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Small batch butter swim biscuits are buttermilk biscuits baked in melted butter for a golden, crispy crust and soft, fluffy center. This easy recipe makes 4 biscuits in 20 minutes, no rolling or cutting required.
Featured Comment
“5 stars and more. Excellent recipe. Light and fluffy.”
– Janice
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Baked
- Servings: 4 biscuits
- Difficulty: Easy
These small batch butter swim biscuits, also called butter dip biscuits or butter bath biscuits, bake right in melted butter for a buttery, golden crust and a soft, tender center.
Why I Make These Butter Swim Biscuits
Most butter swim biscuit recipes call for an 8 or 9-inch pan and yield 9 biscuits, way more than I want when I’m cooking for myself.
So I scaled the recipe down to a 5-inch baking dish that produces 4 biscuits. That’s the right amount for one person or a small household.
After testing this dozens of times, I learned the ratio of butter to dough matters more than anything. Too little butter and the bottom doesn’t crisp. Too much and the biscuits turn greasy. Four tablespoons in a 5-inch dish is the sweet spot.
The technique is what makes these special. You melt butter in the pan first, spoon a sticky buttermilk batter on top, score it into squares, and bake.
The biscuits rise into the butter as they cook. The bottom and edges crisp up golden. The center stays soft and pillowy.
There’s no cutting in cold butter, no rolling, no biscuit cutter. The dough is intentionally wet and shaggy. That’s not a mistake. The wet dough is what makes the inside so tender.
I serve these with single serving sausage gravy on slow mornings, split them for breakfast sandwiches, or eat them warm with homemade refrigerator jam.
For a different small batch biscuit, try our small batch drop biscuits or rosemary garlic buttermilk biscuits.
Ingredient Notes
You only need 7 simple pantry ingredients to make a small batch of butter swim biscuits. Each one plays a specific role in giving these biscuits their crisp golden crust and soft, fluffy center. If you have ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: Salted butter is what I use. It melts in the pan first and creates the crisp golden bottom and edges as the biscuits bake.
All-purpose flour: Standard all-purpose flour gives the right structure for a soft, tender biscuit. For a gluten-free version, use King Arthur brand Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour. Self-rising flour also works (see Recipe Variations below).
Baking powder: Provides most of the lift. It activates twice, once when it hits the wet ingredients and again when the biscuits hit the hot oven, which gives these biscuits their tall, fluffy rise.
Baking soda: Reacts with the acid in the buttermilk to create extra lift and tenderize the dough. Without it, the biscuits would be denser.
Sugar: Just one teaspoon. Enough to help the tops brown but not enough to make the biscuits sweet.
Salt: Seasons the dough so the biscuits don’t taste bland. Without it, you’ll notice the difference right away.
Buttermilk: The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for lift and tenderizes the dough at the same time. ¾ cup is more buttermilk than most small batch biscuit recipes call for, and that’s intentional. The wet, sticky dough is what creates the soft, almost cake-like center.
Extra buttermilk? Use it in a small batch of chicken nuggets, buttermilk quick bread, a mini buttermilk pie, or a small batch of hush puppies.
Buttermilk Substitute: Add 2 ¼ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to ¾ cup of milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stir, and use as directed.
Recipe Variations
These small batch butter swim biscuits are easy to customize. Try one of these simple variations:
Cheddar Garlic Biscuits: Add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar to the dough. Stir in just before adding the buttermilk.
Blueberry Biscuits: Fold ½ cup of fresh blueberries into the dough after the buttermilk is mixed in. Don’t overmix or the dough will turn purple.
Self-Rising Flour: Use 1 cup of self-rising flour in place of all-purpose flour. Leave out the baking powder and salt. Keep the baking soda, sugar, and buttermilk as written.
How To Make Butter Swim Biscuits
These step-by-step photos and instructions show you how to make a small batch of butter swim biscuits in a 5-inch square baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the buttermilk. Pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula just until the flour disappears. The dough will be wet, sticky, and shaggy. That’s exactly how it should look. Don’t overmix.
- Melt the butter in the pan. Pour the melted butter into a 5×5-inch baking dish, spreading it across the bottom.
- Spoon the dough over the butter. Drop the dough on top of the melted butter and spread it gently to the edges with a spatula or the back of a spoon. The butter will rise around the sides of the dough, that’s exactly what you want.
- Score the dough into 4 squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the unbaked dough into 4 equal squares. Don’t worry if the cuts close up a little, the score lines guide the biscuits as they bake.
- Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any butter that bubbles over.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden brown and the butter around the edges is bubbling.
- Rest for 10 minutes in the pan before cutting and serving. This lets the biscuits absorb the remaining butter and finish setting up.
Expert Tips
Measure your flour by spooning and leveling. Scoop directly with the measuring cup and you’ll pack in 20-30% more flour than the recipe needs. The biscuits will turn out dense and dry. Spoon flour into the dry measuring cup, then level the top with the back of a knife.
Don’t overmix the dough. Stir just until the dry pockets disappear. Once the flour is fully wet, stop. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which gives you tough, dense biscuits instead of light and tender ones.
Test your leaveners before you bake. Both lose potency after about 6 months. To test baking powder, add ¼ teaspoon to ¼ cup of hot water. If it bubbles, it’s fresh. To test baking soda, mix ¼ teaspoon of vinegar into ½ cup of hot water, then add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. If it fizzes, it’s good.
Watch the oven, not the clock. Ovens often vary by 25°F or more in either direction. Start checking the biscuits at the 13-minute mark. They’re done when the tops are deep golden brown and the butter around the edges is actively bubbling.
