Quick Beer Biscuits

Beer biscuits on a rack on a table.

Diana Rattray

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings

These flavorful and fluffy beer biscuits are a snap to prepare and bake. Ready in under 30 minutes, start to finish, these biscuits are a great addition to any meal and can easily replace your favorite rolls when serving soups, chilis, or stews. Deliciously flavored with a hint of beer, the biscuits are made with pantry and fridge staples that you probably already have at hand, such as flour, butter, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. A brush of milk or cream plus a pinch of paprika on top gives them a pretty golden color in the oven. These are also perfect for a brunch spread served with eggs and bacon, or for a light dinner with a few pieces of your favorite cheese and cold cuts. There's no need to buy bagged rolls or biscuits when you can make these in no time, with greater favor and at lower cost.

If you've never baked with beer then you should start with porters, stouts, brown ales, or amber ales. With many choices of beer, what ultimately makes a successful bake with beer is to use one that you'd drink by the glass. Similar to cooking with wine or spirits, your recipe will only be as good as the alcohol you use. So cheap beer will make not-so-great biscuits. As beers contain natural yeast they add a ton of flavor, but also contribute to a better rise in cakes and batters and to a fluffier texture in quick breads like this one. The second key factor in making excellent quick bread lies in the handling of the dough. Overmixing or kneading too much will make the biscuits dense and hard because you'd be developing the gluten too much, meaning your biscuit will be gummy and dense.

Be mindful that baking with alcohol doesn't burn it off completely, meaning that people who need to abstain from alcohol for personal or medical reasons shouldn't consume baked goods that contain any form of alcohol.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, or spray lightly with baking spray

  3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

  4. Add the melted butter and beer and stir until the mixture holds together.

  5. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times, just enough to make a soft, cohesive dough.

  6. Pat the soft dough into a circle about 3/4-inch thick.

  7. Cut the biscuits out with biscuit cutters and place on the prepared baking sheet.

  8. Brush lightly with milk or cream and sprinkle with paprika.

  9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned

  10. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
160 Calories
7g Fat
21g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 160
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 256mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 65mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 36mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)