Learn how to make these light and tender buttermilk bacon biscuits! Bacon fat gives these biscuits deep smoky flavor and I recommend pairing them with blackberry jam for a wonderful savory sweet combination! 

A Buttermilk Bacon Biscuit sandwiched with Blackberry Jam and Butter

OVERVIEW

Buttermilk biscuits could not get any better! They use simple ingredients, require little baking time, and are so delicious made from scratch. 

But what if I were to add crumbled bacon pieces and bacon fat to the mix? These buttermilk bacon biscuits can take your biscuit game to the next level. They are perfect served with fried eggs and even more perfect served with sweet jam. You will love the salty and sweet combination.

Buttermilk Bacon Biscuits with Blackberry Jam and a cup of coffee

Types of Fat in Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are most popularly made with butter. However, any solid fat can be used. Shortening, lard, coconut oil, or tallow are all options however they all have slightly different results.

Butter is only about 80-83% fat. It also includes some water in it which will evaporate out during the baking process. Biscuits made with butter will rise higher but will be just slightly less tender than other fats that are 100% fat.

Shortening and lard are 100% fat so they make some of the most tender and flaky biscuits! Lard is just the name for fat rendered from pork so bacon fat is a type of lard. However, lard biscuits and shortening biscuits do not rise quite as high as biscuits made with butter.

Other Ways to Flavor Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are delicious on their own but if you are looking for even more flavor combinations. Here is a guide to experiment and find your favorite flavor:

  • Bacon Cheddar Biscuits: add 1/2 cup Bacon Crumbles and 200 grams (2 cups) shredded Cheddar Cheese to the dry ingredients before adding the buttermilk.
  • Cheddar Chive Biscuits: add 200 grams (2 cups) of shredded Cheddar, 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, and 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder to the dry ingredients before adding the buttermilk.
  • Fresh Herb Biscuits: add in 1 tablespoon each of fresh minced Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage to the dry ingredients. These biscuits are phenomenal with sausage gravy!
  • Honey Biscuits: make the buttermilk biscuits as is. Melt 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan. Brush the honey butter on top of the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.
Buttermilk Bacon biscuits out of the oven

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious biscuit recipes!

A Buttermilk Bacon Biscuit sandwiched with Blackberry Jam and Butter
Yield: 8 Biscuits

Buttermilk Bacon Biscuits

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Bacon fat gives these biscuits deep smoky flavor and I recommend pairing them with blackberry jam for a wonderful savory sweet combination! 

Ingredients

  • 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 10 grams (1 tablespoon) baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 grams (1 ¼ teaspoons) kosher salt
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) bacon fat, cold *see note for substitution
  • 225 grams (1/2 pound, about 5-6 strips) bacon, cooked & crumbled
  • 240 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) buttermilk, cold

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Cook the bacon (225 grams, 1/2 pound) until crispy, and strain the fat through a fine-mesh sieve to save. Put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to solidify. Crumble the bacon.
  2. Position an oven rack to the center position and preheat to 450°F/230°C. 
  3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 
  4. Measure out all ingredients. Keep the buttermilk and bacon fat cold in the refrigerator.

To Make the Biscuits:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (240 grams, 2 cups), baking powder (10 grams, 1 tablespoon), baking soda (¼ teaspoon), and salt (1 ¼ teaspoon).
  2. Add the cold bacon fat (85 grams, 6 tablespoons) to the mixing bowl and cut it into the flour mixture. To do this, press down on the fat with the wires of the pastry blender or the tines of a fork as you move it around the bowl. Continue cutting the fat into the flour until most of the pieces of fat are about the size of peas with some pieces being about the size of a walnut half.
  3. Toss the cooked crumbled bacon into the flour/butter mixture.
  4. Add the cold buttermilk (240 grams, 1 cup) into the bowl and stir with a spoon or a silicone spatula just until combined. This should only take a few turns. The dough will be pretty wet and sticky. 
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Dust flour over the top of the dough. With floured hands bring the dough together into one mass.  
  6. Pat the dough out (do not roll with a rolling pin) until it is about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick. Using a bench knife (or a metal spatula can be helpful if you do not have a bench knife), fold the dough in half and then turn it 90 degrees. Pat out and fold again for a total of 6 times. This process is creating layers that will create flaky biscuits.
  7. Press the dough out to about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick and use a round cutter that is about 2.5-inches (6 cm) in diameter to cut out your biscuits. When cutting out, dip your cutter in flour, press straight down, and pull it back up without twisting it. Twisting can seal the edge of your biscuit, not allowing it to rise fully. Gently pat the scraps together to cut out the rest of your biscuits. Alternatively, you can pat the dough into a rectangle and use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 8 rectangular-shaped biscuits. 
  8. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the edges touching so they will rise up against each other. 
  9. As an optional step, place the sheet pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This will ensure that your biscuits will not spread too much and will allow your oven to fully pre-heat. 
  10. Bake at 450°F/230°C for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Do not open the oven door for at least the first half of baking time. You want the steam to stay trapped in the oven to help with the rise.
  11. Brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt if desired.
  12. Biscuits are best eaten fresh, but they can also be stored after completely cooled at room temperature and wrapped in foil for 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuits raw and bake straight from frozen at 425°F/220°C for 18-21 minutes, until baked through. 

Notes

Substitution: Instead of the bacon fat, you can use cold butter, lard, or shortening.

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