Troubleshooting
Most butter swim biscuit fixes are simple.
Why is my dough wet and runny?
The dough is supposed to be wet and shaggy, not pancake batter. If it pours instead of spoons, you may have under-measured the flour or used a buttermilk substitute that’s too thin. Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time until the dough holds together when scooped but is still sticky.
Why are my biscuits greasy?
The pan used was too small for the amount of butter, or you used too much butter. For this small batch recipe, stick to 4 tablespoons of butter melted in a 5-inch square baking dish. A larger pan will spread the butter too thin, while a smaller pan or extra butter will leave the biscuits sitting in butter.
Why are my biscuits doughy in the middle but the edges are done?
The biscuits came out of the oven too soon. Return the dish to the oven for 2-3 more minutes and check again. The tops should be deep golden brown and the butter should be actively bubbling around the edges before you pull them out.
Why didn’t my biscuits rise?
The most likely cause is old baking powder or baking soda. See the Expert Tips section for how to test both. Overmixing the dough can also flatten the biscuits by deflating the air bubbles before they bake.
Serving Suggestions
These small batch butter swim biscuits work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
For breakfast: Top with homemade apple butter, serve alongside an egg wrap, or use them in place of toast under eggs benedict for one.
With soup or stew: Serve warm with a bowl of single serving chicken noodle soup, single serving beef stew, or single serving chili.
For dinner: Pair with roasted chicken thighs and a side of roasted carrots for an easy meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 5×5-inch baking dish is the right size for this small batch recipe. It gives the 4 biscuits the right thickness and lets the butter bake into the dough properly. A larger pan will spread the butter too thin and produce flat, greasy biscuits.
Warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes for the best texture. You can also microwave a single biscuit for 20-30 seconds, but the edges will lose some of their crispness.
Yes. Wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before reheating.
Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Yes. Double all the ingredients and bake in a 6×8-inch baking dish for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden brown.
A wet, sticky dough is exactly how it should look. The high moisture is what gives these biscuits their soft, almost cake-like center. If the dough pours instead of spoons, you may have under-measured the flour.
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:
Did you make this small batch butter swim biscuits recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out.
If you take a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen). We’d love to see it!
Small Batch Butter Swim Biscuits
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons butter -melted (½ stick)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula just until the flour disappears. The dough will be wet, sticky, and shaggy. Do not overmix.
- Pour the melted butter into a 5-inch baking dish, spreading it across the bottom.
- Spoon the dough on top of the melted butter and gently spread it to the edges with a spatula or the back of a spoon. The butter will rise around the sides of the dough.
- Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any butter that bubbles over.
- Use a sharp knife to score the unbaked dough into 4 equal squares.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden brown and the butter around the edges is bubbling.
- Let the biscuits rest in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This lets the biscuits absorb the remaining butter and finish setting up.
Notes
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.
I love the idea of no leftovers, and your recipes look so easy and cute! I tried your biscuit recipe this morning and the raised up beautifully, but the center was a little doughy and the bottoms did not brown up. I was wondering if it was because I bought a 5×5 glass dish? Should they have baked longer? Also, do you use salted butter in the recipe? Will unsalted work? I look forward to using my little dish often. Thank you for this creative way to cook =)
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Glass dishes can sometimes bake a little differently than metal or ceramic, they tend to heat more slowly, which might explain the softer bottoms and slightly doughy center. A few extra minutes of baking should help next time. I do use salted butter in this recipe, but unsalted will work too. You might just want to add a extra pinch of salt to the mix. I’m so happy you’re here and excited to hear how you enjoy more recipes.
I knew I could depend on you have this recipe for a small batch! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I’m glad to hear the small batch version was just what you needed!
Could these be made with self rising flour? What changes would be made?
I only use all-purpose flour in this recipe and have not tested any other type of flour.
Great recipe for a small batch! I drop the biscuits into the melted butter and bake. No need to spread and cut. The butter boiled over so I was glad I had put the dish on a baking sheet. Perfect!
These were quick and amazing. I had no buttermilk or milk, so used 1/2 cup carnation milk, 1/4 cup water and 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Worked perfectly. Thanks Joanie.
The smallest size dish I had was 5×7. The biscuits were delicious. I cooked at 425 since I wasn’t sure of the temp my Pyrex dish could take. I cooked a couple minutes longer.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the biscuits! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Loved the biscuits! Easy to make. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, I ‘m looking forward to enjoying treats without over indulging.
I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes.
I made these biscuits today and plan on using them in the morning for some biscuits and gravy. I used a small CorningWare dish to bake them in and they came out perfectly except I broke one maybe on purpose because I had to eat that right away 😁 delicious!
I live alone and I use your recipes quite often and enjoy them all the time especially the double chocolate chip cookies
Thanks Joanie
I agree. I am also a widow and cannot find recipes like yours so I am so
glad I found you. Thanks
Row
I made these this morning and they are so easy and tasty. I was a little disappointed that the bottoms did not get brown so, after I had one with my breakfast, I turned the remaining 3 out onto a baking sheet, bottoms up, and popped them under the broiler for a few minutes. Absolute perfection. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Your recipes look and sound fabulous. Recently I became a widow and had a hard time getting used to cooking for just myself. Your recipes are wonderful to have. Thank you for sharing them.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Adjusting to cooking for one can be challenging, and I’m glad my recipes have been helpful to you. I truly appreciate your kind words and hope you find many meals here that bring you comfort and enjoyment.