I absolutely love this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe because it’s just the right size when you don’t want to make a huge batch but still crave some fresh, tender biscuits with a seasonal twist. The pumpkin adds moisture and a subtle hint of fall spices that make these biscuits perfect for cozy breakfasts or afternoon tea. You’ll find that whipping up just four biscuits is not only quick but feels special—like a little homemade treat just for you or a small family.
When I first tried this recipe, I struggled to get that perfect flaky texture in such a small batch, but this method of folding the dough gently really changed the game. These biscuits turn out golden and fluffy every time, and the warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg make them wonderfully comforting. Whether you’re experimenting with pumpkin this season or just want a quick biscuit fix, this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe is definitely worth keeping in your baking repertoire.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Small Households: Makes just four biscuits, so no waste or leftovers to stress over.
- Quick and Easy: From mixing to baking takes less than 30 minutes—great for busy mornings.
- Moist and Flaky Texture: Pumpkin puree keeps the biscuits tender, while folding creates beautiful layers.
- Versatile Flavor: Warm spices add cozy notes that complement so many meals and snacks.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe are simple pantry staples that blend beautifully to create a fragrant, tender biscuit. Grab fresh pumpkin puree if you can, and don’t skip the cold butter—it’s crucial for that flaky texture you’ll love.
- All purpose flour: Provides a soft, tender crumb while still holding the biscuit shape well.
- Baking powder: Gives the biscuits their lift and fluffiness.
- Baking soda: Works with the buttermilk to add extra lightness.
- Salt: Enhances all the subtle flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and a classic fall flavor.
- Nutmeg: Provides a hint of spice that complements the pumpkin.
- Sugar: Just a touch to balance the spices and pumpkin.
- Butter (cold & cubed): The cold butter ensures flaky layers when folded into the flour.
- Buttermilk (cold): Adds tang and tenderness, reacting with the soda for rise.
- Pumpkin puree: Moisturizes and gives that beautiful fall flavor plus a lovely color.
Variations
One thing I love about this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe is how easy it is to customize. You can tweak the spices, add mix-ins, or swap ingredients to suit your taste or dietary needs without losing that comforting autumn vibe.
- Spiced Up: I sometimes add a pinch of ground ginger or cloves for extra holiday flair—it’s like a mini pumpkin pie in biscuit form!
- Dairy-Free Option: I swap buttermilk with a mixture of almond milk and lemon juice, and use vegan butter with great success.
- Cheesy Pumpkin Biscuits: For a savory twist, mixing in sharp cheddar or Parmesan gives the biscuits a delicious contrast with the sweet pumpkin.
- Gluten-Free: If you prefer gluten-free, I recommend a 1:1 baking flour blend and slightly reducing the liquid for the best texture.
How to Make Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
Step 1: Preheat and Prep Your Workspace
First things first, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper—this helps the biscuits bake evenly and prevents sticking. Having a clean floured surface ready for shaping your dough will make the process smooth and less messy, trust me.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients and Cut in Cold Butter
Whisk together all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter (or two forks) to cut the butter into the flour until you get pea-sized bits—this is key for flaky layers. If the butter melts too much here, your biscuits might turn out dense, so keep it cold!
Step 3: Stir in Buttermilk and Pumpkin Puree to Form Dough
Gently fold in the cold buttermilk and pumpkin puree with a rubber spatula just until a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix here—you want the dough to come together but still be tender and a little shaggy. Overworking it can make the biscuits tough.
Step 4: Knead and Fold the Dough for Flakiness
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it only 2 to 4 times—just enough to pull it together. Then shape it into a rectangle. Now comes the fun part: fold the left side over the right, gently pat it down, then fold the top over the bottom and pat again. Repeat this folding step two more times. This layering technique builds those flaky biscuit layers you’ll love!
Step 5: Roll Out and Cut Out Biscuits
After your final fold, roll the dough into a rectangle about an inch thick. Use a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut out four biscuits. Press straight down firmly but avoid twisting the cutter—that helps the biscuits rise evenly. Gently wiggle to release each biscuit. For the leftover dough scraps, shape into a little biscuit and bake it too—it makes a perfect snack.
Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection
Place your biscuits on the lined baking sheet, optionally sprinkle with flaky sea salt for a nice contrast, then bake for about 13 minutes or until golden brown. When they come out, let them cool just enough to handle, then dive in—the smell alone makes the wait worth it!
