Cinnamon & Blueberry Biscuits (Make-Ahead, Freezer-Friendly)
Two sweet biscuit recipes from the same simple dough — cinnamon sugar biscuits and glazed blueberry biscuits. Both are made in one bowl with cold grated butter, baked in a cast iron skillet, and you can freeze them before baking so a homemade breakfast is never more than 15 minutes away. If you’ve ever grabbed a bag of frozen biscuits at the store, this is the recipe that ends that habit.
A Note From Mary Katherine
Raise your hand if you’ve ever bought frozen biscuits. My hand’s up too. Sometimes you just need something quick in the morning, and those bags at the store get the job done. But I’ll tell you what — once I started making my own biscuits ahead and freezing them, I stopped reaching for that store-bought bag. They just don’t compare.
What I love about today’s recipe is that we’re using one biscuit dough and turning it into two completely different sweet breakfasts. The cinnamon biscuits are for those of you who love cinnamon rolls but don’t always have the time to mess with yeast dough — these give you that warm, cinnamony flavor without all the rising and waiting. And the blueberry biscuits? I almost like them better than a blueberry muffin, and they’re easier to make.
The best part is, you can put either of these together, cut them out, freeze them on a sheet pan, and store them in an airtight container until you need them. Pull a few out, bake them off, drizzle on the glaze, and you’ve got a cozy homemade breakfast on a school morning or a slow Saturday — whatever your kitchen needs that day.
The Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10–12 minutes
Yield: 8 cinnamon biscuits + 7 blueberry biscuits (about 15 total)
Ingredients
For both biscuits (split between two bowls):
- 4 cups self-rising flour (2 cups per bowl)
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, grated (¼ cup per bowl)
- About 2 cups buttermilk (about 1 cup per bowl)
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted (for greasing the skillets)
Cinnamon biscuits add-ins:
- ¼ cup melted butter (for dipping)
- ½ cup sugar mixed with 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (for coating)
Blueberry biscuits add-ins:
- ½ cup sugar (mixed into the dough)
- ¾ cup frozen blueberries, rinsed and tossed in 1 Tbsp flour
Vanilla glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–3 Tbsp water, to thin
- Optional: 1 tsp lemon juice (lovely with the blueberry biscuits)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. These bake fast and need high heat to get fluffy inside without drying out.
- Set up two bowls. Measure 2 cups of self-rising flour into each. If you only have all-purpose flour, add 1 Tbsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt to each bowl.
- Grate the cold butter. Using a handheld grater, grate ¼ cup of cold butter directly into each bowl. The butter needs to be cold — straight from the fridge, or pop it in the freezer for a few minutes first. Sprinkle a little flour over the butter and stir gently so it spreads through evenly without clumping.
- Prep the blueberries. Rinse the frozen blueberries quickly to knock off ice particles, pat dry, and toss with 1 Tbsp flour. The flour coating keeps them from bleeding into the dough. Set aside.
- Mix the cinnamon biscuit dough. To one bowl, add about 1 cup of buttermilk. Stir gently — just until the dough comes together. Don’t overwork it. Add a little more buttermilk if it looks dry. Set this bowl aside.
- Mix the blueberry biscuit dough. Add ½ cup of sugar to the second bowl and stir it in. Then gently fold in the floured blueberries — be careful not to mash them. Add about 1 cup of buttermilk and stir gently until just combined.
- Melt butter in the skillets. Put about 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom of two 10-inch cast iron skillets and place them in the hot oven for about 4 minutes to melt and coat the bottoms.
- Cut out the cinnamon biscuits first. Lightly flour a clean surface, pat the cinnamon dough out to about 1 inch thick, and cut out biscuits with a round cutter. Don’t twist the cutter — push straight down.
- Dip and coat the cinnamon biscuits. Dip each biscuit in the ¼ cup of melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place in the prepared skillet.
- Cut out the blueberry biscuits. Pat the blueberry dough out the same way. It will be a little wetter — use a spatula to help lift them into the second skillet.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes at 450°F. Check at 8 minutes the first time. They’re done when the tops are golden brown.
- Brush the blueberry biscuits with butter while they’re piping hot — you can use the leftover butter from dipping the cinnamon biscuits. A little cinnamon from it won’t hurt a thing.
- Make the glaze. Whisk powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla together. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze pours off the spoon in a smooth ribbon but still holds its shape. For the blueberry biscuits, you can stir a splash of lemon juice into the glaze if you’d like.
- Pour the glaze over the warm biscuits, drizzling back and forth so every bite gets a little.
Make-Ahead & Freezing
To freeze before baking: cut out the biscuits, flash freeze them on a sheet pan until firm, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen at 450°F — they’ll just need 2 or 3 extra minutes. Make the glaze fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising?
Yes. For every 2 cups of all-purpose flour, add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Why grate the butter instead of cutting it in?
Grated butter spreads through the flour quickly and stays in small, even pieces. Those little bits of cold butter are what make biscuits flaky. It’s faster and less messy than using a pastry blender.
Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen?
