25-Minute Clementine Drop Biscuits
These easy clementine drop biscuits are the answer to your bread basket checklist when you’re short on time but want big flavor. With no kneading or rolling required, they give all the comfort of traditional biscuits with a fraction of the effort. The drop method creates rustic, golden-topped biscuits with tender centers that are perfect for breakfast, alongside soups and stews, or as a quick side for any meal. With a subtle hint of clementines, they’re delicious on their own but become truly exceptional when paired with your favorite jams and spreads.
Easy Homemade Biscuits
When you’re craving homemade biscuits but don’t have the time for rolling and cutting, you should try making drop biscuits. They are perfect for weekend breakfasts, holiday dinners, or to serve with hearty soups; they give that fresh-baked comfort with less effort than traditional biscuits. What makes them special is the subtle addition of clementine zest that adds a sweet,t citrusy aroma to match their flaky, buttery texture –– all in just 25 minutes from start to finish.
Why I Love This Recipe:
What We Need
For the biscuits, you’ll need dry ingredients from your pantry: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and clementine zest. These get combined with the wet ingredients: butter and buttermilk (or a substitute — see notes). See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
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- 2-quart mixing bowl
- Box grater for cold butter
- Muffin tin or baking sheet
- Large spoon or ice cream scoop
How to Make Drop Biscuits
These buttermilk biscuits come together quickly with just a few simple steps. The drop method means less work and less mess while still yielding tender, flaky results.
Combining the Dry Ingredients
First, whisk your dry ingredients, including the clementine zest, together until well combined. This helps your leavening agents distribute evenly for consistent rising and prevents the zest from clumping in the batter.
Incorporating Cold Butter
Next comes the most important step: incorporating the cold butter. Grate your butter directly from the refrigerator into the dry ingredients. This creates perfect little pockets of butter that will steam during baking, creating those heavenly flaky layers.
Adding the Buttermilk
Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a fork or spatula. The dough will look shaggy and uneven – that’s exactly what you want! Stop mixing as soon as there are no dry flour pockets remaining.
Scooping the Biscuits
Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to drop heaping portions of dough into your prepared muffin tin. The irregular shape gives these biscuits their rustic character and creates more surface area for browning.
Baking to Golden Perfection
After about 15 minutes in a hot oven, your biscuits will become golden brown and beautifully risen, ready for their finishing touch –– the clementine honey butter.
Drop Biscuit Method
Unlike traditional rolled biscuits that require kneading and shaping, this method involves simply mixing the dough and “dropping” it into muffin tins or onto a baking sheet. It’s a quicker, lower-effort approach that still results in light, fluffy biscuits.
Tips for Success
A few small steps can make all the difference. Here are some of my go-to tips for getting perfect biscuits every time.
- Keep your butter cold. Grating it straight from the fridge or freezer helps create flaky layers.
- Use a Microplane to zest the clementines. The fine grate creates a tiny zest that practically melts into the dough.
- Grease your muffin tins generously. Butter adds a rich flavor and helps create a crisp, golden crust, but you can also use coconut oil or a baking spray.
- Check for doneness. Look for golden brown tops and use a toothpick to check for doneness — if it comes out clean, they’re ready.
- Let them cool for 5–10 minutes before removing from the pan. This helps them set without falling apart.
Serving Suggestions
These versatile buttermilk biscuits are perfect for any meal of the day. Serve them warm with clementine honey butter or cranberry jam for breakfast alongside eggs and bacon. Add them to your dinner table with hearty soups, stews, or roasted meats. They make an excellent base for strawberry shortcake when split and topped with fresh berries and whipped cream. For an afternoon snack, simply warm one up and enjoy with your favorite spread or jam. During the holidays, these quick biscuits are a time-saving alternative to rolls that still feel special and homemade.
How to Store and Reheat
If you have extras, these biscuits freeze well in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy one, pop a frozen biscuit in the microwave for 15–25 seconds — it’ll be warm and delicious, almost like fresh from the oven.
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25-Minute Clementine Drop Biscuits
Equipment
- Oven
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons clementine zest
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup of buttermilk
Instructions
- In your mixing bowl combine together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, soda, and clementine zest. Mix to combine. Using the large section of a hand grater, grate the 5 tablespoons of cold butter into the flour mixture, then mix to fully incorporate.
- Once the butter is in pea sized crumbles add your buttermilk (or buttermilk alternative*) and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky and might be slightly lumpy.
- Generously butter your muffin tins, or line them with paper muffin cups.
- Divide the dough among the pans, trying to get them as even as possible. Gently tap down any dough peaks using fingers dampened with water.
- Bake the drop biscuits in a 450 degree oven for 15 – 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.