Pro Tips for Making Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and cold liquids are your biscuit’s best friends for flaky layers.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir just enough to combine; overworking can lead to tough biscuits.
- Gentle Folding: The folding step creates layers without overworking the dough – don’t skip it!
- Use Flaky Sea Salt: A light sprinkle before baking adds a delightful salty crunch that balances the sweetness.
How to Serve Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
Garnishes
I love topping these pumpkin biscuits with a pat of salted butter or a drizzle of honey to accentuate their sweet-spiced flavor. Sometimes I add a little cream cheese spread mixed with a touch of maple syrup for an indulgent twist that’s perfect for brunch or a cozy snack.
Side Dishes
My favorite pairing for this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe is a bowl of hearty soup like butternut squash or creamy tomato basil—both complement the biscuits’ warmth beautifully. They’re also fantastic alongside a fresh spinach salad or even just a cup of hot cider or coffee for a simple but satisfying treat.
Creative Ways to Present
When I’m serving these pumpkin biscuits for a special occasion, I arrange them in a rustic basket lined with a colorful kitchen towel and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar for a pretty, festive look. You can also stack them on a wooden board surrounded by seasonal fruits like sliced apples or persimmons to really highlight that autumn vibe.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I wrap leftover pumpkin biscuits tightly in plastic wrap and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature—they’ll stay fresh for about 2 days. If you want to stretch that, refrigeration works too, but bring them back to room temp before serving for best texture.
Freezing
If I’m making these biscuits ahead of time, I freeze the unbaked cut biscuits on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag once firm. That way, I can bake fresh biscuits right from frozen by adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time—so convenient for a quick, homemade touch anytime.
Reheating
To reheat, I pop leftover biscuits in a 350°F oven for about 5 to 7 minutes until warm and slightly crisp again. Microwave heating can make them a bit soggy or chewy, so oven warming really preserves that fresh-baked texture best.
FAQs
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Can I use canned pumpkin for this Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe?
Absolutely! Canned pumpkin puree works perfectly and is a convenient option. Just be sure you’re using plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugars and spices that might alter the flavor and texture.
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What if I don’t have buttermilk?
No worries! You can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1/4 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle before using it in the recipe—this helps the biscuits rise and adds tang.
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Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can easily double or even triple the ingredients for a larger batch. Just keep the mixing and folding steps the same to maintain that delicate, flaky texture.
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How do I make these biscuits extra flaky?
Keep your butter and liquids cold, use the folding technique described, and avoid overworking the dough. These steps integrate layers of fat that steam during baking, creating those lovely flaky layers.
Final Thoughts
This Small Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe truly feels like a cozy hug on a plate. I love knowing I can satisfy a biscuit craving without making more than I need, and the pumpkin + spices never fail to bring that warm fall feeling to the kitchen. Give it a try—you’ll enjoy how easy and rewarding it is to bake these tender, flavorful biscuits. Trust me, once you make them, they’ll become your go-to for small, seasonal baking needs!
PrintSmall Batch Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 biscuits 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These small batch pumpkin biscuits are a perfect fall treat, offering a tender, flaky texture with the warm flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. Made with simple ingredients like pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and cold butter, these biscuits are easy to prepare and bake to golden perfection in just under 30 minutes—ideal for a cozy breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup cold buttermilk
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar until well combined.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles small pea-sized chunks. This helps create the flaky texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the cold buttermilk and pumpkin puree using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix to maintain tenderness.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly 2 to 4 times to bring it together without overworking or warming the dough.
- Fold Dough: Shape the dough into a rectangle. Fold the left side over the right and gently pat down, then fold the top over the bottom and pat again. Repeat this folding process two more times to create flaky layers.
- Roll and Cut: Roll the dough rectangle out to about 1 inch thickness. Flour a 2.5-inch biscuit or cookie cutter and cut 4 biscuits by pressing straight down without twisting. Remove the biscuits gently.
- Prepare for Baking: Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Optionally, sprinkle with flaky sea salt for added texture and flavor.
- Bake: Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 13 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and let the biscuits cool just enough to handle. Serve warm for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and buttermilk are cold to achieve a flaky biscuit texture.
- Do not overmix the dough; overworking can make the biscuits tough.
- Use a sharp, floured biscuit cutter and press straight down to get clean edges.
- Flaky sea salt on top enhances flavor but is optional.
- The leftover dough scraps can be shaped into a small biscuit and baked as a snack.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute buttermilk with a plant-based milk with a splash of vinegar.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat gently to maintain flakiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg