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These small batch drop biscuits bake up soft and buttery inside with a crisp bottom crust in under 20 minutes. They’re made from scratch, with no rolling or cutting, and made for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“These are so, so good! I must make these at least once a week! If there are any leftover biscuits I just pop ‘em in the toaster oven the next morning.”
– Kristie G.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Equipment: Rimmed baking sheet
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 4 biscuits
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: These biscuits taste rich and buttery, with a light saltiness and a hint of sweetness underneath.
I made drop biscuits for my family for years, and this is that same recipe scaled down to a small batch.
Why You’ll Love These Small Batch Drop Biscuits
Drop biscuits skip the rolling pin and the cutter. You scoop the dough with a spoon, drop it onto the pan, and 12 minutes later you have a biscuit with a rough golden top and a tender middle. This recipe makes 4, made for one or two people.
Everything in it is already in your kitchen. The whole list is flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, butter, and milk. Regular milk is all it needs, so there’s no carton of buttermilk to buy for one recipe.
A biscuit is at its best warm from the oven, which is why I’d rather bake 4 than reheat the leftovers from a batch of 12. The recipe halves cleanly to 2 regular biscuits or 1 large one, and that single large biscuit is the same dough we scaled down for our biscuit and gravy for one.
Looking for more small batch biscuit recipes? Try our small batch buttermilk biscuits with garlic, small batch cheddar biscuits, or small batch butter swim biscuits.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Drop biscuits take 6 basic ingredients, and all of them keep in the pantry or fridge for weeks. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
All-purpose flour: This gives the biscuits their structure. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping, since a packed cup adds extra flour and makes a dry, heavy biscuit. For gluten free drop biscuits, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. If you have self-rising flour on hand, see the Recipe Variations below for that swap.
Baking powder: This is what makes the biscuits rise, and it only works if it’s fresh. To check, fill a measuring cup with ½ cup of hot tap water and stir in ¼ teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles right away, you’re fine. If nothing happens, replace it before you bake.
Sugar: A little sugar rounds out the flavor and balances the salt and butter.
Salt: Salt brings out the flavor of the butter and flour. The recipe calls for salted butter and a pinch of salt, so if you’re watching sodium, you can skip the added salt and let the butter carry it.
Butter: Butter is where the richness and the tender crumb come from. It needs to be cold, straight from the refrigerator, and cut into small pieces so it stays in little bits through the dough. Those bits melt in the oven and leave the biscuit soft and light.
Milk: Milk brings the dough together. Whole milk or 2% gives the best flavor and texture, but any milk you have will work, and readers have made these with soy and almond milk. For buttermilk biscuits, see the Recipe Variations below.
Recipe Variations
A few swaps change the flavor, the flour, or the number of biscuits in this quick drop biscuit recipe.
Buttermilk Biscuits For Two
Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients and use ½ cup buttermilk in place of the milk. The baking soda reacts with the acid in the buttermilk, which gives the biscuits extra lift and a slight tang. If the dough looks dry, stir in another tablespoon of buttermilk.
Drop Biscuits With Self Rising Flour
Use 1 cup self-rising flour and leave out the baking powder and the salt, since self-rising flour already has both. Everything else stays the same.
Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Stir ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar into the dry ingredients after you’ve cut in the butter, then add the milk. The cheese is mixed into the dough, so it won’t burn in the oven.
Drop Biscuits For One
Halve every ingredient and you’ll get 2 regular biscuits, or scoop all of the dough into one mound for 1 large biscuit. Use ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons cold salted butter, and ¼ cup milk. Bake time stays at 10 to 12 minutes.
How To Make A Small Batch Of Biscuits
These photos and instructions show you how to make this quick small batch biscuit recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full instructions.
Before You Begin: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat so the biscuits lift off cleanly.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until no lumps remain.
- Cut in the butter: Add the cold butter pieces. Rub them into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized bits of butter left. Work fast so the butter stays cold.
- Add the milk: Pour in the milk and stir just until no dry flour is left at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. Stop there, since extra stirring makes tough biscuits.
