This homemade Bisquick without shortening works perfectly in all of your favorite recipes! Substitutes 1:1 for any recipe calling for store-bought baking mix.
Once you try this homemade Bisquick recipe, you won't want to go back to the store bought version! I sure don't at least... and I'm guessing you won't either after you get a taste.
I've always enjoyed cooking from scratch, so I can't believe it never occurred to me just how simple it would be to make some of my own mixes to keep on hand. Not only is it super convenient, but it also means I can control exactly what ingredients go into the mix. No more label reading!
How To Make Homemade Bisquick
This recipe is for homemade Bisquick without shortening. Instead, I prefer to use real butter because I like the added richness and flavor that it imparts.
PRO TIP: Feel free to substitute an equal amount of vegetable shortening or lard for the butter, as desired.
What To Make With Homemade Bisquick Mix
You're probably wondering just how well this homemade Bisquick recipe will work in traditional Bisquick recipes. I've successfully substituted it for store-bought baking mix in all of my favorite recipes, including:
- 15-Minute Homemade Biscuits
- Blackberry Shortcake
- Classic Sausage And Cheese Balls
- Bisquick Ultimate Pancakes
Homemade Bisquick Mix Without Shortening
This homemade Bisquick without shortening works perfectly in all of your favorite recipes! Substitutes 1:1 for any recipe calling for store-bought baking mix.
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter
Instructions
- Measure the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend thoroughly.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter until thoroughly incorporated.
- Transfer to a ziplock bag or airtight container for storage.
Notes
STORAGE: This baking mix can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 588Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 1899mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 3gSugar: .35gProtein: 13g
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
What are your favorite homemade mixes to have on hand? I'm eager to try new varieties after being so successful with this one.
Dixie says
Have you tried using the powdered butter found on many websites that carry dehydrated foods? I'm wondering about the amount to use, but I think with this the homemade bisquick could be an "on the shelf" pantry item rather than having to be refrigerated.
Lisa K says
great site.. thanks I only needed 1 cup!!!!
S.K. says
Glad to find a Bisquick recipe that doesn't use shortening since it is an ingredient I no longer use. I've been wanting to make homemade Bisquick but haven't found a suitable recipe w/o shortening. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I found that you can sub homemade biscuit mix for any recipe calling for Bisquick. The Betty Crocker Bisquick page (General Mills) has lots of good recipes. Find at the BettyCrocker [dot] com, click products, then click Bisquick.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/product-recipes/bisquick-recipes
Sylvia G says
I never use bisquick, so it's great to have this recipe, but I need to know how to use it, like how much to use , mix with what etc! Thanks!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Sylvia! There are a couple of recipes linked in the post, like this one for biscuits (https://unsophisticook.com/15-minute-homemade-biscuits/) and this one for shortcakes (https://unsophisticook.com/easy-shortcake-recipe/). Basically you can substitute it 1:1 in any recipe that calls for Bisquick.
Ana Carolina says
Can I use To make Cheese Garlic Biscuits?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Absolutely! We haven't made those in awhile, and they sound so good now. I just might have to add it to today's menu!
Matt says
I don't know about this mix recipe, as it doesn't work for making a "from scratch" Bisquick custard pie (it's flat and tough). But here is a recipe from simpledailyrecipes.com that NAILS garlic cheddar biscuits:
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
1 cup cold salted butter, cut into ½” pieces
4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cup grated cheddar
1½ cup buttermilk, plus ¼ cup to brush on top of biscuits
Using electric mixer, blend the butter and dry ingredients for 1 to 1½ minutes on low speed. Stir in cheese until well distributed. Pour in buttermilk and mix until dough comes together and all flour is absorbed.
Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with enough flour to keep hands from sticking. Knead 5 times to smooth the dough into a ball. Roll ball into a log of desired diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Unwrap dough log and cut into 12-14 even slices. Transfer onto a baking sheet or into 8” or 10” round baking pan. Generously brush the top of the biscuits with buttermilk for a shiny, crispy top.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Smother with butter and enjoy!
Amy says
Could you use self rising flour and just add the butter to it.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
The ratios of baking powder and salt in self rising flour don't quite equal the Bisquick Mix recipe, so I wouldn't recommend it. :(
Matt says
I have been trying to move away from boxed mixes, and I've successfully found great buttermilk biscuit, garlic cheddar biscuit and pancake recipes, but I've been trying desperately to find a good bisquick recipe so I can make one of the staple desserts I grew up with: Bisquick no-crust custard pie. So, has anyone tried this recipe for custard pie? If it works, I will be in your debt forever!
Darla says
I can also suggest a healthy modification to the recipe that worked great this morning.
