3 Ingredient Biscuits- NO butter or buttermilk! - The Big Man's World ® (2024)

3 Ingredient biscuits- Easy American-style biscuits that are extra fluffy and flaky! Made without butter or buttermilk, they take just 15 minutes to make!

3 Ingredient Biscuits

I love myself an American-style biscuit. My favorite recipes include cheese drop biscuits and keto biscuits. My current obsession is these three ingredient biscuits.

There is truly nothing more comforting than a buttery and flaky American-style biscuit. Not to be mistaken with what Australians and British folk refer to as cookies, biscuits are like their versions of scones, except more flavorful and fluffy (as opposed to dense and tender).

Now, traditional biscuits tend to use buttermilk or cold butter, but not these ones! This 3 ingredient biscuit recipe is a little bit different. It needs just 3 ingredients to make and has no butter or buttermilk in them! They also don’t need all purpose flour and rely on the self rising variety!

The texture is extra flaky and buttery, and needs just 15 minutes to make! They are mild flavored and perfect with some melted butter or drizzled with honey.

I had some friends over for coffee the other day and served them these biscuits with some fresh cream and jam and they LOVED how buttery they were…without any actual butter!

How do you make 3 ingredient biscuits?

The Ingredients

• Self rising flour– Essentially, this kind of flour is just plain flour with baking powder and salt added to it. While it can easily be found at the supermarket, you can just as easily make your own!
• Heavy cream– The secret ingredient that replaces any cold butter or buttermilk. Double cream, thickened cream, or heavy whipping cream will also work. Save a little extra cream to brush on the tops of the biscuits.
• Salt– Just a pinch to balance out the ingredients. While the self rising flour does have some salt in them, it isn’t enough to compensate for the whole recipe.

The Instructions

Start by combining the flour, heavy cream, and salt into a mixing bowl. Gently mix until fully combined. Using your hands, knead the dough several times until smooth. Next, transfer the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a biscuit cutter (or an egg ring), cut biscuits from the dough.

Now, place the biscuits onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. If desired, brush with extra heavy cream and serve with your favorite jam, nut butter, or spreads.

Tips to make the best recipe

• Bake them at high heat. The 250C/500F temperature isn’t a joke- This ensures they rise rapidly while remaining flaky and fluffy in the middle.
• Do not overmix or over-knead the dough, as this can impact how fluffy they turn out to be. 2-3 times is more than enough.
• Brush the freshly baked biscuits with some heavy cream or melted butter, for the gorgeous golden crumb.

Flavor and dietary variations

The beauty of these cream biscuits is just how versatile they are. You can make them suitable for a few diets and add some ingredients to them to change up the flavors!

• Make them vegan. Replace the heavy cream with vegan heavy cream. I’ve had success using Elmea plant based double cream and Nakula thickened cream. With that said, coconut cream will NOT work for this though.
• Make them gluten free. Use a gluten free self rising flour, like the Dove’s Farm brand.
• Add mix-ins. Spices (paprika, Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes), fresh herbs (chopped basil or parsley), garlic, onion, or even shredded cheese.
• Make them sweet. Fold through blueberries, add a lemon glaze or some chocolate chips.

Storing and freezing heavy cream biscuits

• To store: Biscuits are best enjoyed within 3 days of baking them. They will keep well, covered. If you want to keep them a little longer, feel free to store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To freeze: Place leftover biscuits in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw them to room temperature before reheating.
• Reheating: Microwave biscuits for 30 seconds or place them in the preheated oven and heat for 5-6 minutes until warm.

More 3 ingredient recipes you’ll enjoy

• Chocolate chip cookies
• Breakfast cookies
• Brownie bites
• Oatmeal bars
• Flourless brownies