- Shape the biscuits: Scoop the dough into 4 equal mounds with a large spoon and drop them onto the baking sheet, leaving space between each one so they have room to spread.
- Bake until golden: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms are lightly browned. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
Use cold milk, too. Milk straight from the fridge keeps the butter bits firm after they’re mixed in, so they stay separate and give the biscuits a light texture.
A large spoon is all you need. Scoop the dough into 4 rough mounds and don’t fuss over making them the same size. Uneven, lumpy biscuits are the whole point of a drop biscuit, and there’s no measuring cup to wash.
Leave the tops rough. Don’t smooth or pat the mounds. The uneven surface is what bakes into a crisp top.
Bake right after mixing. Every minute the dough sits on the counter, the butter softens, and soft butter means a flatter, denser biscuit. Have the oven hot before you add the milk.
Troubleshooting
Here’s how to get small batch drop biscuits that rise tall, bake up tender, and taste the way you want.
Why did my drop biscuits spread flat?
Drop biscuits spread flat when the dough is too wet or the butter got warm before baking. The dough should hold its shape in a mound when you scoop it. If it slumps off the spoon, stir in another tablespoon of flour. Keep the butter and milk cold, and get the biscuits into the oven as soon as the dough comes together.
Why are my drop biscuits dry and crumbly?
Drop biscuits turn out dry when there’s too much flour in the dough or they bake too long. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife instead of scooping, which packs in extra. Take the biscuits out as soon as the tops are golden brown.
Why are my drop biscuits dense and heavy?
Drop biscuits come out dense when the dough is overmixed or the baking powder is old. Stir only until no dry flour remains, because every extra stir develops gluten and tightens the crumb. To check your baking powder, stir ¼ teaspoon into ½ cup of hot tap water. It should bubble right away. If it doesn’t, replace it.
Why didn’t my drop biscuits rise?
Drop biscuits don’t rise when the oven isn’t fully preheated or the baking powder has lost its strength. Biscuits need high heat the moment they go in, so wait for the oven to reach 400°F before baking. If the oven was hot and they still stayed low, test the baking powder and check that you spooned the flour rather than scooping it.
Serving Suggestions
Small batch homemade biscuits belong next to a bowl of soup or on a breakfast plate with jam. Here are a few favorites from the site:
- Small Batch Refrigerator Jam and Small Batch Clotted Cream: Split a warm biscuit and spread on both for breakfast.
- Mini Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup For One: A biscuit on the side makes this brothy soup a full meal.
- Potato Soup For One: A biscuit for dunking turns a bowl of soup into dinner.
- Beef Stew For One: The soft inside soaks up the gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drop biscuits are biscuits made from a soft, wet dough that’s scooped with a spoon and dropped onto a baking sheet instead of being rolled and cut. Because the dough isn’t folded, homemade drop biscuits bake up tender and a little crumbly rather than flaky and layered, and they take about half the time of rolled biscuits.
Halve this recipe and scoop all of the dough into a single mound to make 1 large biscuit. Use ½ cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons cold butter, and ¼ cup milk, and bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to crisp the outside again.
Yes, baked drop biscuits freeze well for up to 3 months. Cool them completely, then seal them in a freezer bag. To reheat, wrap a biscuit in foil and warm it in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds.
Yes, double every ingredient to make 8 biscuits. The bake time stays at 10 to 12 minutes.
Yes, half and half works in place of the milk in this recipe, measure for measure. The extra fat makes a slightly richer biscuit with the same soft texture.
More Breakfast Recipes For One
If you liked these biscuits, try another breakfast recipe made for one:
What To Do With 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:
If you’ve tried this small batch drop 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.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfasts Worth Waking Up For
Small Batch Drop Biscuits
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold salted butter cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ½ cup cold milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the cold butter pieces and rub them into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized bits of butter left.
- Pour in the milk and stir just until no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.
- Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheet in 4 mounds, leaving space between them.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms are lightly browned.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Use cold butter and cold milk. Cold ingredients keep the butter in small bits, which is what makes the biscuits light.
- Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping packs in extra flour and makes a dry biscuit.
- Stir just until no dry flour remains. Overmixing makes the biscuits dense.
- Don’t smooth the tops. The rough surface bakes into a crisp crust.
- If the dough slumps off the spoon instead of holding a mound, stir in another tablespoon of flour.
- To halve the recipe for 2 regular biscuits or 1 large one, use ½ cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons cold butter, and ¼ cup milk. Bake time stays the same.
- Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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 patted the dough into a disk instead and used a mini cutter (about 1.5 inch) to cut out mini biscuits. They are so cute and I got 10 minis out of the recipe! They are delicious, adorable, easy and fast to make. Highly recommend these! Thanks!!!
Mini biscuits sound adorable. Thank you, and I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Was thrilled to see the print option to change mmts to make just 2! Was perfect! Had one for dinner, and then one from breakfast with a single serving of sausage gravy!
I make these all the time. They are the best.
Thank you, I’m glad you love them – these drop biscuits are my favorites too.
I have made these once and loved them!!!! Thank you so much! Just like you said, they are fluffy and buttery and delicious! I do have one question. I had the idea to add shredded cheese into the recipe, and am wondering if that will work or if the cheese will burn? What do you think?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Yes, you can add shredded cheese and it should work just fine. The cheese is mixed into the dough, so it won’t burn. If you’re looking for a version that’s already tested with cheese, you might also like our cheddar biscuits recipe – https://onedishkitchen.com/cheddar-biscuits-recipe/
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try it!
The beauty of this recipe is that I was able to halve it because I was only cooking for me, and I didn’t want leftovers. Biscuits are only good when they’re hot out of the oven! This recipe halved very well. They were wonderful! I used self-rising flour since I had it, so I omitted the baking powder and salt. Very easy to remember the ratio of ingredients. I highly recommend these biscuits!
Quick, easy and good. Will definitely make again.
these are evil, thank you, question, it seems that mine tend to spread, so the “changes” I do is I grate my butter, then when it’s mixed in I place the stainless bowl with the powder and butter in the fridge while the oven preheats, then when ready add milk and drop. Not sure if it is weather in the room at the time or if I’m just too wet of a dough… still eat well and still evil. I love them. any thoughts on the spreading? your photos look like they don’t spread as much.
Thank you — this made me smile! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the biscuits. A little spreading can happen, but they shouldn’t flatten too much. From what you described, your method sounds great. Chilling the bowl helps keep the butter cold, which is important.
If they’re spreading more than you’d like, the dough may just be a bit too wet. Try adding a touch more flour next time, just enough so the dough holds its shape when you scoop it. That small adjustment usually makes a big difference.
I’m so glad they’re a favorite in your kitchen!
My daily sodium is limited. Could I just use the salted butter and skip the sodium
Thank you Jean
Sure.
I cut this recipe in half to make a “pig in the blanket” or “wiener wrap” dough for a couple hot dogs my granddaughter wanted for lunch. It was just the right amount and tasted great!
That’s such a fun idea! I’m so glad the recipe worked well for your granddaughter’s lunch — what a creative way to use it!
Just what I needed. Between my pup and I we polished off the batch in one day. Followed recipe as written and these came out fluffy and crumbly like a good drop biscuit.
I made these biscuits for strawberry shortcake and they are DELICIOUS!!! I made them in an air fryer and they came out perfect. They were a smidge too salty for me, so the next time, I will use a pinch less. Definitely a go-to made-from-scratch biscuit! Thank you!!!
Love this recipe and make these biscuits all the time. I did make two changes regarding the butter. I always use salted butter, so I put in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and use two tablespoons, not three. Biscuits are always delicious. I am so happy I found this site/resource.
Love, love your small bicuit recipe. I don’t like a lot left over and this is perfect for my husband and I.
