These Honey Butter Cornbread Drop Biscuits combine the tender, buttery texture of a buttermilk biscuit with the lightly crisp edges and corn flavor of cornbread. Honey adds a touch of sweetness, and the scoop-and-bake method means there's no rolling, folding, or cutting.
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Honey butter cornbread biscuits are the fastest path between you and warm cornbread on the table. No skillet to heat. No batter to pour. Just scoop, bake, and serve. They are golden and tender and lightly sweet, and they come together in about 30 minutes from cold butter to hot biscuit.
My Grandma Olga Mae made the best skillet cornbread I have ever eaten in my life. It may have been the bacon fat 😜 As soon as she out that pan, we were right there with the butter and the honey, ready to go.
These biscuits are basically my love letter to that memory. I've cut out the middleman and baked the honey and the butter right into the dough, so every bite already has that sweet, rich flavor.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- No rolling pin required - Scoop the dough straight onto the pan and bake. That's it.
- Ready fast - From mixing bowl to table in about 30 minutes.
- Pantry friendly - Basic ingredients you probably already have.
- Crowd pleaser - Goes with chili, eggs, soup, beans, or honestly just a cup of tea or coffee.
- Beginner friendly - If you can stir a bowl and use a scoop, you can make these.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The photo below shows everything you need to make these cornmeal biscuits. Let's go over the main players and where you can swap things out if needed.
- All-purpose flour - Gives the biscuits structure without making them heavy. If you want to use self rising flour, just skip the baking powder and added salt.
- Fine cornmeal - I prefer fine yellow cornmeal for its texture and more pronounced corn flavor. Coarse cornmeal will give you a noticeably grittier texture and milder taste. If coarse ground is all you can find, they will still be delicious, just lighter in color and a bit less... corny?
- Cold butter - Use unsalted butter, and keep it cold until the moment you need it. Grated or cut into small cubes, both work. If you only have salted butter, just reduce the added salt by half.
- Honey - The honey gets mixed directly into the flour and butter mixture, so it's in every bite from the start. Use whatever honey you have. Clover, wildflower, orange blossom - you do you.
- Buttermilk - Real cultured buttermilk gives these buttermilk cornbread biscuits their tang and tenderness. If you're in a pinch, thin sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with a little milk will work. Skip the fake buttermilk made with lemon juice or vinegar. The chemistry and the flavor just aren't the same.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
These honey butter cornbread drop biscuits are a solid base recipe, and you can take them in a lot of different directions:
- Jalapeño Cheddar - Fold in half a cup of shredded sharp cheddar and a finely diced jalapeño. A little cheesy and a little spicy, and I am fully here for it.
- Herb and Garlic - Skip the honey and add a teaspoon of garlic powder and two tablespoons of fresh chopped chives or rosemary for a savory version.
- Bacon and Cheddar - Add crumbled crispy bacon and shredded cheddar to the dough. Skip the honey or cut it back to just one tablespoon.
- Extra Sweet - Add a tablespoon of brown sugar along with the honey for a slightly sweeter biscuit that is wonderful with jam or alongside a bowl of fruit.
- Spiced - Mix in half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne for something warm and a little unexpected.
Cynthia's Recipe Review
These biscuits taste like my Grandma's cornbread and a fluffy drop biscuit had a baby, and that baby is incredibly charming. Tender, lightly sweet, with just enough cornmeal crunch to feel like the real thing. I think Olga Mae would approve ❤️
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
These come together fast, so have your pan lined and your oven preheated before you start mixing. As always, read through everything first, get your ingredients ready, then dive in.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add the cold butter and toss to coat in the flour. Use your fingers in a snapping motion to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until no large pieces remain. You want a coarse, crumbly texture.
Step 4: Drizzle the honey over the flour and butter mixture. Use a fork to mix the honey in until it's evenly distributed. The mixture should look like coarse cornmeal with some small bits of butter at this stage.
Step 5: Pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a large silicone spatula to gently mix until the dough just comes together. It will look a little rough and shaggy. That's exactly right. Step away from the bowl.
Step 6: Use a medium scoop (like and ice cream or cookie scoop) or two spoons to portion the dough onto the prepared pan. You should get about 12 biscuits. Space them a couple of inches apart.
