These homemade Shortcake Biscuits (aka Sweet Biscuits) are a family favorite. Made with 6 simple ingredients including, butter, sugar, and half-n-half, this sweet tender biscuit recipe is perfect for strawberry shortcakes, one of my favorite summertime desserts. The biscuits are baked on high heat, doubling in height and the final biscuits are buttery, flaky, and irresistible.
My favorite part of summer is all the fresh local berries, especially strawberries. We typically kick off the season by serving strawberry shortcakes on Mother's Day. And you can't have strawberry shortcake without a good shortcake biscuit.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor: Using a combination of unsalted butter and half-n-half gives these biscuits a rich buttery taste. The sugar makes these biscuits sweeter than normal biscuits which is what you want for a dessert biscuit.
Texture: The combination of butter and half-n-half also produces a tender crumb that is more cake-like, which is perfect for dessert. I use a tri-fold method (see the pictures below) to create layers of butter which causes the biscuit to rise high in the oven.
Shortcake Biscuit Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you need to make these biscuits. One of the most important things to remember is to use cold butter and half-n-half.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the structure for these biscuits, therefore it's important to use all-purpose flour. In my recipe testing, I found that Bob's Red Mill flour gave me the best results. The biscuits rose higher and were flakier.
- Unsalted Butter: The butter needs to be cold for these biscuits to rise properly. Cube the cold butter, then stick it back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to ensure it is cold.
- Half-n-Half: Using half-n-half makes these sweet biscuits taste richer and more buttery than regular biscuits. The half-n-half needs to be cold. This extra fat makes the biscuit tender and more cake-like making them perfect for dessert
- Baking Powder: Check the expiration date on the baking powder packing. Baking powder can expire and lose its ability to help baked goods rise.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make the Shortcake Biscuits
Baking Tip - Keep it Cold
Start with cold butter and cold hands. Don't remove the half-n-half from the refrigerator until ready to add it to the dry ingredients. If making these biscuits on a warm day, stick the flour in the refrigerator in a covered container for about 30 minutes to chill the flour.
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter.
Step 2: Add the cubed butter to the flour and toss it around to coat the butter pieces with flour.
Step 3: use your fingertips to gently pinch and flatten pieces of butter against the sides of the flour well.
Step 4: Add the half-n-half and mix it in with a spatula. The dough will be soft, sticky, and cool to the touch.
Step 5: Place the dough on a well-floured work surface.
Step 6: Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle.
Step 7: Fold the top third of the dough towards the center then fold the bottom portion over the top half. Rotate the dough 45 degrees.
Step 8: Roll out the dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Reroll the dough and cut out the additional biscuits, for a total of 8 biscuits.
Baking Tip - Biscuit Cutters
Use a biscuit cutter for these biscuits. Biscuit cutters have a sharp edge that will produce a clean cut that allows the biscuits to rise. Do not use a makeshift cutter with rounded edges (like a drinking glass). Rounded edges compress the sides of the dough, leading to misshapen biscuits that don't rise properly.
Step 9: Place the unbaked biscuits on the baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 10: Brush the tops of the biscuit with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 425°F for 10-12 minutes until doubled in height and golden brown on top.
Freezing the Biscuits: The unbaked biscuits can be frozen and baked later. See the recipe card for instructions on how to freeze the biscuits.
How to Serve The Biscuits
My favorite way to eat these sweet biscuits is as part of Strawberry Shortcake. But you can also eat them plain with butter, your favorite jam, or a delicious fruit curd, like Strawberry Curd.
How to Store the Biscuits
The biscuits are best eaten on the day they are made, but they can be stored at room temperature and leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.
Room temperature: Freshly baked sweet biscuits can be stored at room temperature if you plan to eat within a day or two. Store them in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: Wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. Store them for up to 1 week.
Freezer: Cool the biscuits completely. Wrap each one in plastic wrap. Put them in a freezer-safe bag and label the bag with the date. Freeze the biscuits for up to 2 months.
