Ever wanted to learn how to make biscuits like great-grandma? This sour cream biscuit recipe is straight from the 1940's, when folks knew how to stretch ingredients and what they had to make a meal. And, after all, who can resist a fresh-baked biscuit?
Especially when there are so many ways to eat homemade biscuits: for breakfast topped with preserves, served alongside soup or stew for dinner, cut in half and toasted with cheese, or, of course, topped with fresh berries and whipped cream for a delicious dessert! The humble biscuit was the star of almost every meal.
I discovered this recipe among my great-grandmother's recipe collection, taken from a drugstore pamphlet dated 1948. The small amount of butter used and lack of sugar are quite possibly a reflection of the rationing that would have been a regular part of life in the years prior.
The original recipe called for all-purpose flour, but the recipe also adapts well to both spelt and gluten-free versions. If you are used to a sweeter biscuit, or plan on using the biscuits for dessert, a little sugar, maple syrup, or honey is easily added in with the sour cream. If using maple syrup or honey, add a little less sour cream to make up the difference in moisture. This is a biscuit recipe with butter though you can substitute coconut oil if you're dairy free.
One of the things you'll find in older recipes is real cultured items. Cultured sour cream would keep much longer than regular milk, especially if you didn't have a refrigerator, and many recipes would use sour cream or buttermilk. Though the sour cream does mean these contain dairy, this recipe shows you how to make biscuits without milk, aka milk free biscuits.
Great-Grandma's Sour Cream Biscuit Recipe (1948)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour blend, or spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 – 6 tsp sugar, maple syrup, or honey (optional)
- additional sour cream or milk, if needed
- 1/2 tbsp butter
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut in butter or coconut oil until the mixture looks crumbly.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the sour cream, mixed with sugar, honey, or maple syrup (if using). Stir lightly until the dough comes together. If the dough is dry, add more sour cream or milk, a tsp at a time, as needed.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently about 20 times.
Roll out until 1/2″ thick. Cut out biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter and place on greased baking tray.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.
Makes 12 biscuits.
Great-Grandma's Sour Cream Biscuit Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour gluten-free flour blend, or spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 – 6 tsp sugar maple syrup, or honey (optional)
- additional sour cream or milk if needed
- 1/2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut in butter or coconut oil until the mixture looks crumbly.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the sour cream, mixed with sugar, honey, or maple syrup (if using). Stir lightly until the dough comes together. If the dough is dry, add more sour cream or milk, a tsp at a time, as needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently about 20 times.
- Roll out until 1/2″ thick. Cut out biscuits with a floured biscuit cutter and place on greased baking tray.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter. Serve warm.
Biscuits will keep for several days, on the counter, in an airtight container. There you have it, how to make biscuits with great-grandma's easy sour cream biscuit recipe from the 1940's. Have you ever made sour cream biscuits before?
These are delicious! I sub whole fat yogurt for the sour cream (bc that’s what I usually have in the house), and they are amazing.
Can you use clabbers or old milk instead of sour cream. My grandmother made sour biscuits without sour cream so she must have used either clabbers or some other milk product available on the farm. What do you suggest?
Hi Melissa, would I need to alter the amount of flour in these biscuits if I make them with fresh ground soft white wheat flour? Thanks!
I was given quite a bit of vanilla yogurt. I’m going to try making this subbing the yogurt for the sour cream. Also, was wondering if anyone has tried converting this recipe into a loaf of bread?
I love these sour cream biscuits. They are delicious. I have shared the recipe with a lot of my friends and have made them for other friends. Plus this past summer I made gooseberry jam and red currant jelly. So when I made the biscuits I also delivered them with jam and jelly. My friends loved them.
These turned out very well. I used casava flour with the same measurements but cut in 1/2 for less dough. I used it for the top of chicken pot pie. Thank you for sharing . I need to use up some sour cream.
These are so good! I keep making these! Suggestion, I wanted these but was out of sour cream so I used my homemade plain yogurt instead and they still turned out great!
So glad you’re enjoying them Vanessa and yes, plain yogurt is a great sub for sour cream, thanks for letting us know it worked well.
THESE ARE SO GOOD! Biscuits are a comfort food of sorts so I was curious but worried about trying a new recipe. My mom’s recipe is for flakier and drier biscuits (that are perfect to be drizzled with honey!). These weren’t like that. These were properly layered and fluffy soft biscuits that were gone so sadly quick! I think I’m buying a big container of sour cream next so I can satisfy this sudden craving! Thank you!
TL;DR – MAKE THESE!!
I love this recipe! It worked with everything made from scratch and organic… so amazing. I brushed with honey butter mixture and they were out of this world! Thank you for the recipe!
Can I make the biscuits ahead of time and freeze them for cooking later
Yes, I do this frequently with biscuits. I flash freeze them on a cookie tray all cut out, then place in a bag, bake frozen, adding a minute or two to the cook time.
I made these with a couple of tweaks to accommodate my Hashimoto’s, and they were excellent! This would make really good paleo pizza;)
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup almond flour
Himalayan sea salt
Melt in place of butter
plain unsweetened coconut yogurt, in place of sour cream
1 tablespoon local honey
topped with melt
Thanks so much for sharing your gluten free version! I might try this adaption for pizza this week.
Well, I tried the Sour Cream Biscuits. I LOVE THEM!! They were the greatest biscuits I, or my husband, ever had. They raised nicely, which I rarely have ever had biscuits do, and they taste great! I even had biscuits and gravy this morning with some that were left over. I can’t applaud you enough for the great recipe. We will be having biscuits more often now. (Not that I need it though)
Love hearing that Rose, and now I’m hungry for biscuits!
I’m so glad to hear that you tried them and love them! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I have never made biscuits with sour cream, but do make biscuits frequently. Sour cream would make them softer I think. Sounds wonderful. Thank you for the recipe which is almost as old as I am.
No, I have never made sour cream biscuits before but am looking forward to trying your great grandmas recipe.