Let me be completely straight with you. I have eaten a lot of biscuits in my life. Plain biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, drop biscuits, biscuits from fancy brunch spots, biscuits from gas stations at 6am — I have had them all. And these Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits are the best biscuit I have ever made in my own kitchen. That is not a statement I make lightly.
Here is what we are working with. A classic flaky butter biscuit dough that is cold, handled minimally, and cut properly so you get those beautiful layers when they bake.
Folded into that dough are crispy chopped bacon pieces and freshly shredded sharp cheddar that melt into the layers and create these incredible pockets of savory, cheesy, smoky goodness throughout every bite.
And then — right when they come out of the oven golden and puffed and smelling like a dream — they get brushed with a warm maple butter glaze that soaks into the top and makes every layer slightly sweet and deeply caramelized.
Sweet and savory done right is one of the greatest things in food and these biscuits are a masterclass in that combination. Serve them at breakfast, brunch, alongside soup, or just eat one standing over the kitchen counter at 7am because you cannot wait. I will not judge. I have been there more times than I can count.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- That sweet and savory combination is genuinely addictive. The sharp cheddar and smoky bacon inside the biscuit against the sweet maple glaze on top is a flavor combination that makes people close their eyes on the first bite. It hits every note at once and it is completely irresistible.
- Tall, flaky, golden layers every single time. Following the right technique — cold butter, minimal handling, and proper cutting — gives you biscuits with those dramatic layers that pull apart beautifully. No more flat hockey pucks.
- Ready in 40 minutes. Less than an hour from start to finish for a biscuit that tastes like you spent all morning on it. This is weekend breakfast energy with a weekday timeline.
- The maple glaze is the finishing touch that changes everything. A simple brush of warm butter and maple syrup right out of the oven soaks into the top of each biscuit and creates a slightly sticky, caramelized finish that is absolutely next level.
- Versatile beyond breakfast. These biscuits work alongside soup, chili, salad, or as a standalone snack. They are not just a breakfast item — they are an anytime item.
- Freezer friendly. Bake a batch, freeze what you do not eat, and reheat whenever you need a biscuit. Having a stash of these in the freezer is one of the greatest decisions you can make for your future self.
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour — spooned and leveled. Too much flour makes dense biscuits. Measure carefully and resist the urge to add more if the dough seems slightly sticky — a slightly sticky dough makes flakier biscuits than a dry one.
- 1 tbsp baking powder — the lift agent that gives these biscuits their height. Make sure your baking powder is fresh — old baking powder means flat biscuits. If you are not sure how old yours is, drop a teaspoon in hot water. If it bubbles actively it is still good. If not, replace it.
- 1 tsp baking soda — works with the buttermilk to give an extra boost of rise and a tender crumb.
- 1 tsp salt — essential for flavor. Biscuits without enough salt taste flat and one-dimensional no matter how good everything else is.
- 1/2 tsp black pepper — freshly cracked. Adds a subtle warmth that plays beautifully with the cheddar and bacon.
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder — a small addition that adds savory depth without being identifiable as garlic. It just makes everything taste better.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen — the key to flaky biscuits is cold fat. Frozen butter grated on a box grater is the move here. Grating frozen butter distributes it evenly throughout the dough in small pieces that create steam during baking — and that steam is what creates flaky layers. Do not use room temperature or melted butter for biscuits. It changes the entire texture.
- 1 cup cold buttermilk — the acidity of buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give extra rise and a subtle tang that is quintessentially Southern biscuit. Cold buttermilk is important — warm buttermilk starts to melt the butter pieces before baking and you lose flakiness. Keep it in the fridge until the very last second.
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded — freshly shredded from a block, always. Pre-shredded bagged cheese does not melt into the layers the same way and the texture is noticeably different. Sharp cheddar has enough flavor to stand up to the bacon and maple without getting lost.
- 8 oz thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy and chopped — about 6 to 8 strips. Cook it until genuinely crispy — not just done, but crispy — so the pieces hold their texture inside the biscuit during baking. Pat the cooked bacon very dry with paper towels before chopping. Excess bacon fat in the dough can make the biscuits greasy and affect the rise. Roughly chop into pieces about 1/2 inch in size.
For the Maple Glaze
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted — the base of the glaze. Use real butter here, not a substitute.
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup — pure maple syrup only. Not pancake syrup, not maple-flavored syrup. Real maple syrup has a depth and complexity that artificial versions simply cannot replicate and you will taste the difference significantly in this glaze.
- Pinch of salt — just a tiny pinch to balance the sweetness of the maple.
- Optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper — if you want a little heat in the glaze to contrast the sweetness. Completely optional but a really excellent addition for anyone who likes that sweet-heat combination.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Bacon
- Cook the bacon until genuinely crispy in a large skillet over medium heat — about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let it drain and cool completely. Pat the top of the bacon dry as well.
- Chop the cooled bacon into roughly 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside. You want the pieces substantial enough to give you a real bite of bacon in every biscuit but not so large they create air pockets in the dough.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. High heat is essential for tall, flaky biscuits.
Step 2: Make the Biscuit Dough
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture using the large holes of a box grater. Work quickly — you want the butter to stay as cold as possible. Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until each piece is coated in flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs with visible pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
- Add the shredded cheddar and chopped bacon to the flour and butter mixture and toss to distribute evenly.
- Pour the cold buttermilk over the mixture and stir gently with a fork or rubber spatula just until the dough comes together. It will look shaggy and slightly rough — that is exactly right. Stop mixing the moment it comes together. Overmixed biscuit dough develops gluten and gives you tough, dense biscuits instead of flaky tender ones.
Step 3: Fold for Layers
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to gently pat it into a rough rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.
