Butter Swim Biscuits are buttermilk biscuits baked in – you guessed it! – a pool of melted butter. The unconventional preparation and baking methods leave you with unforgettably crispy, craggy tops and edges and soft and fluffy biscuit centers. They’re absolutely perfect for a quick homemade breakfast and the flavor and texture will truly knock your socks off!
It’s no surprise to me that I’m always on the lookout for the next great breakfast recipe. I absolutely adore carbs for breakfast, especially if they’re homemade carbs and biscuits always hit all the marks.
Homemade biscuits – especially drop biscuits – are simple to make and usually contain only a few basic pantry staple ingredients.
The first time I came across Butter Swim Biscuits while tapping through my Instagram stories, I all but drooled on my phone.
Look, I’ve made A LOT of biscuits over the years. This is probably the most unconventional method I’ve used for biscuits yet and I certainly had my reservations about the recipe.
But trust me, these Butter Swim Biscuits are legit. They’ve been around in a similar form or another for many, many years and they’re so incredible that they won’t be forgotten about any time soon.
What are Butter Swim Biscuits?
Butter Swim Biscuits are a rich, indulgent take on classic buttermilk biscuits, known for their irresistibly crispy, buttery edges and soft, fluffy centers.
What sets these biscuits apart is their unique preparation. Instead of rolling and cutting the biscuit dough, it’s poured directly into a baking dish filled with a pool of melted butter, allowing the biscuits to “swim” as they bake.
This method results in a golden, craggy, crunchy crust and edges, while keeping the inside soft and fluffy.
Easy to make with just 5 pantry staple ingredients, butter swim biscuits are perfect for breakfast, alongside soups, or as a comforting side for any meal.
What’s So Great About this Butter Biscuits Recipe?
Want to know why this is THE BEST Butter Swim Biscuits recipe out there? Here are just a few of the reasons we love these biscuits so much:
- Crispy, buttery biscuit tops and edges will have you fighting for the corner pieces.
- No messy cutting butter into flour because the biscuit dough bakes into a pool of melted butter.
- Biscuits are a blank slate for add-ins (see FAQs section below) and for serving with everything from eggs to soups to cozy creamy pasta dishes.
- Prep time is minimal so you’ll have hot and buttery biscuits on the table in under 35 minutes.
- Gluten free flour can be used in place of all purpose flour (King Arthur Gluten Free Flour is recommended)
Shopping List for 5 Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits
Here’s the basic shopping list for this 5 ingredient biscuit recipe.
Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full printable Ingredients list for this great recipe!
- Low-fat or whole liquid buttermilk – See the Pro Tip below!
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour – King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour can be substituted for all purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
PRO TIP!
Make sure you use liquid buttermilk in this recipe. Milk will not work. The acid in the buttermilk, which milk does not contain, will react with the base in baking powder and create carbon dioxide. This will give your biscuits lift and a tender crumb!
How to Make Swimming in Butter Biscuits
Here are the easy instructions for how to make this incredibly simple breakfast biscuits recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card below for the full set of Instructions!
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Drop the butter pieces into a square glass baking dish then transfer the dish to the preheated oven to melt the butter.
STEP 2: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir in the room-temperature buttermilk until just combined.
PRO TIP!
Do not overmix the batter! Overmixing will give you a tough biscuit and no one wants a tough biscuit. Mix the batter just until no streaks of buttermilk are visible.
STEP 3: Transfer dough to the baking dish with the melted butter and carefully spread the dough into an even layer. The butter will rise to the top. Using a sharp knife or metal pastry cutter, cut the batter into squares.
STEP 4: Bake until the edges start to crisp and the top is golden brown. Allow the biscuits to cool for a couple of minutes so they can soak up the butter bubbling in the bottom of the dish. Run a knife along the sides and through the cuts, then serve while still hot and fresh.
