This pumpkin biscuits recipe is my favorite way to bring a little fall flavor to the breakfast table. The pumpkin puree keeps the biscuits soft and tender, while the pumpkin pie spice adds just the right amount of warmth. They always make the kitchen smell amazing.
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My Favorite Fall Breakfast
I like that this recipe doesn’t require anything fancy. It’s a one-bowl mix that comes together quickly, which means I can have fresh biscuits on the table in less than half an hour. The pumpkin adds a gentle flavor and keeps the biscuits tender, while the butter gives them that golden, layered texture everyone loves.
They’re wonderful on their own, but I also like to serve them with a drizzle of honey or a spoonful of apple butter. This recipe uses my favorite biscuits recipe as a base and takes it up a notch with fall flavors.
I’ve made plenty of biscuits over the years, from strawberry biscuits in the spring to sausage biscuits for hearty mornings, but these pumpkin ones always mark the start of a new season. They’re simple, comforting, and just right for sharing – the kind of recipe that feels like home every time.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Gives the biscuits their structure and helps them rise tall. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed, though the texture may be a little different.
- Baking powder: The key to fluffy, light biscuits. Make sure it’s fresh so your biscuits rise properly in the oven.
- Granulated sugar: Adds just a touch of sweetness that balances the pumpkin and spice. You can reduce it slightly if you prefer a more savory biscuit.
- Salt: Brings out all the flavors and keeps the biscuits from tasting flat. If you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch more.
- Pumpkin pie spice: The cozy flavor of fall in one scoop. You can make your own mix with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves if you don’t have any on hand.
- Salted butter (cold): Creates those flaky layers we all love. I like to cube it and keep it in the fridge until I’m ready to mix it in. Unsalted butter works too – just add a bit more salt.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds moisture, color, and that gentle pumpkin flavor. Make sure to use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk: Helps bring the dough together and adds a little tenderness. Any milk you have on hand will work, even non-dairy milk in a pinch.
How to Make Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and set out a biscuit cutter or round glass for shaping. Measure all ingredients before starting so the butter stays cold and the dough comes together quickly.
Step 1 – Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until evenly combined. This helps distribute the leavening and spices throughout the dough for even flavor and rise.
Step 2 – Cut in the Butter
Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until it forms small, pea-sized pieces. The mixture should look crumbly but still hold together slightly when pressed.
Step 3 – Add the Pumpkin and Milk
Stir in the pumpkin puree and milk using a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the biscuits tender and flaky.
Step 4 – Shape the Dough
Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and gently knead or fold it over about 10 times. Pat or roll it out to about ½ inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds, pressing straight down without twisting for the best rise.
Step 5 – Bake the Biscuits
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the centers reach 190°F. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving warm.
Lynette’s Tip
Keep the butter as cold as possible before cutting it into the flour. Cold butter creates steam pockets as the biscuits bake, giving them a light and flaky texture.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ Cup salted butter cold
- ¾ Cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Cut In Butter: Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Form Dough: Stir in the pumpkin puree and milk until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Shape Biscuits: Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and fold it over about 10 times. Gently pat to ½-inch thickness, cut with a biscuit cutter, and place the biscuits slightly apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake Biscuits: Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.
Notes
Variations
- Add Nuts: Stir in a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts before shaping the dough. They add a little crunch and pair perfectly with the pumpkin spice flavor.
- Sweeten It Up: Brush the warm biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar right after baking. It gives them a lightly sweet finish that’s great for breakfast or dessert.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs
If your biscuits are too dry and the dough doesn’t come away from the sides of the bowl when mixing together the ingredients, then you can add more milk, one Tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
If your dough is too wet, add more flour. If you find that the dough is too wet to fold, you can add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time until you reach dough consistency. If the dough is just tacky, you add flour gently while folding over the dough on a heavily flour surface.
Folding helps create flaky layers in the biscuits. Be gentle and avoid overworking the dough so the biscuits stay tender.
Absolutely. You can use a round glass or simply cut the dough into squares with a knife. The shape won’t affect how they bake.
Dense biscuits usually mean the butter got too warm or the dough was overmixed. Keep the butter cold and mix just until the dough comes together.
