Quick and Easy Cornmeal Biscuits

These cornmeal biscuits swap part of the flour for yellow cornmeal, giving a classic buttermilk biscuit a slightly sandy texture and a faint sweetness that plain flour alone doesn’t have.

Cold butter cut into the dry ingredients is what creates the flaky layers once the biscuits hit the oven, as little pockets of butter melt and release steam, pushing the layers apart as they bake.

They come out tall, golden on top, and tender enough to pull apart by hand, with just enough structure from the cornmeal to hold together when split and buttered.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Why You’ll Love These Cornmeal Biscuits

• The cornmeal adds texture and a faint sweetness that a standard all-flour biscuit doesn’t have.
• Cold butter cut into the dough creates real flaky layers without any special technique beyond keeping everything chilled.
• They come together quickly with no resting or proofing time, so they’re realistic for a weekday breakfast.
• The biscuits hold up well to both savory toppings like butter and honey, and sweeter ones like jam.
• They freeze well unbaked, so a batch can be portioned out and baked fresh whenever needed.

Ingredient Notes

Yellow cornmeal gives these biscuits their color and a slightly coarser crumb than an all-flour version. A finer grind cornmeal blends more smoothly into the dough, while a coarser, stone ground cornmeal adds more texture and a more pronounced bite.

Cold butter is essential here, not just for flavor but for the biscuit’s structure. As the biscuits bake, the cold butter pieces melt and release steam, which is what pushes the dough into flaky layers. Butter that’s softened before mixing won’t create that same effect.

Cold buttermilk helps keep the butter from softening too much as the dough comes together. Its acidity also reacts with the baking soda, giving the biscuits extra lift along with the baking powder.

Baking powder and baking soda are both doing separate jobs here. The baking powder provides most of the rise, while the baking soda reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk for an extra lift and a slightly more tender crumb.

A small amount of sugar rounds out the flavor without making these taste like a sweet biscuit. It plays well against the natural corn flavor of the cornmeal, giving a subtle warmth rather than an obvious sweetness.

How to Make Cornmeal Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces of butter still visible. Those visible pieces of butter are what create the flaky layers once baked.

Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together. It will look a little shaggy and not fully smooth, which is normal. Overmixing at this stage will make the biscuits dense instead of tender.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough in half, then pat it back out to 1 inch thick. Repeat this fold and pat process two more times, which helps build the layers that make the biscuits flaky.

Cut the biscuits using a round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting, since twisting seals the edges and can prevent the biscuits from rising as evenly. Place the cut biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet, with their sides touching, which helps them rise up rather than spreading out.

Brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen tall. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving warm, ideally split open with butter melting into the inside.

Tips for Success

• Keep the butter and buttermilk cold right up until they go into the dough, since warm ingredients won’t create the same flaky layers.
• Don’t twist the cutter when cutting the biscuits, since twisting seals the edges and limits how much they rise.
• Place the cut biscuits with their sides touching on the baking sheet, which encourages them to rise upward instead of spreading.
• Handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking it develops the gluten and makes the biscuits tougher.
• Brush the tops with buttermilk before baking for the best golden color.

Storage

Store leftover baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to bring back some of their texture, since a microwave will leave them tough. Unbaked, cut biscuits also freeze well. Freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.

FAQ

Can I use a different type of milk instead of buttermilk?

Buttermilk’s acidity is part of what gives these biscuits their rise and tenderness, so it’s worth seeking out. In a pinch, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and let it sit for five minutes as a substitute.

Why didn’t my biscuits rise very much?

This usually comes down to butter that was too warm, dough that was overworked, or biscuits that were twisted when cut. Fresh baking powder also matters, since an old container loses its strength over time.

Can I make these biscuits sweeter?

Yes. Increasing the sugar slightly, or adding a touch of honey to the dough, makes these lean more toward a sweet breakfast biscuit without changing the method.

What should I serve with these biscuits?

Butter and honey or jam are the simplest options, but they also work well alongside a savory breakfast, split and filled with egg, or served as a side with soup or chili.