Get ready to elevate your Thanksgiving feast with these 30-Minute, Flavorful Thanksgiving Biscuits! These homemade biscuits are the perfect accompaniment to your holiday meal, with their tender, buttery texture and irresistible flavor. Whether you’re looking to sop up delicious gravy or enjoy them as a standalone treat, this recipe is sure to become a new family favorite.
Imagine the scent of freshly baked biscuits wafting through your kitchen, the golden tops gleaming and the aroma of herbs and spices mingling with the comforting aroma of Thanksgiving. This is the experience you’re about to create with this easy, yet impressive recipe. Believe it or not, you can have these magnificent biscuits on the table in just 30 minutes, making them the perfect last-minute addition to your holiday spread.
What sets these biscuits apart is the careful balance of ingredients and the attention to technique. From the use of high-quality, cold butter to the gentle folding of the dough, every step is designed to deliver a flaky, tender crumb and a flavor that will have your guests begging for the recipe. So, let’s dive in and learn the secrets to making the best Thanksgiving biscuits you’ve ever tasted!
❤️ What Sets This Amazing Recipe Apart?
These Thanksgiving Biscuits are truly special for a few key reasons. First and foremost, the flavor profile is unbeatable. The combination of fragrant herbs, warm spices, and rich, creamy butter creates a taste that is both comforting and elevated. With each bite, you’ll experience a burst of savory goodness that perfectly complements the rest of your Thanksgiving feast.
But it’s not just the flavor that sets these biscuits apart – the texture is equally impressive. Thanks to the careful technique of folding the dough, these biscuits achieve a lovely, flaky exterior that gives way to a tender, pillowy interior. The result is a biscuit that is both satisfying and delicate, making it the ideal vessel for sopping up gravy or enjoying on its own.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 3/4 cup (180ml) cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
The key ingredients in this recipe are the high-quality, cold butter and the buttermilk. The cold butter is crucial for achieving that coveted flaky texture, as the cold fat creates steam pockets that lift the dough. The buttermilk, on the other hand, adds a subtle tangy flavor and helps to tenderize the biscuits. Additionally, the blend of herbs and spices – thyme, sage, and black pepper – elevates the flavor profile and makes these biscuits truly exceptional.
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, thyme, sage, and black pepper.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Add the Buttermilk: Pour the cold buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently mix until the dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold and Shape: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 3-4 times, using your hands to shape it into a round disc about 3/4-inch thick.
- Cut and Bake: Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut out the biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are touching each other. Brush the tops with a bit of buttermilk.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and the bottoms are lightly browned. For best results, rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking.
- Serve Warm: Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving warm. Enjoy these delicious biscuits with your Thanksgiving feast!
⏱️ Timing Overview
• Cook time: 12-15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
🍽️ Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is an estimate per serving, based on 8 servings.
• Protein: 4 g
• Sodium: 563 mg
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Fat: 11 g
• Fiber: 1 g
🌱 Make It Your Own: Substitutions and Ideas
• To Make it Vegan: Substitute the butter with cold, cubed vegan butter, and use unsweetened almond or oat milk in place of the buttermilk. Omit the dried herbs and use your favorite vegan-friendly spices instead.
• To Add a Spicy Kick: Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a teaspoon of hot sauce to the dry ingredients for a subtle heat. You can also top the baked biscuits with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes for a sweet and spicy contrast.
🍽️ Finishing Touches and Serving Ideas
• Garnish Suggestions: Garnish the warm biscuits with a pat of butter, a drizzle of honey, or a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley for a beautiful and delicious presentation.
• Beverage Pairing: These biscuits pair wonderfully with a crisp, dry white wine or a refreshing sparkling cider for a festive touch.
💡 Your Guide to a Flawless Execution
• Mistake 2 – Using Warm Butter: For the best texture, it’s crucial that the butter is cold when you cut it into the dry ingredients. Warm butter will melt and create a greasy, dense biscuit rather than the desired flaky layers.
• Mistake 3 – Not Preheating the Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated to the correct temperature before baking the biscuits. This will ensure they rise properly and develop a beautiful golden-brown crust.
📦 Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
• Freezing: You can freeze the unbaked biscuits for up to 3 months. To do this, place the cut biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to bake, simply place the frozen biscuits on a baking sheet and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 15-20 minutes.
• Reheating: To reheat leftover biscuits, place them on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and lightly crisped on the outside.
❓ FAQs
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of self-rising flour. Just be sure to add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt as specified in the ingredient list.
How do I get the biscuits to rise higher?
To help the biscuits rise higher, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. Additionally, be very gentle when handling the dough, and avoid overworking it. The key is to keep the butter cold and to fold the dough rather than kneading it, which can develop the gluten and result in a tough texture.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the biscuit dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Just be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before shaping and baking the biscuits. This will help them rise properly.
How do I get a flakier texture?
For an extra flaky texture, try grating the cold butter into the dry ingredients instead of cubing it. This will create thinner layers of butter that will result in more pronounced flakes in the final biscuits. You can also try folding the dough a few more times before cutting out the biscuits.
Can I use whole wheat flour?
While you can use whole wheat flour in this recipe, it will result in a denser, heartier biscuit. The texture won’t be as light and flaky as with all-purpose flour. If you’d like to use whole wheat, try substituting up to 25% of the all-purpose flour to maintain a good balance of flavors and texture.
🙌 Final Thoughts on This Amazing Recipe
These 30-Minute, Flavorful Thanksgiving Biscuits are truly a gift that will elevate your holiday feast. The perfect combination of tender, flaky texture and irresistible savory flavor makes them the ideal accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal. Whether you enjoy them on their own, soaked in gravy, or as a vessel for your favorite holiday toppings, these biscuits are sure to become a new family tradition.
So gather your loved ones, put on your apron, and get ready to bake up a batch of these incredible Thanksgiving Biscuits – your taste buds (and your guests) will thank you!
30-Minute, Flavorful Thanksgiving Biscuits Recipe
⏱️ Timing Overview
🥘 Ingredients
📝 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, thyme, sage, and black pepper.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Pour the cold buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently mix until the dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over itself 3-4 times, using your hands to shape it into a round disc about 3/4-inch thick.
- Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut out the biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are touching each other. Brush the tops with a bit of buttermilk.
- Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and the bottoms are lightly browned. For best results, rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving warm. Enjoy these delicious biscuits with your Thanksgiving feast!
