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If the idea of a biscuit that requires no cutting or rolling, yet delivers a butter-infused, tender interior and a crisp, golden crust sounds like a dream, then get ready to meet your new favorite recipe: Butter Swim Biscuits.
These marvels simplify biscuit-making without compromising on flavor or texture. You literally let the biscuit dough swim in melted butter as they bake, infusing them with a rich, buttery flavor that’s just heavenly. And did we mention they’re ready in just 20 minutes? Yes, you read that right.
Like this biscuit recipe? You’ll also love our small batch Drop Biscuits, Rosemary Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits filled with plenty of roasted garlic, and our Biscuit with Sausage Gravy!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ease of Making: These biscuits come together quickly and without fuss in one bowl.
- Flavorful Outcome: Baking in butter ensures each biscuit is rich and incredibly delicious.
- Minimal Tools: No biscuit cutter or rolling pin required; all you need is a baking dish and a knife.
- Perfect for Small Households: This recipe yields four biscuits but is easily doubled for more servings.
- Quick Cooking Time: From start to finish, you’ll have delicious biscuits in just 20 minutes.
What Are Butter Swim Biscuits?
Often called “butter dip biscuits,” Butter Swim Biscuits are the epitome of easy and delicious. The biscuits are baked in a pool of melted butter, which soaks into the dough as they bake, giving you a tender, flavorful biscuit with a wonderfully crisp, buttery crust.
Ingredients
- Butter: If you’re aiming for a richer flavor, salted butter is your best bet. However, unsalted butter works just fine too. Just remember to add an extra pinch of salt to make up for it.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works wonders in this recipe. For a gluten-free version, King Arthur brand Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour is highly recommended.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both of these are chemical leaveners typically used in buttermilk biscuits. They are used to help the biscuits rise. Baking powder provides a rise in two ways, when it is mixed with the buttermilk and when it is exposed to heat. When baking soda is combined with an acid, like buttermilk, it causes the biscuits to rise. So by using both, you’ll have fluffier biscuits.
- Salt: A dash enhances flavor, balancing the richness of the butter and the tanginess of the buttermilk.
- Buttermilk: More than just flavor, buttermilk serves a dual purpose. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda for lift, while its unique composition tenderizes the gluten, ensuring a fluffy and soft biscuit. No buttermilk? Check the FAQ section for easy alternatives. If you’ve got leftover buttermilk, consider using it in a small batch of Chicken Nuggets, a mini Buttermilk Pie, or a few crisp Hush Puppies.
- Sugar: A smidgen of sugar brings in subtle sweetness, rounding out the biscuit’s flavor profile.
This section provides a quick rundown of the ingredients used in this small batch butter swim biscuits recipe. For complete measurements and step-by-step instructions, please scroll to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations
The beauty of this biscuit recipe is its flexibility. Here’s how to make them your own:
- Butter Swim Biscuits and Gravy: Use one or two of these biscuits and serve them alongside our fabulous sausage gravy for incredibly delicious biscuits and gravy.
- Cheesy Butter Swim Biscuits: Add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.
- Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits: Add 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries to the biscuit dough.
- Gluten-Free Butter Swim Biscuits: These buttermilk biscuits can easily be made gluten-free by swapping the regular all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour.
How To Make Butter Swim Biscuits
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir until combined. Be careful not to overwork the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the melted butter into a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Place the dough on top of the butter and use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly spread the dough out to the edges of the baking dish. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any possible spills.
- Cut the unbaked dough into 4 squares.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let the biscuits rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes so that the butter can be absorbed into the biscuits before cutting.
Expert Tips
These butter swim biscuits are some of the most fluffy and delicious biscuits I’ve ever tasted. To ensure yours are equally irresistible, here are some tips.
- Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. These butter swim biscuits come together quickly so it’s a good idea to have everything ready before beginning.
- Measure ingredients correctly. This is so important. To measure flour correctly, stir the flour in its container with a spoon. Then, use a spoon to scoop flour into a dry measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Serve warm: Butter swim biscuits are best when served warm from the oven or reheated in a microwave.
