Pancake Mix Is Your Ticket To Easy Biscuits At Home

Flaky, buttery biscuits are a delight to eat, whether you're slathering them with butter and jam, enjoying them with a side of gravy, or drizzling biscuits in chocolate sauce for a sweet Appalachian treat. American biscuits (which are different to British scones) can require a little work if you're making the dough from scratch — but using a pancake mix instead is an easy and fuss-free solution. 

Since many boxed mixes already contain most biscuit recipe ingredients, such as flour, baking soda, and sugar, it's a great way to cut down on time and effort. You can use two cups of any pancake mix you have on hand – plus the only extra ingredients you'll need are cold butter and milk.

To make your biscuits, simply work your shredded butter into your pancake mix before adding the milk until a dough forms. You can use a cheese grater to shred frozen butter to make things easier. Roll out your divided dough, and shape it by cutting it into a typical round biscuit shape. Give them 10 minutes to bake, and you'll have just made the easiest flaky and buttery biscuits.

When mixing the dough, don't overwork it, as this will create a tougher biscuit once baked. The goal here isn't to mix until smooth. In fact, the crumbly butter pieces are what makes your biscuits flaky. It's also better to minimize touching the dough with your hands — your body heat will melt the butter, once again making the biscuit tough. Although you might be inclined to space them apart, let the biscuits touch while baking. This actually helps them rise, since they can lean on each other in the process.

If you prefer tangy biscuits, you can either use a buttermilk pancake mix, or substitute equal parts buttermilk for the regular milk since buttermilk always upgrades boxed pancake mix. You can also add some mix-ins for flavor variations like cheddar cheese, sun dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs. Garlic powder and onion powder can add even more savory flavor.

For a sweeter biscuit, try chocolate chips, raisins, or warm spices — just keep in mind the sweetness of your pancake mix, and adjust the ingredients and quantities accordingly. Brush them with some butter before baking for a lovely golden-brown color, and enjoy your flaky biscuits whichever way you like.