Cathead Biscuits are big, fluffy, tender, and perfect with butter, jam, or gravy! This easy recipe is an iconic Southern classic.
Cathead Biscuits are a beloved Southern classic, and their name has a fun bit of folklore attached to it. These biscuits are known for their large size – so big that they’re said to be as large as a cat’s head! Hence, the name “cathead biscuits.” Now, whether they’re truly the size of a cat’s noggin might be up for debate, but there’s no doubt these biscuits are significantly larger than your average biscuit.
Cathead Biscuit recipes are typically made with simple ingredients like self-rising flour, butter or shortening, and buttermilk. Traditionally, they’re formed by hand or scooped into a skillet or metal baking pan, which gives them a slightly rustic, uneven shape that adds to their charm. And there’s no biscuit cutter involved (like with this recipe) – so there’s that.
These biscuits are known for being super tender on the inside with a slightly crisp exterior.
The beauty of Cathead Biscuits lies in their simplicity and their size, which makes them perfect for splitting open and slathering with butter, honey, or your favorite preserves. They’ve been a staple in Southern kitchens for generations, often served alongside hearty meals like fried chicken, sausage gravy, or just enjoyed on their own with a cup of coffee.
So, the next time you’re in the mood for a buttermilk biscuit that’s as big as a cat’s head (or at least close to it), give these a try. They’re sure to bring a little bit of Southern comfort to your table.
Is butter, lard, or shortening better for making biscuits?
When it comes to biscuits, choosing between butter, lard, or shortening really depends on what you’re craving.
Butter gives biscuits a rich, creamy flavor and makes them nice and flaky. It’s perfect if you love that buttery taste with a bit of crispiness on the edges. It’s my go-to fat when making nearly any kind of biscuits.
Lard is all about old-school Southern charm. It makes biscuits super light and tender, with a subtle savory flavor. If you’re after that fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, lard’s your best bet.
Vegetable Shortening, like Crisco, is the go-to for soft, consistent biscuits. It doesn’t add much flavor, but it makes biscuits reliably tender every time.
Can’t decide? Mix butter with either lard or shortening for the best of both worlds! Just keep your fats cold and don’t overwork the dough, and you’ll have delicious biscuits no matter what.
How should I store leftover biscuits?
Are leftover biscuits a thing? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of those. 😂 But seriously though…
For short-term storage, let your biscuits cool completely, then wrap them in foil or place them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for a day or two. If you want them to last a bit longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
For longer storage, biscuits freeze beautifully. Just pop them into a freezer-safe bag or container once they’re cooled, and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, you can reheat them straight from the freezer in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
This way, you can enjoy homemade biscuits any time you like, even if they’re leftovers!
Do I have to use White Lily flour?
You don’t have to use White Lily flour to make great biscuits, but it’s a favorite among many Southern bakers for a reason. White Lily is a soft wheat flour, which means it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. This lower protein content results in a lighter, fluffier biscuit with a tender crumb. That’s why it’s often the go-to for biscuit-making in the South.
But if you don’t have White Lily on hand, no worries! You can still whip up great biscuits with other flours. You might try a mix of another kind of self-rising flour and cake flour to get a similar result. Just keep in mind the texture might be slightly different.
Ingredient FAQ
- Self-rising flour – Self-rising flour is flour that already has the leavening in it. It’s affordable and saves a few steps. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can simply make your own by adding 6 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt to all-purpose flour and whisking it before cutting in the butter. Because of it’s low protein content, White Lily self-rising flour is the gold standard for soft, tender biscuits.
- Unsalted Butter – Butter adds great flavor to biscuits, which is why I use it instead of lard or shortening. Just be sure to keep it as cold as possible when working with it.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk adds a distinct tang and flavor to biscuits. For this recipe, I prefer to use whole buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute.
Recipe Card
Cathead Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups White Lily self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (+ 2 tablespoons – melted)
- 2 cups cold whole buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and lightly grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet or metal cake pan. Set aside.
- Measure the flour by spooning the flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a butter knife. Add the flour to a large bowl.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour using a pastry blender until the butter is cut into pieces the size of an English pea. You can also grate your very cold butter using a box grater and then stir it all together.
- Pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir just until it is all combined. Don't over-mix. Use floured hands to portion the dough out into 8 equal pieces. Loosely form them into a round shape and place them in the prepared skillet. They should be touching. Don't stress too much about how they look. Brush the tops with the additional melted butter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with even more melted butter, if desired. Serve warm.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Victor
What, no salt added to recipe?
Self-rising flour already has salt in it.
Gregory Cole
We just moved from MS to AZ and I couldn’t find the recipe I normally use. Found this one among many more and decided to use it, glad I did !! They turned out fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, which is the way I like my biscuits. My go to recipe from now on. Thanks for sharing it with us Stacey!!
They’re beautiful! So glad you enjoyed them!
Gregory Cole
I forgot to mention, I’m now using a gas oven and took these out after about 25 minutes. I think next time, I’ll remove them at the 20 minute mark.
Got it! Thanks for sharing, Gregory.
Janet W.
Hi, I am going to try making your cat head biscuits. I have a 9×9 or 9×13 inch pan which would be better for biscuits?
If you can get the dough to fit into the 9×9, I think that would be best. I think the 9×13 will be too big.
Renee Dunmire
Cannot wait to make these is there anything else you can use side a pan that goes in the oven I do not have one?
Do you have a large cake pan?
Myrna
Oh yum. I love fresh hot biscuits with butter and honey. It is truly an art to get the perfect biscuit. What is better next day ? Fried biscuits. Split the biscuits, lay the inside face down in the cast iron skillet in butter. Fry until golden brown.
Ya’ll can thank me later !
Karen Parker
You’re right! Fried biscuits are the best!
Sounds amazing, Myrna! I’ll be trying this!
Linda Wyman
Just finished making these and yes they are as good as I remember my mother’s cat head biscuits! When me and my sister were little, back in the sixties, mama would make these for breakfast and we would laugh because of the name of the biscuits. Thanks for taking me back many years ❤️
Thanks so much, Linda! So glad they turned out great for you!
Pat
I use half butter and half butter flavored Crisco for my biscuits. I also do like dragging out everything for biscuits for two. So I mix the flour and shorting and then store them in my freezer. When I want biscuits I take enough mix to make the amount I need for just two or 5 people. This save time and clean up for me.
Great tips, Pat! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy
My favorite way to use leftover biscuits is to slice them open, slather on some butter (real butter), toast, and then drizzle maple syrup over them. So good!
Sounds delicious!!
Denita Grice
I gotta try these they look like momas!!!
Sure hope you love them, Denita!
Chrissy
Can this recipe be used for smaller biscuits, too? My skillet is not that big.
I would imagine you could cut the recipe in half and use a 6 or 8-inch skillet. Just keep in mind that the cook time might be different.
Charlotte Greer
Making cathead biscuits is just fun. I’ve been making them since I was 8 or 9 years old. My Momma and Granny taught me.
I agree! I love making biscuits!
April Finnerty
These biscuits look fantastic and I think easy enough that I will be making them soon. I have never made biscuits before so Wish me luck.
Best of luck, April! You’ve got this!
Mike
I wish you had a metric converter on your recipes. Measuring any kind of dry ingredients is a real pain.
Jules
The amount of time Alexa spends calculating grams for me when I’m baking…I’m glad I don’t pay her an hourly wage!
Ha!
Jeff
Really enjoyed making these. I don’t think I have had them since the last time my Mother made them. Some of my best childhood memories. I was quite concerned that I would screw this up. My dough was really sticky even with floured hands. I wasn’t sure that was normal. I made it through and the biscuits turned out delicious! So happy I can make these at will now.
I’m so glad you gave the recipe a try and that it brought back such sweet memories! That sticky dough is completely normal—it’s what helps keep those biscuits tender and fluffy. A little extra flour on your hands and work surface is just the trick to managing it. So happy they turned out well for you! Now you’ve got a taste of home anytime you want it.
Sam
Many years ago, I wrote the weight (in grams) of my most used ingredients (about 50) & posted them on my refrigerator. One problem with conversion charts on recipe blogs is they don’t agree on the amount! I’ve seen flour listed from 120 to 150 grams per cup. Granulated sugar? 200 – 240 grams. It’s crazy!!
This is exactly why I don’t have a converter on my site.
I’ve not found a converter that’s reliable.