Easy Pumpkin Biscuits (Video)

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These quick and simple pumpkin biscuits are perfect for fall! Pumpkin puree, plenty of butter and a bit of cinnamon create the perfect flaky, satisfying pumpkin biscuit recipe for breakfast or brunch. Vegetarian.

Honey dipper drizzling honey over a stack of pumpkin biscuits in front of a dark background.

These pumpkin biscuits are just so DELIGHTFULLY AUTUMNAL.

Gorgeous color? Check. Makes the whole house smell amazing? Check. Pairs well with your coziest fall sweater and a cup of tea? CHECK.

These easy biscuits get their gorgeous color and a punch of fall flavor from a bit of pumpkin purée and cinnamon. Still, we kept these flavors purposefully light so you get some depth and richness without overpowering the rest of your meal.

Use these as a fluffy biscuit base for a breakfast sandwich or your favorite eggs benedict, or keep things simple with a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey. They also pair wonderfully with fall soups, like this Peach Whiskey Chili or our creamy Apple Tomato Soup!

Mixing biscuit dough in a large glass mixing bowl on a white surface.

How to make these biscuits (the quick version)

These pumpkin spice biscuits are simple to make and ready in no time! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe & video below for detailed instructions.

Mix the dough

Whisk pumpkin purée and milk together to form a smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together with a bit of salt.

Use clean hands or a biscuit cutter to cut some butter into the flour, then add the pumpkin mixture and stir until everything is just combined.

Shape and bake!

Tip your biscuit dough out onto a lightly-floured cutting board, then gently fold it over on itself a few times (that helps you create those flakey layers!) and pat it into shape.

Use a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut the biscuit rounds, then transfer them to a large baking sheet and bake until they're a deep, rich golden brown.

Patting biscuit dough into shape and cutting the biscuit rounds.

Three tips for perfect pumpkin biscuits

Keep your milk and butter very cold.

We want to keep plenty of small, solid pieces of butter in our biscuit dough. As the biscuits bake, this butter melts - leaving behind small pockets that create those flakey, pull-apart layers we love. Using cold ingredients helps the butter stay nice and piece-y instead of melting into the dough!

Cube your butter first, and store it in the fridge or freezer while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Once you cut the butter into your dough, work quickly and try to handle the dough as little as possible to keep everything nice and cold!

Fold the dough over on itself for flakey layers.

The key to a great biscuit is stack after stack of flakey, pull-apart-y, buttery layers.

To achieve this, gently pat the biscuit dough out to ½-inch thickness with your hands, then fold it in half and gently pat it into shape again.

Repeat this process two or three times for taller, flakier biscuits!

Use non-aluminum baking powder

Baking powder with added aluminum can lend a slightly bitter or metallic taste to baked goods, so we recommend using an aluminum-free baking powder for best results (we like this one from Bob's Red Mill)!

Pumpkin biscuits on a baking sheet lined with white parchment paper.

Additions and Substitutions

These easy, fluffy biscuits are quite forgiving! Feel free to mix them up a bit. Some of our favorite swaps:

Use butternut squash purée or sweet potato purée instead of pumpkin.
For a glossy, buttery biscuit, brush melted butter over the top of each biscuit just before baking.
To make vegan pumpkin biscuits without butter or milk, swap the butter for cold coconut oil and the milk for coconut milk (see how we do this in our vegan biscuit recipe).
Save time by turning this recipe into drop biscuits! Add an extra Tablespoon or two of milk and mix well to form a sticky dough, then use a spoon to drop scoops of dough directly onto the baking sheet.
Add fresh herbs like chopped sage, thyme, or rosemary for a deeper savory flavor.

Fresh biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

A quick biscuit recipe FAQ

Can these biscuits be frozen?

Yes! These biscuits keep very well in the freezer. Let them cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Pop frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and bake at 350° F for 4-6 minutes to reheat. You can also reheat them in a toaster oven for a few minutes or defrost them on the counter for a few hours before serving!

How do I dial up the pumpkin flavor?

For more fall flavor, we recommend adjusting the spices here (rather than just increasing the amount of pumpkin purée, which will change the texture of the dough). Add up to a Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dough to dial things up a bit! You can DIY a blend of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger if you don't have any pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice on hand.

