Mini Flaky Cheese Biscuits

Flaky, buttery biscuits are easier to make than you might think! These homemade biscuits are a pure taste of the South, and they’re loaded with flaky layers, plenty of cheese, and a buttery flavor that’s second to none. Perfect on their own as a snack or served as a side, make a batch of these Mini Flaky Cheese Biscuits and watch them get gobbled up!

I learned the art of making Southern biscuits decades ago, and once you master the technique, which isn’t hard, there’ll be no stopping you. 

We’d serve these small, flaky biscuits with soup in my restaurant, years ago, and we’d have people come just for the biscuits. Hey now, my soups are also fabulous, but you can’t beat the combination of these buttery biscuits with a bowl of hot and hearty soup.

There’s no buttermilk in these biscuits. Instead, I use an old chef’s trick of combining milk and sour cream to create a buttermilk substitute that’ll fool any taste tester. You can use 1 cup of buttermilk if you have it, but I don’t often have buttermilk on hand, but I always have milk and sour cream. Try it; I bet you won’t notice a difference!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – These biscuits are pretty forgiving; you don’t have to worry about weighing the flour.
• Baking powder – Did you know baking powder can expire? Make sure your baking powder is fresh for the best results.
• Baking soda
• Salt – I bake with kosher salt.
• Frozen butter – You’re going to grate it. See my notes below.
• Sharp cheddar cheese – Shredded. You want a strong, yellow cheese for these biscuits. You can use white cheddar, but then you won’t see it in the biscuits.
• Milk
• Sour cream – Full-fat sour cream is best.
• Heavy whipping cream – You need a bit of cream to glaze the tops of the biscuits.

How to Make Mini Cheesecake Biscuits

1. Preheat your oven to 425-F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
3. Add the frozen grated butter and shredded cheese and mix.
4. Mix the milk and sour cream in another bowl until combined, then stir the liquid into the bowl with the flour and butter. Mix until just starting to come together.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 3-4 times, then pat it into a rough but still shaggy rectangle.
6. Roll the rectangle out with a rolling pin until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Fold the rectangle up over itself into thirds.
7. Turn the dough a quarter turn to the right, roll it out again until 1/2 inch thick, and fold it into thirds.
8. Repeat this process 2 more times for a total of 4 folding sessions. This is what creates the flaky layers.
9. Use a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut rounds out of the dough, then roll the bits back out and keep cutting out rounds, rolling the scraps.
10. Arrange the rounds on your prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the heavy whipping cream.
11. Bake at 425-F for about 7 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
12. Serve warm with more butter, and enjoy!

How To and Why Grate Frozen Butter

Butter needs to melt in when baking, and the liquid needs to evaporate in order for layers to form. In order to do that, starting with frozen butter gives the best results. But to work with frozen butter, you have to grate it, first! To grate frozen butter, first, freeze the butter until it’s solid, which usually takes about an hour. Use a box grater with large holes, and quickly grate the butter while it’s still hard. If the butter starts to soften in your hand, wrap it in a piece of parchment paper or use a cold towel to hold it, keeping it as cold as possible. I usually pop the grated butter back into the freezer while I get everything else ready. 

Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes

• Keep the butter frozen until you’re ready to use it. This is key to achieving those perfect, flaky layers.
• Don’t overwork the dough. Mix until it just comes together to keep the biscuits tender.
• Folding the dough creates layers, so don’t skip this step. It’s worth the extra few minutes for the end result.
• Brushing the tops with heavy cream gives the biscuits a beautiful golden color and a rich flavor.

Recommended

Make It A Meal

These Mini Cheese Biscuits are incredibly versatile. Serve them warm with a bowl of hearty soup or this tasty beanless chili for a comforting meal. They’re also perfect for breakfast, paired with scrambled eggs and bacon. For a southern-inspired feast, serve them alongside fried chicken and coleslaw. The possibilities are endless!

Storage

These biscuits are best eaten fresh and still warm from the oven.  If you’d like to keep them longer, they freeze beautifully. Place the cooled biscuits on a baking sheet to freeze them individually, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply reheat them in the oven at 350 F until they’re warm and crispy again.