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Cream Biscuits

These 3-ingredient cream biscuits are the easiest, quickest biscuits you’ll ever make! Fluffy and buttery, they’re everything you want in a homemade biscuit, minus the long list of ingredients.

Stack of white plates with two cream biscuits on top

Three-Ingredient Biscuits With Heavy Cream

My baking friends, I am so excited to share these biscuits with you. Being a Southern-bred girl, I’m generally always excited about biscuits. But what makes these cream biscuits even more thrilling is their amazing simplicity.

With just three ingredients, these are the quickest, easiest biscuits you’ll ever make. There’s no sacrifice of flavor with that short list of ingredients, as these biscuits are so, so tasty and wonderfully fluffy. Quick, easy, delicious… They are the magical unicorn of biscuits!

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself making a batch of these quick and easy cream biscuits quite frequently. We love them for breakfast with a bit of fruit preserves, but they’re also great alongside a bowl of soup or chili. Store them in your freezer so you have them on hand whenever you need them!

Stack of cream biscuits in bowl

Why You’ll Love This Cream Biscuits Recipe

Just some of the many reasons this recipe will be a favorite:

  • Three ingredients. Need I say more? Unlike traditional biscuits that require multiple ingredients and a lot of time, these cream biscuits cut down on both. You don’t even need to cut in the butter!
  • Versatile. These cream biscuits can be dressed up or down depending on your mood. Keep it simple with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey, or use them as the base for a biscuits and gravy breakfast.
  • Fluffy and buttery. These biscuits may be easy to make, but they are still incredibly delicious. The heavy cream creates a rich, tender crumb that will have you reaching for seconds (or thirds).
Overhead view of ingredients for cream biscuits

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

  • Self-rising flour – See my note below.
  • Heavy cream – Don’t substitute half-and-half here; you really need heavy cream for the perfect texture.
  • Unsalted butter – Instead of working this into the dough, you’ll brush it on top of the biscuits.

What Is Self-Rising Flour?

Self-rising flour is a type of flour that already contains baking powder and salt, making it the perfect choice for quick and easy baked goods like these cream biscuits. If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, you can make it! Learn more: How to Make Self-Rising Flour at Home

How to Make Cream Biscuits

You’re just a few minutes away from a batch of fluffy homemade biscuits! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 500°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. (If you use parchment paper, make sure it’s rated for high temperatures; some is only made to use up to 425ºF.)
  • Make the dough. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the cream, adding just enough to moisten and form a sticky dough.
  • Pat out the dough. Gather the dough into a ball, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Set a small reserve of flour to the side to use when cutting out the biscuits. Pat the dough with your hands until it’s about 1/2-inch thick; if the dough feels sticky, you can flour your hands to keep them from sticking.
  • Cut the biscuits. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved flour and cut as many biscuits as you can. Collect the scraps, pat them out again, and continue cutting out biscuits. Repeat until most of the dough has been used, then form the last bit of dough into a biscuit with your hands.
  • Bake. Set the biscuits on the prepared pan. For crisp sides, leave a bit of space between the biscuits; if you’d like soft sides, place them close so the sides touch. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.
Overhead view of cream biscuits on wire rack

Tips for Success

Read over my baking tips for beginners, then follow these additional pointers for perfect cream biscuits. 

  • Don’t over-mix the dough. Limit your mixing to the minimum amount needed to combine the ingredients. Too much mixing will lead to tough biscuits.
  • Use a biscuit cutter. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, I highly encourage you to get one, as they are designed specifically for cutting biscuits. They’re relatively inexpensive, and they’ll last you a good while. I’ve had the same set of biscuit cutters for many, many years. A thin circular cookie cutter will also work.
  • Don’t twist the cutter. Cut straight down with the biscuit cutter. Twisting can create a seal on the edges and cause the biscuits not to rise as they should.
Stack of cream biscuits on wire rack

Variations

The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a few adjustments to make a good thing even better!

  • Add herbs. Minced fresh rosemary, chives, or even herbes de Provence would be fantastic additions to these cream biscuits.
  • Make them peppery. For a little savory bite, add a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper to the dough.
  • Make them sweet. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the biscuits before baking.
  • Add some texture and flavor. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese or bacon bits.

