Butter Biscuits with Molasses
intro
Tender, flaky Southern butter biscuits drizzled with rich, earthy molasses, offering a perfect sweet-savory balance for cozy cold-weather spreads.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack positioned in the middle. Line a 23cm (9-inch) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 5cm (2-inch) overhang on two sides for easy biscuit removal after baking.
Combine dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 240g spooned and leveled all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (14g) baking powder, and 1 teaspoon (5g) fine sea salt for 30 seconds until fully evenly combined, with no visible clumps of baking powder remaining.
Cut in cold butter
Add the 113g of cold 1cm (0.4-inch) cubed butter to the dry flour mix. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to press the butter into flat, pea-sized pieces coated in flour, working quickly over 2 minutes so the butter stays cold and does not soften from hand heat.
Form biscuit dough
Pour 180ml (3/4 cup) cold full-fat buttermilk into the flour-butter mix, and stir with a wooden spoon for only 15-20 seconds until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms; do not overmix, as this will produce tough, dense biscuits. Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with the 2 tablespoons (16g) of reserved dusting flour, and pat it into a uniform 2.5cm (1-inch) thick rectangle.
Cut and bake biscuits
Use a 5cm (2-inch) round biscuit cutter to cut 8 straight-down rounds from the dough (do not twist the cutter, as this seals the dough edges and prevents high, even rising). Arrange the biscuits touching each other in the prepared pan, and bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown and the edges are crisp.
Add molasses topping
Remove the baked biscuits from the oven, and immediately brush the tops with 2 tablespoons (28g) of melted unsalted butter. Let the biscuits cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then drizzle each biscuit evenly with the 120ml (1/2 cup) unsulphured molasses, letting the thick syrup soak into the warm flaky layers before serving.
Tips
2.Never twist your biscuit cutter when pressing out dough rounds: twisting pinches the dough edges closed, which prevents biscuits from rising tall and evenly while baking.
3.For a spiced variation, stir 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger into the molasses before drizzling to add warm, aromatic notes that pair perfectly with the rich molasses flavor.
OMG these biscuits are SO good! I made them for Sunday breakfast last weekend and slathered extra salted butter on top while they were still warm. Total game changer, even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds. 10/10 will make again.
Super easy recipe, took me exactly 30 minutes start to finish like it said! Only thing is I didn’t have light molasses so I used dark, and it came out a little more robust than I expected, still tasty though.
Brought these to my office potluck yesterday and they were gone in 10 minutes flat. Multiple coworkers asked for the recipe, can’t beat that! The flaky layers are *chef’s kiss*.
Wait, do I need to use cold butter for this? I usually make biscuits with frozen grated butter for extra flakiness, curious if that trick works here too.
As someone who burns literally every baked good I try, I was shocked how perfectly these turned out! No fancy equipment needed, just a bowl and a baking sheet. Saved this to my meal prep rotation for quick breakfasts all week.
My grandma used to make almost identical biscuits when I was little, and this recipe tastes exactly like I remember! The hint of molasses is so warm and cozy, perfect for these cold fall evenings. I served them with chili last night and it was chef’s kiss.
Pretty good, but I found them a tiny bit too sweet for my taste when paired with savory food. Next time I’ll cut the molasses by a tablespoon to make them a little more neutral. Still, super flaky and buttery, great texture.
Made these for my kid’s soccer team snack after their Saturday game, and all the parents were raving! I even made little ham sliders with the leftover biscuits for Sunday lunch and they were incredible. 10/10, zero complaints.
Y’all. I ate three of these straight off the baking sheet before I even remembered to set the table. That melted butter + molasses drizzle on top? Game. Changer. Don’t skip that step, trust me.
I was nervous these would be dense because I’ve never made biscuits with molasses before, but they came out so light and fluffy! I did brush the tops with a little extra melted butter when they came out of the oven, which I highly recommend.
Perfect easy side for weeknight dinners! I don’t have a ton of time to bake after work, so 30 minute recipes are my love language. These paired so well with the fried chicken I made last night.
These are just okay for me. I think I overworked the dough because they came out a little chewy instead of flaky. Flavor was good, but texture was off. I’ll try again and be more gentle with the dough next time.
Made a double batch of these on Sunday to eat for breakfast throughout the week. I just pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds in the morning and it tastes just as fresh as the day I baked them! Way better than the store bought frozen biscuits I used to buy.
So happy I found this! I’ve been looking for an old-fashioned molasses biscuit recipe that doesn’t have a million weird additives, and this is exactly what I wanted. Tastes like something straight out of my great-aunt’s 1950s recipe box.
Made these for our football watch party last weekend and they were a total hit! I set out little dishes of apple butter, honey, and extra butter for people to top them with, and everyone was customizing their own. Will absolutely be making these for every game day this season.
I swapped the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour and these came out amazing! I was so worried the texture would be gritty, but they were just as flaky and buttery as regular biscuits. 10/10 for gluten free folks looking for a good biscuit recipe.
I drizzled a tiny bit of extra molasses on top of my warm biscuits and added a sprinkle of cinnamon, and it tasted like a cozy fall treat. Not too sweet, just perfect with a cup of black coffee on a rainy morning.
Okay, I’ve never successfully made biscuits in my life — they always turn into hard, flat pucks. I followed this recipe exactly, didn’t overwork the dough, used super cold butter, and they actually ROSE! I’m so proud of myself, these are so good.