- Fold the dough in thirds like a letter — fold one end into the center, then fold the other end over the top. Rotate 90 degrees and gently pat into a rectangle again. Repeat this fold and pat process 3 to 4 times total. This lamination technique creates distinct flaky layers in the finished biscuit. Handle the dough as gently as possible throughout — warmth from your hands is the enemy of flakiness.
- Pat the dough to a final thickness of 1 inch. Do not roll it with a rolling pin — pressing with your hands is more gentle and preserves the layers. One inch thickness is the minimum for a tall biscuit.
Step 4: Cut and Bake
- Cut the biscuits using a sharp 2.5 to 3 inch round biscuit cutter. Press straight down firmly without twisting — twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly. You will see the layers in the cut edge if you do this right and it is a beautiful thing.
- Place the cut biscuits on your prepared baking sheet with the sides touching slightly. Biscuits that touch each other during baking help each other rise taller — they support each other upward rather than spreading outward.
- Gather the dough scraps, gently press them back together with minimal handling, and cut additional biscuits. Second-cut biscuits will not be quite as flaky as the first cuts but they will still be delicious.
- Brush the tops of each biscuit with a small amount of the cold buttermilk or a beaten egg for a golden top.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the tops are deeply golden brown and the biscuits have risen tall and proud. Resist opening the oven door during the first 15 minutes — the temperature drop can affect the rise.
Step 5: Make and Apply the Maple Glaze
- While the biscuits bake, combine the melted butter and pure maple syrup in a small bowl. Add the pinch of salt and cayenne if using. Stir until smooth.
- The moment the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the warm maple glaze generously over the top of each biscuit. Do not be shy — use all of it. The hot biscuits will absorb the glaze into the top layers and the result is a slightly sticky, caramelized, maple-kissed surface that is absolutely extraordinary.
- Let the biscuits rest for 5 minutes before serving. Just 5 minutes. You can do it.
Serving Suggestions
These Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits are a complete experience on their own but here are some ways to serve them:
- Serve warm with extra butter and maple syrup on the side. Pull one apart, add a pat of cold butter to the warm interior, and drizzle a little extra maple syrup inside. It is one of the best breakfast experiences you will ever have.
- Pair with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit for a complete weekend brunch spread that feels completely effortless and impressive at the same time.
- Serve alongside a bowl of tomato soup or chili. The sweet maple glaze and savory cheddar bacon biscuit alongside a bowl of something rich and warming is a combination that belongs together.
- Use them as a breakfast sandwich base. Split a biscuit open and fill it with a fried egg, an extra slice of bacon, and a little hot sauce. The maple glaze on the outside of the biscuit combined with the savory egg and bacon filling is a breakfast sandwich that genuinely competes with anything you can order at a restaurant.
- Serve at Easter or holiday brunch in a lined basket in the center of the table. They look beautiful, smell incredible, and disappear fast.
- Eat one standing in the kitchen while they are still hot because sometimes that is just what you need to do and that is completely valid.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. They are best the day they are made but still very good on day two.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The maple glaze may become slightly sticky in the fridge — that is fine and does not affect the flavor.
- Reheating: Reheat biscuits in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until warmed through and the exterior crisps back up slightly. The microwave works in 20 to 30 second bursts but the biscuit will be softer. For the best reheated biscuit, the oven is always the right choice.
- Freezer — Baked: Let biscuits cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe zip-lock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Add the maple glaze fresh after reheating for the best result.
- Freezer — Unbaked: Cut the biscuits and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid — about 1 hour — then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake from frozen at 425°F adding 5 to 7 extra minutes to the baking time. Fresh biscuits on demand is absolutely worth the planning.
- Make-Ahead Option: You can make the dough, cut the biscuits, and refrigerate them covered overnight on the baking sheet. Bake cold straight from the refrigerator the next morning — they actually rise slightly better from cold and you get fresh biscuits with almost no morning effort.
Make These Once and They Become a Permanent Part of Your Life
That is not hyperbole. Every single person I have made these for has asked for the recipe within 24 hours. There is something about the combination of flaky buttery layers, sharp cheddar, crispy bacon, and that maple glaze that just gets people. It hits the sweet spot between comfort food and something that feels genuinely special and elevated.
And the fact that you can pull these together in 40 minutes from scratch — with ingredients that are almost always already in your kitchen — makes them the kind of recipe you reach for again and again. Weekend mornings, holiday brunches, weeknight soup nights, or just because you want something extraordinary with your coffee on a Tuesday.
Make a batch this weekend and let me know in the comments how they turned out. And if you make them for a gathering and watch them disappear in under 10 minutes — which they will — tag me on Pinterest or Instagram. I love seeing these golden biscuits in the wild. Happy baking.
— Kip
Maple Bacon Cheddar Biscuits (Flaky, Savory, Sweet & Completely Irresistible)
Description
Tall, flaky, buttery biscuits packed with crispy bacon pieces and freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, baked until deeply golden and finished with a warm maple butter glaze that soaks into every layer. Sweet, savory, and completely addictive from the very first bite.
Ingredients
For the Biscuits:
For the Maple Glaze:
Instructions
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Cook bacon until crispy. Drain, pat dry, and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a large bowl.
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Grate frozen butter directly into flour mixture. Toss to coat. Add shredded cheddar and chopped bacon and toss to distribute.
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Pour cold buttermilk over mixture and stir gently until dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
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Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Pat into rectangle and fold in thirds. Repeat 3 to 4 times. Pat to 1 inch thickness.
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Cut with a sharp 2.5 to 3 inch round biscuit cutter pressing straight down without twisting. Place on baking sheet with sides touching.
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Brush tops with cold buttermilk. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until deeply golden.
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Whisk melted butter, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne together. Brush generously over hot biscuits immediately out of the oven.
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Rest 5 minutes before serving.
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