Knott's Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits

Easy, perfect, fluffy Knott’s Berry Farm Buttermilk Biscuits from scratch! These are the delicious biscuits I grew up on and now I’m sharing my family’s copycat recipe with you – bonus points if you serve these with boysenberry jam just like they do at Knott’s!

For more bread and rolls you’re going to love, check out my fan-favorite posts for Easy Buttermilk Biscuits, Parker House Dinner Rolls, and 1-Hour Buttermilk Dinner Rolls.

stack of three biscuits on parchment paper

Here’s Why This Recipe Works

So delicious — Fluffy, moist, melt-in-your-mouth goodness in every bite. I swear you will not want to make another biscuit recipe once you’ve had these.

It’s a great generational recipe — And by that, I mean, one of those recipes you will want to hand down to your kids and to their kids and so on. I know that because I grew up with my mom making these biscuits all the time. I don’t remember a single holiday or major family dinner gathering when she didn’t make and serve them. So, for nostalgic reasons, you should make these and make them often!

Easily feeds a crew — Did I mention that I’m one of NINE children? So you can imagine that we ate a lot of food. When my mom made these Knotts Berry Farm buttermilk biscuits, she usually tripled the recipe. It’s so easy to make a ton of these biscuits because, unlike most dinner rolls, they require no yeast or rising time.

Great for any meal — Sure, you may think buttermilk biscuits are for breakfast only. BUT have you used them as bread in a sandwich for lunch? Have you had them on the side with creamy, delicious tomato soup for dinner? Go do all those things, and I’m certain you will be a believer in that biscuits are for any and all meals.

Ingredients

Flour — All purpose flour works great on these rolls. I can’t vouch for any substitution so use wheat at your own risk.
Baking Powder — You gotta have that baking powder to help these rolls rise and get ultra fluffy.
Salt — Taste a hint of salt in every bite by using regular table salt.
Shortening — Shortening helps trap moisture into the rolls and has a higher melting point than butter so it helps to create those beautiful pockets of air, making the biscuits light and fluffy and soft.
Buttermilk — Buttermilk adds a slight tang to the biscuits. If you don’t have buttermilk, see below for substitutions.
Baking Soda — Also to help the rolls rise in the absence of yeast.
Vegetable Oil — We use vegetable oil to coat the rolls before baking so that they easily pull apart and also don’t stick to the pan. Plus, they make the top of the rolls nice and golden brown.
Butter or Jam — Get it all out of the fridge, you’re going to want a roll with each and every spread, jam, or condiment you own.

Here’s How You Make It

steps 1-6 of preparing knotts berry farm buttermilk biscuits recipe

First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, then grease a 2-inch-deep, 9×13-inch baking pan. (not pictured)
Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add in the shortening and mix well. I use a hand mixer, but you can also transfer it to a food processor to blend the shortening in. (photos 1-3)
Now add baking soda to the buttermilk and pour that in with the flour/shortening mixture and mix this together well. (photo 4-5)
Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with flour and knead it a few times, taking care not to overwork the dough. (photo 6)
I use a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about a half an inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or the top of a floured drinking glass or Mason jar), cut dough into as many circles as possible. (photos 7-8)
Before putting the biscuits in the pan, dip each one into the vegetable oil, making sure to coat every side. Then, place them side-by-side in the baking pan, touching one another. (photos 9-10)
Put the buttermilk biscuits in the oven and allow them to bake for 8-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Eat them warm with butter, jam, honey, or whatever you love on top of your biscuits. (photos 11-12)

steps 7-12 of preparing knotts berry farm buttermilk biscuits recipe

What’s a Good Substitute for Buttermilk?

I don’t often have buttermilk on hand. In fact, I mostly buy it for these biscuits. Luckily, you don’t have to run to the store if you don’t have buttermilk — you can make it yourself at home. Here’s a few easy ways how:

– “Sour” a cup of milk by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
– You can also do the same by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk.
– Use cream of tartar: Add 1 ¾ teaspoons of cream of tartar to a cup of milk.
– Use kefir instead of milk (same ratio).

What is Knott’s Berry Farm?

If you don’t live near the West Coast, you may never have heard of Knott’s Berry Farm. Basically, it’s an actual working berry farm turned amusement park. It’s located in Buena Park, CA, and is one of our most favorite places on earth. There’s awesome roller coasters, a waterpark, and of course, AMAZING food.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Some stores carry Knott’s Berry Farm boysenberry preserves. Look for these if you want a truly authentic biscuit-eating experience.
These Knott’s Berry Farm’s biscuits will keep in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 days. After that, transfer to the fridge.
This dough will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months. I make the dough, freeze it, thaw it then make the biscuits vs. freezing made biscuits.

More Side Dishes

Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!