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    Home » Bread

    Published Oct 23, 2023 (Updated Feb 15, 2024) by Heather Bilyeu

    Cast Iron Skillet Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Biscuits

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    Indulge in the perfect blend of sweet and tangy flavors with these Cast Iron Skillet Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Biscuits. These delicious biscuits, loaded with dried cranberries and zesty orange zest, are baked to golden perfection in a cast iron skillet. With a simple 2 ingredient orange glaze to top them off, they're a delightful treat for breakfast or brunch!

    A plate with a cranberry orange biscuit with a pad of butter on it. Biscuits and oranges surrounding it.
    Jump to:
    • Heather's Notes
    • How To Make
    • Recipe

    Heather's Notes

    Orange and cranberry buttermilk biscuits just scream that it is holiday time! All things fall and Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the magical things! The combo of sweet dried cranberries and the vibrant zest of orange creates the perfect combination that is a fun holiday twist on the traditional southern buttermilk biscuit. These biscuits are not just a treat; they're a flavor-packed experience that you can enjoy at any meal - especially breakfast and brunch!

    The best part is they’re so easy to make! With a few simple steps, you'll have these cranberry biscuits ready to devour. First, you'll mix together the dry ingredients and cut in cold, cubed butter. Then, gently fold in buttermilk, dried cranberries, and that fragrant orange zest. Roll out the dough, cut out your biscuits, and nestle them into a well-greased cast iron skillet. A quick 15 minutes in the oven, and voila! You'll have a batch of golden biscuits to enjoy.

    Since fresh cranberries can usually only be found during the holiday season, I used dried cranberries to make this easier to enjoy year-round.

    These cranberry orange biscuits are perfect for so many occasions. Serve them up as an addition to your weekend brunch spread, or enjoy them as a warm with some butter and a comforting side dish for dinner. And you know I am all about prepping ahead and saving time, and you can freeze both unbaked and baked biscuits, so you can always have this treat on hand for unexpected guests, busy mornings, or whenever the Southern food craving strikes!

    How To Make

    Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your ingredients.

    A bag of dried cranberries, flour, buttermilk, a stick of butter, an orange, and spices in bowls on a white table.

    Cut in cold butter: Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter*, cut in the cold butter until the dough has small pea-sized clumps in it and is crumbly. You want to make sure you are using cold butter - you will not get the same results with warm/room temp/softened butter. If the dough gets warmed during the process, you can pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill again. The cold butter will melt when baking, creating tiny air pockets in the biscuits, thus creating the flaky layers we love in tender biscuits!

    Alternatively, you can use a food processor to mix in the cold butter into the dry ingredients instead of using a pastry cutter - both work just fine - just make sure the butter is a small pea-sized shape, and the mixture looks crumbly (not big butter chunks remaining) - move to a large bowl to finish the mix.

    Cutting butter into flour for making biscuits.
    Use a pastry cutter* to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture.
    Dry ingredients and butter in prep for biscuit dough.
    Make sure it is a small pea-sized shape to ensure a tender fluffy biscuit.

    Mix in cranberries and orange zest: Add in the buttermilk, cranberries, and orange zest - gently mix until the dough has just come together. Do not over-mix!

    FUN FACT - I rarely buy buttermilk. When I need buttermilk for a recipe I usually only need a cup or so and they don't sell it in small enough containers that it would just go bad before I use it - because again I don't use it but for a couple of baking recipes. But we usually have whole milk on hand and we always have white vinegar - so there is no need to buy actual buttermilk from the store. 99% of the time I just make my own buttermilk at home in just 5 minutes (the recipe is in the link!).

    Dry ingredients with buttermilk, orange zest, and dried cranberries on a large bowl.
    Gently mix the flour & butter mixture with the buttermilk.
    Mixing together dough for cranberry and orange biscuits.
    The dough will still be crumbly but will come together in the next step.

    Shape the biscuits: Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together in a ball or round disk. With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough until it is about ½-3/4" inches tall. With a round biscuit or cookie cutter*, cut straight down into the dough and lift. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

    Cutting out biscuit dough with a round cookie cutter.
    Carefully pat the dough together in a round disk. Do not roll too hard or knead the dough as this will result in a tough biscuit. Cut straight down into the dough and lift right up, making sure not to twist the cutter as you press down.

    Prepare the cast iron skillet: To grease the cast iron skillet, put a little bit of shortening, lard, or butter on a paper towel and spread around the skillet until the bottom and sides are lightly covered.

    rubbing a cast iron skillet with shortening on a paper towel.
    Using a paper towel, wipe a cast iron skillet with lard, shortening, or butter well all along the bottom and sides. This will grease the pan so that the biscuits do not stick to it during the cooking process.