Can I add sugar?

We really don't find that these biscuits need sugar, but if you're craving extra sweetness, you can add 3-4 Tablespoons of granulated sugar to the biscuit dough without affecting the recipe too much (you may just need to add an extra teaspoon or two of milk). You can also brush the biscuits with melted butter just before baking and sprinkle a bit of granulated or turbinado sugar on top for a pop of sweetness!

My biscuit dough looks too wet.

Add more flour! The liquid content of pumpkin purée can vary by brand (or by pumpkin!) so don't be afraid to add a bit of extra flour if your dough looks a bit too sticky. Measuring flour by volume (with cups) is also notoriously unreliable - in our testing, a sample of 20 bakers were off in their measurements by an average of ½ cup. So if your dough looks a bit sticky, don't worry - just stir or pat in a few more Tablespoons of flour until it looks right!

Woman's hand placing a pumpkin biscuit on top of two other biscuits to form a stack.

Video: How to make pumpkin biscuits

📖 Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Biscuits

★★★★ 4 from 4 reviews

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 9-12 biscuits 1x
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

These easy pumpkin biscuits are perfect for fall!

Ingredients

Scale

⅔ cup pumpkin purée
¾ cup milk
320 grams all purpose flour (about 2 ⅔ cups)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) COLD unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together pumpkin purée and milk until you have a smooth mixture. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add cold cubed butter to flour mixture. Use clean hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is coarse, with small chunks of butter throughout. Work quickly so the butter stays cold!
Pour the pumpkin mixture into your flour mixture. Stir until everything is just combined. The dough shouldn’t be completely smooth – we want to keep lots of butter pieces in there so the biscuits will be nice and flaky.
Turn biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a disc about ⅔ inch thick, then fold the dough over on itself and pat into shape again. Repeat this process 2-3 times to create additional layers for maximum flakiness.
Pat dough to about ⅔ inch thickness. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut the dough into rounds, then place the biscuit rounds on your lined baking sheet.
Bake at 450° F for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately with butter and honey.

Notes

If your biscuit dough feels too wet, add more flour. The liquid content of pumpkin purée can vary by brand (and by pumpkin!) so don’t be afraid to add a bit of extra flour if your dough looks a bit sticky. Measuring flour by volume (with cups) is also notoriously unreliable; it’s very easy to end up with too much or too little flour when using cup measurements. This is a forgiving dough, though! If it looks a bit sticky, just stir in more flour a Tablespoon at a time until it feels right. Too dry? Add a splash of milk to help it come together.

No biscuit cutter? Turn a drinking glass or small bowl upside down and use it to cut out your biscuit rounds, or pat the biscuit dough into a large square and cut it into thirds top-to-bottom and left-to-right to form 9 evenly-sized squares (see this in action on our herb biscuit recipe).

Additions and Substitutions. Use buttermilk in place of milk if you like. For vegan biscuits, use cold coconut oil and coconut milk (see our vegan biscuit recipe for more on this technique). Use butternut squash or sweet potato purée in place of pumpkin. Brush biscuits with melted butter before baking if you’d like a glossy finish. Add fresh chopped sage, thyme, or rosemary for a deeper savory flavor. Add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon or a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for more fall flavor.

The key to great biscuits is to work quickly and keep the ingredients as cold as you can. Touch the dough as little as possible and don’t let it sit out – you don’t want the butter to melt until the dough is IN the oven (that’s what gives you those amazing flaky layers!)

Use aluminum-free baking powder. Aluminum can lend a slightly bitter or metallic taste to baked goods, so we recommend using an aluminum-free baking powder for best results (we like this one from Bob’s Red Mill)! If you’re sensitive to the flavor of baking powder even with an aluminum-free brand, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or cream of tartar to the biscuit dough to neutralize some of the flavor.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 180
Sugar: 1.3 g
Sodium: 428.5 mg
Fat: 8.5 g
Carbohydrates: 22.6 g
Protein: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 21.9 mg

Keywords: fall, autumn, baking

Easy Pumpkin Biscuits (Video)