Knott’s Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits
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Easy, perfect, fluffy Knott’s Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits from scratch! These are the delicious biscuits I grew up on and now I’m sharing my family’s copycat recipe with you – bonus points if you serve these with boysenberry jam just like they do at Knott’s!
For more bread and rolls you’re going to love, check out my fan-favorite posts for Easy Buttermilk Biscuits, Parker House Dinner Rolls, and 1-Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls.
Here’s Why This Recipe Works
So delicious — Fluffy, moist, melt-in-your-mouth goodness in every bite. I swear you will not want to make another biscuit recipe once you’ve had these.
It’s a great generational recipe — And by that, I mean, one of those recipes you will want to hand down to your kids and to their kids and so on. I know that because I grew up with my mom making these biscuits all the time. I don’t remember a single holiday or major family dinner gathering when she didn’t make and serve them. So, for nostalgic reasons, you should make these and make them often!
Easily feeds a crew — Did I mention that I’m one of NINE children? So you can imagine that we ate a lot of food. When my mom made these Knotts Berry Farm buttermilk biscuits, she usually tripled the recipe. It’s so easy to make a ton of these biscuits because, unlike most dinner rolls, they require no yeast or rising time.
Great for any meal — Sure, you may think buttermilk biscuits are for breakfast only. BUT have you used them as bread in a sandwich for lunch? Have you had them on the side with creamy, delicious tomato soup for dinner? (If you’re in need of a recipe, I’ve got you covered with my Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup.) Go do all those things, and I’m certain you will be a believer in that biscuits are for any and all meals.
Ingredients
- Flour — All purpose flour works great on these rolls. I can’t vouch for any substitution so use wheat at your own risk.
- Baking Powder — You gotta have that baking powder to help these rolls rise and get ultra fluffy.
- Shortening — Shortening helps trap moisture into the rolls and has a higher melting point than butter so it helps to create those beautiful pockets of air, making the biscuits light and fluffy and soft.
- Buttermilk — Buttermilk adds a slight tang to the biscuits. If you don’t have buttermilk, see below for substitutions.
- Baking Soda — Also to help the rolls rise in the absence of yeast.
- Vegetable Oil — We use vegetable oil to coat the rolls before baking so that they easily pull apart and also don’t stick to the pan. Plus, they make the top of the rolls nice and golden brown.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then grease a 2-inch-deep, 9×13-inch baking pan. (not pictured)
- Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add in the shortening and mix well. I use a hand mixer, but you can also transfer it to a food processor to blend the shortening in. (photos 1-3)
- Now add baking soda to the buttermilk and pour that in with the flour/shortening mixture and mix this together well. (photo 4-5)
- Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour and knead it a few times, taking care not to overwork the dough. (photo 6)
- I use a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about a half an inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or the top of a floured drinking glass or Mason jar), cut dough into as many circles as possible. (photos 7-8)
- Before putting the biscuits in the pan, dip each one into the vegetable oil, making sure to coat every side. Then, place them side-by-side in the baking pan, touching one another. (photos 9-10)
- Put the buttermilk biscuits in the oven and allow them to bake for 8-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Eat them warm with butter, jam, honey, or whatever you love on top of your biscuits. (photos 11-12)
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t often have buttermilk on hand. In fact, I mostly buy it for these biscuits. Luckily, you don’t have to run to the store if you don’t have buttermilk — you can make it yourself at home. Here’s a few easy ways how:
– “Sour” a cup of milk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
– You can also do the same by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.
– Use cream of tartar: Add 1 ¾ teaspoons of cream of tartar to a cup of milk.
– Use kefir instead of milk (same ratio).
If you don’t live near the West Coast, you may never have heard of Knott’s Berry Farm. Basically, it’s an actual working berry farm turned amusement park. It’s located in Buena Park, CA, and is one of our most favorite places on earth. There’s awesome roller coasters, a waterpark, and of course, AMAZING food.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Some stores carry Knott’s Berry Farm boysenberry preserves. Look for these if you want a truly authentic biscuit-eating experience.
- These Knott’s Berry Farm’s biscuits will keep in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 days. After that, transfer to the fridge.
- This dough will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. I make the dough, freeze it, thaw it then make the biscuits vs. freezing made biscuits.
More Side Dishes
- Best Super Moist Cornbread
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Moist Cornbread Muffins
- Best Easy Crescent Rolls
- Scalloped Potatoes
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Knott’s Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon shortening
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- butter or jam, for serving (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a 2 inch deep 9×13-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening and mix well. (You can use a hand mixer for this or you can transfer to a food processor to blend in the shortening.)
- Add baking soda to buttermilk. Pour into flour mixture and blend well.
- Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Sprinkle dough with flour and knead a few times but do not over work the dough.
- Roll dough out 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut dough into as many circles as possible. (You could also use a jar lid or drinking glass to cut circles).
- Dip the biscuits in the vegetable oil being sure to coat all sides, and place side by side in baking pan. (They should be touching each other).
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with butter and jam.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m born and raised Southern Californian living in Western Washington. I frequently reminisce my Disneyland/Knotts Berry Farm days! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!! Just made them and must agree, delightful!!! Trying to figure how many burpees I will have to do to have just one more! LOL!
Made tonight exactly like recipe…they were great ! Thanks for the recipe !
Thank you. I have always remember these tiny biscuits to be among the very best.
I will try this recipe.
I have been looking for a biscuit recipe that dips them in oil and bakes them for a long time. As a little girl I would see her do this. She never left us any recipes so I thank you
Hi, Is he baking soda amount correct in the KNOTT’S BERRY FARM BUTTERMILK BISCUITS recipe? 2 tablespoons?
I just bought a copy of th3 knotts cookbook, and in it, the former owner has crossed ouT TABLESPOONS AND WRITTEN TEASPOONS INSTEAD. I MADE IT WITH THE FULL AMOUNT OF BAKING POWDER AND IT WAS VERY BITTER TASTING. NEXT TIME I’LL USE TEASPOONS.
APOLOGIES FOR CAPS LOCK – MY KEYBOARD STUCK 🙁
I made these this morning but they didnt raise at all. They tasted ok but maybe a little dry. Do you have a idea what I might have done wrong?
I made these biscuits this morning. I go by the recipe closely. THEY DIDNT RISE! They were flat and hard.
Everyone that says this recipe works is full of it. It does not create the consistency needed for dough. I only got crumbs. There is not enough shortening. After starting over and adding what usually goes into a biscuit recipe I was able to get biscuits.
Hi Lori, I’m sorry your biscuits didn’t turn out! But I definitely think it’s a user error – I’ve made these biscuits dozens of times, as has my mother and hundreds of my readers with positive results. I’d love to help you figure out where you might’ve made a wrong turn!
I made these for lunch today and they worked! I’m going to make them again using melted butter to dip them in instead of oil. Or maybe I might try a flavoured oil.
I see lots of possibilities. Thanks for the recipe.
A flavored oil would be soooo yummy! Maybe roasted garlic?? Great idea!
Some of the best BUTTERMILK BISCUITS I have ever made. Made them tonight for the first time and was wonderful. I will be making again.
I have the Knotts Berry Farm Cookbook, now out of print, which I bought back in the 1970s or 1980s. And I assure you, this IS the recipe that is in the book. Delicious
As far as the oil, you pour the oil in the baking dish and then place the biscuit in the pan and flip the biscuit over so both sides are in oil covered. They bake in the oil remaining in the baking dish