"These biscuits taste like old-fashioned doughnuts. This recipe utilizes the drop biscuit method, but instead of baking the biscuits, we fry them in bubbling hot grease, which creates a crisp exterior that surrounds the soft biscuit crumb we love. In the summer, we serve a limited supply of these at Bomb Biscuit Co., fresh out of the fryer - rolled in cinnamon sugar with a side of Georgia Peach Mango Jam to dunk each biscuit in before devouring."
- Erika Council
Welcome to the kitchen! This is the third biscuit recipe we've shared with you in our growing collection of recipes and we're feeling pretty good about that. Biscuits are versatile and fun, and the best part, kids love them!
These easy deep-fried drop biscuits are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Coat them in cinnamon and something sweet.
Find a free printable recipe with pics for these drop biscuits down at the bottom.
Learn more about cooking with kids.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.
Still We Rise Cookbook
These deep-fried drop biscuits are from Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit with Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes by Erika Council.
Erika Council is the granddaughter of Mildred "Mama Dip" Council, (if you've heard of Mama Dip's Kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC you already know what's up) as well as a teacher and activist who cooked to raise money to support the Civil Rights Movement.
This cookbook will help you unleash the creativity in your kitchen w/ recipes like Everything "Bagel" Biscuits & Biscuit Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce. There are plenty of process shots included with the recipes, making the results just as attainable as if you were baking alongside Erika.
Sara Strickland Gavin was my maternal great-grandmother. I would be a teenager before I knew what her actual name was, as Big Mama was how she was always referred to, even by those in the community of no kin to us. She was an enigma of sorts; there are no records of her birth, just a story of how she was born on Phelps Alley, which no longer exists in our small town of Goldsboro. There are stories of her ability to "pass," which allowed her to be sent to the whites-only grocery store unnoticed as a young girl, and endless recountings of the resolute woman who baked the best biscuits, sweet potato pie, and crushed pineapple cake, according to everyone. And she kept a pistol in a box by her foot during the riots of '68, according to my mother.
As children, many dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, astronauts. I just wanted to be a Big Mama: an omnipresent figure that would be remembered forever for her biscuits, coconut cake, and Colt .45 pistol.
- Erika Council
More biscuits from Still We Rise:
Sweet Potato Biscuits
So delicious, they're history!
You can find Erika at Bomb Biscuit Co. in Atlanta, where she is chef and owner.
Have you tried these easy buttermilk biscuits from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook?
Sky-High Buttermilk Biscuits
Easy farmhouse-worthy biscuits that reach new heights!
Stop by our shop to see more Family & Kids' Cooking Resources.
Family & Kids' Cooking Resources
Beautiful and diverse cooking resources for you!
Learn more about allergies and your family.
Looking for more breakfast ideas? Try these Peruvian donuts, mallorcas or scrambled eggs.
Food from Around the World: Free Cooking Lessons
Learn from some of the most talented chefs around the world!
Free Cooking Course for Families
Discover recipes for every continent! Sign up to receive free cooking lessons for the whole family. Learn from some of the most talented chefs around the world and participate in the quality practical life experiences Montessori education is known for.
Find out more about the cooking course.
Drop biscuits are quick biscuits to prepare and fun for kids. The dough is moister than traditional biscuit dough and can be scooped using a ¼ cup measure and dropped onto a baking sheet or, in the case of this recipe, dropped into a wok for deep frying.
As Erika mentions in Still We Rise cookbook:
"Drop biscuits are coarser in appearance and texture and have a crunchy exterior that makes them great with gravy."
Anson Mills
Heirloom wheat, rice, farro, oats, corn, and more!
How to Make Deep-Fried Drop Biscuits with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
- stevia or sugar - we use stevia to cut down on sugar intake but you can substitute the same amount of sugar for stevia
- cinnamon - this Peni Miris Cinnamon boasts hints of whiskey, honey, orange blossom, and vetiver
- flour - we recommend Red May pastry flour for an unforgettable biscuit, but you can use any all-purpose flour you like. We've also used einkorn to make these easy drop biscuits
- baking powder
- salt - this recipe calls for kosher salt
- baking soda
- buttermilk - full-fat buttermilk works best. No buttermilk, no problem
- butter
- oil - Erika recommends peanut or another neutral oil for frying. We used refined coconut oil since that's what we have in bulk
Equipment
- prep bowls
- kitchen scale
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- whisk
- spatula
- kitchen thermometer
- spider strainer - perfect for flipping the biscuits while they fry and then removing them from the wok
- small saucepan
- wok - my favorite thing about this wok when making these drop biscuits is we don't waste oil. It's also naturally non-stick and lightweight, a perfect choice when cooking over high heat. If you don't have a wok, use a Dutch oven.
- cooling rack
- sheet pan
Made In Cookware
This attractive Blue Carbon Steel Wok will elevate your cooking game!
