Cracker Barrel Biscuits

Cracker Barrel Biscuits are freshly baked biscuits right out of the oven and they are hard to beat. Cracker Barrel makes some of the most delicious biscuits around. Now you can make them at home with this copycat recipe.

a plate of homemade Cracker Barrel buttermilk biscuits


Make Cracker Barrel Biscuits at Home

Everyone needs a savory biscuit in their recipe collection and this Cracker Barrel biscuit recipe is one of the best.

The restaurants themselves are an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with Southern country charm. Each location features a covered porch littered with rocking chairs, a stone fireplace, and wooden board games on every table.

Cracker Barrel has received awards for its menus, advertising, and charitable donations. Zagat’s has mentioned Cracker Barrel in two editions (2010 and 2011) for its famous breakfasts.

Are Cracker Barrel biscuits frozen?

Honestly, they haven’t ever let the cat out of the bag on this one. But it’s a question lots of people are asking.

But the good news is, you can freeze these biscuits if you want. Let them cool completely after baking them.

Then either wrap them up individually in plastic wrap or freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet. This way they don’t freeze together in a giant pile.

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Bisquick mix
  • Buttermilk
  • Sugar
  • Butter
biscuits ingredients

How to Make Cracker Barrel Biscuits with Bisquick

My recipe starts with Bisquick, the familiar baking mix in the bright, yellow box. It was invented in 1931 and has been a staple in American kitchens ever since.

  1. Mix Bisquick, buttermilk, and sugar together.
  2. Add melted butter and stir until a soft dough forms.
  3. Turn dough onto a floured surface.
  4. Knead and roll out dough.
  5. Cut out biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter or glass.
  6. Place biscuits next to each other in an ungreased cake pan.
  7. Flatten biscuits slightly.
  8. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

You can also purchase the Cracker Barrel biscuit mix directly from the famous restaurant.

How to Make Homemade Bisquick Mix

If you don’t have Bisquick on hand, don’t worry. One cup of Bisquick can be substituted with the following homemade mixture:

  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter (or by cutting in 2 1⁄2 tbsp of Crisco or lard).

For detailed instructions, go to my homemade Bisquick mix post.

How to Make Buttermilk from Milk

I swear by using buttermilk in this recipe. It creates a chemical reaction in the biscuits and makes them lighter and fluffier. If you don’t have buttermilk at home, you can make some out of milk and vinegar.

Just mix 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Let it sit a few minutes and it will turn the milk to the perfect consistency.

You can also use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice instead of vinegar. It does the same thing to the milk.

How to make the biscuits taste more like Popeye’s or KFC biscuits

To make these biscuits taste more like Popeye’s or KFC biscuits, brush melted butter on top of each before they are placed in the oven and again when you take the biscuits out of the oven.

Freshly baked biscuits right out of the oven are hard to beat. Cracker Barrel makes some of the most delicious biscuits around and now you can too!

What do you eat on your biscuits?

I prefer a little dab of real butter melting on my hot biscuits. Others like using jellies or jams.

Cut biscuits in half and slather them with sausage gravy for an unforgettable breakfast.

Why is biscuit dough crumbling?

This is my favorite thing about biscuits. As you are making them, you want the dough to resemble crumbs more than a smooth one like cookie dough.

This is because the fat from the butter coats the flour and prevents it from absorbing moisture.

As it bakes, the butter will melt, giving the biscuits an amazing flavor.

Keep in mind that you need to use melted butter for this recipe. Some recipes call for chilled butter. I’ve even read about people freezing their butter and shredding it for homemade biscuits.

Since we are using Bisquick, melted butter helps the ingredients stick together better and forms a dough you can roll out and cut.

buttermilk biscuits on a plate next to a stick of butter

Love Cracker Barrel? Try these copycat recipes!

Here are some more cracker barrel recipes to make at home:

More Biscuit Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my easy biscuit recipes and the best Cracker Barrel copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!

a plate of homemade Cracker Barrel buttermilk biscuits

Cracker Barrel Biscuits

You can make Cracker Barrel biscuits at home with this copycat recipe. 
4.80 from 10 votes
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Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Biscuits, Cracker Barrel Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 171kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix first three ingredients together; add melted butter into batter. Stir ingredients until soft dough forms. Turn onto a surface that has been dusted with flour,
  • Knead 20 times, roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut biscuits and place them in an ungreased 8×8 inch cake pan. Place biscuits next to each other. When you have placed all of them in there, flatten them slightly.
  • Bake the biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

To make biscuits like Popeye’s or KFC, prepare the same way but brush melted butter on top when they are placed in the oven and when you take the biscuits out of the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 0.9mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kaylie

    I worked in Cracker Barrel for a year in the back. The biscuits are made fresh almost every 30 minutes and we have buttermilk and a package of biscuit mix. I also have other recipes in my head from working there. Like their corn muffins. But this is the closest recipe I could find.

