Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipes

Grandma's old fashioned biscuit recipes are the greatest. Make homemade biscuits that taste absolutely delicious when split apart and spread with butter, honey, or your favorite jam preserves.

Consider these biscuits a healthy dessert treat to enjoy whenever you feel the need for a little comfort food. And if you're anything like me, you'll feel that need quite often!

Grandma's Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipes

Mom's Recipe Scrapbooks (c. 1920s)

Basic Rolled Biscuits

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 to 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sift dry ingredients into bowl, Mix in milk, cut in shortening with fork. Place dough on ungreased pan and roll or pat with hand to 1/2-inch thick. Cut and bake 10 to 15 minutes in 450°F oven until done.

Sweet Tea Biscuits

Sift one quart flour, with three teaspoons baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add enough milk to make dough as soft as can be rolled.

Roll out an inch thick, spread with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar, roll like jelly roll, cut in slices about an inch thick, and bake in 425°F oven till done.

Cream Tea Biscuits

1 cup thin sweet cream
2 cups flour (enough to roll dough)
1 teaspoon baking powder to each cup flour

Put cream in bowl, add flour with baking powder gradually so as not to get the dough too stiff. Roll to 1/2 inch thick, cut, bake in oven not so hot as required for other biscuits. Makes 10 biscuits.

Plain Tea Biscuits

4 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 dessert-spoons white sugar
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream

Sift the cream of tartar and soda with the flour. Mix all with spoon, roll out, cut, and bake well in hot 425°F oven. A handful of currants is sometimes added. If no cream is at hand, substitute 1 tablespoon lard, or butter. —Women's Institute Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipe

Raisin Tea Biscuits

Almost any old fashioned biscuit recipe can be altered to add a few plump juicy raisins. There's nothing better than the taste of a warm-from-the-oven raisin tea biscuit. Make some tonight.

Light Foam Biscuits

1 quart (1 pound sifted or 3 coffee-cupfuls) flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon lard
1 tablespoon butter
1 coffee cup whole milk
1 egg (beaten separately and mixed with milk)

Mix as usual, cut and bake 20 minutes in quick (425°F) oven.

Biscuits for 100 People

6-1/2 quarts of flour, 1/2 cup salt, 3/4 cup baking powder, 3 cups lard, 2 quarts milk. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder, and sift twice. Cut or rub in the lard. Add milk slowly to make a soft dough.

Roll dough out on slightly floured board to 3/4-inch thickness and cut with a sharp biscuit cutter. Place on greased baking sheets and bake in a quick oven (425°F) 10 to 15 minutes. This recipe will make about 100 biscuits.

Potato Biscuits

2 large potatoes
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lard
1 egg
1 cup milk

Boil and mash potatoes. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add potatoes and cream in the lard. Mix to a light dough with egg and milk. Roll out rather thin and bake in hot oven until brown. Serve hot.

Baking powder biscuits, slightly disguised with potatoes. An uncomplicated recipe from the complicated Mr. Lon Chaney. —Photoplay's Cook Book 1927

Tasty Tea Biscuits

2 cups bread flour, 4 level teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 level teaspoons shortening, milk enough to make a soft dough. Bake in hot oven (425°F) till done. —Mrs. K. Denoon

Good Tea Biscuits

4 cups flour, 1 scant cup lard and butter (mixed), 1 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, milk enough to make a dough soft enough to handle. Bake in a quick oven (425°F) for 20 minutes, or until done. —Mrs. A. Long

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
Lard size of walnut
Buttermilk (enough to make soft dough NOT thick enough to roll)

Mix together and empty onto well floured board, smooth out a little and cut into size desired. Bake in hot (425°F) oven.

Sweet Rice Biscuits

1/2 pound flour, 1/2 pound butter, 1/2 pound ground rice, 1/2 pound castor sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 eggs. Mix flour and ground rice together, put in butter, mix in sugar and baking powder.

Make into a stiff paste with eggs; roll our thinly, cut in rounds and bake in moderate (375°F) oven on buttered baking sheet. When cold put two together with icing or jam. —Mrs. M. Watson

Sliced Pinwheel Biscuits

Mix batter: Two cups of flour, quarter teaspoonful salt, four teaspoonfuls baking powder, two teaspoonfuls butter, three-quarters cup milk.

Roll batter one-fourth inch thick, spread with two tablespoonfuls melted butter after rolling, then spread on a mixture of two tablespoonfuls sugar, one-half teaspoonful cinnamon, one-third cup chopped raisins and citron.

Roll up like jelly roll, cut off in slices, spread with softened butter and bake like biscuits until done. Pinwheel biscuits are delicious.