Step 7: Whisk together the egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush the tops of the biscuits lightly with the egg wash.
Step 8: Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the biscuits cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before serving. Or eat one immediately and burn your mouth a little. I will not be judging.
Serve: Warm from the oven, with extra butter, a drizzle of honey, or a spoonful of easy strawberry jam.
Storage & Reheating
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to two days.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about five minutes or in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Freezer: Cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to one month. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes directly from frozen.
Cynthia's Helpful Tips
- Keep everything cold - Cold butter and cold buttermilk are what keep these biscuits tender and light. Don't let them sit out before mixing.
- Rub the honey in thoroughly - This step is worth the extra minute. Rubbing the honey into the flour and butter mixture by hand distributes it evenly so every biscuit tastes the same all the way through.
- Don't overmix - Stir just until the dough comes together. A few dry streaks are fine. Overmixing leads to dense, tough biscuits, and nobody wants that.
- Shaggy is good - The dough should look a little rough when you scoop it. Don't try to smooth it out. Those ragged edges become the crispy bits you'll fight over.
- Use a scoop - A medium cookie or ice cream scoop gives you uniform biscuits that bake evenly. It also keeps your hands cleaner. Win-win.
- No pastry brush? No problem - Fold a piece of paper towel into a small square and use the corner to dab the egg wash onto the tops of the biscuits. Works just as well and saves you from washing one more thing.
Serving Suggestion
If you love these cornbread biscuits, but chili isn't really your thing, my Charro beans are practically begging to be served alongside them. I usually serve the beans with my flour tortillas, but this is also an excellent choice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid, about one to two hours. Transfer the frozen portions to a zip-top freezer bag and store for up to one month. When you're ready to bake, place them straight from the freezer onto a lined sheet pan, brush with egg wash, and bake at 425°F. Add three to five minutes to the bake time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Plain yogurt or sour cream thinned with a little water will work. I'm going to say something a little controversial, but I have opinions. Avoid the lemon juice or vinegar trick - it changes the flavor profile and doesn't give you the same textural result.
No, but it gives the tops that beautiful golden color. You can brush with melted butter instead, or skip it entirely. The biscuits will still bake up fine.
The tops should be deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If the tops look golden but the centers still seem wet, cover loosely with aluminum foil and give them another minute or two.
Absolutely. Bake the biscuits, let them cool completely, then wrap individually and freeze for up to one month. Reheat straight from frozen in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yes. The cornmeal makes these slightly more tender and a little less lofty than a traditional all-flour buttermilk biscuit, but still delicious. For roll-and-cut biscuits, reduce the buttermilk to ½ cup, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more only if needed. Follow the instructions in my cast iron biscuit recipe and use a biscuit cutter to cut your biscuits and bake as directed.
More Biscuits & Cornbread You'll Love
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Honey Butter Cornbread Biscuits
Recommended Equipment
- Medium scoop cookie or ice cream scoop
- Pastry brush or folded corner of paper towel
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (75 g) fine cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter very cold and grated or cut into small cubes
- 3 tablespoons (60 g) honey
- ¾ cup (170 g) cold buttermilk
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Add the cold grated or cubed butter and toss to coat it in the flour mixture. Use your fingers in a snapping motion to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until no large pieces of butter remain.
- Drizzle the honey over the flour and butter mixture. Use a fork to mix the honey into the mixture until evenly distributed. It should have a coarse cornmeal-like texture with just a few small pieces of butter remaining.
- Add the cold buttermilk and use a large silicone spatula to gently mix just until you have a cohesive, soft dough. Avoid overmixing.
- Use two spoons or a medium cookie or ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. You should get about 12 biscuits.
- Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush or dab the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash.
- Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden on top and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean.
- Allow the biscuits to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with butter, honey, or your favorite homemade jam.
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Notes
- Use fine cornmeal rather than coarse cornmeal for the most tender biscuits. Coarse cornmeal will give the biscuits a noticeably grittier texture.
- Keep the butter and buttermilk cold until you're ready to use them. Cold ingredients help keep the biscuits tender.
- Mix only until the dough comes together. Overmixing can make drop biscuits dense or tough. The dough does not need to be perfectly smooth. A slightly rough, shaggy texture is exactly what you want.
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