Flaky Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe

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Fall is right around the corner. But, before the cold weather arrives, learn how to make this straightforward 1-bowl pumpkin biscuits recipe. These biscuits retain their flaky texture even with the addition of pumpkin!

stack of pumpkin biscuits on baking sheet

I am taking my ultimate favorite biscuits recipe, and adding pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to give it that fall deliciousness. You may not want pumpkin in everything, but I guarantee you’ll want it in these biscuits. This recipe is super simple and combines the spices of fall with that slight pumpkin flavor in a buttery biscuit.

Key Ingredients And Equipment

This recipe incorporates all the essential ingredients you have on hand to make biscuits. Here are some of the key ingredients you will need as well as my favorite equipment.

cold butter
pumpkin pie spice
pumpkin puree
biscuit cutter

How to Make Pumpkin Biscuits

My basic biscuits recipe has been a huge hit! And while it’s delicious as the topping for chicken pot pie, with homemade gravy or on it’s own with a huge pat of butter, I thought it would be fun to add pumpkin. While making biscuits is super simple to do with this tried-and-true recipe, there are a few key steps.

Preparation Tips

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt baking powder and sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until it resembles small pea-size pieces or coarse crumbs.

Mix the dough

Stir in your pumpkin puree and milk (wet ingredients) into the dry ingredients until it resembles a dough.

Shape and bake!

Fold the dough in over itself approximately ten times on a floured work surface. Flattened to about half an inch, handling as little as possible. Cut using a biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet. Bake at 425˚ F for 14 to 16 minutes.

Three tips for perfect pumpkin biscuits

Keep your milk and butter very cold.

Your butter needs to be cold! Don’t remove it from the refrigerator until you are ready to use it in this recipe. Cold butter ensures those pockets of flakiness in your biscuits. You also want to handle the dough with your hands as little as possible. The warmth of your hands will melt the butter.

Fold the dough over on itself to create flaky layers.

After making the dough, fold the dough evenly over itself on a floured surface approximately ten times. This allows for butter layers to form. The cold butter melts and creates pockets of air that give biscuits their flakiness while you bake them.

Use thermometer to know when fully baked.

If your oven is not yet preheated when your biscuits are formed, put them in the refrigerator to stay cold until you bake them. Bake the biscuits until they’re lightly golden brown. Insert a thermometer in the middle of the biscuit and when the temperature reaches 190˚ F you know that your biscuits are fully baked in the middle.

Pumpkin Biscuits FAQ

Can these biscuits be frozen?

Yes! Make these biscuits ahead of time and freeze before baking. Freeze using a baking sheet to keep them from sticking together. Once frozen, store in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to bake, bake frozen at 425˚ F for 16-18 minutes.

Can I make the mix ahead of time?

I do not suggest making these ahead of time, unless you are going to freeze them. The baking powder breaks down over time when introduced to the wet ingredients which will lead to a less fluffy and flaky biscuit. If you want to save time in the morning, mix the dry ingredients together. Do not add the wet ingredients (cold butter, pumpkin and milk) until you’re ready to bake.

How can I add more pumpkin flavor?

Add more pumpkin pie spice to give it even more pumpkin flavor. Adding more pumpkin puree will make the dough too wet.

My biscuits are too dry/wet. How do I fix it?

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, ¼ 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.