> originally published on February 16, 2019 | updated on September 8, 2021 <

The Most Delicious Cheddar Chive Biscuit Recipe

Honestly, this is one of my favorite recipes on the blog.  It’s the recipe that my friends and family rave about, the one they make every weekend, and the one we all love. 

My cheddar chive biscuit recipe come together in under 30 minutes (with baking time included), and it makes six total drop biscuits.  Perfect for a weekend brunch for two or three, or a side dish for breakfast for dinner.  (Brinner, right, if that’s still a thing?) 🙂

What are Drop Biscuits?

Drop biscuits are biscuits that aren’t rolled and cut out, but rather the dough is scooped and dropped onto a baking sheet.  Drop biscuit dough typically has baking powder, and ideally has other pantry-friendly ingredients to make for a very easy recipe.

These cheddar chive drop biscuits are super quick, too.  Like my other small batch biscuits, they’re also made with pantry staples (besides the cheddar and chives), so they aren’t very high maintenance.  Drop biscuits look way different than rolled biscuits, and don’t have all of the flaky layers inside.  They’re crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and super delicious.

Ingredients for Buttermilk Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits:

• 4 tbsp. VERY cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• ½ tsp, kosher salt
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese*
• ¼ cup chopped green onions (or chives)
• ½ cup buttermilk

IMPORTANT INGREDIENT NOTES & RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. The butter has to be as cold as you can get it.  Be sure to pop the butter in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients (like combining the dry ingredients, grating the cheese, and chopping the green onions.)  I love to use the large holes on a box grater to grate frozen butter, because it makes the butter pieces equal sizes, and they stir into the dry ingredients really well this way!  If you aren’t immediately stirring the butter in the dry ingredients, pop the bowl of grated butter in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. 
2. If you’re using Diamond Kosher salt, I use ¾ teaspoon.  Anything else would need the ½ teaspoon measurement as directed.
3. Buy a block of cheddar cheese and grate it on the same large holes in the box grater that you used to grate the butter.  Grating cheese from a block of cheese is better for melting cheese into recipes.  If you buy cheese that is already shredded, it has anti-caking agents in it, which doesn’t make it *quite* as melty as block cheese.  Packaged shredded cheese will totally work if necessary, though!
4. Use a cheddar cheese that you like.  In my original post, I said “use gooooood cheese“.  A lot of flavor in these drop biscuits comes from the cheese, so make sure it’s the cheese you really like.  I originally used Vermont cheddar because it’s sharp, and I love that.  It’s also white, so it looks good in these drop biscuits. But use a mild cheddar if you prefer, or just whatever you love!
5. Green onions, chives, or both are perfect in this recipe.  Green onions (or scallions) are bigger and thicker than chives, which are the itty bitty version of green onions that are usually used as a garnish.  While green onions may add some extra moisture to the dough, it won’t be enough to really affect the texture.  Both green onions and chives pack a lot of flavor and texture into these biscuits, so use whatever you have on hand (or whatever you can find easily)!  If you do buy chives and have some leftover, I love to use them on spicy shrimp risotto, cajun linguine, and spicy white cheddar beer cheese soup!

When you’re mixing the buttermilk into the dry ingredients, be sure to mix it JUST until it comes together.  Don’t over-mix the batter, and don’t squish it all together.  Doing so will create a dense biscuit, and that’s not the texture we want.  The light, fluffy insides of these biscuits depends on your lack of effort, so don’t try too hard. 🙂

STEPS FOR MAKING THESE SMALL BATCH DROP BISCUITS:

1. Pop the butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes, and preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the super cold butter into a bowl.  Pop the bowl of grated butter into the freezer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.  Use a fork to mix in the butter, and thoroughly coat it all with dry ingredients.
4. Stir in the cheese and chives until fully blended.  Mix in the buttermilk until just combined.  (It may seem that the dough is not coming together at first, and it may seem dry, but just keep gently mixing it together until a shaggy dough is formed.  It may take a couple of minutes, but it will happen!)
5. Use a measuring cup to scoop out ¼ cup portions of dough.  Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (you may need to use a spoon to help the dough come out of the measuring cup).  Repeat six times.  Bake the biscuits at 425 F for 15-17 minutes, until golden brown.

Pre-baking note:  The pre-baked biscuit shouldn’t be flat, but rather like a dough ball that you dropped onto a flat surface.  Drop biscuits won’t change shape very much as they bake, so how you drop them will basically be how they come out!

These biscuits really are easy and amazing!  I know I mentioned it in the steps, but the dough will take a couple of minutes to come together.  It may seem dry, but just keep pushing the wet dough into the dry parts, and it will work.  I promise!  Just don’t over-mix it; once it comes together, stop mixing and start scooping.

Another note I want to include is that if you aren’t going to bake these immediately, keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready.  If the butter melts before the biscuits bake, it can make the biscuits dense and way less appetizing.  We want the butter to stand on its own as much as possible before it goes in the oven!

Other Delicious Small Batch Breakfast Recipes:

Small Batch Sausage Gravy

Small Batch Flaky Biscuits for Two

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese with Avocado

If you make these drop biscuits and love them, I would love for you to comment below!  Or tag me on Instagram so I can see them, too!  And as always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me so I can help!

xx Sara