Home / Recipes / American / 3 Ingredient Biscuit Recipe — Flaky in 20 Minutes

3 Ingredient Biscuit Recipe — Flaky in 20 Minutes

Make flaky, tender biscuits with only 3 pantry ingredients using a foolproof method for rolled or drop-style biscuits. This 3 ingredient biscuit recipe includes quick troubleshooting, variations (buttermilk or cream), and tips for extra-flaky layers.

⏱
Prep Time 15 min
🔥
Cook Time 30 min
⏰
Total Time 45 min
👥
Servings 8
⭐
Difficulty Easy
American Vegetarian Quick & Easy Vegetarian American

About This Recipe

Make flaky, tender biscuits with only 3 pantry ingredients using a foolproof method for rolled or drop-style biscuits. This 3 ingredient biscuit recipe includes quick troubleshooting, variations (buttermilk or cream), and tips for extra-flaky layers.

Reference photos to help you picture the finished recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (250 g) self-rising flour
  • 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream (or full-fat cream)
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small cubes
  • Optional for brushing: 1 tablespoon melted butter or cream
  • Optional: pinch of flaky sea salt for topping

Nutrition Facts

320 Calories 16% daily value
6.00g Protein 12% daily value
28.00g Carbs 9% daily value
20.00g Fat 31% daily value
1.00g Fiber 4% daily value

Instructions

  1. 1
    Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Chill the baking sheet briefly if your kitchen is warm.
  2. 2
    Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups self-rising flour to break up any lumps. If you don't have self-rising flour, see substitutions below.
  3. 3
    Step 3: Add the cold grated or cubed butter to the flour. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter visible.
  4. 4
    Step 4: Make a well in the center. Pour 1 cup cold heavy cream into the well and gently fold with a wide spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix — the dough should be slightly sticky and rough.
  5. 5
    Step 5: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. For flaky rolled biscuits: gently pat or roll dough to about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thickness. Fold the dough in half, press lightly, then roll again to 1-inch thickness — repeat 2–3 folds to build layers. For drop biscuits: skip rolling and use a spoon to drop 8 mounds of dough directly onto the pan.
  6. 6
    Step 6: Cut biscuits with a floured 2.5-inch (6 cm) round cutter for rolled biscuits. Press straight down without twisting to preserve layers. Re-roll scraps once to cut remaining biscuits. Place on prepared baking sheet, touching edges for taller biscuits or spaced apart for crispier sides.
  7. 7
    Step 7: Brush tops with melted butter or a little cream and sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired.
  8. 8
    Step 8: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 12–18 minutes, rotating pan halfway, until tops are golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Internal temperature should be about 205–208°F (96–98°C) for fully baked biscuits.
  9. 9
    Step 9: Remove from oven and brush again with melted butter if you like. Let cool 5 minutes on the pan before serving warm.

💡 tips

Keep ingredients cold and work quickly — cold butter creates steam pockets for flaky layers. When cutting biscuits, press straight down without twisting to keep layers from sealing. If dough feels very wet, chill 10–15 minutes before cutting. For extra height, place biscuits touching each other on the baking sheet so steam helps them rise.

🔄 substitutions

If you don't have self-rising flour, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour + 3 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Replace heavy cream with full-fat buttermilk or whole milk for softer biscuits (but reduce liquid slightly if using milk). For dairy-free: use cold vegan butter and full-fat coconut cream, but expect a subtle flavor difference.

📦 storage

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Refrigerate up to 5 days. To freeze: wrap cooled biscuits tightly in foil and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12–18 minutes, or thaw and warm at 300–325°F (150–160°C) for 8–10 minutes. Microwave reheating works for a quick warm-up (15–30 seconds) but may soften the crust.

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