  2. Granny j

    5 stars
    I’ve been on the hunt for the absolute best biscuit recipe. So far have done copycat KFC (a grandchild’s favorite), Bojangles, and now this one because Cracker Barrel makes my favorite biscuits. I have also tried Alton Brown’s recipe and his Ma Mae’s but didn’t like them as well as either fast food recipes. For my taste, this CB copycat came out a bit too sweet so I’ll use only half the sugar next time. Also a bit on the dry side but I cooked for 11 mins because I like my biscuits a bit more brown on top. Will stick to 9 mins next time. I used a two-inch biscuit cutter (size cutter not specified in recipe) and the recipe made 13 biscuits. I prefer larger biscuits so will use 2.5 cutter next time. My daughter worked at CB a few years ago and when I told her I wanted to make CB biscuits, she asked a bit disdainfully “Why?” LOL Kudos to you for getting this recipe so close!

    • EmeraldFire

      6 cups flour
      1 cup vegetable shortening
      2/3 cup buttermilk

      -blend the flour and shortening to make a “dry mix” (should look like cornmeal)
      -add in buttermilk
      -blend 1 minute in mixer
      -turn out on floured surface and fold 4 times. you do not want to knead this 20 times you will overwork the dough.
      -roll out 1 inch thick
      -cook in oven that was preheated @ 425 for 10 minutes(longer if you like them dark)
      -slather top with melted butter after you bring it out of the oven.

      granted CB uses convection ovens to cook the biscuits, and the dry mix is done in “bulk”, but the ratio should just about be right. CB does not knead to death the dough, basically fold it on itself like 4 times and roll out. Now if you are going to make the dumplings, you knead the hell out of that 😉

    • Barry

      3 stars
      Your recipe is missing one thing. A hint of wood smoke. Gandma cooked on a wood stove and inevitably that smoke would faintly flavor the biscuits. I can taste it in Cracker Barrel’s biscuits. How it gets in there is probably bottled smoke. It is very strong in their white gravy.

  3. BBJo

    5 stars
    Awesome & Delicious Biscuits! Had to make the substitute Buttermilk, which emulsified quickly and worked great. YUMMY & Thanks ever so much!!!

  4. Drew Whittington

    So, last night I called multiple cracker barrel restaurants, using various techniques to trick them into telling me the secret…some techniques including telling them I was allergic to soy and to make sure they didn’t use shortening with soy in tbem, and even told them I was allergic to lard..mneedless to say the last time I called it just plain asked…it’s flour, buttermilk, and 100% vegetable shortening; they butter the pan and brush them with butter before and after baking

  5. Claire FitzGerald

    These biscuits were so great, we could not even “taste” the biscuit mix in the recipe. This recipe is a real keeper! Thanks for sharing it. Would have given it ten stars if that were possible.

    https://copykat.com/cracker-barrel-old-country-store-biscuits/

  6. Lindsey

    They still use self rising flour, cut in the shortening and add buttermilk while mixing in the mixer. I used to take a 1 gallon pitcher and fill it heaping full of the flour mixture (we pre-made the flour mix to keep up with business) dump in the mixer, then 1/2 gallion of buttermilk and mix. I am a little fuzzy on that one. The dumplins use the same flour mix as the flour mix FYI.. I think the recipe for us to make the flour was (you can cut it down of course)

    15 pounds of self rising flour (in mixer)
    44 ounces (I *think*) shortening

    throw in a mixer with a paddle attachment and mix for 3 (or 5?) minutes.

    • David

      5 stars
      That translates to 2 tablespoons of fat (shortening/leaf lard/and or butter) per cup of White Lily Self-Rising Flour according to my calculations (the ratio I always use). Anybody who does not get a rise is using plain flour, not self-rising. To get the exact same biscuit as Cracker Barrel you need a commercial oven.

    • India

      I cook at Cracker Barrel. No lard. They did add bacon drippings when I first started but deleted that to make the recipe a little healthier. funny. The biscuit ingrediants are dumped into a hough mixer on low speed while you add the buttermilk. Turned up to medium for about 5 minutes or until it forms a ball. Use the paddle. Turn onto your floured steel counter (your work surface should be cold) and roll out and cut and into the oven. Don’t let them sit out after cutting. Hope this helps you. Your dough will look weird in the bowl but will firm up nicely while rolling. Use plenty of flour when rolling out. Their shortening is packaged for them as well as their proprietary condensed soup blends. The lady above is about right with the mix ratio. Happy rolling.

  7. Mama

    Back in my younger days I worked at Cracker Barrel and they use White Lily Self-Rising Flour, shortening and buttermilk to make their biscuits…they don’t use a biscuit mix.

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