Substitute 1/2 the regular flour with whole wheat flour and use flax ( 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds plus 3 tablespoons water per egg for recipes). It also helps to add a little vanilla. ( about 1 tsp per 2 cups of the batter made from the mix). This made a great mix for our pancakes this morning.
Tammy Baugh says
I ran out of Bisquick the other day and actually attempted to make my own recipe. I opened the Red Checkerd book mom gave me that is falling apart. The things I was making was the copy-cat Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits. I tried taking 2 C Flour and 1 T Baking Pwd plus 1/2 t Salt. The taste was the same. But since I didn't sift the Flour, I couldn't find a sifter. The texture was awful and they felt like they weighed a ton! Thanks so much for the recipe. I will make it though omitting the butter. Since what I will be using it in already calls for it. And none of us need a big ole butter bootie!
CC Lacosta says
Hi, I am wondering if i can also use this dough for empanadas?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Now that's one recipe that I haven't tried personally, CC. But I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. I've seen a recipe for making empanadas with Bisquick on the Betty Crocker website, so I'd recommend just substituting the same amount of this mix. I'd love to hear your results!
Mary says
Thanks for the reply Tara. I did try to add more milk but maybe I overworked the dough as you suggested! I'm going to try again with white flour only. All your posters have had terrific results so must be my technique!
Bethany says
Yum! Just tried these biscuits and they are AWESOME! Thanks for getting me out of a baking slump with a victory. lol.
Mary says
Hi Tara
I tried these with 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flour, reducing the wheat by the TBSP suggested by a poster above. My biscuits were hard as rocks and didn't rise at all. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong? I still have 1/3 of mix left and I don't want to waste it.
Thanks
Mary
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Mixing it half and half shouldn't have affected it too much. It sounds like either the dough was slightly overworked or perhaps try adding just a touch more milk if the dough seems to be dry.
missy says
Hello maybe I missed something in the recipe but was wondering if the whole recipe made just the one batch or many of the recipe below the main recipe? I ask this because the main recipe said it could be refrigerated for a certain amount of time? I hope you understand my question? Thanks for posting this recipe I use Bisquick alot and was also wondering instead of rolling it out can you do the drop biscuts w/ this recipe as well??? Thanks again!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Missy! It should make at least two batches of the biscuit recipe I provided with a little leftover. I never thought to measure it after preparing it before, so I'll do that next time and add it to the "recipe". And yes, you should be able to use this in drop biscuits -- it's worked just as well as the boxed stuff in all of the recipes I've used it in.
Cathie says
For the 15 min biscuits, can you use buttermilk instead of milk?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Cathie, I've never tried it, but I think it would work. I'd just add about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the Bisquick mixture to counteract some of the acidity in the buttermilk. I'd love to hear how they turn out for you!
Maenwyn Rati says
For Chrissa. Gluten free.
http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/gfcfsf-ingredients-and-substitutions/
RoxAnn says
Do you have a gluten free version of the homemade Bisquik?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I haven't tried to make it gluten free yet. Someone else mentioned substituting brown rice flour, so you might give that a try. If you do, please let me know how it turns out!
LOVING-COOKING21 says
can I halve the recipe? cause I dun need that much..
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Absolutely! There shouldn't be any reason why it couldn't be halved.
Macaroni and Cheesecake says
Made your bisquick mix the other day and it worked perfectly! Thanks so much for posting!
Kristen O'Hara says
Great photos! I used your biscuit recipe with a home-made bisquick substitute I'd made awhile back. Delish! Thanks for posting.
breanna says
This is so helpful! I've linked to you here: http://dollarstoremom.com/2011/09/pinterest-picks-12/
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Thanks for sharing it, Breanna!
Shay says
Tara, thank you so much for this! I have looked for a recipe for it before and never found one. You rock!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yay -- glad I shared it then! I was surprised when I noticed that I hadn't posted it to my personal page yet. I figured I had some friends that could use it!
Carolyn says
Thanks for this recipe. I will definitely try it out. I love that it uses butter! You mention other mixes. I've been using Make-a-Mix (Fisher Books) for years. It has recipes for a wide variety of types of mixes.
Megan Wilson says
Can I use self-rising flour? I think that self-rising flour has about the right ratio of salt/baking powder...
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hmm, good question, Megan. I haven't tried it, but if you experiment with it, I'd love to hear your results!
Iris says
I used self-rising flour several years ago for a quick biscuit mix. Also instead of butter, I cooked some bacon, cut the biscuits beforehand and dipped the biscuits both sides before "frying" the biscuits. A bit more fattening but really tasty. Be careful to check expiration dates of flour. Your recipe helped remind me of portions to use.
