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Because sometimes, there's just no time to make your own.
Key Takeaways
- Mary B's Frozen Buttermilk Biscuits are best for everyday breakfasts due to their homemade taste and texture.
- Callie's Hot Little Biscuit Buttermilk Biscuits are ideal for special occasions or brunches because of their rich flavor and special texture.
- Mama's Biscuits Buttermilk Biscuits were the least favorite due to their doughy texture and lack of thorough baking.
We admit we sometimes wax poetic about biscuits like there is no other type of bread in the world—but it's because we love biscuits. We truly love them.
And we stand by the statements that we've made about the art of making homemade biscuits. Homemade buttermilk biscuits are indeed a gift of love—and time. But it's precisely because of how much time they take that sometimes you need a shortcut.
Indeed, even on the weekends, you don't always have time to wait for the dough to chill, much less the time to measure out flour and butter and the rest. Since biscuit cravings supersede our timetables, we took to the grocery store to test several different store-bought frozen biscuits and compare them to each other.
How We Tested
As you probably know, biscuits are best when served hot from the oven, so several Southern Living editors baked a batch of biscuits at home before coming to work. Then, the biscuits were lined up for editors and staff to taste test anonymously. In other words, no one knew what biscuits they were eating. They had to use their skills as a biscuit maker and biscuit eater to decide what, if any, were worthy of the Southern Living stamp of approval.
All of the biscuits we tried were frozen and baked from frozen, except one. One biscuit, detailed below, recommended thawing before baking.
We also did not add any butter before or after the biscuits were baked, and they were eaten plain.
Most biscuits call for baking between 350°F and 400°F. All were baked to the timeframe suggested, and then we used our skills as experienced bakers to bake them perfectly.
How We Judged
Each editor scored the biscuits and provided written feedback. They were asked to assign a score to the biscuits between 0 and 3, with 3 being the highest score they could give.
As the testers tried the biscuits, I asked them to consider these elements:
- Flavor: Do these biscuits taste homemade? Can you taste any ingredient over others, such as butter? Are these biscuits sweet or salty?
- Texture: Are these biscuits flaky and light? Dry and crumbly? Could you eat this biscuit alone, or would you need something like butter and jam to make it easier to eat?
- Color: Are these biscuits golden brown or pale? Does the color of a biscuit mean anything to you in terms of flavor?
- Overall experience: Biscuits are a favorite comfort food, and they hold a special place in a Southerner's heart. Even though these aren't homemade, they can be a close second. How do these biscuits line up with your expectations of a good biscuit?
After all testers completed their taste test, I tallied scores and reviewed comments and notes. Two rose to the top.
Frozen Store-Bought Biscuits We Tried
We shopped at several national grocery stores around the Birmingham area to get all the frozen buttermilk or plain biscuits we could find. These were the seven we tried:
Mama's Biscuits Buttermilk Biscuits
There were a few "bless your heart" moments with these biscuits, which come fully baked. They need only be reheated—in the microwave, air fryer, or oven. That does provide great flexibility, and they reheat quickly because the directions recommend thawing the biscuits fully first. So I let the biscuits thaw overnight and warmed them for about 10 minutes.
On the bag, the biscuits say they are "bringing a northern flair to a Southern classic." We'll let others be the judge of whether that's needed.
But in the taste tests, these biscuits were the least favorite. Reviewers called them "spongy looking and unappealing." It seemed these biscuits weren't baked thoroughly; they were, in fact, rather doughy.
Mason Dixie Biscuits Buttermilk
These biscuits were quite dense, both in appearance and texture. They didn't rise a whole lot during baking, which also prevented the development of flaky layers. The flavor was actually decent—many said it was near the top for flavor—but we were left wanting for a more flaky, airy texture.
Brothers Gerard Baking Co. Southern-Style Biscuits
These artisanal biscuits were quite delicious. Their color was golden and buttery, an excellent start. But where they lost some points on the score was in texture. These biscuits were a bit doughy and "oddly moist," according to one taste tester. But these mini biscuits were lovely to see and eat, and with butter and jam, this would be a decent option. However, one six-biscuit bag was more than $8 at our local Fresh Market, which makes this a pricey option if you’re serving more than two or three people.
Pillsbury Grands! Frozen Buttermilk Biscuits
These biscuits were described as a “very classic” and “comforting” biscuit with a nice post-bake puff and golden hue. But tasters just craved a bit more flavor. “This looks the most like a biscuit, but there’s a flavor that I can’t identify—and don't love,” another taster wrote. Smothered under a blanket of sausage gravy, we’d happily eat these.
Great Value Buttermilk Biscuits
These Walmart-brand biscuits were a surprise. They had a great “homemade” appearance and baked beautifully to a golden buttery color. Unfortunately, they just didn’t follow through with flavor, and most tasters described these biscuits as “dry” and “almost crunchy.”
One taster said there was a flavor difference between “the crispy outside and the fluffy interior,” but added that it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Still, if the price point is too appealing to pass up (less than $5 for 20 biscuits), you have this as a good option.
The Winners
Best For Biscuit Sandwiches: Callie's Hot Little Biscuit Buttermilk Biscuits
We were fighting over the leftovers of these stacked little biscuits. The mini biscuits were super buttery—nearly too buttery, according to a few testers. But the layers were undeniable, and the butter was balanced by a decent bit of salt, which made this a rich but well-rounded biscuit.
Almost everyone agreed these biscuits weren't meant for an everyday breakfast. They’re far too special for that. A few said they’d serve this at a nice tea or brunch, possibly as a mini chicken biscuit. But a box only holds six biscuits, and the price is north of $7, so it’s a special treat to be sure.
Quick Tip
Use Callie's biscuits to make our favorite brunch biscuit sandwich, Ham Biscuits. Customize the recipe to your tastes by layering in different cheeses, using a spread, or adding bacon and a fried egg.
Best For Everyday Breakfasts: Mary B's Frozen Buttermilk Biscuits
These biscuits don't take as much color as the others when they bake, but they taste the most like a homemade buttermilk biscuit. The inside is exceptionally soft, while the outside has the crispy texture that comes from shortening in a biscuit—that's a good thing.
This biscuit crisps and breaks when bitten into, but the interior is airy while not being too buttery or artificial. Since the flavor is so good on its own, we recommend eating these biscuits with simple toppings like butter and honey.
“These taste like a properly made homemade biscuit,” wrote one tester. “They’re light, tender, fluffy, and flavorful.”
Read the original article on Southern Living
