Is there anything better than a pillowy soft drop biscuit warm from the oven with some butter melted over it? Tender drop biscuits made with buttermilk are one of my favorite quick sides for dinner and I’ve made them even better by adding summer squash, cheese, and herbs to make zucchini cheddar biscuits.
They are extra moist from the squash, tangy from the cheese and buttermilk, and have a little zing from the fresh herbs. These are drop biscuits taken to the next level!
Hello, all!
They are also the second recipe I made from that Giant Zucchini gifted to me by my neighbors. The first was my Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters, a delicious way to add a little Mediterranean zing to your meal! These zucchini cheddar biscuits take things in a different direction, but are still a great way to use up a bountiful zucchini harvest.
Do you know what else they are?
They are the second way my husband (a long standing abstainer of all things zucchini) will eat the much maligned, green vegetable! The first being the fritters, but the biscuits got, not just a ‘this is good’, but an actual enthusiastic thumbs up. If that’s not a ringing endorsement of zucchini biscuits, I don’t know what is. š
Now, I’m not going to say that everyone will eat them. Picky people who have decided they aren’t even going to try a zucchini biscuit, they won’t eat them. *look at the daughter* But that just means there are more for you.
And that’s a good thing.
To keep the biscuits nice and neat and round, I used my #24 Medium Red Disher to scoop them out. I have a #24 and #8 right now (I need a few more), so I made rounded scoops. If you make skimpy or scant scoops, you’ll make more, but smaller biscuits. I like the size of these, so I would recommend making anywhere from 12-14 biscuits.
A few quick scoops and a press of the release and I had twelve biscuits ready to go. Dishers (or cookie scoops) are one of those things you can live without, but once you have a few, you’ll find all sorts of uses for them.
No disher? No problem. Just divide the dough into twelve portions and pat them into rough balls and you’ll be done.
Tip: Make an extra portion of shredded cheese and chopped herbs, then top the biscuits with it before putting them in the oven. It’ll make the tops all brown with little pops of green color.
Once you’ve made these cheesy biscuits, you may have a few questions. Such as:
- Are you going to share? (Yes, you should share. Even if you don’t want to!)
- What should you have with your zucchini biscuits? (Grilled Apples and Pork Tenderloin is a great choice. Or how about Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breast?)
- When can you make them again? (The answer to that is as soon as possible.)
And now I’m hungry again from looking at all these beautiful pictures of soft and tender biscuits! I think there might be one or two still tucked away. Or maybe it’s time to make another batch.
If you try my recipe for Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And Iām happy to answer any questions you might have.
– Happy Eating, Annemarie
Soft and Tender Zucchini Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shredded peeled zucchini
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Mix together shredded zucchini and salt and set aside.
- Pulse the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal and there are no large lumps of butter left, about 6 1-second pulses. Add the cheddar and herbs and pulse once or twice to combine.
- Add the buttermilk and pulse a few times, until the dough gathers into clumps. Scrape the biscuit dough into a large bowl.
- Wrap the zucchini in a cloth or paper towel and squeeze it to remove all the water. Once you have squeezed out all the water you can, add it to the dough, mix it in, and form the dough into a rough ball.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions and lightly shape them into balls. Place the biscuits on cookie sheets, 6 biscuits per sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Flour: If you are using a hard, Northern flour (like King Arthur Flour), I would recommend using one cup of all-purpose and one cup of cake flour. This will produce a more tender, softer biscuit.
- Topping the Biscuits: Make some extra shredded cheese and chopped herbs to top each biscuit before you put them in the oven. It's not necessary, but it's a nice touch and makes the tops a little extra brown and cheesy.
- Young Zucchini: If you are using a young zucchini, you don't need to peel it since the skin is thin and tender.
- Variation: Any tender summer squash (green, yellow, striped) can be subbed in for the zucchini.
- Gluten Free: From a comment, these biscuits can be made with a 1:1 all-purpose gluten free flour mix.
Bert says
Just out of my oven. I’ve already burned my mouth resting too soon. Delicious.
Patricia says
Absolutely delicious. I will add some garlic powder next time
Thank you
Alison says
Loved these! So easy to make. I used milk and lemon juice instead of buttermilk and will add some chopped sun dried tomatoes next time.
Jennifer Kitson says
These were awesome! I faked the buttermilk with milk/vinegar and added some garlic powder and rosemary. So so good!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Wonderful! And thank you for the feedback. š
Diane says
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
justalittlebitofbacon says
You can use 1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 milk, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make 3/4 cup. (Though I would suggest holding back 1-2 tablespoons of the lemon/milk when you mix and then add it if it needs it.)
Norma says
These were so yum yum yummy! Easy to make. My family loved them! Will make any more times.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Wonderful! Thank you for the feedback and I’m you all enjoyed them!
Mae says
Could you use a blender instead of a food processor?
justalittlebitofbacon says
No, I don’t believe that would work. I recommend mixing by hand instead. I do it that way when I don’t want to deal with the processor and it’s quite quick, just a bit messy.
Annie says
Can you freeze these. They are very yummy!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Yes you can! They freeze very well. When you are ready to eat them, just thaw and then pop them in a 325F oven for a bit to warm through.
Turner says
Made these gluten free with a 1-to-1 gluten free all purpose flour blend and they turned out fantastic!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks for the info on making them gluten-free!
Jessica says
These biscuits are fantastic!!! I didn’t have any fresh parsley or chives on hand (or even dried for that matter). So I finely chopped up some green onions. I sprinkled a little garlic salt on the top after taking these out of the oven too. I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the great recipe!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Sounds good, Jessica! I’m glad you enjoyed them. š
Samantha says
What about almond flour?
justalittlebitofbacon says
I’m not completely sure what you are asking here, but I think you want to make gluten-free zucchini biscuits. Though I have made some gf baked goods, I don’t know a great deal about gf baking so I really don’t know how to make them gf. Your best bet is to look for a gf recipe. Good luck!
Michele says
Annemarie, these biscuits look extremely scrumptious!! I cannot wait to try them. Thank you so much for allowing me to share them in my zucchini round-up! Have a great day!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thank you for including me in your round up! They are one of my most popular recipes. š
Karly says
Oooooo I see you. Sneaking that zucchini in a delicious, cheddary biscuit unsuspectingly. It’s genius!! Love this idea SO much, and I know my fam will too!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Shhhhh. š Sometimes you have to be sneaky.
Cathy says
we have a slight obsession with biscuits in our family but have never tried zucchini. not sure why, but definitely will now. these look so delicious!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Half the reason I always have buttermilk on hand is for biscuits. And I did have the inspiration of a Giant Zucchini when I made these. š