Small Batch Buttermilk Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits

> originally published on February 16, 2019 | updated on September 8, 2021, then again with process shots on October 19, 2023. <

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 drop biscuits recipe comes 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 that make this 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.

Ingredient Notes

Cold Butter

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. 

Salt

If you’re using table salt, only use 1/4 tsp. If you’re using sea salt, stick with 1/2 tsp. I typically use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for all of my recipes, which in this case I increase the amount to 3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is less dense than other salts, so I use a little more than if I were using a different type of salt.

Cheese

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! 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 medium yellow cheddar if you prefer (like I did for my updated photos on this recipe), or just whatever cheddar cheese you love!

Chives / Green Onions

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. 🙂

Directions

Step-By-Step Recipe Guide

​See below for step-by-step photos and directions. These directions are a little more specific, and walk you through the entire process of making these Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits.

Make sure the butter is super cold. Pop the butter in the freezer for about ten minutes before using.

Preheat the oven / Prep the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients together. 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.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients. There are two ways to do this! First method: cut the super cold butter into one-tablespoon-sized squares, then cut each square into quarters to create very small butter cubes. Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients, and use your hands or a pastry cutter to gently mash the butter until it is the size of small pebbles and totally mixed in. Second method: Grate the super cold butter on the large holes of a box grater directly into the dry ingredients. Stir to thoroughly coat all of the grated butter. (I use this method in the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!)

If mixing in the butter by hand, you want it to resembled this crumbly mixture. Gently squeeze the butter cubes into the dry ingredients, slowly making them into smaller pieces and fully coating them with the dry ingredients. If you grab a handful of the mixture when you think it’s ready, it should loosely hold together for a moment before crumbling apart.

Add cheese and chives. Stir in the cheese and chives until fully blended. Note: I usually use a combination of chives and green onions. You can use all chives, all green onions, or any combination of the two to create 1/4 cup.

Stir in the buttermilk, and be a little patient. Mix in the buttermilk until just combined. Note: At first, it may seem that the dough is not coming together, and you may feel like you need to add more buttermilk. Don’t do it though; while the dough may seem dry for the first 30-45 seconds of mixing, just keep gently mixing it together. Eventually a shaggy dough is formed, and the ingredients will bind together.  It may take a couple of minutes, but it will happen!

Sometimes I switch to using my hands to finish this step, so I can be sure that any loose dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl are totally mixed in with everything else. Don’t overmix the dough. Once the dough comes together, stop mixing it. Overmixing the dough can make the biscuits dense, so try to avoid doing that if possible. The dough will be shaggy, and that’s exactly how you want it to be!

Another important note: If the dough seems super wet and tacky, or it feels like it has warmed up a little from the warmth of your hands, pop it into the refrigerator for about ten minutes before baking. If the butter is too warm (soft), the biscuits will not bake properly.

Scoop out biscuits and bake. 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. (If you have any leftover dough, just add a little to any of the slightly smaller biscuits so they’re all as equal in size as possible.) Pop the biscuits in the preheated oven, and bake at 425 F for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.

Important Tips:

I’ve mentioned these throughout the blog post and the step-by-step process, but I want to reiterate a couple of things so you can be super successful making these!

Make sure the butter is very cold. That is a key component in making good biscuits. The butter has to be cold when it is cut into the dry ingredients, and it still has to be cold when the biscuits go into the oven. The butter melts as the biscuits bake, which helps create flakiness and tenderness inside the biscuits. If the butter is too soft when the biscuits go into the oven, it can make the biscuits dense.

If you are not baking these biscuits right away, or you forgot to preheat the oven: Pop the biscuits in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them. You can make them a day ahead of time, portion them onto the prepared baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and keep them in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake them. If you forgot to preheat the oven: pop the biscuits into the freezer while the oven preheats. If you don’t have room in the freezer, the refrigerator will work. You do not need to cover them with plastic wrap if they will be in there for 15 minutes or less.

How to Store and Reheat Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits

To Store after Baking:

At room temperature: Store biscuits in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days. In the refrigerator: Store biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

To Reheat:

In the Oven: Place leftover biscuits on a small rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop them into the oven. Turn the oven heat to 350 F, allowing the biscuits to slowly heat up as the oven heats up. Once the oven comes to temperature, let the biscuits continue heating for another five minutes before taking them out.

In the Microwave: Wrap biscuits in a damp paper towel and reheat for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.

To Freeze Biscuits:

Allow the baked biscuits to cool completely, then wrap each one individually with heavy-duty foil. Place the foil-wrapped biscuits into a freezer safe ziptop bag, label the bag (because I always forget what are in mine), and freeze for up to two months. The biscuits have to be totally cooled before being wrapped and frozen! If they are still slightly warm, it could trap moisture inside of them and make them gummy once they’re thawed and baked again.

To reheat frozen biscuits, you can either allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and proceed with the reheating steps from above, OR you can transfer frozen biscuits to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover the biscuits with foil, then bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes.

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.

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