- Use a high oven temperature: It’s important for these biscuits to bake at a high oven temperature to ensure buttery, crisp edges.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to enjoying these scrumptious butter swim biscuits, the sky’s the limit! Here are some pairings that elevate them to a whole new level:
- Fruit-Topped Delight: Slice these biscuits open and layer on refrigerator jam, preserves, or even a dollop of homemade apple butter for a sweet twist.
- Mini Breakfast Sandwiches: Transform your biscuits into the ultimate breakfast treat. Add a cooked egg, crispy bacon or sausage, and a slice of melted cheese to create mini breakfast sandwiches.
- Soup & Stew Companion: These biscuits are great sidekicks for hearty soups, stews, and chilis. Their buttery richness perfectly complements these dishes and helps soak up all those delicious flavors.
Storing And Reheating Your Butter Swim Biscuits
Storing butter swim biscuits is a breeze, and there are a couple of methods depending on how long you plan to keep them around.
Short-Term Storage
- Room Temperature: Place your butter biscuits in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. They’ll stay fresh for about 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: If you’re looking for a little more longevity, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Long-Term Storage
- Freezer: For an even longer shelf life, you can freeze them! Wrap each biscuit individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a zip-top bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. They can last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Reheating Tips
- Oven: To recapture that fresh-out-of-the-oven magic, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Microwave: If you’re in a hurry, a 20-30 second zap in the microwave will do the trick. Just be cautious not to overheat, as microwaves can dry out biscuits.
So, whether you’re enjoying them today or a month from now, you’ve got options to keep those biscuits as irresistible as the day you baked them.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have any on hand, make your own buttermilk with this quick buttermilk substitute. To make 3/4 cup buttermilk, fill the measuring cup with 3/4 cup milk and add 2 1/4 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, stir and use to make the buttermilk biscuits.
Most likely it is because the baking powder and/or the baking soda used is past its prime. Over time baking powder can lose some of its potency. It lasts for about 6 months or so and is sensitive to moisture. To see if your baking powder is still active, spoon ½ teaspoon of baking powder into a bowl and pour in ¼ cup of boiling water. If the mixture bubbles, your powder’s good to go! If it doesn’t, don’t use it.
Baking soda stays good for a very long time but it can lose its potency over time. Generally, an opened box of baking soda can last for about 6 months and an unopened package will stay good for roughly 2 years. To see if your baking soda is active, place a few tablespoons of vinegar in a small dish, then stir in 1 tablespoon of soda. The mixture will immediately begin to fizz if the baking soda is active.
The success of this recipe depends on using the right size baking dish. We recommend using a 5×5-inch baking dish that has a base area of 25 square inches and holds 22 ounces. The dish we use and love can be found on our store page.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this small batch butter swim biscuit recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Butter Swim Biscuits
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter , melted (½ stick)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir until combined. Be careful not to overwork the batter.
- Pour the melted butter into a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Place the dough on top of the butter and use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly spread the dough out to the edges of the baking dish. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any possible spills.
- Cut the unbaked dough into 4 squares.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let the biscuits rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes so that the butter can be absorbed into the biscuits before cutting.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. These butter swim biscuits come together quickly so it’s a good idea to have everything ready before beginning.
- Measure ingredients correctly. This is so important. To measure flour correctly, stir the flour in its container with a spoon. Then, use a spoon to scoop flour into a dry measuring cup and slightly overfill. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more flour than the recipe calls for.
- Serve warm: Butter swim biscuits are best when served warm from the oven or reheated in a microwave.
- Use a high oven temperature: It’s important for these biscuits to bake at a high oven temperature to ensure buttery, crisp edges.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie, I should have started with your recipe to begin with. I recently made another full-size butter swim recipe; I ate one and they were leaden and burned on the bottom. I threw the rest out – a complete waste of good butter and buttermilk. I still had that carton of buttermilk to use up, so I made your recipe – delicious, fluffy and they baked up beautifully. Thank you! Your drop biscuits are excellent as well.
Thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so happy you love our biscuit recipes.
Thank you for a biscuit recipe that finally worked for me! I can bake up a storm. I make caramel with no problems. I can make you a chocolate torte that takes 8 hours to finish and is as silky as a baby’s cheek. Angel food cake? No problem…
But biscuits? Ugh, they have never been very successful for me. Nor very tasty. These biscuits are easy and taste great! They were perfect for my sausage gravy. Thank you! Thank you!