Apple Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

Early Fall On The Homestead

I love when a recipe takes a few simple ingredients and turns them into something you wouldn’t expect. These apple cheddar buttermilk biscuits are a good example. They have all the flaky layers you want from a homemade biscuit, but with sharp cheddar cheese and little pieces of apple tucked throughout.

The apples add a touch of sweetness, while the cheddar brings a salty, savory flavor that keeps these from feeling like a dessert. They are especially good warm from the oven, when the cheese is still melted and the edges are golden.

These biscuits make a wonderful addition to breakfast or brunch, but they also work alongside a simple supper. They are a nice way to use a few apples in a recipe that feels a little different from the usual sweet apple treats.

Why You’ll Love These Apple Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

The combination of apple and sharp cheddar is what makes these biscuits worth making. The flavors balance each other without either one taking over. I also love the texture. Cutting cold butter into the flour gives you little pockets of butter throughout the dough. As they bake, those pockets create the flaky layers that make a homemade biscuit so good.

The recipe itself is simple. There is no yeast and no rising time to wait through. You can have a pan of warm biscuits on the table in about half an hour, which makes them easy to fit into a busy morning or alongside dinner.

Ingredients Needed

All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Buttermilk
Unsalted butter
Sharp cheddar cheese
Apples

Equipment Needed

Large mixing bowl
Pastry cutter
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Knife

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Oven
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and kosher salt.

Step 3: Cut in the Cold Butter
Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture with small pieces of butter still visible. Don’t work the butter in completely. Those pieces are what help create flaky layers as the biscuits bake.

Step 4: Add the Cheese and Apples
Gently stir the shredded sharp cheddar and chopped apples into the flour mixture. Toss everything together until evenly distributed.

Step 5: Add the Buttermilk
Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture. Gently stir until the dough just comes together. Avoid overmixing. The dough should be soft and slightly shaggy.

Step 6: Shape the Biscuit Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently bring it together with your hands, then pat it into a thick rectangle.

Step 7: Create the Flaky Layers
Fold the dough in half, then gently pat it out again. Repeat this folding process a couple of times. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.

Step 8: Cut the Biscuits
Pat the dough to about ¾-inch to 1-inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter or knife. Press straight down rather than twisting the cutter so the layers can rise properly.

Step 9: Arrange the Biscuits
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. They can be close together for softer sides or spaced farther apart for more golden edges.

Step 10: Bake the Biscuits
Bake at 450°F for roughly 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and golden brown on top.

Step 11: Serve Warm
Let the biscuits cool for a few minutes before serving. They are especially good while still warm, when the cheddar is soft and the layers are at their flakiest.

Tips & Tricks

Keep the butter and buttermilk cold. Cold butter creates steam in the oven, which helps form flaky layers.

Don’t overwork the dough. A slightly shaggy biscuit dough is better than one that has been mixed until completely smooth.

Leave visible pieces of butter in the dough when cutting it in. They will melt into the layers as the biscuits bake.

Cut the biscuits straight down without twisting the cutter. This helps keep the edges intact so the biscuits can rise properly.

Choose a firm apple that will hold its shape during baking. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or another crisp apple works well.

Variations

Try a milder cheddar if you prefer a softer cheese flavor.

Add a little fresh thyme or rosemary for a savory version.

Use a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack for a milder, extra-melty biscuit.

For a slightly sweeter biscuit, sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the tops before baking.

We like to eat these with apple butter for a real treat!

Storage & Leftovers

Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, freeze the baked biscuits in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheat biscuits in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or microwave them briefly if you’re in a hurry.

Apple and cheddar may not be the first combination that comes to mind when you think of biscuits, but that’s part of what I like about these. They can go in so many directions depending on what’s being served.

Put one alongside eggs in the morning, serve them with a bowl of soup, or split one open while it’s still warm and let the butter melt into those flaky layers. If you have some apple butter, spread that on for a real treat! Sometimes the recipes worth keeping are the ones that give you a little something different without asking much from you.

Watch me make this recipe here:

Print