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Growing up in Texas, we have lots of tortillas. However, deep down, we truly love our Southern foods, especially cornbread and biscuits. Honestly, what’s not to love about these two iconic comfort foods? I eventually started wondering: Why do I have to choose? Why not just combine the two.
That’s exactly how these Cornbread Biscuits were born. I wanted those airy, flaky layers of homemade buttermilk biscuits together the buttery flavor and the slightly, course texture of a pan of our favorite cornbread. Marrying the two together gives you the best of both worlds.
Table of Contents
These cornmeal biscuits are golden brown on the outside and light and airy with soft, fluffy layers of goodness in the middle.
Whether you are using them to scoop up spoonfuls of hot Chicken Chili, or dunking them into a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, or to top my Creamed Chicken and Biscuits Casserole for a hearty dinner, or just slathering butter or drizzling honey on them for a midnight snack, you’ll fall in love with these homemade cornbread biscuits.
Why Make This Cornmeal Biscuits Recipe?
Why should you make this cornbread biscuits recipe vs other ones out there? Here’s several reasons why you won’t regret making this recipe.
- Thoroughly Tested: I’ve tested this recipe dozens of times over the years. I know, this recipe works. I’ve also made and corrected mistakes to help you avoid them.
- Tastes Savory, Yet Slightly Sweet: These biscuits are not sweet corn cakes. They are most definitely fluffy biscuits with slightly sweet, slightly course cornmeal for texture.
- Using Sheet Pan Gives Flexibility – Here’s Why: Using a sheet pan offers more versatility because you can control how crispy or soft your biscuits are by changing how close together you place them on the sheet pan. Place the biscuits close together if you prefer softer sides and taller biscuits. For crispier edges, leave a little space between each biscuit on the baking sheet.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- All Purpose Flour (2 cups): An absolute essential ingredient for the correct structure of the biscuit.
- Yellow Cornmeal (1 cup): The yellow cornmeal adds the golden color and additional texture to these biscuits. Avoid coarse cornmeal or the texture will become too gritty.
- Granulated Sugar (2 Tablespoons): Adds a little sweetness to these biscuits without making them too sweet.
- Baking Powder (1 Tablespoon): You need the baking powder and baking soda for the biscuits to rise. Be sure to check the expiration date before using.
- Baking Soda (1/2 teaspoon): This reacts instantly with the buttermilk to create tiny air pockets to get that fluffy, airy texture.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances the taste by waking up the buttery, sweet notes of the dough so it doesn’t taste flat.
- Cold Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick): This must be ice cold and diced into small cubes. If you only have salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Cold Buttermilk (1 1/4 cups): Provides rich, tangy moisture that softens the flour for an incredibly tender crumb. Substitution: If you don’t have buttermilk, just add 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 1/4 cup regular milk.
- Melted Butter (2 Tablespoons): For brushing over the tops of the biscuits to lock in moisture and make the tops a nice golden brown color.
How To Make Cornbread Biscuits Step By Step
Making these biscuits is incredibly simple. I’d included photos for every step so you can see exactly what your dough should look like as you go.
Step 1: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
- Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent the biscuits from sticking to the pan and prevent the bottom of the biscuits from burning.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Cut in the Cold Butter
- Cut in those small pieces of cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Those little pockets of cold butter are what creates those lovely flaky layers we want.
- Note: You can also toss everything into a food processor and pulse it a few times.
Step 3: Mix the Dough
- Pour the cold buttermilk into the bowl, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together just until a shaggy dough forms.
- NOTE: Just be careful and DO NOT OVERMIX the dough. If you work it too much, the dough will develop too much gluten, and your biscuits will turn out tough instead of light and fluffy.
Step 4: Fold, Roll & Cut
- Turn your dough out on a lightly floured surface, such as a cutting board, or countertop.
- Use your hands to gently bring the dough together. Pat or roll it out until it is about 3/4-inch thick.
Step 5: Cut but Don’t Twist
- Use a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter, and press straight down on the dough. DO NOT TWIST. Twisting the cutter seals the dough and prevents the biscuits from rising.
Step 6: Decide How You Like Your Biscuits!
Before placing the biscuits on the sheet pan you have a choice to make. It’s important to ask yourself the following questions because how you answer them will affect how you place the cut biscuits on the sheet pan.
- Do you want tall, soft-sided biscuits? OR
- Do you want crispy edges all round?
Step 7: Arrange Cut Biscuits on Sheet Pan
Place your cut biscuits on the prepared sheet pan, depending on how you like your biscuits.
- For Tall, Soft-Sided Biscuits: Nestle the biscuits close together so they are touching each other.
- For Crispy Edges All Around: Place the biscuits so there’s about an inch of space between each biscuit. None of the biscuits should be touching each other.
Step 8: Bake The Biscuits
- Brush the top of the biscuits melted butter (to give them that gorgeous golden brown color.)
- Bake them in a preheated oven for 12 to 5 minutes. You’ll know they are down when the biscuits have risen and the edges are golden brown.
