Butter Swim Biscuits

This easy butter swim biscuit recipe is everything a buttermilk biscuit should be, tangy, buttery, salty and most importantly easy to make!
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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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A stack of butter swim biscuits on a cream plate on a marble background ready to enjoy after baking.

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Five star review

โ€œAbsolutely delicious! Also, this is the easiest biscuit recipe Iโ€™ve ever made. This one Iโ€™m definitely keeping in my rotation. Thank you for sharing!โ€

โ€”KELLY.

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!

The Lowdown of This

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern

Primary Cooking Method: Baking

Dietary Info: This is a real deal Southern biscuit. This ainโ€™t for my dieting folks. Can be made gluten-free or vegan with substitutions.

Key Flavor: Rich, Buttery, Tender, and Fluffy

Skill Level: Easy (No Sweat, Fam!)

With just a few simple steps, you can have homemade butter swim biscuits ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for throwing together on busy mornings.

These biscuits are made with a heap of butter giving them an indulgent flavor that creates a tender fluffy biscuit interior but deliciously crispy top yโ€™all.

We keeping it simple with pantry staples over here like flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and buttermilk. You donโ€™t need nothing fancy to make these.

Anyone intimidated by traditional biscuit making with LOVE these. Ainโ€™t no thang to throw this straightforward recipe together.

Ingredients You’ll Need to make Swim Butter Biscuits

Buttermilk, butter, flour, salt and leavening in small dishes on a marble background
  • 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

Flour along with dry ingredients in a white bowl on white background with whisk
1
In a big bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Also preheat your oven to 450 then toss a stick of butter into a 9ร—9 dish. Pop the dish in the oven and let that butter melt away as the oven preheats.
Buttermilk being added to dry mixture of ingredients in a large mixing bowl
2
Next we pour in that room temperature buttermilk and give it a good stir with a spatula. Donโ€™t go overboard here. We want to make sure everything is combined without overdoing it.
Butter swim biscuit dough being added to melted butter in a baking dish on white background
3
Remove the dish from the oven (itโ€™s gonna be hot so be careful boos). Pour the biscuit batter right on top of that golden goodness.
Biscuit dough being spread with a spatula in baking dish on white background
4
Grab a spatula to spread the dough out evenly.
A butter knife cutting through butterswim biscuits before baking on white background
5
Run the knife through the dough to cut 9 squares, about 3 inches each.
swim butter biscuits out of the oven after baking on white background
6
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. You are looking for nice golden brown tops. Thatโ€™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

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.
A pan of freshly baked butterswim biscuits in a white baking dish with one on a white plate being eaten with a fork

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 350ยฐF 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 350ยฐF oven for about 15-20 minutes.
A white pan of swimming biscuits with one missing on a plate on a white background

Frequently asked questions

Why are my butter swim biscuits not rising?

It could be that your baking powder is old and not active anymore, or that your oven isn’t hot enough. Make sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder and preheat your oven properly to make these just right.

Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour and baking powder?

Yes, you can replace the all-purpose flour with self-rising flour. However, keep in mind that self-rising flour already comes with leavening agents, so remove the baking powder and salt boos.

How do I know when my butter swim biscuit recipe is ready?

When the butter swim biscuits are done, the tops will be super golden and a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. That takes about 25 minutes.

Can I make these swimming biscuits ahead?

Yep you can boos. You can prep the dough ahead of time and pop in the fridge. When you ready to bake them up, take the dough out and bring back to room temperature before you bake.

A full white pan of a butter swim biscuit recipe fresh out of the oven after baking on a white background

More Biscuit recipes

a 9x9 pan with butter swim biscuits two of them removed.

Butter Swim Biscuits

This easy butter swim biscuit recipe is everything a buttermilk biscuit should be, tangy, buttery, salty and most importantly easy to make!
4.64 from 11 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course: Bread
Servings: 9 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 cups full-fat buttermilk room temperature

Instructions

  • Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450F. Add the butter to a 9 x 9-inch casserole dish and place inside the oven while its preheating.
  • In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined.
  • Remove the casserole dish from the oven and pour the batter on top of the hot butter. Use a spatula or knife to spread the dough. Run the knife through the dough cutting 9, 3 inch squares.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes rotating the pan once halfway through cooking until the thopof the biscuits are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

How to Store and Reheat Butter Swim Biscuits
  • 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 350ยฐF 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 350ยฐF oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 1797mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 2mg
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Filed Under:  Biscuits, Oven

Comments

    1. Yes, you can use milk instead of buttermilk, it won’t have the same flavor, but they will still be good!

  1. Super quick and simple way to get a biscuit! These would make an incredible biscuit sandwich. The bottom gives Pizza Hut pan pizza vibes and the inside is airy and chewy. Different than a typical buttermilk biscuit, but a delightful bite.

4.64 from 11 votes

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