Butter Swim Biscuits

For real, is there anything better than fluffy, tender biscuits straight out the oven? The only way it gets better is if you pour butter around them as they bake. That’s exactly what happens when you make these Butter Swim Biscuits boos. The uncomplicated buttermilk biscuit dough ain’t gonna take all day plus you don’t have to knead, fold or none of that mess. You just combine, pour and drown in butter. And it all happens with 6 simple ingredients y’all. The result of this butter swim biscuits recipe is otherworldly. I bet you will make these over and over again.

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As a girl who grew up indulging in her Mississippi big mama’s homemade biscuits on the regular, I can tell you there is nothing better than a Southern buttermilk biscuit. That’s why I was beyond excited to share these butter swim biscuits with you. The reality is sometimes we just ain’t got a ton of time to bake but we still want something delicious to get down on. This butter swim biscuit recipe is the one you pull out when you crave biscuits but don’t want to do a ton of work. It’s simple. It’s effective. And its dayum good y’all. Thanks to my boo Erika Council for spreading the love on this recipe from Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit. 

What are Butter Swim Biscuits?

They are exactly what they sound like boos. They are biscuits that are swimming in melty butter. The butter gives them a rich and crackly texture on the outside while still creating a moist and tender interior. They are the TRUTH!

Ingredients You’ll Need to make Swim Butter Biscuits

• Unsalted Butter: We usually use cold butter in biscuits but we are remixing with this recipe and using melted. It’s going to create a pool of richness that develops the flavor a ton.
• All-Purpose Flour: This is the base of our biscuits, providing structure.
• Salt: We gotta add the flavor boos.
• Baking Powder: This is our main leavening agent. It helps those biscuits rise to peak fluffiness.
• Sugar: Just a spoonful helps the biscuits go down boos. It helps balance the flavors.
• Full-fat Buttermilk: The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking powder to help lift the biscuits. It also adds a nice tangy flavor and moist texture.

How to Make Butter Swim Biscuits

Step 1: Preheat, Prep and Mix it Up

1. Preheat your oven to 450 then toss a stick of butter into a 9×9 dish. Pop the dish in the oven and let that butter melt away as the oven preheats.
2. In a big bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. This is gonna be your biscuit base.
3. Next we pour in that room temperature buttermilk and give it a good stir with a spatula. Don’t go overboard here. We want to make sure everything is combined without overdoing it.

Step 2: Pour and Spread

1. Remove the dish from the oven (it’s gonna be hot so be careful boos).
2. Pour the biscuit batter right on top of that golden goodness. Grab a spatula to spread the dough out evenly.

Step 3: Slice and Bake

1. Run the knife through the dough to cut 9 squares, about 3 inches each.
2. Slide the dish back in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. You are looking for nice golden brown tops. That’s your cue that they are ready to devour boos.

PRO TIP: Give the pan a spin halfway through the bake so the biscuits bake up and brown evenly.

What to Serve with these Quick Butterswim Biscuits

• Classic Vibes: Slather these with some good old fashioned butter or some fresh strawberry preserves. Simple and delish.
• With Gravy: If you know anything about the South, you know we love a biscuit with some gravy. Serve these up with sawmill gravy, classic brown gravy, or a flavored chicken gravy.
• Breakfast Sandwich: Split one of these butter swim biscuits open and add some scrambled egg, crispy candied bacon and a slice of cheese for breakfast on the go.
• Southern Supper: Gimme a full meal of buttermilk fried chicken or fried pork chops, collard greens, and these biscuits, and I’m in heaven.
• Comfort Food: A meal with chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken, along with cream cheese mashed potatoes, Southern green beans and this butter swim biscuit recipe is the way to someone’s heart for reals.
• Soups or Stews: If you need something to sop up good saucy soups, try these with the best chili, beef stew or brown stew chicken.

Recipe Substitutions

• Butter: I used unsalted here because we add salt to the biscuit batter but salted is fine. Just leave out the salt in the dry ingredients.
• Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own. Simply add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 2 cups of milk. Stir it together, then let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it curdles.
• Flour: If you ran out of all-purpose, whole wheat can be used but it will be a bit heartier. You can also grab self-rising. Just leave out the baking powder and salt boos.
• Baking Powder: This recipe needs a lift so we get that nice and fluffy, not dense, texture. If ya ain’t got baking powder, use a mix of 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar instead.

Recipe Variations and Additions

• Dairy-Free: You can use plant-based butter and substitute the buttermilk with a dairy-free milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice.
• Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour if needed. Just be sure it contains xanthan gum, which helps with structure and texture.
• Herbs & Cheese: Throw some fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or chives to the dough. You could also mix in some grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Y’all that’s too good.
• Honey Butter: Top your warm biscuits with some honey butter for an indulgent treat. Just mix equal parts honey and soft butter, then spread on the warm butterswim biscuits.
• Bacon it up: Toss in a 1/2 cup of cooked and crumble bacon along with some green onion for a fun savory remix.
• Dessert Vibes: You can toss some fresh blueberries into the mix with some lemon zest and a lemon icing on top. Get your whole life!

Expert Tips and Tricks

1. Be Gentle: When mixing the dough, be gentle and don’t go overboard boos. Over-mixing will make your biscuits tough.
2. Use Room Temp Buttermilk: I know you usually need cold ingredients for biscuits but this ain’t that kinda biscuit boos. Cold buttermilk can re-solidify the butter, and we want it nice and melty.
3. It’s Getting Hot In Here: Preheating the dish with the butter in the oven is gonna give us those perfect, crisp edges that make this recipe so dang on special.
4. Square Up: Cutting the dough into squares in the dish not only gives you perfect portioning help, it also ensures that each biscuit has plenty of that bomb melted butter on all sides.
5. Rotate for Even Browning: Halfway through the baking time, rotate your pan for even baking and browning. Every bit needs some oven love.
6. Brush It Up: After they bake, brush the tops with a little melted butter. It gives a bit more extra sheen, and it helps those babies stay nice and moist.

How to Store and Reheat

• Room Temperature: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They last up to 2 days.
• Fridge: Store in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. They will last up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Y’all these biscuits freeze well. Once they’re fully cooled, place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag. They should maintain their quality for up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Reheat: If room temp, warm in a 350°F oven for about 5-10 minutes. If frozen, you can either let them thaw at room temp, or you can heat them directly from frozen in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

More Biscuit recipes

• Honey Butter Biscuits
• Drop Biscuits
• Fluffy Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Bacon Cheddar Biscuits Recipe
• Angel Biscuits
• Big Mama’s Biscuits
• 7 Up Biscuits
• Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• Cathead Biscuits

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