6 year old daughter lead the way and they were delicious, especially topped with salted butter and homemade plum-blackberry jam!
So good and so easy! Glad I found this recipe. Used the last of heavy cream I had in the fridge and they were pretty super. Kinda ugly, but delish lol–thanks!
I used whole wheat pastry flour and buttermilk and made drop biscuits. They were fantastic.
Perfect recipe! I’m not a good cook and I was confused by dicing the butter but everything worked and the outcome was delish! Thanks!
Do you recommend freezing them already cooked or uncooked?
Yes, once you cook them you can then store them in the freezer. – Nicole
The dough was drowning in milk! I had to add so much more flour just to get it out of the bowl let alone work it! They turned out flat and tasteless … I should have just “dropped” them because their consistency was more like a drop biscuit. Will try doing that next time. Thanks anyway!
Sorry to hear your first run didn’t work out that great. Let us know how the next batch turns out. – Nicole
The trick is to flour the counter, then when you pat out your flour flat, sprinkle it with more flour and fold it five or six times. I find that the dough picks up the flour and becomes a better consistency. Credit to Alton brown and his biscuit recipe
I am 66 yrs.old and I made my FIRST biscuits from SCRATCH with this WONDERFUL EASSSSY RECIPE. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. NICE AND EASY!!!!!!
Need nutrition fact on these biscuits.
Hi there. We do not provide that information. This post helps explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/.
Nutrition info?
Hi there. We do not provide that information. This post helps explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/.
I can understand your reasoning for no nutrition facts, I think. But those of us that are diabetic carb and sugar information is very I important. Managing glucose levels depend on it.
It’s a recipe, not a pre-packaged product. You know exactly what you’re putting into it. Why do you need someone else to list it out for you?
These were so quick, and amazingly fluffy! I used almond milk and plant-based spread, with just the addition of a little more wheat flour and the turned out perfect! I really do think these are the best whole wheat biscuits I’ve made. Thank you for sharing!!!
Honestly the best whole wheat biscuits I’ve ever had. I put in about 1 cup of aged marble cheese into the dry mix. And then after baking I put on some melted butter mixed with salt and garlic on the warm biscuits. Amazing and super easy for novice biscuits.
Thanks I am trying these tiis morning. I love biscuits and so does my husband. I want a healthier version and these may be it!
I made them a vegan!
Sub Coconut Oil (at room temp, solid-ish) for the Butter and used almond milk.
AMAZING! So simple, light, fluffy. No problem with the rise. Whole wheat doesn’t puff up as much as white flour but for me they rose quite well.
The dough goes from shockingly dry, to wet, to perfect as you mix it, SO BE PATIENT!
Thanks for these! it’s a new breakfast staple.
Very good, they rose fine! I would suggest to those who’s biscuits didn’t raise, check the date on your baking powder, could be old or out of date. Also, make sure counter is floured to keep from sticking while kneading lightly. The ingredients and directions are plain, simple, and work find. Glad for this recipe. Thanks:)
did not rise at all,yuck!
Hi Diana, sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you. Could there be a chance that you kneaded them too much? – Nicole
This worked great for me! I used 3/4 cup of milk as suggested by Val. As for the biscuits not rising, whole wheat flour results in a lower rise (than white flour). This recipe rose as much as my other whole wheat and butter biscuit recipe does. These tasted great, and had a wonderful texture!
So yummy! I only kneaded mine about 1 min. Until a stretchy dough began to form. This keeps them light and fluffy. Add milk a little at a time if you worry about runniness. So glad I found this recipe! Thanks!
This recipe did not work out for me. I measured out the ingredients, but still ended up needing about 1 cup of flour to make the dough come together. I let it sit for a while before I baked them, they did not rise at all, came out hard, dry and tasteless.
I just made these biscuits and they came out perfect with all ingredients measured out EXCEPT the milk, I maybe used about 3/4c.
When you start off mixing dough it may seem to wet, which is why this reads “to knead for 8-10min. Eventually the dough comes together as bread dough. And there is no need to let it sit to rise.
Not 8 to 10 minutes, 8 to 10 times. It would be very tough if you kneaded it 8 to 10 minutes.
Exactly
Same happened to me as original post. Wet dough, added flour, and didn’t rise in the oven. If extra steps are needed, they should be included here.
Hi Jon whisk an egg into the milk… with additional baking powder, mine rose fantastically!
Add an egg to the milk, also I used white whole wheat flour… and additional baking powder (at least 3 tablespoons) they’ll rise!
Sorry to hear these did not turn out for you. Is there a chance you over kneaded them? – Nicole
I am surprised there is no egg listed in the ingredience
I have been making these for a while now and love the taste but they never rise to even half the size in the picture. What should I be doing different? DO you store your dough and baking powder in the fridge/freezer? Thanks!
It could be an issue of not having fresh ingredients. The life of flour is prolonged in the freezer.
Hi I used white whole wheat with about 3 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder and mine rose fantastically!
Hi! I just made these with almond milk instead of dairy milk, they are INCREDIBLE!
I was thinking about that. Next time I will use almond milk.
I just made these tonight and, while mine didn’t rise (user error, I’m sure–first time biscuit maker here!), they were DELICIOUS. So much better than the can, so easy to make, and so yummy!
I took one look at a store bought can and decided it had to be healthier to make these! I was pleasantly surprised with the simple and healthy ingredients. These were very easy and I am no Chef! Thank you for making clean eating practical! I liked the cookie cutter idea and made hearts:)
Can i freeze the dough?
You can.
Can you replace the milk with unsweetend almond milk?
Yes, you can.
Can I use whole wheat bread flour for this recipe?
I would stick to regular Whole-Wheat Flour for this recipe, as the biscuits might come out a little chewier if you use whole-wheat bread flour. – Nicole
Can you use baking soda instead of powder? How much?
Hi there. This might help: https://www.thoughtco.com/substitute-baking-powder-and-baking-soda-607372.
How do you freeze them and what degree do you need to reheat them on?
Hi. This will help: http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/content/baking-101/biscuits/storage-and-freezing-biscuits.aspx.
Does the recipe change for high altitude? I’m a 7000 ft.
Hi there. This might help: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html.