1. Make the Cinnamon Topping
Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a measuring cup and measuring spoon to measure the stevia (or sugar) and cinnamon. Whisk them together in a medium-sized bowl.
If you enjoy these drop biscuits in the fall, pair them with color-by-number printables for the sweetest breakfast experience.
2. Measure Out the Dry Ingredients to Make the Biscuits
Use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour in a large bowl. Measure the baking powder, stevia (or sugar), salt, and baking soda using measuring spoons, adding them to the bowl with the flour. Use a whisk to combine.
3. Melt the Butter
Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Turn off the stove when the butter is melted.
4. Combine the Butter and Buttermilk
Transfer the butter to a small bowl. Add the buttermilk to the bowl using the measuring cup. Stir with a spoon until small clumps form in the mixture. When it looks curdled, move on to the next step.
5. Add the Buttermilk Mixture to the Flour Mixture
Transfer the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir until combined. Erika says the dough will be shaggy and sticky.
6. Heat the Oil in the Wok
Add enough oil to the wok so that the level is 1 - 1.5 inches from the bottom of the pan. Turn the stove on medium-high heat.
Use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. When it's 375 °F, move on to the next step.
7. Deep-Fry The Biscuits in the Wok
Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop the dough and gently drop it in the wok. Use the spatula as needed to remove the dough from the measuring cup. Add three or more at a time to the wok for frying.
8. Flip Them Over
After about two minutes, use the spider strainer to gently flip them over in the oil. Remove the drop biscuits when they're golden brown and cooked through.
9. Remove the Biscuits with the Spider Strainer
Remove the biscuits from the wok using the spider strainer. Place them on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 seconds.
10. Coat the Drop Biscuits with the Cinnamon Mixture
Transfer the biscuits to the bowl with the cinnamon topping and toss them to coat OR if you have young kids, you can roll them around. You may lose fewer biscuits to the floor using option two.
Erika also recommends shaking the drop biscuits in a paper bag to coat them.
Place them back on the rack for 5 minutes before serving. While they're cooling, fry the rest of the dough in the wok. Turn off the stove when finished.
Enjoy!
Free Drop Biscuits Recipe
Easy deep-fried drop biscuits to try at home!
Free Deep-Fried Drop Biscuits Recipe for Pre-Readers & Up
Grab your free printable recipe cards above. Kids can gather ingredients using the ingredient list, gather their equipment with the tools list, and prepare the meal using the step-by-step recipe cards, with assistance as needed.
The cards are easy to use, include pictures, and encourage confidence and independence in the kitchen. They also make an excellent addition to your Montessori continent box for North America.
Montessori Continent Boxes
Explore every continent with these solid maple hardwood boxes.
Easy Deep-Fried Drop Biscuits
Equipment
- Whisk
- Silicone Spatula
- Kitchen Thermometer
- ¼ Cup Measure
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ cup stevia or sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Biscuits
- 2 cups Red May wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon stevia or sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ cups buttermilk full-fat
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Make the cinnamon topping: Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a measuring cup and measuring spoon to measure the stevia (or sugar) and cinnamon. Whisk them together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Measure the remaining dry ingredients: Use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour in a large bowl. Measure the baking powder, stevia (or sugar), salt, and baking soda using measuring spoons, adding them to the bowl with the flour. Use a whisk to combine.
- Melt the butter: Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Turn off the stove when the butter is melted.
- Combine the butter and buttermilk: Transfer the butter to a small bowl. Add the buttermilk to the bowl using the measuring cup. Stir with a spoon until small clumps form in the mixture. When it looks curdled, move on to the next step.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture: Transfer the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir until combined. Erika says the dough will be shaggy and sticky.
- Heat the oil in the wok: Add enough oil to the wok so that the level is 1 - 1.5 inches from the bottom of the pan. Turn the stove on medium-high heat. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature of the oil. When it's 375 °F, move on to the next step.
- Deep-fry the biscuits in the wok: Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop the dough and gently drop it in the wok. Use the spatula as needed to remove the dough from the measuring cup. Add three or more at a time to the wok for frying.
- Flip them over: After about two minutes, use the spider strainer to gently flip them over in the oil. Remove the drop biscuits when they're golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the biscuits with the spider strainer: Remove the biscuits from the wok using the spider strainer. Place them on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 seconds.
- Coat the Biscuits with the Cinnamon Mixture: Transfer the biscuits to the bowl with the cinnamon topping and toss them to coat OR if you have young kids, you can roll them around. You may lose fewer biscuits to the floor using option two.Erika also recommends shaking the drop biscuits in a paper bag to coat them. Place them back on the rack for 5 minutes before serving. While they're cooling, fry the rest of the dough in the wok. Turn off the stove when finished.
Notes
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
- Full Lesson Info and Pictures at: https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/drop-biscuits
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Leave a Reply