- Brush the biscuits with melted butter for a nice finishing touch.
- Serve warm!
Pro Tips
- Look Ma, No Hands: For flaky biscuits, the butter must be ice cold. Therefore, use the pastry cutter and not your hands. Why? Because your hands can warm up the butter too much making the biscuits more dense.
- Keep It Ice Cold: The secret behind those flaky layers comes down to temperature. When those air pockets with tiny pieces of cold butter hit that hot oven, they release steam, which forces the dough apart, creating air gaps in the dough, and creating fluffy, layers within the biscuit.
- The Course Crumb Secret: When cutting in your butter into the flour mixture, you aren’t trying to make a smooth paste. You want to blend the butter and flour just enough so it looks like course crumbs with visible, pea-sized, pieces of solid butter remaining. Those in-tact pieces are your ticket to flakiness.
- Treat the Dough Gently – Don’t Overwork: Kneading or overhanding biscuit dough can make the dough develop too much gluten, making the dough dense, chewy and tough. Work it just enough to hold it together.
- The Sharp Edge Rule: Use a sharp biscuit cutter and press straight down. Do NOT twist the cutter. Twisting the cutter pinches the edges of the dough together and seals the layers shut and stops your biscuits from rising to their full height.
- Check the Date: Check the expiration dates on your baking powder, and baking soda, the leavening agents. Why? Because if they are expired, your biscuits, or any baked goods, may not rise. What do you do if it is expired? Throw it out, and replace it with a new box. You’ll notice taller biscuits, cakes, and cornbread, etc!
Biscuit Variations
- Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Biscuits – For a Texas twist, add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons diced Jalapeños to the cornbread biscuit batter.
- Bacon Chive Cornbread Biscuits – Stir in, as the last two ingredients in the batter, 1/2 cup chopped, crisp, cooked bacon, (about 4- 6 slices), and 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives.
- Sweet Potato Cranberry – Reduce the flour to 1 cup, and add 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes, 1 cup fresh cranberries, 1 cup orange juice, and 3 tablespoons honey. This is a great option for Thanksgiving or the Christmas holidays.
- Chipotle Cranberry – Add 2 tablespoons of finely minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Toss the dried cranberries in with your flour and cornmeal first. Whisk the minced chipotle and a teaspoon of adobo sauce directly into your cold buttermilk before pouring it into the dry ingredients. This ensures that the smoky flavor and golden hue blend evenly throughout the dough.
- Chorizo Cilantro – Use 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled, and fully cooled Mexican chorizo, and 3 tablespoons of fresh, chopped cilantro. Cook the chorizo ahead of time and drain thoroughly so it does not add excess grease to the dough. Toss both the chorizo and cilantro into the dry flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients so they distribute evenly.
Storage
Store cooled, baked biscuits in an airtight container:
- At room temperature for up to 2 days; or
- Refrigerate up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked biscuits, in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
It is a biscuit with fluffy layers, but with cornmeal added that provides a slightly course texture and sweetness.
Yes! You can add fresh jalapeños to the recipe, but just prep them first. Wash and drain them, cut off the stems, remove the seeds (if you don’t want it too spicy), Leave them in if you like it extra spicy. I like to combine them with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Stir them in as the last ingredients into the cornbread biscuit batter.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First, check the expiration date on your baking powder and baking soda. If they are expired, that could have caused the biscuits to be flat. Throw the boxes out and get new ones. The other reason could be because you twisted the biscuit cutter and it sealed the edges of the biscuits and prevented the dough from rising.
Absolutely. You can make the batter and cut the biscuits. Then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or the freezer, until you are ready to bake. Yes, the biscuits can go directly from the freezer to the oven and bake in the same amount of time, or maybe a minute or two more.
Twisting the biscuit cutter when cutting the biscuits can cause them to fall over. To prevent this, press the biscuit cutter straight down without twisting.
More Biscuit Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits – The base of delicious Southern biscuits.
- Angel Biscuits – These are like a combination of biscuits and yeast rolls.
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits – These copycat Red Lobster Biscuits are filing with garlic, herb, cheese, and butter flavors.
- Sweet Potato Biscuits – Made with mashed sweet potatoes, and are perfect for Thanksgiving!
If you made this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know if you added your own twist. Don’t forget to rate the recipe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. This helps others find the recipe too!
Recipe
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Biscuit cutter
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. You can also place these ingredients into a food processor and pulse a couple of times until there are course crumbs.1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently stir until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands.
- Pat or roll the dough to about 3/4-inch thickness.
- Cut the biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
- Place the biscuits close together on the prepared baking sheet for softer sides, or leave a little space between them for crispier edges.
- Gather the scraps and gently press them together to cut the remaining biscuits.
- Brush the tops with melted butter.2 tablespoons melted butter
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and golden around the edges.
- Brush the hot biscuits with a little more melted butter, if desired.
- Serve warm.
Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, a home cook with 25+ years experience, and former AllRecipes Allstar, creating bold & easy Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes. Featured in publications like Parade and BuzzFeed. Read More…
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