Recipe Tips for Success
- Weigh Your Ingredients: For the best results weigh your flour and butter. Why? The final weight of flour can vary anywhere from 4-6 ounces per cup depending on how you measure it. Too much flour will result in dry biscuits. In the US sticks of butter can range anywhere from 103 grams to 112 grams depending on the manufacturer.
- Keep It Cold: Keep your butter and half-n-half cold so the biscuits rise high in the oven. If your hands are normally warm, run them under cold water before making the dough.
- Serve Immediately: These biscuits are best eaten warm on the day they are made. They can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature, but why wait?
If you make these delicious shortcake biscuits please leave a rating and a comment below. If you have questions email me and I'll be happy to help.
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Homemade Sweet Shortcake Biscuits (for Strawberry Shortcake)
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2-1/3 cups (292 grams ) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup (240 ml) half-n-half cold
Biscuit Topping
- 1-1/2 tablespoons (21 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together. Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients and toss the butter with your hands until the cubes are coated with the flour mixture. Use your fingers to flatten the pieces of butter and work them into the flour. Work the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with just a few large pieces. You can also use a pastry cutter, but I prefer to use my hands.
- Add all the half and half and use a silicone spatula to mix it into the ingredients. The dough should be cool and sticky.
- Flour your working surface. Turn the dough onto the floured work surface. Dust your hands with flour. Use your fingers to press the dough into a rectangle, roughly 6x8-inches. Fold the top half of the dough towards the center, and then fold the bottom half over the top half. Use a bench scraper to help lift and fold the dough. If the surface is sticky add more flour.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees or a 1/4 turn. Press the dough again into a rectangle and repeat the folds. Repeat the process of pressing and folding the dough again. Now press out the dough into a rectangle until it’s about 3/4-inch thick. Use the bench scraper to square the ends and sides.
- Use a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut out about 4 biscuits. Fold the remaining dough and press it out until it’s 3/4-inch thick and cut out the biscuits. You should end up with 6-8 biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1/2-inch apart. Chill the biscuits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- About 15 minutes before you’re ready to bake preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the biscuits from the refrigerator. Brush the tops with melted butter and then sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar.
- Bake the biscuits 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown and doubled in height.
Serving the Biscuits
- The biscuits are best served the same day with strawberry shortcake, plain with butter or with your favorite jam.
Storing the Biscuits
- Room temperature: The biscuits can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container if you plan to eat within a day or two.
- Refrigerator: Wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. Store them for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: This is the best option for storing sweet biscuits for several months. Here are some key points for freezing:Cool completely: Make sure the biscuits are completely cool before freezing. This prevents ice crystals from forming and affecting the texture.Wrap tightly: Wrap each biscuit in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer safe bag or container.Label and date: Label the bag or container with the type of biscuit and the date it was frozen. This helps you track how long they've been stored.
Ute says
Hello Cheryl, I‘m from Germany and don‘t know ‚half n half‘. Can you please explain so I can find a similar product .
Greetings Ute
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Ute
This is a great question. In the United States half-n-half is a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. If you don't have half-n-half you can make your own by combining 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 3/4 cup of whole milk to get 1 cup of half-n-half. This assumes that the whole milk is 3.8% fat and the heavy cream is 36% fat. Let me know if you have more questions.
Lenora says
My favorite birthday dessert is strawberry shortcake and have made many different biscuit recipes including my mom’s! This recipe was fantastic and my husband says the best one ever!! Don’t hesitate to try it!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Lenora
Thank you so much for trying this biscuit recipe and your wonderful review. Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite summer desserts, so it makes me extra happy to hear you enjoyed these sweet biscuits (and for your birthday too), especially with such high praise from your husband. I’m honored this recipe ranks up there with your longtime favorites.😁
Maria says
Really delicious and the dough came together perfectly. Thank you for a great recipe!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Maria
Thank you for this review. I'm so glad you enjoyed these bsicuits.