Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits

These Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits are the epitome of Southern joy in food form. They are fluffy, buttery, super soft, tender with the right amount of sweetness which is the perfect reminder of classic cornbread. Spruce up your mornings with a side of biscuits with jam or butter and eggs or add these biscuits as a side dish to your favorite meal. Dairy-Free option available.

Homemade biscuits are by far one of my favorite past times, especially since I grew up on them almost on a daily basis. So, of course I had to make good ole' drop biscuits which are a true staple in my house and are SUPER easy to make compared to traditional ones. Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits definitely live up to their name and you'll be fully satisfied with the comforting, sweet + savory flavor that reminds you of a good slice of tender cornbread, especially this Vegan Sweet Cornbread.

These drop biscuits are made with everyday pantry items, cornmeal, butter, buttermilk, and raw honey for a nice sweetness. If you're into fluffy, buttery, and super tender biscuits that just melt-in-your-mouth then this biscuit recipe is the perfect thing for you! Of course, I keep things more traditional with these Flaky Honey Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Sweet Potato Biscuits, and Garlic Herb Biscuit Recipe.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for all Reels and content, especially for these drop biscuits.

While you might think that making buttermilk biscuits from scratch is hard, it really isn't. Of course, you can always use standard biscuit cutters when making these biscuits (I mention to options in the recipe for shaping), however, this "scoop + bake" method is the easiest you'll get. It makes the biscuits come out almost in a "crumbly" texture. Plus, these biscuits have no rise time and can easily be made ahead of time and frozen for longer.

What is Biscuits Made of?

When it comes to baking biscuits, especially these drop biscuits, you'll need: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, buttermilk, and honey.

What You’ll Love Most About these Drop Biscuits

• Super easy. These biscuits as I've mentioned are so easy to whip together. You won't need any fancy equipment and just a good ole' wooden spoon and mixing bowl will do! Plus, for shaping, just a larger ice cream scoop does the trick or a regular tablespoon!
• Quick way to indulge. You won't have to worry about chilling the dough or spending a ton of time to whip together these biscuits. Just a mixing together and scooping unto the baking sheet is all that's needed.
• Taste just like cornbread! Although these are biscuits, they literally taste like sweet cornbread which just melts-in-your-mouth with every bite. Seriously addictive!
• Most incredible texture. The perfect balance between fluffy, soft, tender, and crisp in all the right places. Truly a winning texture for the entire family!
• Fun baking activity for entire family. This biscuit recipe is so easy and works for both beginner and advance bakers---making it a fun way to spend time as a family in the kitchen.
• Works for any meal! Did I mention that these biscuits are the best thing to eat for breakfast (with some butter or jam and a side of eggs, bacon, etc.), as a snack, or as a side for dinner. Yes!!

How to Make Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits

Overall, these fluffy drop biscuits aren't very hard to make at all. Like you would any biscuit or pastry recipe, you start with all COLD ingredients and adding the dry ingredients together followed by grated/cubed butter, the wet ingredients, and mixing everything together. Then you do the "scoop + bake" method and Wallah. Perfection!

Ingredients for Biscuits Recipe

For these honey butter cornbread drop biscuits, you'll only need the following handful of ingredients:

• All-purpose flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s organic flour, which add great texture. Again, quality matters! For a flakier biscuit, you can substitute with pastry flour. I love mixing both flours together for the best texture!
• Cornmeal. Use yellow cornmeal from Bob's Red Mill if you can. Most cornmeal is already gluten-free, but if necessary, double check that yours is certified.
• Baking powder and baking soda. Works as a leavener. See further post below to ensure that they are still fresh.
• Buttermilk. You can use store-bought buttermilk or make your own by mixing heavy cream + lemon juice together. For a dairy-free option, you can use plant-based milk + lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
• Unsalted butter. I like to bake with unsalted butter, however, you can substitute with salted butter and omit the additional salt.
• Honey. I love using organic raw honey as a great natural sweetener. You can also use maple syrup or organic cane sugar as well.

Tips for Making the Best Drop Biscuits

Creating the perfect soft, fluffy drop biscuits isn't a tough process once you follow these pro tips below:

TIP 1: VERY COLD INGREDIENTS ARE KEY!

Ensuring that your butter and buttermilk are COLD helps the biscuits to uphold their structure and expand nicely as they bake. This creates a light, fluffy texture which is exactly what you want!

TIP 2: PREPPING THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR SCOOPING + BAKING IS IMPORTANT!

I love using a larger ice cream scoop (that has the clicker) for the best results when scooping the biscuit dough. However, if you don't have this then you can totally scoop large chunks of dough using a standard tablespoon (slightly shaping with your hands) or a measuring cup (which should always be greased lightly to avoid sticking). As for baking, I always line a baking sheet with parchment paper to avoid sticking and for an easy retrieval once fully baked. But if you're using a skillet, then always grease a non-stick skillet for double protection.

TIP 3: DON'T OVER-MIX!!

Like many other baked goods, gently handling the dough is super important when mixing the wet and dry ingredients together. Unfortunately, over-mixing will create dense and tough biscuits which won't be so indulgent if you ask me. Haha.

TIP 4: PLACE BISCUITS NEXT TO EACH OTHER!

Placing your biscuits next to each other on the baking sheet will help them to rise up higher.

TIP 5: THE OVEN HAS TO BE HOT!

Much like other baking recipes, ensuring that your oven is preheated is super important! In addition, baking these biscuits at 400 degrees Fahrenheit ensures that they rise and crisp up nicely enough to cook through. 

