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Home » Bread & Biscuits » High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits

High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits

Published: Apr 29, 2022 · Modified: Apr 29, 2022 by Mara · This post may contain affiliate links.

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These High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits are baked with a whole stick of melted butter! They have a crispy crust with a soft, fluffy and cheesy inside. These are amazing in the morning, served with comfort food like fried chicken, chili or even made into a breakfast sandwich.

A small spatula lifting up a high altitude butter swimming biscuit from a white ceramic pan.

If you're looking for a super easy biscuit recipe look no further! These High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits are soft and fluffy on the inside while having the most delicious crispy outside edge. Not to mention, they are good with just about anything. Enjoy simply by themselves or make them to complete the ultimate comfort meal that the whole family will love. Plus, leftovers make the best breakfast sandwiches!

If you love butter, these biscuits are for you. After all, they are cooked in a whole stick of butter to make them soft, moist, tangy and delicious. These biscuits are so good, that I have two other varieties - Green Chile Cheddar Butter Swimming Biscuits and Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Butter Swimming Biscuits. Just note that these biscuits were baked at sea level.

Why you'll love this recipe:

Not only is this recipe easy to make, but it has a:

  • Soft, buttery, and fluffy inside and crusty outside
  • Delicious with soup and chili
  • Super easy to make
  • 6 ingredients only!
  • Biscuits in under an hour
  • Use leftovers to make a seriously delicious breakfast sandwich!
  • Addictingly delicious!
  • No freezing, kneading or biscuit cutters needed

Ingredients

High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuit Ingredients. All ingredients are labeled with a dark red box with white text in all caps

Ingredient Notes

  • Flour: I use all-purpose flour. I have not tested this recipe with other flour substitutes.
  • Salt: helps enhance the flavor or the biscuits. I use kosher or sea salt.
  • Cheese: thick cut works best for this recipe! Hand shred your own OR buy Tillamook's thick cut cheese. I used cheddar for this recipe but you can use triple blend, Mexican or whatever your favorite is.
  • Baking Powder: helps our biscuits rise and be fluffy.
  • Buttermilk: gives us tanginess. Can use store bought butter or make buttermilk substitute. See the substitution note below.
  • Butter: we melt the butter right before put it into the oven. The butter soaks into the biscuits making a truly indulgent and delicious biscuit. I use unsalted since there's salt in our biscuit recipe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Side by side photos. A number is an upper left corner indicating what step it is in dark red. Left '1' shows dry ingredients in a metal bowl with a whisk. The right '2' is dry ingredients and cheese in a mixing bowl with a silicone spatula.
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Next, in a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
  2. Add in thick cut cheese to the dry ingredients and use a silicone spatula to evenly distribute.
Side by side photos. A number is an upper left corner indicating what step it is in dark red. The left '3' is biscuit batter in a mixing bowl with a silicone spatula. The right '4' shows melted butter in a white square pan.
  1. Next, add in buttermilk and stir with silicone spatula until just combined.
  2. When oven is finished pre-heated, melt butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute or until completely melted in the microwave. Then, pour hot melted butter in a 9x9 baking dish and swirl it around until it evenly coats the bottom of the pan.
Side by side photos. A number is an upper left corner indicating what step it is in dark red. The left '5' shows biscuit batter in a white square pan with knife cuts into 9 square. The right '6' shows fully baked biscuits.
  1. Turn biscuit dough into the baking dish on top of butter. Using a spatula or small offset spatula and spread dough evenly. Roughly cut the dough into 9 even squares.
  2. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Once you remove the biscuits from the oven. Let sit for up to 5 minutes, until butter is soaked into the biscuits. Serve and enjoy!