    Arrange the biscuits: Place the cut biscuits into a greased cast iron skillet. The biscuits can be close together and touch. With the remaining dough, gently bring it together and pat it out into a disk again. Cut out more biscuits and place them in the skillet. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used - being careful not to overwork the dough during this process.

    Cranberry and orange biscuits in a cast iron skillet before going into the oven.
    Place the biscuits into the greased skillet - it is ok if they touch.

    Bake the biscuits: Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.

    Make the orange glaze: While the biscuits are baking, mix the powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice in a bowl and whisk until no clumps remain.

    Bowls of powdered sugar and orange juice on a white table.
    Whisking together and orange glaze in a bowl for biscuits.
    Whisk together powdered sugar, orange zest, and OJ until it is smooth and no clumps remain.

    Glaze and serve: Remove from the oven. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the biscuits. Let cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

    Cranberry and orange biscuits in a cast iron skillet with orange slices and cranberries in the background.
    Remove from the oven and drizzle over the glaze into the warm biscuits.
    A buttermilk cranberry orange biscuits on a plate with a gold fork. Oranges and a cast iron skillet in the background.
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    Recipe

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    A plate with a cranberry orange biscuit with a pad of butter on it. Biscuits and oranges surrounding it.

    Cast Iron Skillet Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Biscuits


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    • Author: Heather Bilyeu
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 9
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    Description

    Indulge in the perfect blend of sweet and tangy flavors with these Cast Iron Skillet Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Biscuits. These delicious biscuits, loaded with dried cranberries and zesty orange zest, are baked to golden perfection in a cast iron skillet. With a simple 2 ingredient orange glaze to top them off, they're a delightful treat for breakfast or brunch!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 Cups Flour
    • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
    • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
    • ¾ Teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ Cup Cold Butter - cubed
    • 1 Cup Buttermilk
    • ½ Cup Dried Cranberries
    • Zest of ½ Large Orange

    Orange Glaze

    • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
    • Zest of other ½ of Orange


    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
    3. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the dough has small pea-sized clumps in it and is crumbly.
    4. Add in the buttermilk, cranberries, and orange zest - gently mix until the dough has just come together. Do not over-mix!
    5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together in a ball or round disk.
    6. With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough until it is about ½-3/4" inches tall. With a round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut straight down into the dough and lift up. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
    7. Rub either bacon grease or lard in a cast iron skillet using a paper towel. Place the cut biscuits into a greased cast iron skillet (the biscuits can be close together and touch).
    8. With the remaining dough, gently bring it together and pat it out into a disk again. Cut out more biscuits and place them in the skillet. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used - being careful not to overwork the dough during this process.
    9. Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 13-14 minutes.
    10. While the biscuits are baking, mix the powdered sugar and orange juice in a bowl and whisk until no clumps remain.
    11. Remove from the oven. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the biscuits. Let cool for 5 minutes then enjoy warm and fresh with some butter!

    Notes

    Storage: Leftover biscuits can be stored in a zip-top bag or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To maintain their freshness, reheat them gently in the microwave for about 10 seconds before enjoying. 

    Freezing: 

    • To freeze unbaked biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight bag or container and store them for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, place frozen biscuits in a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 17-20 minutes.
    • For baked biscuits, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze. Then, store the frozen baked biscuits in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, sealed airtight, for up to 6 months. To thaw, move them to the fridge for 24 hours before use, and reheat them in the oven to revive their freshness.
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Category: Bread/Biscuits
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 biscuit
    • Calories: 251
    • Sugar: 22.4 g
    • Sodium: 260.7 mg
    • Fat: 6.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 45.7 g
    • Fiber: 1.3 g
    • Protein: 3.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 16.6 mg

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    DISCLOSURE. SOME OF THE LINKS BELOW ARE AFFILIATE LINKS, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU CLICK ON A PRODUCT LINK, I MAY RECEIVE COMPENSATION. THIS COMPENSATION COMES AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, AND AS ALWAYS I ONLY RECOMMEND PRODUCTS I TRUST!  HEATHER BILYEU IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM.

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    Filed Under: Biscuits, Bread, Breakfast, Christmas, Fall, Southern, Sweet Breakfast Tagged With: Buttermilk

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    Hi, I'm Heather! Grab a glass of wine, a blanket, and a cozy seat on your back porch. I am so glad you are here! Born and raised in Kentucky and with proper southern roots, my love for entertaining and hospitality runs deep within my soul. There is nothing that I love more than having people around my table and loving them through food and drink!

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