Amazing Substitutes + Additions

• Different flour. You can swap out the all-purpose flour with a variety of types like pastry flour (for a fluffier texture), bread flour (for a more bread-like, thicker texture), and whole wheat flour (for a nuttier taste). I highly recommend mixing ANY of these flour types half and half along with the all-purpose flour so that the texture of the biscuit isn't changed too much!
• Milk instead of Buttermilk. I like to make my own version of buttermilk whenever I don't have actual buttermilk on hand and all you need is regular or dairy-free milk along with 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. You'll just need to let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly thickens and wallah.
• Butter substitute. If you don't want to use unsalted butter or don't have it on hand---no worries! You can totally substitute the butter with vegan butter for a dairy-free option (cut into pieces + cold) or use shortening or solid coconut oil.
• Cheesy biscuits. Much like my cheesy biscuits on top of my Chicken Pot Pie, you can totally add cheese to the mix for a nice cheesy flavor. I mean who doesn't like cheese with a hint of sweetness that reminds you of cornbread? Grated or shredded sharp or mild cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, or whatever is your favorite works!
• Herbs + Spices. For a kick of extra flavor, you can totally add herbs + seasonings to these drop biscuits, very similar to my Garlic Herb Biscuit Recipe.

How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh

Baking is such a science, but more importantly because certain ingredients like your leaveners (aka baking powder + baking soda) are completely fresh so that your drop biscuits (and other baked goods) fully rise and bake through nicely and are the right texture.

Incase you weren't aware, there's an easy to double check both the baking powder and baking soda. Here's what you need:

BAKING SODA HACK:

-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda with ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking soda needs to be replaced.

BAKING POWDER: 

-Add 1 teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup Hot tap water in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking powder needs to be replaced.

Can I Use Another Plant-Based Milk for my Buttermilk?

Yes, you can use any dairy-free milk you like to make the dairy-free option for your buttermilk. Here are some easy recipes to make your own milk that’s cheaper and so easy!

• Quinoa Milk
• Sesame Milk
• Coconut Milk
• Easy Homemade Creamy Cashew Milk
• Almond Milk
• How to Make Potato Milk
• Ultra Creamy Homemade Oat Milk
• Cauliflower Milk

What to Serve with Cornbread Drop Biscuits

Serving these warm, cozy Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits with something light like jam or butter works for those early morning that call for a side of tea or coffee. However, the great part about these drop biscuits is just how versatile they are! You can add gravy for a Southern classic dish or make these biscuits a side dish for dinner or breakfast (with a side of eggs, bacon, etc.).

Also, you can make a sandwich with things like chicken, ham or candied bacon for a sweet-savory food experience or add a fruit compote (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, etc.) for a nice twist on the shortcake experience.

Common Q + A's for these Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits!

More Delicious Southern Recipes to Try Next!

Now that you've fallen in love with these drop biscuits in this recipe, you'll want to check out these other Southern staples for the entire family:

• Creamy Southern Cheese Grits
• Lemon Brown Butter Pasta
• Biscoff Banana Pudding with Caramel
• Southern Honey Mustard Chicken Bacon Sandwich
• Baked Crunch Cinnamon French Toast
• One Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
• Southern-Style Cajun Pasta with Pecan Breadcrumbs
• Stovetop Southern Mac and Cheese
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
• Southern Peach Iced Tea
• Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you tried this Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you.

Fluffy Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits

September 13, 2023 •

By Shanika

4.86 from 7 votes

There's nothing as delicious as homemade Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits, a true fusions of two Southern staples---cornbread + biscuits! They make for the perfect side, breakfast meal with a bit of jam or butter and eggs, or even as a snack for a soft, tender bite.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Serves: 8 biscuits

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

BISCUITS:

• 2 cups organic all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tsps baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup VERY COLD unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 ¼ cups COLD buttermilk, homemade or store-bought (You can also mix together heavy cream + 1 tablespoon lemon juice; See Notes for Dairy-free option!)
• ¼ cup organic raw honey

HONEY BUTTER (FOR BRUSHING):

• 2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsps organic raw honey

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

TO MAKE HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK:

• If making your own buttermilk, add the organic heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together in a measuring cup, stirring to combine and allowing it to sit for 2-3 minutes until mixture has thickened. SEE NOTES for Dairy-free Buttermilk option.

TO MAKE THE BISCUITS:

• In a bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking them all together until combined.
• Add the COLD cubed butter and honey and using a pastry blender, blend butter + honey into dry ingredients until the mixture becomes “peas-like” and crumbly.
• Pour the COLD buttermilk and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened enough. NOTE: If the ingredients feels a little too dry, add 1 tablespoon of cold heavy cream (or buttermilk) at a time, until it’s moistened BUT not too wet!

ASSEMBLY + BAKE:

• Using a medium-size scoop, scoop (about 3 Tbsps or so) each biscuit dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1-2 inches between each biscuit for spreading when they bake. Repeat until all dough is made.

TO MAKE THE HONEY BUTTER:

• In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter + honey until combined. Once assembled, lightly brush generous amount of honey butter atop each biscuit.

BAKE THE BISCUITS:

• Bake in the oven 18-20 minutes (on the top rack) or until golden brown and everything looks crispy. Remove from oven and let cool until warm. Serve and enjoy!
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. To serve warm in the oven or heat in the microwave.
• FREEZER: See FAQ section for option!
• FOOD PROCESSOR FOR DOUGH: If using a food processor to incorporate buttermilk to flour/butter mixture, ONLY ADD ¼ cup of milk AT A TIME to your dough, keeping it on “pulse” to avoid the dough from breaking down too much and it becoming “watery”. 
• SALTED VS. UNSALTED BUTTER: You can always substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter. When doing so, you can omit the salt as an ingredient.
• SWEETENER OPTION: You can always substitute the honey with maple syrup if you'd like.
• DAIRY-FREE OPTION: See FAQ section to make these biscuits dairy-free!

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg

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