Easy Eastern NC Cheese Biscuits

I love these Eastern NC cheese biscuits because they’re loud, flaky, slightly salty, and a little like a hug from the South — but easier than you’d think. They puff up with tender layers, a golden crust, and cheddar-speckled goodness that disappears faster than you can butter one.

My husband will sprint in from the backyard if he smells these baking. True story: once I tried to be fancy and used a grater I hadn’t washed properly; he ate three anyway and then asked if I’d been experimenting with “new cheddar.” He’s convinced these are the best things since sliced bread (which, fair). They’re a regular Sunday morning thing now — butter, jam, and biscuits — and our kid thinks biscuits are a food group.

Kitchen Talk

I totally underestimated how buttery these would be the first time and nearly put the oven mitts in the sink because my hands were slippery from too much butter — rookie move. I also once swapped half the butter for mayo because I was out, and oddly, it worked: a little tang and a nice crumb. When rolling the dough, I don’t obsess about perfect rounds; rough edges = crusty bits and everyone loves the crusty bits.

Shopping Tips

– Baking Basics: Use all-purpose flour and check the date on your baking powder — if it’s old the biscuits won’t rise like they should.
– Dairy: Cold butter and cold buttermilk make the flakiest layers; warm dairy = sad dense biscuits.
– Cheese: Grab a sharp cheddar for bright flavor; pre-shredded is fine but freshly shredded melts better.
– Fats & Oils: Real butter gives the best flavor — you can cut with a little vegetable shortening for sharper layers if you prefer.
– Eggs: If brushing with egg wash, pick large eggs and beat gently for an even golden top.

Prep Ahead Ideas

– Make the dough and shape the rounds the night before; store them on a parchment-lined tray, covered, in the fridge and bake in the morning.
– Grate the cheese and keep it in an airtight container so it’s ready to toss into the dough.
– Keep measured dry ingredients together in a lidded container if you’re making multiple batches for a brunch; just add cold butter and buttermilk when ready.
– Use a shallow, airtight container for chilled dough to avoid it getting soggy; pop the tray straight from fridge to oven for the best oven spring.

✔Time-Saving Tricks

– Use frozen grated cheese if short on time — no thawing required and it mixes in fast.
– Pulse butter and flour in a food processor to speed up the cut-in process and get even small flakes.
– Bake on a preheated sheet pan to get that first burst of heat that helps biscuits rise.
– If you’re in a crazy hurry, biscuit cutter out, tuck them tight so they rise up together (pull-apart biscuit style).

✔Common Mistakes

– Overworking the dough — I did this once and ended up with hockey-puck biscuits; chill and be gentle to fix it.
– Using warm butter: biscuits come out dense and sad. Tip: a quick re-chill fixes slightly warm dough.
– Not preheating the oven fully — biscuits need that heat to puff, so wait the full preheat time.
– Grating the cheese super fine — it can disappear into the dough. Aim for medium shreds so you still get pockets of melty cheese.

What to Serve It With

– A simple green salad with vinegar and olive oil to cut the richness.
– Scrambled eggs or a comforting sausage gravy for a full Southern brunch.
– Quick pimento cheese for a cheesier, over-the-top spread.
– Roasted tomato jam or honey butter for sweet-and-savory play.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Keep everything cold: butter, bowl, even your hands if you can.
– Don’t twist the cutter when cutting — press straight down and lift for taller biscuits.
– If biscuits are too pale, brush with a little milk or egg wash before baking.
– Leftover biscuit dough? Freeze flat in a bag and bake straight from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time.

✔Storage Tips

Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, pop them in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes; microwave makes them soft and sad, oven restores the crust. Cold biscuits are fine — great with jam for a lazy breakfast — but they lose some of that flaky texture.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Swap half cheddar for pepper jack if you want a little heat, or mix in chopped scallions for freshness.
– For a whole-grain twist, replace up to 1/3 of the flour with white whole wheat — texture changes but still tasty.
– No buttermilk? Mix milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let sit 5 minutes.
– If you’re dairy-free, try a cold vegan butter and a firm plant-based cheese, but expect the flavor to be different.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Eastern NC Cheese Biscuits

Tender, cheesy biscuits inspired by Eastern North Carolina, made with self-rising flour, sharp cheddar, and buttermilk. They bake up tall, buttery, and ready in about half an hour.

No ratings yet

Rate This Yum Pin This Recipe For Later! Share The Yum On Facebook Print

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cup self-rising flour
• ▢ 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, grated or diced keep very cold
• ▢ 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ▢ 0.75 cup cold buttermilk add a splash more if dough seems dry
• ▢ 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ▢ 0.25 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper optional, for a gentle kick
• ▢ 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing baked biscuits

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, black pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl.
• Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits.
• Fold in the shredded cheddar to coat the cheese lightly with flour.
• Pour in the buttermilk and stir gently just until a shaggy dough forms; do not overmix.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat to about 3/4-inch thickness, then fold in half and pat again.
• Cut biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, pressing straight down. Gently re-form scraps and cut again.
• Arrange biscuits so they touch on the sheet. Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes for extra lift.
• Bake 12–14 minutes until puffed and golden at the edges.
• Brush hot biscuits with melted butter. Cool 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

Swap cheddar for hoop cheese if you can find it, or mix in a spoonful of pimento for a Carolina twist. Leftovers reheat well: wrap in foil and warm at 300°F for 8–10 minutes, or freeze baked biscuits up to 2 months.

This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Easy Eastern NC Cheese Biscuits flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.