I love these ! They made great breakfast sandwiches for my husband. Quick and easy
Thank you for this recipe. I make it all the time and it takes jo time at all. I have even left out the sugar and pit in cheese for a savory scone
Joanie, You’re the BEST! The Drop Biscuits were delicious and light, easy to put together and went well with your Italian Wedding Soup. I had a great meal with no leftovers to fill my small refrigerator. So glad I signed up for your emails and I share your website with friends and family.
Thank you!! 🥰
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the drop biscuits with the Italian Wedding Soup—it sounds like a perfect combination! I’m so glad you’re finding the recipes helpful, and I truly appreciate you sharing the site with your friends and family. Thanks again for your kind words!
These are very good biscuits and take no time to make. They’re nice and crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. The crumb is a bit more dense than some of the biscuits I’ve made. The dough is versatile. I added grated parmesan cheese and basil to the dough and served with a dollop of red pepper jelly.
They are delicious! I used oat flour instead. It made about 9 biscuits!
These are so, so good! I must make these at least once a week! If there are any leftover biscuits I just pop ‘em in the toaster oven the next morning. Did I mention these are so good? 😄
Just wow!! Thanks for making a simple recipe that is perfect!
5 good sized biscuits, quick and easy.
Buttermilk with about 1 Tbsp of water.
400 degrees for 10 minutes, turned up to 425 and cooked 2 more minutes. Really good recipe.
Delicious! I made the 2x recipe resulting in 6 large fluffy biscuits and baked for 15-16 minutes. Definitely could have just made the 1x for two people.
These are phenomenal – fluffy, delicious and easy to do. Thank you, Joanie!
This is probably the last biscuit recipe I’ll ever use. Next time I’ll leave out the sugar tho, I don’t like sweetness in my biscuits as we usually have them with soup. They were soft, fluffy and very good. ( I had added about 1/4 finely grated cheddar to the dry ingredients) I got six small biscuits from the recipe. Excellent, thank you!
These were perfect, easy to make and so good. I only wanted a few and was so glad I found this. I didn’t have milk, used water 🤭 and they still came out lovely.
I didn’t really have high expectations… I’m not even a biscuit person. I just wanted something quick to eat with some scrambled eggs for breakfast. These biscuits were soft and moist with a delicious crunchy texture on the bottom. Paired well some pineapple passionfruit jam. I made them with almond milk and I can imagine how good they would be with buttermilk. These will definitely be added to and stay in my rotation.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the biscuits. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I have also used this to make dumplings for chicken with mixed vegetables! It is so delicious! It all disappears! Yummy as biscuits as well!!
I made biscuits with stoned ground wheat flour, they were soft and delicious
I am a certified foodie who LOVES breakfast food. Unfortunately, my husband does not share my breakfast food passion, so I needed to learn how to make smaller portions. My traditional recipe would not turn out right when I cut it in half, so I searched and found this one. I subbed the milk with sour cream and the are the BEST BISCUITS I have ever made!!!!!
So moist and buttery. I am making them again this morning and every morning!
They were a hit thanks from SD Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe…
Thank you for the recipe. Ive been making biscuits for…a long time. Ive tried countless recipes and I have created my own as well. Your recipe is going at the top of the list! Perfectly delicious!!!
Okay, I’m showing my age here but I’ve just gotta say these were the bomb diggity. I did change a few things but that’s because I seem to be incapable of leaving well enough ALONE.
Regardless, I added 1/4 tsp Hungarian Paprika to the mix (eh I didn’t taste it at ALL. I’ll do more next time). I also added a handful of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Instead of a sheet pan, I used a small cast iron skillet. I divided the mix into 4 equal parts, dusted with flour, and placed into the parchment-lined cast iron skillet. After 8 minutes, I turned the dial up to 450 and checked after 2 minutes, then another 2 minutes and they were PERFECT! Incredibly fluffy, perfectly flaky biscuits. Yum! Thank you!!!
I could marry these biscuits. I add 1/4tsp of smoked paprika in the dry mix and a handful of shredded cheese with the milk.
Don’t sweat how small the butter is- I try to cut into little strips then cubes, and with a little hand mush it works out just fine. I ended up baking for probably 14-16, and cranked the heat to 450 at about 12.