Whole Wheat Biscuits

Name: Whole Wheat Biscuit Recipe (Beginner Friendly)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting); 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter); 6 tablespoons cold butter (out of the fridge or frozen); 3/4 cups of milk (any); 2 tablespoons honey (optional); Additional milk for brushing the tops

By Laura Fuentes Updated Mar 5, 2024

4.98 from 37 votes

Recipe

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Making whole wheat biscuits is easy with this simple recipe. It yields 6 large biscuits or 12 smaller ones.

Love those honey wheat biscuits that come out of a can but want to make them at home? My family does too! With this easy recipe, you’ll be able to enjoy them fresh out of the oven any time you want!

Jump to:

Fluffy Whole Wheat Biscuits
Ingredients
How to Make Whole Wheat Biscuits
Making Sure They Rise
Forming Whole Wheat Biscuits
Storing Leftovers
Whole Wheat Biscuit Recipe (Beginner Friendly)

Fluffy Whole Wheat Biscuits

Not all biscuits are created equal; and when it comes to biscuits my family likes them big and soft, like the Homestyle Grands biscuits in the blue tube!

Popping one of those familiar blue tubes is an easy task… but I’m telling you to trust me on this one. Did you never ever bake? Keep reading. This Whole Wheat Biscuit recipe takes just 10 minutes and is 100% beginner-friendly!

Ok, maybe you are already saying… “but I don’t have a biscuit cutter” and.. Ok ok. Stop it. Stop talking yourself out of making something from scratch because it might be a little challenging at first. Use a big glass to cut these and problem solved! They are supposed to be BIG, remember? Now, where were we. Oh yes. Will you just look at them again?

Ingredients

Same way you don’t need any fancy equipment to make these whole-wheat biscuits, the ingredients couldn’t be any simpler. Grab these staples and you’re ready to go:

All-purpose flour: for the dough and more for dusting. If you want to omit it and make these biscuits 100% whole wheat, be sure to use whole-wheat pastry flour.
Whole wheat flour: I prefer whole-wheat pastry flour, which adds a finer, less dense texture. If using traditional (non-pastry) whole-wheat or stone-ground, keep this recipe at 50/50 with all-purpose flour (as it is).
Baking powder: to raise the dough. Be sure it’s fresh!
Salt: omit if using salted butter.
Cold butter: out of the fridge or frozen it’s easier to grate.
Milk: for the dough and more for brushing the tops. Any milk works.
Honey: optional for a slight sweetness.

You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.

Best Flour for Homemade Whole Wheat Biscuits

This recipe uses 50/50 whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I prefer whole-wheat pastry flour in my baked goods because it has a finer, less dense texture. You can also make this recipe 100% whole wheat if you’re using whole wheat pastry flour.

If you’re using traditional (non-pastry) whole-wheat or stone-ground flour, I recommend keeping this recipe at 50/50 (as noted) with all-purpose flour. Otherwise, biscuits will come out too dense.

Are These Biscuits Healthy?

While these Whole Wheat Biscuits can be considered an indulgent breakfast, they are made with real ingredients and none of the chemicals, meaning much better than the ones from the blue tube!

Plus, the whole-wheat flour in these biscuits adds extra fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which makes them more nutritious than 100% white flour biscuits.

honey wheat biscuit cut in half with butter on top, a basket of honey wheat biscuits in the background

How to Make Whole Wheat Biscuits

If you can measure flour, you can make these delicious Whole Wheat Biscuits in about 10 minutes – the oven does the rest. So let’s whip a batch -or two- of these biscuits, spread some butter and honey on them, and come back and thank me later!

Prep the oven
Preheat the oven to 425F, position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt (if butter is unsalted). Stir to combine.
Grate the butter
Using a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour bowl. Using your hands, mix the butter into the flour mixture until the flour mixture is crumbly.
Form the dough
Form a well in the middle of the bowl and add the milk and honey. Stir the flour mixture into the milk until a dough forms. You can use a wooden spoon, a hand mixer, or a stand mixer.
Knead
Lightly dust your counter with flour, remove the dough from the bowl, and with your hands, knead it into a round shape, until it’s no longer sticky.
Make the biscuits
If needed, lightly dust the counter again. Roll dough with a rolling pin to about an inch thick. Using a large, 2-inch biscuit cutter (or the top of a large glass), cut out 6 biscuits, or cut 12 using a 1-inch buiscuit cutter. After the 4th biscuit you might need to re-shape and roll your dough again to incorporate the ends.
Ready to go!
Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined pan. Brush the tops with a little milk to make them shiny.
Bake
Bake the biscuits for 13-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and enjoy warm.

You’ll see that once you get the ingredients out of the pantry, the whole wheat biscuits come together in just a matter of minutes since the stand mixer does the heavy work. Check out how easy they are to make in this quick video:

Why Do You Grate the Butter?

Grating the butter helps the fat distribute evenly into the whole-wheat flour. This is key for the whole wheat biscuits to rise evenly in the oven. To grate the butter easily with the cheese grater, use it out of the fridge or frozen.