Beckilynb says
I just discovered your blog. Love, love, love it! I'll have to try this recipe using part butter and part shortening. Shortening makes your biscuits rise really nicely! I don't usually like Bisquick for pancakes, because it makes for pretty heavy pancakes, but I might have to try yours! Thanks!
Jessie says
Have you tried their "melt in your mouth" variation? It's adding a bit of baking soda and lemon juice to the mix - they foam up together and add wonderful fluffyness to the pancakes.
Carrie says
Hi, Tara. I love your site. I used your homemade bisquick mix to make Cheese Garlic Biscuits this weekend. They turned out awesome. If you want to try it, here's the link for the recipe.
Thanks for the awesome idead. I can't wait to use it for pancakes soon.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Those sound delicious, Carrie -- we'll definitely be trying them. Thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Could I use whole wheat flour instead of white flour for the homemade bisquick recipe?
Leigh H. says
Tara, thanks for this recipe. I have a taco seasoning mix I use. 2T chili powder, 5t paprika, 4.5t ground cumin, 3t onion powder, 3t salt, 2.5t garlic powder, 1/8t cayenne pepper. Combine and store in an airtight container. For taco meat, mix 2/3 to 3/4 cup water with 8t of mix and 1 pound of meat. Once you make your first seasoned meat recipe, then you might want to adjust for your famiy's tastes.
Renita says
Thanks for the recipe! I had been using one that calls for cream of tartar and powdered milk; looking forward to trying one that requires less ingredients. I love making the Impossibly Easy Pies too, with one change: I typically double all the ingredients except the meat. This stretches our expensive protein, and I have an extra meal for the freezer! Thanks again for all your great tips.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That's a great tip, Renita -- thanks for sharing!
Rhonda says
Thanks so much for sharing! We use Bisquick a lot for various things and it is expensive even with coupons. I have used your recipe twice with great results. Your mix has a softer crust than BIsquick which is nice. Below is my husbands favorite Bisquick recipe. I think it is ok, but if we are short on time I can throw it together quickly with a veggie on the side.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-cheeseburger-pie/8c78aa78-c368-40fa-8a88-1654640c7525
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I used to make this frequently when my husband and I were first married. I don't know why I haven't made it lately -- I bet the kids would like it. Thanks for the reminder!
YarGalof4 says
We do the impossibly easy pies for supper often.
In fact with the kids getting bigger I now do three at once! Enough for dinner and leftover lunch.
The one tip I can say is I always add extra veggies- cut down on the meat- keep the cheese the same and add an extra egg.
But a pound of meat in one pie just seems like too much to me. I always saute the onions and there never is any issue with the kiddos not loving it.
Carrie says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! ! I just recycled our empty Bisquick box last week-after making a batch of Garlic Cheese Biscuits (similar to Red Lobster's), and have often wondered how I could make my own mix-I didn't think it could be that hard! I'm going to post a link to this on my blog! Thank you again!
Nina says
I'm new to all this...How do you cut in butter?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I use a pastry cutter similar to this one by OXO and you basically just use it to mix the butter into the flour until it's just in tiny pieces like the image above. Alternately you can use two knives, holding one in each hand kind of like "crossed swords", to actually cut the butter and incorporate it. If all else fails, use your hands. The final consistency should be kind of coarse like cornmeal.
Cindy Dickerson says
If you would like a gluten free bisquick mix, you could try brown rice flour or spelt flour. Spelt would make the mix a little heavier like whole wheat flour would. Spelt is great in bread so I would think it would be good in pancakes and biscuits also.
Rachel says
Spelt is not gluten free, it is simply another type of wheat. Thanks for the tip about brown rice flour though.
Diana B says
Thank you--I am saving this because we go through a ton of Bisquick, making pancakes, waffles and cheesy biscuits. I'd love to see that pancake recipe you alluded to!
ookie says
always wondered what would be homemade equivalent to bisquick - and now you made it easy! will give it a go. thanks!
Chrissa says
Any idea on how to replicate the Gluten Free recipe. It cost so much and makes about 1 batch for about $6.50 including the eggs, shortening, and almond milk.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Good question -- I'll do a little research to see if I can dig anything up, or maybe someone else will have some suggestions.
Kelly Howard says
Thank you so much for sharing this! It is the perfect opportunity to have something quick but to be able to choose organic and healthier! No more Bisquick at my house....you may cause a revolution, lol!
Marianne H. says
I love this substitution. Recently I dabbled with cocoa mix and my sons love hot chocolate. I'll share: visit my blog at
Angie W says
For those wondering about using whole wheat, you can. Just subtract 1-2 Tablespoons for each cup of white flour to get the right consistency.