Serving Suggestions

I adore these biscuits with a pat of butter and a good jam. You can also use them as the base for a breakfast sandwich by adding eggs, bacon, and cheese, or serve them as an accompaniment to any meal.

Overhead view of cream biscuits on platter

How to Store

These biscuits are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

Yes, these cream biscuits freeze well. Just place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and then heat in the oven, microwave, or toaster. 

Two biscuits on plate with one sliced and covered with jam

More Biscuit Recipes

Cream Biscuits

Yield 12 biscuits
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

You're just 3 ingredients and a few minutes away from a batch of from-scratch biscuits!

Overhead view of cream biscuits on plates with jam

Ingredients

  • 1 & 3/4 cups (210g) self-rising flour
  • 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper that's rated for high temperatures.
  2. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in the cream, adding just enough to moisten and form a sticky dough.
  3. Gather the dough into a ball, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Put a small reserve of flour to the side to use when cutting out the biscuits. Pat the dough until it's about 1/2-inch thick. (Lightly flour your hands if necessary.)
  4. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved flour. Cut out as many biscuits as possible. Then gather the dough once more and continue cutting out biscuits.
  5. Place the biscuits on the prepared pan. For crisp sides, leave a bit of space between the biscuits. For soft sides, place them so that the sides are touching. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from White Lily.

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    29 Comments on “Cream Biscuits”

  1. These have to be outstanding–I use Chinese Grandma’s recipe for scones and it uses heavy cream! No butterinside

    • (Pressed a wrong button)on previous comment! Anyways, cream inside scones, and I melt butter for top, these biscuits sound pretty much like that so they have to be the best ever! Simple but outstanding. Thanks so much for the recipe!

  2. I love how classic and delicious these biscuits look-and since you’re Southern I trust that they’re legit!

  3. I love the ingredient list for these biscuits. Can’t wait to make them!

  4. I can hardly wait to make these biscuits. I’m a Chef and I truly enjoy recipes with only a few ingredients and simple steps after making complicated dishes all day, I enjoy making easy yet tasty food at home. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Please share more. Thanks so much!

  5. I cook for just myself so could I cut ingredients in half for less yield?
    What is the shelf life for these biscuits?

    • Hi, Gerald. Yes, you can half the recipe without making any other changes. These biscuits will keep for a few days in an airtight container. I like to re-heat mine a little after a couple of days.

  6. I tried this recipe and the biscuits were fantastic! I can’t believe how easy it was.
    Can I double the recipe, and also, can they be frozen before they’re baked?

    • Hi, Kathy. I’m so glad you liked them! Doubling the recipe shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve never tried freezing them, but that should work, too. After you cut them out, place them on a lined baking sheet and put in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight freezer bag. Add the melted butter to the tops when you’re ready to bake them. The biscuits may take a bit longer to bake because the dough will be cold.

  7. Hi, can i use cooking cream instead of the heavy cream. Is it going to give me the same result.??
    Thanks

  8. Interesting that there is no salt in these, how does that work flavor wise? Thanks for this btw….such a simple recipe…I like that about these having struggled with biscuits in the past.

  9. Can i make my own self-rising flour for these or do i need to use store bought? It’s something i normally don’t buy.

  10. Parchment paper should only be used up to 400 degrees!

  11. I tried this recipe yesterday and the biscuits turned out so good! I love Popeyes’ biscuits and these were similar to them. Thank you so much for such an easy and yummy recipe 🙂

  12. Can I use two percent milk instead of cream I have none?

    • Hi, Patricia. You’ll probably have better luck combining melted butter and milk so that you’ll get closer to the consistency of cream. Try 1/4 cup of melted butter and 3/4 cup milk.

  13. Could you substitute evaporated milk for heavy cream? Would that affect the taste of the biscuits?

    • Hi, Glenda. In theory, you can substitute evaporated milk for heavy cream when baking. However, with so few ingredients in this recipe, any change is likely to have an effect in taste or texture.

  14. While these sound great I make very few things with self rising flour.
    So for me these are not 3 ingredient biscuits..
    I am sure I am not the only one that does not keep self rising flour as a staple and you should print an alternate recipe or add how to make “self rising flour”
    For each Cup of flour add 1 1/2 teaspoons for Baking Powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

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