This copycat recipe will give you light and fluffy biscuits just like you get at Cracker Barrel restaurants. Cracker Barrel is said to only use White Lily brand flour, so use that brand for the closest results to what they serve at the restaurant.
2 cups White Lily self-rising flour
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
melted butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the flour in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the buttermilk and mix well for 1 minute.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut as desired with biscuit cutters.
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush immediately with the melted butter.
Serve biscuits warm.
Use very cold buttermilk to help achieve flaky biscuits.
Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent the biscuits from becoming tough.
For uniform cooking, try to cut all your biscuits the same size, ideally using a biscuit cutter.
If you prefer softer edges, place the biscuits close together on the baking sheet. For crispier edges, space them farther apart.
Brushing the biscuits with melted butter right after baking adds flavor and a soft crust.
For a richer flavor, brush the biscuits with melted garlic butter instead of plain melted butter.
Try adding different herbs or spices like rosemary, chives, or garlic powder to add flavor variety.
For a sweeter biscuit, add a tablespoon of sugar to the dry ingredients.
When cutting biscuits, make sure to press down without twisting the cutter to help them rise evenly.
Serve biscuits with honey, jam, or gravy.
Try using a cast-iron skillet to bake the biscuits for a crispy edge.
If desired, swap half of the buttermilk with cream for an ultra-rich texture.
Don't over-knead the dough; overworking it can lead to dense biscuits.
Baking at a high temperature is key to achieving a nice rise and golden color.
Yes, but you need to add baking powder and salt. Add 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 2 cups all-purpose flour in place of self-rising flour.
It's best to bake the biscuits immediately after making the dough for the best rise and texture.
Rolling the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness is ideal for proper rise and fluffy biscuits.
You can use the rim of a small glass or cup to cut out the biscuits.
While shortening is traditional for this recipe, you can use cold butter as a substitute. However, this may slightly change the flavor and texture.
Biscuits freeze very well. You can either bake them and cool them completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat in a 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Or, cut the biscuits out from the dough and place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, transfer the biscuits to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake them from frozen, at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until done.
Cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
White Lily flour is a brand of flour known for its soft wheat content, which makes it lower in protein and gluten. This results in lighter, fluffier baked goods, particularly biscuits.
Self-rising flour is pre-mixed with baking powder and salt, allowing for a lighter texture and quicker preparation as you don't need to add leavening agents separately.
Buttermilk is soured milk that adds moisture and tang to recipes. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute with milk mixed with vinegar or lemon juice (1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice) then measure our the amount needed for the recipe.
The biscuits are done when they have risen nicely and are golden brown on top. You can also tap the top lightly; if it sounds hollow, they are likely cooked through.
Rolling out the dough too thin can lead to flatter, denser biscuits. Aim for about 3/4-inch thickness for best rise.
Use very cold ingredients, especially the shortening and buttermilk. Also, avoid over-mixing the dough to maintain those flaky layers.
You can mix in shredded cheese, herbs, or spices to flavor your biscuits. Just be mindful of how these additions may change the moisture level.
Mixing Bowl: A large mixing bowl is needed for combining the self-rising flour, shortening, and buttermilk to form the biscuit dough.
Pastry Blender or Fork: Used for cutting the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If a pastry blender is unavailable, a fork can also accomplish this task.
Measuring Cups: For measuring the flour, shortening, and buttermilk.
Baking Sheet: To hold the cut biscuits while they bake in the oven.
Rolling Pin: Used to roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the desired thickness before cutting out biscuits.
Biscuit Cutters: These are needed to cut the dough into individual biscuit shapes. If biscuit cutters are not available, a round cookie cutter or even a glass can be used as an alternative.
Pastry or Basting Brush: For brushing melted butter on the biscuits after they come out of the oven.
Cooling Rack (optional): Placing the biscuits on a cooling rack after baking can help them cool quickly if you want to store them right away.
Honey Butter: Spread some homemade honey butter on your warm biscuits for a delightful sweet and savory combination.
Sausage Gravy: Ladle some rich and flavorful sausage gravy over your biscuits for a classic Southern breakfast.
Pimento Cheese: Serve your biscuits alongside a scoop of homemade pimento cheese. The tangy and creamy cheese spread adds a layer of complexity that contrasts nicely with the buttery biscuit.
Bacon Jam: Slather some bacon jam on your biscuits for a unique twist.
Biscuit Sandwich: Use your biscuits to make a hearty breakfast sandwich with fried egg and cheese.
Southern Fried Chicken: Pair the biscuits with crispy fried chicken for a finger-licking meal.
Classic Southern Meal: Serve the biscuits alongside collard greens and a side of fried catfish. This classic Southern pairing showcases the biscuits' versatility.
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reviews & comments
June 5, 2020
These turn out perfect every time. Don't overmix the dough. Perfect rise and flavor.
I was a prep cook and back up cook at CB. We used self rising flour and pre-creamed shortening to make the "readymix". (2 bags of flour and 1 long blue tube of shortening.) To make the biscuits, we used one large pitcher scoop of mix and 1 half gallon of buttermilk. Nothing else. No butter. No sugar. If anyone else worked there, ...can you remember how many cups of shortening was in a tube? I was thinking 8 or 10. And can you remember how many cups were in the pitcher scoop? I was thinking close to 24.
Thankyou so much for all the info+great tips.I decided today I'm going to tackle these here in Wva until I get them right after eating them in Tenn this morning!The best biscuits in the world.I have to make them for a certain man I know in Tenn.