You can, but they’ll bruise more easily and bleed more color into the dough. If you use fresh, still toss them in flour, and fold them in very gently.
My blueberry biscuits spread out and didn’t rise as tall as the cinnamon ones. What happened?
Two things usually cause this. The dough may have been too wet — blueberry biscuits often need a touch less buttermilk than the cinnamon dough. And if you put fewer biscuits in the pan, they have more room to spread. Pack them closer together next time and they’ll push up instead of out.
Why do biscuits need such a hot oven?
At 450°F, the outside sets quickly while the inside stays soft and fluffy. A lower oven dries them out before they can rise.
Can I make these without buttermilk?
Yes. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of regular milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and use it the same way.
How long do baked biscuits keep?
Best the day they’re baked, but they’ll keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. Warm them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to refresh.
Can I freeze them after baking?
You can, but they’re better if you freeze them before baking and bake fresh. The texture holds up much better that way.
What can I use besides a cast iron skillet?
Any oven-safe baking dish or a sheet pan will work. The cast iron just gives the bottoms a beautiful golden crust.
Can I make these biscuits savory instead?
The base dough — flour, butter, buttermilk — is exactly the same as my regular buttermilk biscuits. Skip the sugar and the toppings and you’ve got a classic savory biscuit ready for sausage gravy or a slice of country ham.
From Your Kitchen to Ours
Do you have a family breakfast recipe you’d love to share? Send it to us at marykatherinestable.com/recipe-submission-form — we’d love to make it with you on the channel.
Remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness, and give them some of yours.
Cinnamon & Blueberry Biscuits
Equipment
- Two 10-inch cast iron skillets (or oven-safe baking dishes)
- Handheld box grater
- Round biscuit cutter
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Cinnamon Biscuits
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup ½ stick cold butter, grated
- 1 cup buttermilk plus a splash more if needed
- 1 tablespoon butter for the skillet
- ¼ cup melted butter for dipping
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Blueberry Biscuits
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup ½ stick cold butter, grated
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing the blueberries
- 1 cup buttermilk use a little less than you think — this dough runs wet
- 1 tablespoon butter for the skillet
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 –3 tablespoons water to thin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice optional, for the blueberry biscuits
Instructions
Prep & Mix
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set up two mixing bowls and measure 2 cups of self-rising flour into each.
- Grate ¼ cup of cold butter directly into each bowl. Butter should be straight from the fridge — or pop it in the freezer for a few minutes first. Sprinkle a little flour over the butter and stir gently to spread it through the flour.
- Rinse the frozen blueberries quickly, pat dry, and toss with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
Cinnamon Biscuits
- To the first bowl, add about 1 cup of buttermilk and stir gently — just until the dough comes together. Add a splash more if it looks dry. Don’t overwork it.
- Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and put it in the hot oven for about 4 minutes to melt.
- Lightly flour a clean surface. Pat the dough out to about 1 inch thick and cut out biscuits with a round cutter — push straight down, don’t twist.
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Dip each biscuit in the ¼ cup of melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Place in the prepared skillet.
Blueberry Biscuits
- To the second bowl, add ½ cup of sugar and stir into the flour mixture.
- Gently fold in the floured blueberries — careful not to mash them.
- Add about 1 cup of buttermilk and stir gently until just combined. The dough will be slightly wetter than the cinnamon dough.
- Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a second 10-inch cast iron skillet and put it in the oven for about 4 minutes to melt.
- Pat the dough out to about 1 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out biscuits and transfer to the prepared skillet using a spatula.
Bake & Glaze
- Bake both skillets at 450°F for 10–12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Check at 8 minutes the first time.
- While they bake, make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla together. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze pours off the spoon in a smooth ribbon but still holds its shape.
- When the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the blueberry biscuits with any leftover butter from dipping the cinnamon biscuits while they’re piping hot.
- Drizzle the glaze over both pans of biscuits, going back and forth so every bite gets a little. For the blueberry biscuits, stir a teaspoon of lemon juice into the glaze first if you’d like — lemon and blueberry are a beautiful pair.
Video
Notes
- Cold butter is everything. Grated butter stays in small, even pieces that melt into pockets of steam in the oven — that’s what makes biscuits flaky. If your butter softens while you work, pop the whole bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Mix gently and stop the moment it comes together. Overworked dough makes tough, dense biscuits.
- No self-rising flour? Use all-purpose flour and add 1 tablespoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt for every 2 cups.
- No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of regular milk, let it sit 5 minutes, and use it the same way.
- Pack biscuits close together in the pan. They’ll rise up instead of spreading out. If there’s too much room around each biscuit, they’ll bake flatter — which is what happened to my blueberry biscuits in the video.
- Make-ahead and freezer instructions: Cut out the biscuits and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Flash freeze for 1–2 hours until firm, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
- To bake from frozen: place them in your buttered skillet and bake at 450°F for 13–15 minutes (just a couple of minutes longer than fresh). Make the glaze fresh when you’re ready to serve.
- For the cinnamon biscuits, you can freeze them either dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar or plain — dipping fresh the morning you bake them gives the crispiest coating.
