Cheesy Herb Drop Biscuits

If we are being 100% transparent with each other, I could (and would) eat nothing but biscuits for a whole meal. Buttery and fluffy, there isn’t nothing quite like them. But I also don’t have the time to make sourdough or biscuits from scratch, so easy drop biscuits are my go-to.

 

This Cheese Herb Drop Biscuit recipe is a delicious combination of fresh herbs, parmesan and mozzarella cheese all in a simple easy biscuit recipe that can be modified in so many ways.

To be clear, these are not flaky biscuits or traditional biscuits, they are more of a fluffy biscuit, like a quick bread.

What are Drop Biscuits?

The term drop biscuit simply means a biscuit made by dropping your biscuit dough from a spoon onto your baking sheet using dough that doesn’t require yeast, rising or rolling.

Americans have been making drop biscuits since the 1850’s. Some people call them the lazy man’s biscuit… I’m okay with being lazy if they taste this good!

The dough is often so sticky you wouldn’t be able to roll them if you wanted to. The high level of moisture helps to make them soft and buttery without the use of yeast.

Drop biscuit recipes can be used for savory biscuits like these or sweeter breakfast biscuits.

Herb Biscuits Ingredients

The list for these easy biscuits is quite simple and uses simple ingredients. I like to call it my “clean out the crisper” recipe because it uses so many odds and ends of both cheese and herbs. The actual amounts of these can be adjusted depending on what you have.

• All-Purpose Flour– Although I do have a variation using self-rising flour below the recipe card.
• Baking Powder– Since you aren’t using yeast or eggs, you need something to help the biscuits rise, this is your leavening agent.
• Coarse Kosher Salt– Please, please, please use a large coarse grain salt. If you need to use a fine grain, reduce the volume by 50-75%.
• Fresh Herbs– Don’t focus too much on the amount here, it can be more or less and you’ll still have tasty biscuits. The fresh herb mix can be any combination you have lurking in your vegetable drawer. The most commonly used herbs are Rosemar, Thyme, Cilantro, Flat Leaf Parsley, Tarragon, Chives and Oregano. And don’t just use the leaves, chop up those stems too.
• Garlic– Fresh garlic will give the most garlicky flavor while the bottled stuff will have more a sweet flavor.
• Cheese- They are cheesy drop biscuits for goodness sake! Use 1/2 cup of cheese total, I used Parmesan and mozzarella, but cheddar, gouda and monterey jack are also popular.
• Regular Milk- While we used whole milk for the fat content to keep these bad boys rich, any fat percentage will work. Cold buttermilk or even cream is also an option for more of a tangy buttermilk biscuit.
• Vegetable Oil- Works as the fat in the dough. Any neutral oil will work.
• Unsalted Butter- This is for basting at the very end. If you use a salted butter, reduce the salt in the actual recipe.
• Marinara Sauce- This is optional, but can serve your biscuits with marinara for dipping. Garlic butter, olive oil dip or any of our compound butters are also great choices!

PRO TIP: Don’t throw away the stems of herbs if you use the leaves. Instead, incorporate them into salad dressing, salads, fun variations on pesto or bread, like these herb biscuits. They can also be used to infuse olive oil.

How to Make Homemade Drop Biscuits

You are going to love how easy it is to make these homemade biscuits.

1. Prep. Preheat the oven and place parchment paper on a baking sheet, this prevents sticking. I’ve found using spray with these biscuits will burn on the bottoms since the oven temperature is over the smoke point for most cooking sprays. A silicone baking sheet will also work.
2. Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and also herbs and garlic. Fresh garlic will give you the most garlicky flavor, but if you want more of a sweet profile, use the bottled stuff. Powdered garlic will also do, but packs the least amount of punch.
3. Wet Ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and do not over mix, only until wet. This is one of those situation when old fashioned arm power and a rubber spatula is way better than replying on an electric mixer. No pastry cutter or biscuit cutter needed for this easy drop biscuit recipe!
4. Form Biscuits. Evenly drop biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet. You can use an ice cream scoop or two spoons. They don’t need to be perfectly mounded, these are supposed to be a little unique.
5. Bake. Bake for 15 minutes until until tops are slightly crispy and golden brown.
6. Butter Baste. Remove and then baste with melted butter- you are ready to serve!

PRO TIP: Don’t overmix the biscuit dough! Overmixing leads to dry, crumbly biscuits.

If you are looking for a perfectly circular rolled biscuit, they aren’t going to work for you, the dough is too sticky to roll out. You’d need a lot of flour and that would make for dry and brittle biscuits. We do not recommend this.

History

The history of biscuits and how to make them has been long debated. Most folks think of them as Southern, but they have been made through Europe for decades.

One of the biggest benefits is that they are a no yeast bread, require less time and foresight. Instead, baking powder acts as the leavener.

There are many different ways to make the best biscuits and people disagree on the factors that would even qualify them. I’m pretty confident you are going to love these, though!

How to Serve Drop Biscuits

These savory biscuits can be served by themselves as a “roll” but also make a delicious breakfast sandwich slider or even ham and cheese slider. For breakfast, you can even smother these in sausage gravy.

Serve them on the side of a creamy tomato bisque or kale salad. Or with a juicy pan seared steak or baked chicken breasts.

Eat them plain or top them with homemade butter, honey butter or even garlic relish or bacon jam.

Make Ahead & Freezing

Make ahead: You can make biscuits ahead of time, but honestly, like them best right out of the oven. My advice would be to prepare the dough, cover it well and refrigerate until ready to bake. Since the dough will be chilled, it might take a few additional minutes to bake.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Wrap them in a paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds to heat them up before serving.

Freezing: Biscuits are very freezer friendly. Simply place them in an airtight plastic bag, squeezing out as much air as possible and then freeze for up to 4 months.

More Easy Bread Recipes

• Instant Pot Sweet Cornbread
• Red Lobster Biscuits
• Focaccia Bread 
• Parmesan Fry Bread