Garlic Scapes Cheddar Biscuits Recipe

Cheddar Biscuits is a garlic scapes recipe you are going to love! No need for a box mix. You can make flaky, soft & delicious biscuits every single time from scratch. You won’t believe how easy it is!

I don’t know about you, but I cannot resist freshly baked cheddar biscuits, especially with the addition of garlic scapes.

I’m guessing right now that for those of you that are familiar with garlic scapes, you look forward to the late spring season. You can easily find garlic scapes at local markets or if you are like me, in your backyard.

For those who have no idea what I am referring to, you, my friend, are in for an extraordinary treat.

Garlic scapes are those curly flower stalks from the bulbs of hard-neck garlic. They are great to cook and bake with. They have a mild garlic flavor without that signature pungent quality of garlic.

You can find more details on these thin, green stalks in this recipe for garlic scape pesto.

You might be thinking right now that making cheddar garlic biscuits from scratch is complicated.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, you only need a few simple steps to make the fluffiest, best-tasting biscuits… all without a box mix! 

These cheesy biscuits will quickly become one of your favorite recipes! 

Are you ready?

Mise en place

The first thing we are going to do is prep the cold ingredients. Measure 1 cup of buttermilk as well as the 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and store them in the refrigerator until needed. Also, place the butter (¼ cup) in the freezer since we will be grating it in its frozen state. 

Next, preheat the oven to 450°F / 230°C. Then, line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside for now.

Prep the garlic scapes: Chop 3-4 garlic scapes and set aside. Feel free to use less if you find the flavor too overpowering.

Instructions

In a medium-size bowl, whisk properly together:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and
• ¾ teaspoon salt

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate ¼ cup of frozen butter over the whisked dry ingredients.

Toss gently together by incorporating the grated butter using your fingertips. 

Add the finely chopped garlic scapes (2-4 tablespoons) and quickly combine.

Next up, is the refrigerated cheese. Add 1 cup of coarsely grated cheddar cheese and gently combine. 

Now it’s time to make a well and add 1 cup of cold buttermilk.

Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough barely comes together.

You will notice that the dough comes together rather very quickly.

Transfer the dough to a floured wooden board and knead gently 4-5 times.

Then, with the help of a rolling pin, apply very gentle pressure to roll out the dough to an oval/round shape approximately 1-inch thick. Try not to over-manipulate the dough, as this will result in a very dense biscuit. You can also pat the dough into the desired shape.

Don’t worry if it isn’t the perfect shape. What’s important is to get your biscuits in the oven as quickly as possible with the least amount of manipulation.

With a very sharp knife, cut the dough into eight wedges.

Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until light golden in color.

Before you know it, you are biting into a warm, fresh-tasting savory biscuit that is guaranteed to be appreciated by all.

Tips

• Bake in a preheated oven. This usually takes about 20 minutes or longer. To ensure proper temperature, verify with an oven thermometer.
• Use cold ingredients. Keep the buttermilk and cheddar cheese cold, and the butter frozen until ready to use. Using cold ingredients minimizes the development of gluten which in turn creates fluffy biscuits. 
• Use fresh baking powder and soda. Always check the expiration dates. 
• Properly whisk together the dry ingredients. This ensures the even distribution of the leavening agents.
• Do not over-mix the dough. Over mixing creates a very dense biscuit. When incorporating the buttermilk, mix only until you obtain a shaggy dough. 
• Do not overbake! Once golden brown in color, remove from the oven.

What is a good substitute for garlic scapes?

Garlic cloves or chives make a great replacement. You will need about 1 clove or ¼ cup respectfully. 

What’s the secret to fluffy biscuits?

Use frozen grated butter and “rub” evenly with the dry ingredients (credit: chef Michael Smith).

Can you make homemade biscuits without buttermilk?

You can substitute buttermilk with sour milk. Measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add milk to make 1 cup; stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes. It can also be replaced by yogurt (same amount).

Recipe inspiration

My go-to buttermilk biscuits recipe is one I adapted from Alton Brown many years ago.

There are truly endless variations to this recipe and today I am sharing my spring version of cheddar cheese biscuits. 

These savory biscuits, along with these cheddar muffins, are an easy side dish to make throughout the year. One of my favorite dishes to serve it with is this Corn Potato Chowder. 

What would you serve with these homemade cheese biscuits?

I would love to hear about it! 

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

If you haven’t already joined, here is the link where you can sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes and it’s absolutely free! 

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for garlic cheese biscuits, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Cheddar Biscuits - A Garlic Scapes Recipe!

Cheddar Biscuits is a garlic scapes recipe you are going to love! No need for a box mix. You can make flaky, soft & delicious biscuits every single time from scratch. You won't believe how easy it is!

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 biscuits

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• 2 cups flour all purpose
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter frozen
• 2-4 tablespoons garlic scapes finely chopped (about 3-4)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 1 cup buttermilk cold

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450° F / 230° C. 
• Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
• Using a cheese box grater, grate frozen butter over dry ingredients.
• Toss gently to incorporate the butter.
• Add the garlic scapes and cheddar cheese and quickly combine them together.
• Make a well and pour in the cold buttermilk.
• Stir until just combined (I use a wooden spoon).
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Knead gently 4-5 times and then pat into a 1-1½" thick rectangle or round/oval. Can also use a rolling pin.
• Cut into rectangles or wedges (this avoids any left over scraps you would get by using a round cutter).
• Place close together on parchment paper.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown.
• Best served the day they are made.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

• Bake in a preheated oven. This usually takes about 20 minutes or longer. To ensure proper temperature, verify with an oven thermometer.
• Properly whisk together the dry ingredients. This will ensure even distribution of the leavening agents.
• Do not over mix the dough. Over mixing creates a very dense biscuit.
• Do not over bake! Once golden brown in color, remove from the oven.

What is a good substitute for garlic scapes? Garlic cloves or chives make a great replacement. You will need about 1 clove and ¼ cup respectfully. 

What's the secret to fluffy biscuits? Use frozen grated butter and "rub evenly with the dry ingredients (credit: chef Michael Smith).

What is a substitute for buttermilk? You can substitute buttermilk with sour milk. Measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add milk to make 1 cup; stir and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Can also be replaced by yogurt (same amount).

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*Adapted slightly from Alton Brown

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 289mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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This post was originally published on July 8, 2017 and republished on May 17, 2019 with updated content.