✔ Updated · fixed water ratio + hotter oven for taller biscuits
My no milk biscuits are proof you don't need milk, buttermilk or butter for tall, flaky homemade biscuits.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the shortening and water ice cold and handle the dough as little as possible. Cold fat makes steam in the hot oven, which gives the biscuits their lift and layers.
Flour, baking powder and salt are mixed with cold shortening, then brought together with ice water, patted out, folded for layers and baked hot at 450°F (230°C). They're ready in about 30 minutes and are dairy-free when made with shortening or solid coconut oil, so they work when the fridge is out of milk or for anyone avoiding dairy. Serve them warm with jam, gravy or soup, or split them for breakfast sandwiches.
Why You'll Love These Biscuits
- Pantry basics: flour, baking powder, salt, shortening and water.
- Dairy-free: no milk, buttermilk or butter needed.
- Sweet or savory: add a little sugar for jam and fruit, or cheese and herbs for dinner.
How Do Biscuits Rise Without Milk?
Milk adds richness and helps browning, but it isn't what makes a biscuit rise. The lift comes from baking powder, plus steam from small pieces of cold fat melting in a very hot oven, which pushes the dough into flaky layers.
That means water works well as the liquid, which saved me on a morning with an empty milk jug, as long as the fat and water stay cold and the oven is hot. For more biscuit recipes, try our 7 Up biscuits, KFC biscuits and Bojangles biscuits. Watching carbs? Try our Carbquik buttermilk biscuits.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Keep everything cold. Use shortening or coconut oil straight from the fridge and water with ice in it. I drop a few ice cubes in my measuring cup. If the kitchen is warm, chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.
- Use baking powder, not baking soda. Baking soda needs an acid such as buttermilk to work, so in this milk-free dough it would leave the biscuits flat and soapy-tasting.
- Don't overwork the dough. Stir only until it comes together. Too much mixing develops gluten and makes tough, dense biscuits.
- Cut straight down. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the biscuits rising. Baking them with sides touching helps them rise taller.
- Measure the flour carefully. Spoon it into the cup and level it, or weigh it at about 375 grams. Too much flour makes dry, crumbly biscuits.
- Out of baking powder? Use 3 cups self-rising flour and leave out the baking powder and salt.
No Milk Biscuits
10
biscuits15
minutes15
minutes230
kcal30
minutesEasy homemade biscuits made without milk: flour, baking powder and salt with cold shortening cut in and ice water stirred through, patted out, cut and baked hot at 450°F until tall, flaky and golden. Dairy-free when made with shortening or coconut oil.
Ingredients
- For the Biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening or solid coconut oil, in small pieces
3/4 to 1 cup ice-cold water
- For the Tops
1 tablespoon melted dairy-free butter or oil (or water)
Directions
- Make the Dough
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, if using.
- Add the cold shortening and cut it in with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces left.
- Pour in 3/4 cup ice water and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1 cup in total, only if dry flour remains. The dough should hold together without being sticky.
- Shape and Bake
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold it in half, pat it out again and repeat twice more for flaky layers, then pat it to 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut straight down with a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, without twisting. Place the biscuits on the sheet with their sides just touching. Press the scraps together once and cut more.
- Brush the tops with melted dairy-free butter, oil or water. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown on top.
- Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and serve warm.
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Variations
- Sweet biscuits: add 2 tablespoons sugar to the flour and serve with jam or fruit.
- Garlic and herb: whisk 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs into the flour.
- Cheese biscuits: stir 3/4 cup grated cheddar into the crumbs before adding the water (not dairy-free).
- Drop biscuits: add water until the dough is soft and sticky, then drop 1/4-cup mounds onto the sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Plant milk biscuits: swap the water for the same amount of unsweetened oat or soy milk for a slightly richer biscuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make biscuits without milk?
Yes. Water works in place of milk in a baking powder biscuit. The biscuits are a little less rich and brown slightly less, but cold fat and a hot oven still give a tall, flaky rise. Brushing the tops with melted butter or oil helps them brown.
Are these biscuits dairy-free?
They are dairy-free when made with vegetable shortening or coconut oil and brushed with oil or a dairy-free butter. Check the labels on your shortening and baking powder if you are cooking for someone with a milk allergy.
Can I use butter instead of shortening?
Yes, if you just ran out of milk rather than avoiding dairy. Use 1/2 cup very cold butter, cut into cubes. Butter gives more flavor and browning, while shortening gives a slightly taller, more tender biscuit.
What can I use instead of milk in biscuits?
Ice water is the simplest swap. Unsweetened plant milks such as oat, soy or almond milk also work at the same amount and add a little richness. For buttermilk-style biscuits, mix 1 cup plant milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
How do I store and reheat biscuits?
Keep cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes from room temperature, or about 15 minutes from frozen.
