Cast Iron Skillet Sweet Buttermilk Biscuits (tender!)

Tender, flaky, and just the right amount of sweet - y'all, these oven-baked buttermilk sweet biscuits are a Southern favorite. Baked in a cast iron skillet at 450°F for 15 minutes, they develop a crisp, golden crust while staying soft inside. A touch of white sugar adds subtle sweetness, while a demerara sugar topping creates the perfect crunchy finish. Enjoy them warm for breakfast with butter and honey, or use them as the base for strawberry shortcakes in the summertime—either way, they’re a little slice of biscuit heaven! Yields 10 biscuits.

We Southerners love our biscuits!

It's no true Southern weekend breakfast or brunch without piping hot buttermilk biscuits. I can see my mom gently patting the dough out now, cutting them out with the biscuit cutters that have been in our family for generations and getting the hot cast iron out of the oven so we can slather butter and honey all over their fluffy insides.

Ok, now I am hungry.

But seriously - biscuits are one of the things being a Kentucky Southern cook I take VERY seriously. They need to be oh-so tender like buttermilk angel biscuits. Flaky like cheddar chive biscuits and LOADED with flavor like pimento cheese drop biscuits.

Luckily these sweet biscuits hit all of those criteria. My favorite way to use them is as the base for a summertime favorite dessert - strawberry shortcake. But having them for brunch served alongside scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit is PERFECT!

No matter what you choose you can't go wrong. Let me walk you through step by step how to make the best sweet southern buttermilk biscuits EVER!

Let's bake together!

Before we start, this recipe calls for buttermilk, which is a KEY ingredient in biscuits. I don't always have that on hand and if you don't either, no worries! You can make your own buttermilk at home with just 2 ingredients - whole milk and white vinegar - and this is what I do 75% of the time!

⭐️To use a pastry cutter or a food processor for this recipe? It is a personal preference and I have done both! I grew up only using a pastry cutter and cutting in the fats by hand in a large bowl. But I have also used a food processor to make it a little faster. If using a food processor though - only use it to cut the butter into the flour! After that, transfer it to a large bowl and add the rest by hand so that the dough will not be overworked and tough. Do not the buttermilk to the food processor, and use that to mix! It will overwork it and will not result in tender tall biscuits.

Place in a preheated 450-degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately warm with butter and honey, or let cool to room temp, and then continue on to make strawberry shortcakes using these sweet biscuits as the base.

If you would like to prep ahead of time there are two options: freeze the dough or freeze after baking:

• to freeze the dough - make as directed but place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper NOT TOUCHING. Flash freeze for 30 minutes until somewhat frozen solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To bake, place the frozen biscuits in the greased cast iron skillet and bake at 450 for 20 minutes, just until slightly golden brown around the edges.
• to freeze baked biscuits - make the recipe as directed. Once at room temp, place the biscuits on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze. Put the frozen biscuits in a freezer-safe ziptop bag sealed airtight for 6 months. To thaw - move to fridge for 24 hours before use, then use as desired.

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