Light and Tender Cream Biscuits

Short of a box mix, this cream biscuit is the simplest biscuit out there.

Batch of cream biscuits resting in an earthenware bowl

Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

Why It Works

  • Heavy cream provides rich butterfat that gives the biscuits tenderness and flavor, as well as moisture from its water content.
  • The formula requires minimal mixing, reducing the risk of too much gluten development.

"A biscuit recipe without butter shouldn't be trusted. Without butter, how would the biscuits become soft and tender? They'd lack that important buttery flavor...it's just not right."

These were the thoughts that went through my head as I entered a third round of biscuit-making and recipe testing, after first tackling flaky biscuits and drop biscuits. But my doubts about whether cream-only biscuits could measure up to their butter-rich counterparts were shattered once I took my first bite. The cream biscuits were light and tender with a rich, milky flavor. They formed a delicately thin crust that contained an almost downy-like interior. I could go on, but the biscuits are blushing.

Overhead shot of ingredients needed for cream biscuits

Serious Eats / Marissa Sertich Velie

Short of a box mix, the cream biscuit is by far the simplest biscuit formula out there. You just whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and then gently stir in some heavy cream. That's it. In fact, the biscuit dough will probably be done before your oven has fully preheated. How could something so basic and easy be so tasty? It comes down to beautiful, full-fat heavy cream.

The Magic of Heavy Cream

There may not be butter in cream biscuits, but there's still a lot of butterfat. This recipe works because heavy cream is essentially an emulsion of butterfat globules suspended in milk. It's this fat that gives cream its characteristically thick, mouth-coating texture. The fat crystals are so small that they're undetectable in the mouth, yet, at the same time, they are large enough to give cream a full-bodied consistency. In the United States, heavy cream contains between 36- and 40-percent fat. In other words, it plays the roll of both a fat and a liquid, giving the dough tenderness and flavor from the fat, as well as moisture from its water content. This is why we don't use any buttermilk in this recipe; it's simply not fatty enough to provide a tender crumb.

What about Self-Rising Flour?

During my biscuit adventures, I came across many cream biscuit recipes that used self-rising flour. You could use self-rising flour in this recipe. Since self-rising flour already contains baking powder (and typically salt), simply omit those ingredients and replace the all-purpose flour with an equal weight of self-rising flour. The final result will be nearly identical, although the self-rising flour creates an ever-so-slightly cakier texture. I use all-purpose flour in this cream biscuit formula because it allows for more control over the exact amount of leavening and salt content. For example, self-rising flour typically contains about 1 tablespoon of baking powder per two cups of flour, while our biscuit formula contains 1 1/2 tablespoons per two cups. Is this going to make or break the recipe? No it won't. (Plus, you could always add additional baking powder to a self-rising flour...but doesn't that defeat its convenience?) Basically, if you're a recipe control-freak like me, self-rising flour doesn't allow for exact leavening or salt measurements.

Cream Biscuits, Some Tips

Dry ingredients for cream biscuits being mixed in a large glass bowl

Serious Eats / Marissa Sertich Velie

For those of you who might be raising an eyebrow to the addition of sugar, this recipe uses it as more of a seasoning than a sweetener. The small amount of sugar enhances cream's natural flavor, without making the biscuit noticeably sweet.

The beauty of this recipe is that it takes very little effort to incorporate the liquid and, therefore, the risk of too much gluten formation is minimal.

These biscuits are best when they're freshly baked, so allow them to cool slightly and then serve them warm.

Freshly baked cream biscuits on a baking sheet.

Serious Eats / Marissa Sertich Velie

June 2014

Recipe Details

Light and Tender Cream Biscuits

Prep 15 mins
Cook 15 mins
Active 5 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 12 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (11 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (.6 ounce) baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon (.2 ounce) kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

    Whisking dry ingredients for cream biscuits in mixing bowl

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  2. Add heavy cream and stir gently with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients are just moistened.

    Stirring cream into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  3. Turn out dough onto a lighted floured work surface. Using your hands, fold it one or two times so it becomes a cohesive mass and press it down to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out biscuits as closely together as possible and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Gather together scraps, pat down, and cut out more biscuits. Discard any remaining scraps.

    Collage of flattening and cutting biscuit dough

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

  4. Bake the biscuits in a 400°F (205°C) oven until risen and golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

    Collage of unbaked and baked biscuits on a baking sheet5

    Serious Eats / Liz Clayman

Special Equipment

Whisk, 2-inch round cookie cutter, rimmed baking sheet

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
201 Calories
11g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 201
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 375mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 125mg 10%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 56mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)