Expert Tips

  • Measure Flour Correctly! Don't just scoop flour out from the bag. It will usually weight much more than what you need. I have a small digital scale, I like to use when I measure flour. But you can also try using the spoon and level method to more accurately measure flour. Learn how to measure your flour properly here!
  • Don’t Open the Oven Door: when you open the door, while your biscuits are baking, you're letting heat out and letting cool air into the oven. This can result in the biscuits baking unevenly so keep the doors closed and make sure oven light is on to closely watch them.
  • Get a Baking Dish with High Walls: this makes sure the butter does not overflow into the oven. You can also place a sheet pan on the rack underneath the biscuits to catch any overflowing butter.
  • Use a Metal Spatula! The butter and cheese when baked creates the most amazing crusty bottom on the biscuits. A metal spatula helps make sure you can really get underneath the biscuits to ensure the delicious crispy bottom stays intact. Use something similar to this.
High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits on small round white plates.

Recipe FAQs

Can I melt butter before the oven pre-heats or before making the batter?

I recommend melting butter after you've made the batter and the oven is fully pre-heated. You want this butter nice and liquid-y so that it spreads all around the biscuits and sometimes if you are making your batter the butter can harden into a solid while waiting.

What altitude were these biscuits baked at? How do I adjust for my altitude?

I baked these biscuits at 5,280 ft! Check out this high altitude resource to adjust these cookies for your altitude.

What kind of cheese should I use for this recipe?

Use High Quality Cheese! What makes these biscuits so amazing is the cheese! I recommend Tillamook Thick Cut or hand shredding your own for this recipe. Most grocery story cheese doesn't melt well in the oven which is why I don't recommend it for this recipe.

Substituions

  • Buttermilk : In a bowl combined 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar (NOT WHITE WINE VINEGAR) and mix it with 1.5 cups of milk (I used whole milk). Let it sit out for 10 minutes at room temperature until curds form.

You Might Also Like

  • High Altitude Zucchini Bread
  • High Altitude Cinnamon Coffee Cake

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

A small spatula lifting up a high altitude butter swimming biscuit from a white ceramic pan.

High Altitude Butter Swimming Biscuits

Mara
Homemade biscuits made easy? Yes, please! But, these aren't your normal biscuits. These are High Altitude Biscuits that have been baked in a pool of butter...AND no kneading, no freezing butter, no biscuit cutters. Have biscuits in under an hour, that are soft on the inside and with a crispy butter baked bottom. Each bite is filled with cheesy, buttery goodness!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Resting Time 5 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 9 people
Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups thick cut cheese I recommend tillamook farmhouse thick cut or hand sdredding your own
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Next, in a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
  • Add in thick cut cheese to the dry ingredients and use a silicone spatula to evenly distribute.
  • Next, add in buttermilk and stir with silicone spatula until just combined.
  • When oven is finished pre-heated, melt butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute or until completely melted in the microwave. Then, pour hot melted butter in a 9x9 baking dish and swirl it around until it evenly coats the bottom of the pan.
  • Turn biscuit dough into the baking dish on top of butter. Using a spatula or small offset spatula and spread dough evenly. Roughly cut the dough into 9 even squares.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Once you remove the biscuits from the oven. Let sit for up to 5 minutes, until butter is soaked into the biscuits. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Measure Flour Correctly! Don't just scoop flour out from the bag. It will usually weight much more than what you need. I have a small digital scale, I like to use when I measure flour. But you can also try using the spoon and level method to more accurately measure flour. Learn how to measure your flour properly here!
Use a Metal Spatula! The butter and cheese when baked creates the most amazing crusty bottom on the biscuits. A metal spatula helps make sure you can really get underneath the biscuits to ensure the delicious crispy bottom stays intact. Use something similar to this.
What altitude were these biscuits baked at? How do I adjust for my altitude I baked these biscuits at 5,280 ft! Check out this high altitude resource to adjust these cookies for your altitude.
What kind of cheese should I use for this recipe? Use High Quality Cheese! What makes these biscuits so amazing is the cheese! I recommend Tillamook Thick Cut or hand shredding your own for this recipe. Most grocery story cheese doesn't melt well in the oven.
 
Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 622mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 653IU | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram @makewithmara or hashtag #makewithmara

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Hi, I’m Mara! The home baker and cook behind Make With Mara. This is where I share my love of recipe testing, plating, and all things tasty. Let’s crEATe something delicious together! More about me →

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