Cheddar Chive Biscuits
If you’re a fan of homemade biscuits, you will LOVE these cheddar chive biscuits. This recipe originally came from my Aunt Sharon, and honestly, her version was perfect as is. Over the years, I’ve made adjustments to make them bigger and cheesier, but other than that, the recipe is the same. Adding fresh-cut garden chives and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top takes them to the next level!
I don’t bother with cold butter for my biscuits. Instead, I like to cut the butter into the flour and then place the whole bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. Chilling the flour mixture before adding the milk ensures the butter stays cold for flaky layers. If you don’t want to do this or don’t have room in your freezer, I have an alternative listed in the recipe notes.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or new to making biscuits, this recipe is easy to follow and super reliable. I like to serve cheese biscuits year-round with Maritime fish chowder, Dutch oven beef stew, or homemade molasses baked beans.
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Ingredients For Cheddar Chive Biscuits
Ingredient Notes
- Baking Powder: This leavening agent gives the biscuits enough spring to rise tall into flaky layers.
- Butter: Adds richness, salt, flavor, and flakiness.
- Cheddar Cheese: I like sharp orange cheddar, but you can use any kind you like. Extra old white cheddar is also legit!
- Chives: Adds a mild onion flavor. If you don’t have access to fresh chives or find them too expensive, you can use a smaller amount or substitute with green onions, which have a similar taste and are more affordable.
- Flaky Salt (not pictured): This is a completely optional topping. I love a sprinkle on each biscuit before baking!
- Whole Milk: Moistens the dough and adds richness.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Butter: You can try to replace it with an equal amount of margarine or shortening, but I haven’t tested this.
- Cheddar Cheese: Try using any hard cheese like Gouda or Monterey Jack.
- Chives: Green onions or dried chives work well as alternatives.
- Flaky Salt: Coarse sea salt can be used instead.
- Milk: Use 2% milk or a dairy-free alternative like almond milk (though the texture may vary with plant-based milk).
- Salt: Fine sea salt can be substituted.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this cheddar chive biscuits recipe:
- Bacon: Add cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Black Pepper: Crack in some fresh black pepper.
- Buttermilk: Substitute the whole milk with buttermilk.
- Fresh or Dried Herbs: Try other fresh herbs like chopped rosemary or thyme or a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning.
- Garlic: Mix in minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Ham: Stir in diced ham.
- Jalapeños: Add chopped jalapeños.
- Mustard: Mix in a teaspoon of mustard powder, Dijon mustard, or whole-grain mustard.
- Paprika: Sprinkle with smoked paprika before baking.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use Parmesan cheese instead of cheddar.
- Spices: Experiment with spices like cumin, chili powder, or Old Bay.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Mix in chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Cheddar Chive Biscuits
STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter using a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
STEP 2: Stir in the cheddar and chives. Freeze the mixture for 30 minutes.
STEP 3: Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the milk.
STEP 4: Use a fork to mix to a shaggy dough.
STEP 5: Turn the dough onto an un-floured work surface and knead 25 to 30 times.
STEP 6: Roll the dough to a 1-inch ( 2 ½ cm) thickness using a rolling pin.
STEP 7: Cut the dough into your desired shapes.
STEP 8: Place the biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush the tops of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with flaky salt if using. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until golden and then cool on a wire rack.
Expert Tips
1. Keep all ingredients as cold as possible to help the biscuits rise and create a flaky texture.
2. To get tall, flaky biscuits, use a sharp cutter and press straight down without twisting.
3. I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to maintain the correct baking temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Do not use pre-grated cheese. It doesn’t melt the same way as cheese you grate yourself.
- If you don’t want to use the frozen flour method, use frozen grated butter instead and continue with the recipe as written.
- I often use different sizes of cutters for my biscuits, but I used a 3 1/16 inch (78 mm) round cutter for this post.
- The thicker you roll your dough, the taller your biscuits will be. Please note that the baking time may change.
Storage
- To store cheddar chive biscuits, let them cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- For longer storage, cool the biscuits completely, then transfer them to a zip-top bag or airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Serve Cheddar Chive Biscuits With These Recipes
Did you make these cheddar chive biscuits? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!
Printable Recipe Card
Cheddar Chive Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder, plus 1 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup butter, salted
- 2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, plus extra for brushing the tops of the biscuits
- Flaky salt, optional, for top of biscuits
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until coarse and crumbly.
- Stir in the grated cheddar and chopped chives.
- Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450ºF (230ºC), with one rack in the middle and one in the lower part. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make a well in the frozen flour mixture and pour in the milk. Using a fork, quickly mix together into a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough onto a work surface (without flour) and quickly knead 25 to 30 times. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 1-inch thickness. Cut the dough with your desired size cutter (see notes). Place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheets with space between each. Brush the top of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with flaky salt (if using).
- Place the trays in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the trays themselves, as well as rotating them between the racks halfway through baking. The biscuits are done when the bottoms are a medium gold color. Transfer the trays to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Do not use pre-grated cheese. It doesn’t melt the same way as cheese you grate yourself.
- If you don’t want to use the frozen flour method, use frozen grated butter instead and continue with the recipe as written.
- I often use different sizes of cutters for my biscuits, but I used a 3 1/16 inch (78 mm) round cutter for this post.
- The thicker you roll your dough, the taller your biscuits will be. Please note that the baking time may change.
Storage
- To store cheddar chive biscuits, let them cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- For longer storage, cool the biscuits completely, then transfer them to a zip-top bag or airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. If accurate data is important to you, please verify it independently.
I’ve never had success with scones/biscuits/pastry, etc. But, just wondering whether I could substitute wholemeal flour for your all-purpose flour, or would that change the texture too much. Thanks.
Hi Dana, Using wholemeal flour instead of all-purpose flour in this recipe would indeed change the texture and potentially affect the outcome. You could try substituting a portion of the all-purpose flour with wholemeal flour (maybe up to 40%), but you may need to add a bit more milk since whole-grain flour absorbs more liquid. Also, the biscuits may rise less and will likely be denser than those made with 100% all-purpose flour.