Ryzon Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipes

Ryzon Baking Book (1912)

Ryzon Biscuits Master Recipe

2 level cupfuls (1/2 pound) flour
4 level teaspoonfuls Ryzon (baking powder)
1 level teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls (1 ounce) butter *
3/4 cupful to 1 cupful milk

(* Can substitute 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon lard)

Mix flour, Ryzon (baking powder), and salt and sift into a basin; add butter or lard, and chop with a sharp knife until mealy. Add milk gradually until mixture is soft and spongy.

Turn onto a slightly floured baking board and roll lightly until of a uniform thickness, about one-half inch. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter, place on a greased tin and bake for twelve to fifteen minutes in a quick oven (425°F).

Biscuits should always be separated on the pan, as they will be more delicate and lighter than when placed close together. Sufficient for twelve biscuits. —by Maria W. Hilliard, Wellesley Hill, Mass.

Peanut Butter Biscuits

4 level teaspoonfuls Ryzon (baking powder)
2 level cupfuls (1/2 pound) flour
1/4 level teaspoonful salt
1 level tablespoonful (1/2 ounce) sugar
1 tablespoonful (1/2 ounce) butter or lard or drippings
3 tablespoonfuls peanut butter
2 eggs
Milk enough to make a soft dough

Sift the flour, Ryzon (baking powder), salt, and sugar into a bowl. Cut in the lard and peanut butter with a knife, or rub them in with tips of the fingers. Beat eggs and add them with sufficient milk to make a soft dough.

Turn out on a floured baking board, knead lightly, roll out, cut with a round cutter, brush over with a little beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar, and bake from twelve to fifteen minutes in a moderate oven (375°F). Sufficient for twelve biscuits.

Cheese Drop Biscuit

1 level cupful (1/4 pound) flour
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1/2 cupful water
3 level teaspoonfuls Ryzon (baking powder)
1 level tablespoonful (1/2 ounce) butter or fat
8 level tablespoonfuls (1/2 cup) grated cheese

Mix like drop baking powder biscuit. Bake twelve minutes in hot (425°F) oven. They are excellent to serve with a vegetable as they are high in nutrition. Sufficient for twelve biscuits. —by Forecast Modern School of Cookery

Ryzon Potato Biscuit

1 level cupful (1/2 pint) freshly mashed, lightly packed potato
1 level cupful (1/4 pound) flour
2 level tablespoonfuls (1 ounce) melted butter or shortening
1 level teaspoonful Ryzon (baking powder)
1 level teaspoonful salt

Add melted butter to mashed potato. Mix and sift flour, Ryzon (baking powder), and salt, and add to potato mixture to make a soft dough.

Roll out quickly, cut with a biscuit cutter and bake in a quick oven (425°F) fifteen minutes. Sufficient for twelve biscuits. —by Forecast Modern School of Cookery

Old Fashioned Biscuit Recipes

Royal Cook Book (1922)

Hot Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup milk

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and rub in very lightly; add liquid slowly; roll or pat out with hands on floured board to about one inch in thickness (handle as little as possible); cut with biscuit cuter. Bake in hot (425°F) oven 15 to 20 minutes.

Emergency Drop Biscuits

Same as above Hot Biscuits, but with the addition of more milk to make stiff batter. Drop by spoonfuls on greased pan or in muffin tins and bake in hot 425°F oven. Quick to make.

Whole Wheat Healthy Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons shortening
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons cut raisins

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder well or sift through coarse strainer; rub shortening in lightly; add raisins, milk, and mix to soft dough.

Drop with tablespoon quite far apart on greased baking tin or in muffin tins. Bake in moderate (375°F) oven about 25 minutes.

Cheese Biscuits

1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons grated cheese
2/3 cup milk

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add cheese, mix in lightly; add milk slowly, just enough to hold dough together.

Roll out on floured board about 1/2-inch thick; cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven (425°F) for 12 to 15 minutes.

Bran Biscuits

1/2 cup bran
1-1/2 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons melted shortening

For this old fashioned biscuit recipe, mix thoroughly bran, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar; add sufficient water to make soft dough; add shortening; roll on floured board to about 1/4-inch thick; cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot (425°F) oven 12 to 15 minutes.

Chocolate Gravy Recipe for Biscuits

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine

Mix dry ingredients together. Add 1/2 cup warm water. Stir well. Heat milk in saucepan to almost boiling. Pour boiling milk into cocoa mixture, stirring constantly until thickening. Add butter and vanilla. This is great with homemade biscuits.