Oh Man, Apple Biscuits With Honey Butter Glaze—Let’s Talk
If you know me, you know I rarely measure flour precisely and I tend to add apples to just about anything (pancakes? sure. granola? why not). But these apple biscuits with honey butter glaze, I actually learned to make as a riff on my Nana’s old apple dumpling recipe—back when I was feeling a little homesick during my first winter away from home. The first time I pulled them out, I genuinely wondered if I’d made scones or hockey pucks; on the bright side, the kitchen smelled wild—like a cider mill and a bakery had a little party. Ever since, I bake these whenever someone’s feeling blue, or if there’s rain for more than three days straight.
Why Do I Keep Making These?
I make these when I want my house to smell like autumn (even if it’s July, nobody judges), or when there’s one sad apple rolling around in my fruit bowl looking a little past its prime. My nephews, who will not touch plain biscuits, go absolutely bananas for these—especially that honey butter glaze. Also, if I’m honest, the sticky glaze used to stress me out because I’d always get it everywhere; now I’ve just accepted that, and actually, it’s kind of the point. The messier, the better.
The Stuff You Need (And Substitutions That Actually Work)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I’ve swapped in half whole wheat in a pinch—it’s a bit nuttier, but still good)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (Nana always insisted on Clabber Girl, but honestly, store brand’s fine too)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar (sometimes I use coconut sugar if I’m pretending to be healthy)
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (if I only have salted, I just skip extra salt)
- 1 cup diced apple (peeled or not, who cares—Granny Smith is my fave, but Gala, Fuji, whatever you find lurking in your fridge)
- ⅔ cup cold buttermilk (no buttermilk? Stir a spoonful of lemon juice into regular milk and wait five mins. Works a treat.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not required, but makes you seem fancy)
- For the honey butter glaze:
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey (runny is good, but any beekeeper’s gift jar works)
- ½ cup powdered sugar—can probably get away with a little less if you’re not super sweet
- Pinch of cinnamon (I almost always forget this and it’s still fine!)
Alright, Here’s How I Throw It All Together
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (feels hotter than it should, but trust me).
- Grab a big mixing bowl and toss in all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar). Give them a little mix with a fork—no need to whisk like a maniac.
- Add those cubes of butter. Now, you can use a pastry cutter if you remember you own one, but I usually (clean) hands-in until the mix gets like crumbs, some pea-ish lumps. (It’ll look weird. That’s fine.)
- Toss in your apples. Give ’em a quick stir so nobody’s left out.
- Combine buttermilk and vanilla, pour it into your bowl, and stir gently just until combined. It gets ugly and a little sticky; resist urge to overmix. If it’s super dry, add a drizzle more milk. This is where I sneak a rough taste—only a little, I swear.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and pat it into a thick round, about an inch high (I think; I don’t measure it). I use a drinking glass to cut out biscuits—who has fancy cutters, anyway?
- Pop biscuits on a parchment-lined tray, sort of close but not crammed. Bake for 14–16 minutes—edges should go slightly golden, but if you overbake, they’ll still taste great dunked in coffee.
- While they’re baking, melt the butter for glaze. Stir in honey, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. It’ll look gloopy but just keep whisking.
- As soon as biscuits come out, slather that glaze on. Or, drizzle it. (I’m a slatherer. Do you.)
- Let them cool for five minutes, and try not to eat three in a row. Impossible? Maybe.
Extra Notes (Aka, What I Learned The Hard Way)
- If your butter isn’t cold, the biscuits get a little tough—though honestly, with glaze, nobody cares. But try not to microwave it by mistake (done it, don’t recommend).
- Chop the apple smallish. Huge chunks can make slicing tricky. Learned that one last Thanksgiving.
- Actually, I find these taste even better on day two, if you can manage not to eat them all first night.
If You Want To Get Wild—Try These Variations
- Add a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts to the dough. Crunch factor, 10/10.
- Swap honey for maple syrup in the glaze—I tried agave once, but it was just kind of... sad.
- Throw in a little grated ginger with the apples. I liked it, but my husband said it was “a bit much.”
- No apples? I’ve used pears (not my fave, but very edible!).
What If I Don’t Have Fancy Equipment?
No pastry cutter? Use two butter knives or just dig in with fingers—the dough won’t mind. Drinking glass instead of a biscuit cutter works in a heartbeat. And if you’ve only got a tiny oven tray, just bake in batches; your biscuits won’t judge.
How (Not) To Store Them
Supposedly, keep these in an airtight tin for up to 3 days, but, I’ll be honest, they never last more than a day at our place. If you do want to keep them longer, a quick (like, 10 sec) zap in the microwave brings them right back to life.
Serving: The Only Rule Is “With Extra Glaze”
On lazy Sundays, I dunk these in hot chai or just have them alongside scrambled eggs (which is a little weird, but it works). At family brunch we serve them warm with extra honey butter on the side. If I’m feeling especially nice, I’ll add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Sweet and glorious mess.
Things I’ve Learned The Hard Way (Pro Tips Or Cautionary Tales?)
- Don’t rush the butter cutting. I once tried just grating it in and they weren’t bad, but definitely a bit chewy. Just cube-and-crumble, promise it’s worth it.
- Overmixing = tough biscuits. Seriously, as soon as the flour’s mostly gone, stop stirring. Step away from the spoon.
- If you forget to add glaze until they’re cold, that’s fine—just microwave it for a few seconds. Actually, sometimes I prefer it gooey.
FAQ (I Get Asked These, Promise)
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Yup! I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill blend and it worked okay—needed a touch more buttermilk.
Which apples really work?
Honestly, just about any apple. I think Granny Smith adds the best tart punch, but Fuji, Pink Lady, or even, like, some sad Red Delicious are fine (not my top pick, but if that’s what you’ve got, go for it).
Do I have to peel the apples?
Nope. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t—depends how lazy I feel.
My glaze is super lumpy, why?
Happens if the butter and sugar are different temps. Just keep whisking or zap for 5 sec and stir—it’ll come together. Or eat lumps; they're sweet!
What should I bake them on?
Parchment paper is easiest. Foil works too, but the bottoms get crisper.
And hey, if you ever mess one up, make a hot biscuit sundae with ice cream and caramel; nobody will complain. While you’re at it, check Deb’s cream biscuits for more inspiration; her stuff got me out of a pinch more than once.
P.S. If you try these, let me know how they turn out—unless you hate them, then keep it to yourself, only kidding. Sort of. Good luck!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 large apple, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for glaze)
Instructions
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1Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
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3Cut in the cold, cubed butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
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4Stir in the diced apple, then gradually add milk, mixing until a soft dough forms.
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5Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat to 1-inch thickness, and cut into rounds. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.
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6Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. While baking, melt 2 tablespoons butter and honey together. Brush the hot biscuits with the honey butter glaze before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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