May 10, 2014
I may have cut mine to thick. more like 12-15 minutes in the oven. Good biscuits.
I used to work at cracker barrel in the back kitchen....I couldn't remember the recipe...but knew it was white lily, crisco and buttermilk... so glad I found this since all the copy cat recipes used bisquick and sugar? thanks so much!!!
February 4, 2014
I'm very impressed.. Just finished a batch and they're perfect. (one thing I do is let the cut biscuits rest about 8 min. before placing in the oven - it gives the leavening a chance to react with the buttermilk)
November 7, 2013
These turned out very good for me. No problems with them not rising or being bland or anything.
Maybe I made a mistake, but these didn't rise at all and they were very bland. Sorry. Did anyone else's biscuits rise?
Did you use self-rising flour?
everyone is upset about these biscuits coming out "crunchy" or "not quite the same". It's not the recipe it's close enough, it the oven. Large restaurants use conventional ovens this make a huge difference in how a product come out. Take it from me, I worked in many different ones when I was younger.
Just got off the phone with White Lily. 2 pk of 5 lbs $10+$8.95 shipping, 4 pk of 5 lbs $16 + $11.95 shipping
You can buy a dozen from cracker barrel for $5. Seems to be cheaper than the cost to make them yourself. I buy 3 or 4 dozen at a time , freeze em, and rebake small quantities 3-4 at a time in my toaster oven at 400 for about 8 minutes. Just as good as fresh and no mess to clean.
January 13, 2012
I too work at cracker barrel and this is the closest the real recipe you will find.
November 13, 2011
I tried this: cooked them at 400 for a little longer than the recipe calls for and I did use lard. No sugar! Also added the butter on top after they came out. They were very soft and my husband says they are better than CB's.
I can offer my opinion on this based on watching my grandmother and mom make the best biscuits ever! They are from east Tennessee and would use White Lily Self Rising flour, shortening and buttermilk. The secret is in the prep. My "granny" would mix the buttermilk and shortening together first, not easy to do, I suggest using a food processor, which they didn't have back then. Then slowly add the flour until it's just to a sticky consistency so that you can pick it up and put it on a floured service. You can't add too much flour here or mix it too much or they will be tough and hard. Pat the dough with extra flour and then cut the biscuits with a cutter or inverted glass. Key points here: Do not add too much flour and DO NOT OVER mix, no rolling pin is needed, just pat out dough. Cracker Barrel biscuits are the very much like the one's I grew up on. So this recipe has the right ingredients, you just have to prepare the dough properly.
July 25, 2010
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have been trying to make biscuits like cracker barrel's for years now and I finally came across this recipe. It's exactly how I remember their biscuits. I am allergic to wheat so I can't eat the biscuits at the restaurant any longer. I have to make them at home with my own flour to which I just add the baking powder and salt to substitute for the self rising. I haven't been able to get them as good as I'd like...until now! I just made them and am eating one as I'm typing this. Awesome!
I would have to agree with using lard.. I remember making biscuits when I worked at Roy Rodgers years ago. We used flour, buttermilk, and lard. They were just like Cracker Barrels. We made our strawberry shortcakes with them. Biscuit on the bottom, covered with strawberry sundae topping, and topped with vanilla soft serve. They were to die for.. I will keep looking for that lard recipe..
August 25, 2009
Ok, after some research and modifications I think I have figured it out pretty close. My husband and I ate at Cracker Barrel last night and our waitress checked to see if they use lard or shortening and the answer was lard. I used the Gold self rising flour and sifted the flour then used lard and had to add a little extra buttermilk(probably 1 cup). Another tip I found out last night is they use butter both on top and bottom. I melted some butter in my iron skillet and then baked the biscuits for 10-12 minutes and brushed them with melted butter after I took them out. My husband loved them and couldnt believe I was going to share my secrets.
August 15, 2009
It could have been the preparer but I thought these were awful. Very dense and desparately needed salt. sorry
Make sure you're using White Lily brand self-rising flour.
I agree that these are good, but not like Cracker Barrel's. They are not as light and soft. Interesting that this calls for shortening and someone else here said they claim to use vegetable shortening in their biscuits. I am a vegetarian, and so yesterday I asked a Cracker Barrel manager if there is lard in their biscuits (because it's an animal product). He told me "Yes. We use lard in them." I believe this is why I cannot produce biscuits like theirs using any of the recipes I've found online, including this one.
Good biscuits... But these don't take like cracker barrel's to me. (I've eaten a ton of their biscuits) They don't split the same way or have the same texture. It would be nice to know the exact proportions, method, and ingredients that Cracker Barrel uses. (But that might get someone in trouble. :o)
I found these biscuits to be nothing like Cracker Barrel biscuits, although these are good biscuits. The tops are crunchy, while CB's biscuits are soft on top like a roll. CB's biscuits are light and fluffy; these are more dense. So, for me, I'm still searching for an authentic Cracker Barrel recipe.
April 28, 2004
White Lilly Flour is from Tenn, and it is great, everyone can order this flour for 5.00 a bag no shipping charge and it will amil right to your door. look up white Lilly online. another great flour is hudson creme self rise from west va.
November 6, 2003
FINALLY, somone who has go it right. If you go to the Cracker Barrel website , its says right on there they make them fresh with buttermilk, and 100 percent vegetable shortening. I don't get the recipes with Bisquick. Thanks so much. They were great.