These delicious parmesan drop biscuits are ready in under 30 minutes! They are simple, flavorful, tender biscuits packed with herbs and cheese.
Recipe Science
- Self-rising flour improves the texture of drop biscuits because it’s more finely milled than all-purpose flour for a softer texture.
- Baking powder and salt are blended into the self-rising flour to ensure consistent leavening, giving biscuits an even rise.
- Use heavy cream instead of butter and milk—it has the ideal water-to-fat ratio for tender biscuits.
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Why It Works
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe to complete your Thanksgiving menu, don’t overlook the simplicity and flavor of homemade biscuits! Biscuits are one of the easiest, most satisfying quick breads you can whip up, bringing a warm, comforting touch to the holiday table. With just a few simple ingredients, these rosemary parmesan drop biscuits add a savory, herbaceous flavor that complements the richness of a traditional Thanksgiving spread.
What makes these drop biscuits so convenient is their straightforward preparation—no rolling pin or biscuit cutter is needed. It’s as simple as mixing, scooping, and baking. When time is tight, and every burner is used, these biscuits are a quick, fuss-free solution. The rosemary and parmesan give a depth of flavor and aroma. At the same time, the soft, flaky texture makes them a delightful addition to your holiday meal without adding to the kitchen chaos.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: Using self-rising flour in drop biscuits simplifies the recipe and enhances the texture. Self-rising flour is pre-mixed with baking powder and salt, providing consistent leavening that helps the biscuits rise evenly and develop a light, tender crumb.
- Cheese: Grated parmesan cheese adds a savory, nutty flavor while helping to bind the dough together.
- Herbs: Freshly chopped rosemary adds a robust herb aroma and flavor. Dried rosemary can used, substitute with 1 teaspoon.
- Seasoning: A mixture of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder enhances the savory flavor of the drop biscuits.
- Cream: Heavy whipping cream contains at least 36% milk fat, replacing the cold butter typically added to the biscuit dough. This gives the dough a slightly more dense but rich texture.
- Butter: Used to brush on top of the biscuits before baking for a golden brown surface.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This parmesan drop biscuit recipe is easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Cheese Swaps: Add freshly grated cheddar cheese, gruyere, swiss, gouda, or mozzarella.
- Herbs: Add sliced chives, green onions, sage, thyme, tarragon, dill, or dried Italian seasoning.
- Seasoning: Add cayenne, chipotle, chili powder, or Cajun seasoning to make it spicy. You can also try adding onion powder, curry powder, cumin, coriander, or paprika.
- Cream Substitute: Use half-and-half or whole milk plus ¼ cup of melted butter. Add buttermilk or make homemade buttermilk for a tangy flavor.
How to Make Parmesan Drop Biscuits
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Position your oven rack in the center and preheat to 450°F (232ºC). Placing the biscuits in the middle ensures even heat circulation, allowing them to bake uniformly and develop a golden, crisp exterior with a soft interior.
Step 2: Make the Biscuit Dough
Whisk together the flour, parmesan, rosemary, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the heavy cream with a spoon until a thick dough forms. Be careful not to overmix—this keeps the biscuits tender by preventing excess gluten development.
Step 3: Portion
Scoop each biscuit to about 2 tablespoons in size and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing each one 2 inches apart. Gently shape each scoop into a rustic ball for a more even bake and a visually appealing, textured top.
Step 4: Bake
Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter, adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper if desired.
Bake at 450°F (232ºC) until the tops are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly before serving warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Self-rising flour is an alternative quick-baking solution for biscuits and bread. It already contains baking powder and salt in the flour.
Using self-rising flour in biscuits brings both convenience and improved texture. The pre-mixed baking powder acts as a built-in leavening agent, ensuring a reliable rise, while the added salt gives a hint of flavor right from the start. Self-rising flour is also typically milled a bit softer and finer than all-purpose flour, producing a more tender crumb. This results in light, fluffy biscuits and incredibly easy to prepare—no extra measuring needed!
To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of table salt. This blend provides a quick and easy substitute that works like store-bought self-rising flour.
More Bread Recipes
If you tried these Parmesan Drop Biscuits, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Parmesan Herb Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Adjust the oven rack to center position. Heat to 450°F (232ºC).
- Make the Biscuit Dough – In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, parmesan, rosemary, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Use a spoon to gradually stir in the heavy cream until a thick dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Portion – Scoop each biscuit to about 2 tablespoons in size and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2" apart. Gently shape them into a rustic ball.
- Bake – Brush the tops with melted butter. If desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
- Reheating: Heat in the oven at 350ºF (177ºF) until warm, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding more time if frozen. Wrap in foil if desired to prevent browning. Alternatively, microwave in 15-second increments until warm.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Susan says
Hi, there –
I’m finalizing my Thanksgiving menu and rather than serve dinner rolls, I’m opting for a more casual roll, like your biscuits. Would you please advise whether the biscuits can be prepped the day before and placed on a sheet pan? I’d then bake them Thanksgiving day. Your help is appreciated!
Jessica Gavin says
I think it’s best to bake them the day of because the baking powder will lose it’s leavening power if not baked soon after mixing. You could also bake them the day before, then reheat in the oven before serving to save some time.
C Brown says
While I can’t rate this recipe since I had to make too many substitutions mostly due to what I didn’t have, it was quite good.
Instead of 10 oz. self-rising flour, I used 2.5 c. all-purpose with 3.75 t. baking powder and 3/4 t. ground pink Himalaya salt – mixing then sifting all. Subbed 3/8 c. ghee plus 1.25 c. whole milk for cream. (And advise that milk is warm so melted ghee doesn’t harden.) Also subbed dry rosemary for fresh and “powdered” parmesan for fresh grated. Okay, so pretty much a different recipe.
But nom nom! Hubby, rather picky, loved them so much, he ate half in one sitting! And I absolutely ate two.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for sharing your recipe swaps for the drop biscuits, they sound delicious!