Cornbread Biscuits Recipe

These cornbread biscuits are the perfect mashup of tender, flaky biscuits and classic cornbread, with a lightly sweet flavor and golden, buttery edges. They’re soft on the inside with just the right crumb, making them the ideal side for BBQ, chili, or slathered with honey butter.

If you have been looking for a biscuit that actually tastes like cornbread, this is the recipe. Most versions lean too far in one direction, and you end up with either a plain biscuit with a faint corn flavor or a dense cornbread shaped like a biscuit.

This one lands perfectly in the middle. The layering technique gives you real flaky biscuits, and the fine cornmeal pulls through in every bite. They work as a side dish for soups, chili, BBQ, and eggs, and the whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes start to finish.

Why This Recipe Works

• A 70/30 ratio of flour to fine cornmeal gives you enough cornmeal flavor without breaking down the gluten structure you need for flaky layers.
• Grating frozen cold butter directly into the dry ingredients creates thin, even shreds that stay cold longer and produce distinct layers in the oven.
• The fold-and-laminate method builds layers without overworking the biscuit dough, keeping the texture tender rather than tough.
• A 15-minute fridge rest after cutting firms the butter back up before baking, which prevents it from leaking out the sides.

Ingredients for Cornbread Biscuits

Dry Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Fine yellow cornmeal
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Kosher salt
• Granulated sugar

Dairy

• Frozen Butter (grated- trust this is the best way)
• Cold buttermilk

For Finishing

• Additional butter, melted (for the tops)

Ingredient Notes

• Use fine yellow cornmeal here. Medium or coarse grind adds a gritty texture and interferes with how the dough layers. You can find fine cornmeal at most grocery store baking aisles, usually near the flour.
• Cold butter matters more than any other single thing in this recipe. Pull it from the freezer right before you grate it. If you let it sit out on a warm day, the layers will not form properly.
• No buttermilk on hand? Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to ¾ cup of whole milk, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes. That is enough milk with enough acid to make your own buttermilk substitute that works just as well here.

How to Make Flaky Cornbread Biscuits

Step 1: Heat Oven and Prep

Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If your butter is not already frozen solid, put it in the freezer now and give it 15 minutes before you start.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl (or large mixing bowl if you prefer more room to work), whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Stir until everything is evenly combined. Set the wet ingredients aside for now.

Step 3: Grate in the Butter

Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Toss it quickly with your fingers or a fork to coat the butter shreds in flour. Work fast. You want the butter cold and in distinct pieces, not warming up against your hands. This step replaces the need for a pastry blender and actually distributes the fat more evenly.

Step 4: Add the Buttermilk

Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the biscuit dough comes together. It will look shaggy and dry. That is correct. Stop as soon as there are no dry pockets of flour left. Overmixing is the most common reason biscuits come out tough.

Step 5: Laminate the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and pat back out to 1 inch. Repeat this a couple of times, 3 folds total. Work quickly so the butter stays cold. This is the step that builds your layers.

Step 6: Cut the Biscuits

After the final fold, pat the dough to 1 inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter and press straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the cut edges and stops the biscuits from rising. Press scraps together gently and cut any remaining biscuit shapes. You should get 8 biscuits. No biscuit cutter? A sharp knife works fine for square biscuits, and a measuring cup with a thin rim can work in a pinch.

Step 7: Chill Before Baking

Place the cut biscuits on your prepared baking sheet with the sides just touching. Slide the entire pan into the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes. Do not skip this step. It firms the butter back up after all that handling and is the difference between biscuits that hold their shape and biscuits that spread out and leak butter onto the pan.

Step 8: Bake

Bake at 425°F for 14 to 16 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the edges look set. Check the bottoms at 14 minutes since cornmeal browns faster than flour on the underside.

Step 9: Brush and Serve

Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter immediately out of the oven. Serve warm. They are best within the first hour, but still good the next day.

Tips and Storage

If the dough feels too dry: Add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 2 extra tablespoons. Cornmeal absorbs liquid differently depending on the brand.

For best results in a warm kitchen: Refrigerate the large bowl and flour mixture for 10 minutes before you start. The colder everything stays, the better the layers will be.

Make ahead: Cut the biscuits and refrigerate them uncovered on the pan for up to 24 hours before baking. Bake straight from the fridge with no changes to time or temperature.

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. A cast iron skillet works well for reheating, too, if you want to crisp the bottoms back up.

Serving ideas: These are a natural side dish alongside chili, soups like my chicken poblano chowder, and classic BBQ recipes like my smoked party ribs. Split one open and fill it for a breakfast sandwich. Drizzle with jalapeno honey butter, mulled wine jam, or maple syrup for a slightly sweet version, or serve alongside honey butter for dipping.

Variations

• Cheddar Jalapeño: Fold in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons diced jalapeño. Fresh or pickled, both work.
• Honey Butter: Increase the sugar in the dough to 1 tablespoon. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey into the melted finishing butter and brush it on right out of the oven. A drizzle of honey on top while still warm is good here, too.
• Bacon and Scallion: Fold in ½ cup cooked crumbled bacon and 3 sliced scallions.
• Smoked Cheddar: Use smoked cheddar in place of regular sharp cheddar. This one is a natural fit alongside pulled pork or brisket.
• Garlic and Herb: Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder to the dry ingredients and fold in 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives or parsley.
• Gluten Free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. The texture will be slightly more crumbly, but the layers still form. Make sure your blend contains xanthan gum.

Frequently Asked Questions

 More Recipes To Try

Smoked Cornbread Recipe

Chili Cornbread Casserole

Dutch Oven Chicken and Biscuits

Einkorn Bread Recipe