Making Sure They Rise

Nobody wants flat biscuits -even if they still taste great. Follow these tips and they’ll bake perfectly tall and fluffy every time:

Use fresh baking powder
One reason biscuits may turn out flat is not using fresh baking powder. If you have an opened package, keep in mind that its “rising” power starts to decline after 9 months open. And if your baking powder is sealed but already expired, it won’t rise the batter as it should.
Pro tip: mark the opening date so you can be sure you’re using fresh baking powder for biscuits, pancakes, and other fluffy bakery goods.

Use cold or frozen butter
Using cold or frozen butter makes the fat melt while cooking, releasing steam and helping the dough to rise, yielding tall and fluffy biscuits. If you use melted or room-temperature butter, the flour will absorb it, creating flat biscuits.

Don’t over knead
Knead your dough just enough until it’s combined and not sticky. The more you knead, the more the fat melts before baking, and the flatter the biscuits turn out.

Check oven temperature
To help the dough rise quickly in the oven, check the temperature is at 425F when you place the whole-wheat biscuits in the oven.

Forming Whole Wheat Biscuits

Shaping biscuits is not something to be afraid of! Once you try it, you’ll see how easy it is. First, dust the counter with flour to keep the dough from sticking. Place the dough on the counter and knead to form a round shape. When to stop? Once it’s not longer sticky!

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about an inch thick. While you can use your hands to shape the biscuits, make sure they are of even size and height; otherwise, they won’t cook evenly.

For cutting them, use a 2-inch (6 biscuits) or 1-inch biscuit cutter (12 biscuits). You don’t have one? Use a large glass instead. After cutting the 4th biscuit, you might need to re-shape your dough and roll it again to incorporate the ends.

What to Serve with Homemade Wheat Biscuits

Toppings time! If there’s anything even better than smelling the bakery aroma invading your kitchen, it’s cutting these whole wheat biscuits in half and serving them with the most delicious toppings! Here are some of my favorites:

Butter
Honey
Chia jam
Peanut butter
Roasted strawberries
Blueberry syrup
Whipped cream
Chocolate chips

honey wheat biscuit cut in half with butter on top

Storing Leftovers

Once the whole-wheat biscuits are cooled down, store them in an airtight container or zip-bag for up to 3 days. To serve, warm them up in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a toaster oven to enjoy warm.

Can You Freeze Homemade Biscuits

Freeze these homemade biscuits and they are just as convenient as the ones in the blue tube! Freeze the shaped, unbaked biscuit disks by linking a baking sheet with parchment, and once frozen, transfer them to a zip bag. Keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To bake, remove them from the freezer while the oven preheats, and add 2 to 3 minutes to the total baking time. Voilá!

Whole Wheat Biscuit Recipe (Beginner Friendly)

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 13

Total Time: 18

Making whole wheat biscuits is easy with this simple recipe. It yields 6 large biscuits or 12 smaller ones.

4.98 from 37 votes

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Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt, omit if using salted butter
6 tablespoons cold butter, out of the fridge or frozen
¾ cups of milk, any
2 tablespoons honey, optional
Additional milk for brushing the tops

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 425F, position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the dough:

In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt (if butter is unsalted). Stir to combine.
Using a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour bowl. Using your hands, mix the butter into the flour mixture until the flour mixture is crumbly.
Form a well in the middle of the bowl and add the milk and honey. Stir the flour mixture into the milk until a dough forms. You can use a wooden spoon, a hand mixer, or a stand mixer.

Form the biscuits:

Lightly dust your counter with flour, remove the dough from the bowl, and with your hands, knead it into a round shape, until it's no longer sticky.
If needed, lightly dust the counter again. Roll dough with a rolling pin to about an inch thick. Using a large, 2-inch biscuit cutter (or the top of a large glass), cut out 6 biscuits, or cut 12 using a 1-inch buiscuit cutter. After the 4th biscuit you might need to re-shape and roll your dough again to incorporate the ends.
Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined pan. Brush the tops with a little milk to make them shiny.

Bake:

Bake the biscuits for 13-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and enjoy warm.

Storage:

Store cooled leftover biscuits in an airtight container or zip bag for up to 3 days. Warm them up in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a toaster oven to enjoy warm.

Notes

Flour notes:

I prefer to use whole-wheat pastry flour in my baked goods because they have a finer, less dense texture. You can make this recipe 100% whole wheat if you’re using pastry flour (as shown in the product image above).
If using traditional (non-pastry) whole-wheat or stone-ground, I recommend keeping this recipe at 50/50 (as noted) with all-purpose flour.

Grating the butter helps the fat distribute evenly into the whole-wheat flour. this is key for the whole-wheat biscuits to rise evenly.

Freezing: you can freeze shaped, unbaked biscuit disks for up to 2 months. Freeze by linking a baking sheet with parchment, and once frozen, transfer them to a zip bag. To bake, remove them from the freezer while the oven preheats, and add 2 to 3 minutes to the total baking time.