How to Store Butter Swim Biscuits
Like most biscuits, these butter swim biscuits are best served on the day they are made. However, if you have leftovers, wrap the cooled biscuits in aluminum foil and store them at room temperature.
You can also freeze the baked biscuits. Simply place the foil-wrapped biscuits in a zip top freezer bag (don’t forget to label the bag!) and freeze for up to 2 months. Bring the biscuits to room temperature before reheating.
How to Reheat Butter Swim Biscuits
To reheat these biscuits, place the foil-wrapped biscuits in a 300 degree F oven for 10 minutes, just until they are warmed through.
What to Serve with these Biscuits
I absolutely love biscuits for breakfast and I serve them in lots of different ways. These butter biscuits are perfect split open and topped with salted butter and my favorite peach jam recipe.
If you really want to get down with your biscuits, biscuits and sausage gravy is always a fantastic dish for breakfast, brunch, or even brinner (breakfast for dinner)!
Of course, eggs served up in all forms are the perfect protein to serve with biscuits. Scrambled, fried, poached – it doesn’t matter!
And lastly, these biscuits will go great as a side dish for dipping into soup and chili or for a comforting bbq ribs dinner.
FAQs on this Recipe
- Are these flaky biscuits or fluffy biscuits? These biscuits lean towards the fluffy end of the texture scale.
- How many biscuits does the recipe make? As written, the recipe yields 9 large biscuits. However, you can cut the dough into smaller pieces to yield up to 12 biscuits.
- Can I make sandwiches with these biscuits? Sure!
- What if I don’t have buttermilk? Nope! This is a tea latte – a latte made with tea! – not an espresso latte. (link to hot latte)
- Can I add mix-ins to the biscuit dough? Yes! A big handful of chopped fresh herbs, chopped bacon (almost fully cooked), or your favorite shredded cheese would all be excellent in these biscuits!
- Can these biscuits be made ahead of time? The biscuits are best on the day you make them. However, you can reheat the baked biscuits – refer to my reheating instructions in the above section.
Butter Swim Biscuits
Butter Swim Biscuits are a rich, indulgent take on classic buttermilk biscuits, known for their irresistibly crispy, buttery edges and soft, fluffy centers after being baked in a pool of melted butter.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups low-fat or whole liquid buttermilk, at room temperature (see Note below)
- ½ cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp (16 g) baking powder
- 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (6 g) Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F with a rack in the center position. Drop the butter pieces into an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish then transfer the dish to the oven to melt the butter. This should take about 6 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so the butter doesn’t burn. Remove the dish from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the room-temperature buttermilk until just combined, with no visible streaks of flour. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the biscuit dough to the baking dish with the butter and carefully spread the dough into an even layer. The butter will rise to the top. Using a sharp knife or metal pastry cutter, cut the batter into 9 equal-size squares. This won’t be a neat or perfect process since the batter will close up after the cuts - but just go with it. Go over the cuts a couple of times, wiping your knife/pastry cutter in between each cut.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to crisp and the top is golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. Allow the biscuits to cool for about 3 minutes; they will soak up the butter bubbling in the bottom of the dish. Run a knife along the sides and through the cuts, then serve while still hot and fresh.
Notes
Buttermilk Note: If you’re short on time, warm the buttermilk in a Pyrex measuring cup for about 20 seconds in the microwave. The warmed buttermilk should not be hot, just lukewarm to the touch.
Adapted from Naz Deravian (paid NYT Cooking content)
Recommended Products
As a member of the Amazon Associate affiliate program, I earn a small percentage from your qualifying Amazon purchases when you click the Amazon links on this page. I'm not informed of who purchases what, just of what products are purchased.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
This calculation is an estimation. For the most accurate calculation, please consult a nutritionist. Smells Like Home Studio, Inc. and Tara Liptak do not provide medical information or advice.
Ty for the bisquit recipe. And the apple dessert would be greatly appreciated. These bisquits are a big hit with my family. I had to make a second batch!!