Or, you can use white whole wheat flour. It has all the good nutrition of whole wheat flour except some of the bran is sifted out. With this flour, you can use an equal amount to the white flour.
My family has used both of these substitutions for several months now, and we have yet to find a cooking or baking recipe it didn't work for. Happy cooking! :)
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Thanks for the fantastic advice, Angie!
Janice says
I've also made biscuits using only whole white wheat flour with surprisingly fluffy results. The commercial product I use has no bran removed, however. Rather, it's milled from a cultivar of wheat naturally lacking the pigment gene that colors the bran in customary whole wheat flour. It's said to be equivalent nutritionally to whole [red] wheat flour, even as it yields a finer texture to baked goodies. It does cost more, alas.
Crystal @ MrsHappyHomemaker.com says
Oh wow! I am also a huge 'from scratch' cooker myself, but Biquick is something I never thought about. I buy it mostly for making sausage balls, but I bet they will taste even better with the baking mix being homemade too. I'm writing this one down. Thanks so much!!
Burgandy says
Awesome, I was making biscuits the other day and was thinking that a homemade Bisquick recipe would be great and cheap. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Never mind! Sorry I see the answer now:)
Erin says
If it has butter in it, how come it does not need to be refrigerated?
Jenni @ Sweet Pennies from Heaven says
Oh, thanks so much for this recipe!! We use Bisquick all the time and it's so expensive even with a coupon!! The ingredients are things we always have plenty of so my husband will be super excited about this, since he's the cook ;)!
Tia says
This is a great idea. We have the items in our pantry anyway! This is the year for planning ahead and being more organized. Thanks for this tip
Megan says
Do you think I could use whole wheat flour instead of regular flour? Just curious if it would taste okay still or not? What do you think?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I definitely think it will still taste wonderful, but wheat flour is more dense so it would just depend on whether that is an issue for you. If so, you might try mixing half regular and half whole wheat.
shammy says
When baking with wheat you will need to probably use some white flour in it. For example I made a much healthier version of a chocolate chip recipe. Instead of all the white flour I did half and half. Plus using splenda helped too.
Marisol says
@Megan
It does work. We have been making our biscuits homemade for years and we make up a big batch (not huge, just 10c's) and we do 7 cups soft white wheat and 3 cups organic bread flour. We have done the whole recipe with just wheat but have yet to perfect the "fluffiness" they are rather dense with "just" the whole wheat!
Hope that helps.
Shelley L says
Do you have a link to other "from scratch" recipes you use?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Almost all of the recipes I post here are "from scratch" -- I'm not big on semi-homemade cooking. But as far as grocery staples from scratch, this is a new focus for me in 2011, so I'm planning to post several of these kind of recipes each month. You might also be interested in my sourdough starter post. I'm still searching for the perfect bread recipe to use it in, but I have one that looks promising that I'm planning to try tomorrow.
https://unsophisticook.com/how-to-make-sourdough-starter/
Lori Hippelheuser says
I like that you get to choose the ingredients in it (I wonder if it would work with whole wheat?) We don't have biscuits often, but we do have pancakes occasionally, and I really don't like using box mix. Thanks!!!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I'd love to hear if you try it with whole wheat flour since it seems many people are wondering about it!
Patrycja says
Hi
For pancakes try one egg. One cup of flour. One cup of milk. Pinch of salt and some sugar if you desire.
Its so easy and this are crepe style pancakes.
judy workman says
A simple and good pancake recipe. I have tried it and will again soon. Remaining batter will last in the fridge for several days. I left out some rules because since we are all cooks, I did not feel they were significant to the cause. You don't need to be told to add more liquid to make a thinner pancake. you get the idea. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you choose to make it.
Ingredients
· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 tablespoons sugar
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups milk
· 2 eggs
· 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
1. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk.
3. Start with 1 1/4 cups milk, adding up to another 1/4 cup if necessary, as you mix it with the flour.
4. Add the two eggs, vanilla if using and oil, whisking until mixed but still a bit lumpy. You are ready to make your thick or thin pancakes.
Kim Cooper says
I doubled the recipe, substituted whole wheat flour for half the white but substituted a couple tablespoons of that with wheat germ. It ended up being about 1.5c white flour, 1.25c whole wheat, and .25c wheat germ. I also used 2/3c powdered milk mixed with the dry ingredients and 2.5c water in place of the milk. They turned out deliciously tasty, light and fluffy textured.
Robert says
I guess you don't know that non-cooks are reading also.
Trish @I_am_Succeeding says
great idea! Thanks for sharing it!
Melony says
That's a great idea! So... could this mix also be used for pancakes?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yep, you can definitely use it for pancakes. I'm planning to share my favorite pancake recipe that uses it very soon!