This super easy biscuit recipe uses no shortening and no butter! It’s quick to make and tastes DELICIOUS!
I’m staying at my sister’s house for a couple of days and last night I REALLY wanted biscuits.
I’m not a big biscuit maker and usually have used a box of Bisquick, but this recipe is VERY simple and uses only ingredients that most people would always have on hand.
Most times when you look in a cookbook or online for a recipe for biscuits it calls for shortening. If you’re like me, shortening isn’t something that’s in the kitchen cupboard.
Technically the word shortening means “any fat that is solid at room temperature and used in baking” but most of us refer to Crisco (or a store brand equivalent) as shortening and when a recipe calls for shortening, that is almost always what they are referring to.
Some biscuit recipes will call for butter and I’m more likely to have that in the refrigerator, but sometimes there’s no butter available either.
Instead of shortening or butter, this easy recipe uses standard cooking oil. That simple change makes it easy to make homemade biscuits without shortening OR a boxed mix! I have make biscuits with olive oil in place of the standard vegetable oil and they tasted amazing too.
Because this recipe is very versatile, you could use whatever oil you have in your kitchen for cooking.
Gold Medal, All Purpose Flour
Domino Premium Pure Cane Granulated SugarDavis Double Acting Baking PowderMorton Morton SaltCrisco, Pure Vegetable OilSilicone Spatula 4-piece Set
Easy Biscuit Recipe without Shortening
Biscuit Ingredients:
(Amounts and complete instructions in recipe card below.)
- flour
- Sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- oil
- milk
How to Make Biscuits without Shortening:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Put the oil in a small bowl, add the milk, but do NOT mix together.
Move liquid into dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
Knead a couple of times (I just used a silicone spatula, not my hands) to form it into a ball.
Roll out dough to 1/2″ thick between two pieces of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Cut into 10-12 squares. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned. – – I spread the tops with butter for the last 2 minutes of baking.
Also try this Sour Milk biscuits recipe. It’s great for using up milk that has just started to go sour:
One more to try is this delicious Copycat Red Lobster biscuits recipe. They’re packed with flavor!
Super Easy Biscuit Recipe with No Shortening
Ingredients
- 2 C flour
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 C oil
- 2/3 C milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
- Put the oil in a small bowl, add the milk, but do NOT mix together.
- Move liquid into dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
- Knead a couple of times (I just used a silicone spatula, not my hands) to form it into a ball.
- Roll out dough to 1/2" thick between two pieces of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Cut into 10-12 squares.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned. - - I spread the tops with butter for the last 2 minutes of baking.
Nutrition
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ABrown says
I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use butter when I found this. I didn’t have high hopes and was thinking I was going to waste time and ingredients. I followed the directions but I did added a tablespoon of sour cream when doubt got the best of me. I have to say, I am very impressed with this recipe and technique. I’ve never made such simple, delicious biscuits without major effort and prep. I will be using this as my go to recipe for quick, delicious biscuits. Sorry ever doubted you! Yum!
Debra says
I want to make these but I didn’t see any pan. Are they baked on a foil sheet
Steven says
Mine look nothing like the picture. I followed the directions exactly but they hardly rose at all. They are barely an inch thick.
Ashley says
All my kids and husband all love these! I made them tonight for a side with chicken noodle soup and they were a hit I’m making bigger versions right now for breakfast sandwiches! Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe!
Dawn Rivera says
What should the consistency be? If it’s loose just add a little flour to it?
Wendy says
Great idea. I’m new to biscuit making and this sounds like a home run. Did you bake with the sides touching or leave space between them?
Chrysa says
I always space them out. My guess is that it would work if they are touching but the baking time might be a bit longer.
Karen says
Very easy and quick to make . They tasted delicious thank you for the recipe
HW says
I have made these several times for my kiddos. They taste wonderful with some honey or jelly for breakfast. And as stated above, always have these ingredients on hand. So easy, quick and tasty!
Chrysa says
Oh, that’s great that your kiddos like them! I agree about the easy, quick and tasty part!
M says
How did you get these to turn out well and raise? I followed the recipe exactly, multiple times and they barely raise at all (they don’t even double it’s more like 1/4 raise). They taste fine yeah but they aren’t good.
Chrysa says
I’m not sure why they aren’t raising for you! I’ve made these SO MANY times and they always rise and as you can see from the dozens of comments of other people who have loved them the recipe should work for you too and I’m sorry it’s not. Not sure what it could be!
Merm says
Omit the sugar. Makes the biscuit too sweet.
Reba says
We are out of almost everything! But my 5 year old was hungry so I started looking for a biscuit recipe that doesn’t take butter. I actually like this recipe better than my normal one that takes butter. This one is a keeper.
Chrysa says
Oh, that’s awesome! I like this recipe more than most any other one too!