These Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits are giving extra tender, buttery, and flavorful goodness in every single bite! If you’re looking to add a little oomph to your everyday biscuits, this recipe is the one. Perfect to serve alongside breakfast faves or savory meals alike! So easy to make and downright craveable, you can’t eat just one!

parmesan black pepper biscuits with butter stacked on top of each on white plate

Oh my word, tell me what’s better than a tender, buttery biscuit? If you ask me, not much at all, ha! Biscuits are a love language. Few things hit on a Sunday morning like a biscuit sopped up with some sausage gravy, ugh. Drooling as I type these very words, y’all. It’s been a minute since I blessed the site with a biscuit recipe, and I am hype about this one! Parmesan black pepper biscuits!

⇢ Recipes we love: cheddar scallion biscuits, this saucy sausage kale pasta, def this parmesan crusted chicken, my jamaican beef patties, these jerk meatballs, and comforting classics like baked ziti and cabbage and sausage– gimme!

Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits 😍

The combination of nutty, slightly salty, and sharp parmesan cheese paired with pungent and aromatic black pepper, whew. Let’s marry those two flavors in extra tender, buttermilk-laden biscuits and now we have quite a dream, folks. They’re so insanely good and the perfect biscuits to have on deck for any time of day. Serve ’em alongside any entree you desire and prepare to swoon!

parmesan black pepper biscuits on baking sheet

What You’ll Need To Make These Biscuits

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Flour: Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post. They produce some of the best baking products like their all-purpose flour, and that’s exactly what I’m using here. What’s a biscuit without flour tho?!
  • Baking powder: The higher the biscuits, the closer to heaven? Lol. Real talk, to ensure super raised, fluff-like biscuits; baking powder is the leavening agent to achieve this. The science behind using baking powder in biscuits creates a light/fluffy crumb in these parmesan black pepper biscuits.
  • Granulated sugar: Just a touch of good ole fashioned granulated white sugar.
  • Fine sea salt: This is salt from the ocean/sea that has been evaporated. Because the salt is fine, its crystals dissolve into the biscuit dough quickly.
  • Unsalted butter: Butter, ain’t nothing like it, amen! #butterbeready
  • Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is a must, the best.
  • Parmesan cheese: The other star of these biscuits. You’ll need a block of fresh parmesan cheese to grate by hand using a box grater or microplane zester.
  • Buttermilk: There is nothing at all like buttermilk when it comes to making biscuits. Buttermilk adds some acidity, tang, and yields the most tender, fluffy, and flavorful biscuits. Check out this hack in a pinch!
  • Large egg: Just one egg mixed with water for an egg wash.

⇢ These parmesan black pepper biscuits require just a few ingredients that you likely already have most of in your pantry. They’re also super versatile and can be served alongside your breakfast favorites like eggs and bacon.

Hearty main entrees like short rib ragu or smothered pork chops are great pairings as well. And finally, they’re damn good, friends. You’ll find these biscuits are super flavorful with that cheesy, peppery goodness in every bite!

black hand reaching for biscuit on plate with bag of bob's red mill flour in the background

The Foundation of Making Biscuits

When it comes to Southern cuisine, the art of making homemade biscuits is a time-honored tradition in the South. Biscuits are a flour-based baked good that arose from the desire to use what you have. This basically translates to pantry ingredients that you have on hand. ⇢ To learn the shape and feel of biscuit dough is a true skill. However, I know that with these steps and plentiful information, you will make these parmesan black pepper biscuits like a true champ!

What You’ll Need To Make Biscuits

One thing I love about biscuit-making is that you really don’t need a whole lot. Seriously, your hands and eyes are your best tools as you make these parmesan black pepper biscuits, and any other kind of biscuit recipe. The basics:

  • Large mixing bowl. A large vessel to hold in all the ingredients.
  • Pastry blender/cutter. Helps to cut the cold butter into the flour.
  • Rubber spatula. For bringing the dough together.
  • Rolling pin. For rolling out the dough into an even thickness.
  • Cutting tools. I often use a biscuit cutter or a bench scraper.
  • Baking sheets. Plain and simple, for placing the biscuits into the oven.
  • Parchment paper. These are nice to keep your baking sheet mess-free and to ensure that the biscuits don’t stick.
black hand pinching butter into flour in bowl
black hand pouring buttermilk into bowl with flour and butter

How To Make Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  • Combine the dry ingredients. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients well to combine.
  • Add the butter. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender; or smearing the butter into the flour with your fingertips, as pictured. Do this until the texture resembles little pea-sized bits.
  • Parmesan/black pepper. Toss these ingredients in and stir to combine.
  • Pour in the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Then use a rubber spatula or your hands to bring the dough together until the biscuit dough becomes a cohesive mass.

BBR tip #1 >> Working with buttermilk can sometimes be finicky and worth paying attention to. When making these parmesan black pepper biscuits, you’ll want to add enough buttermilk to the dough to achieve a certain consistency.

⇢ Biscuit dough texture: Prepare to get those hands a little messy when making biscuits, it’s just par for the course. Therefore, always look for the biscuit dough to be moist and slightly sticky but not hard to work with. The recipe card includes 2 cups of buttermilk, adding more only as needed.

black hand holding the sides of biscuit dough
black hands kneading biscuit dough on marbled surface

Handling Biscuit Dough 🤲🏾

  • Empty the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. At this stage, the dough should still look crumbly. Use your hands to bring the dough together by turning and smearing the dough. You’ll repeat this process until there are no longer any dry bits that remain.
  • Knead the dough. Use your hands to knead the biscuit dough together, folding and turning it onto itself (kinda like you’re folding a blanket). You’ll do this process enough until the dough becomes one mass. Additionally, the folding of the dough helps to build layers and create texture.

BBR tip #2 >> It’s important to note that making biscuits is all about touch and working with purpose. Therefore, you want to work gently but also quickly.

black hands rolling biscuit dough with walnut rolling pin
black hand cutting biscuit dough with bench scraper

Shaping Biscuits

  • Roll out the dough. Roll out the biscuit dough into a thick rectangle.
  • Stamp out the biscuits. For these parmesan black pepper biscuits, I use a bench scraper to cut the biscuit dough into 3″ rectangular pieces.

BBR tip #3 >> Feel free to use a traditional round biscuit cutter here if you’d like. If using, do not twist the cutter when punching out the biscuits. Doing so will compress/seal the edges and the biscuits won’t rise as high.

black hand picking up parmesan black pepper biscuit dough on marbled surface
black hand brushing biscuit dough with egg wash

Prepping Biscuits

  • Freeze biscuits. Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet and chill for a bit.
  • Brush with egg wash. Take the biscuits out of the freezer and brush each biscuit top with a bit of the egg wash. Love a golden, shiny biscuit top!

BBR tip #4 >> After handling biscuit dough, the cold butter tends to soften. Chilling the biscuits before baking helps to ensure that the fat (butter) solidifies within the biscuit, creating pockets of butter throughout. Whew.

Storing Leftover Biscuits

Like most biscuits, these parmesan black pepper biscuits freeze well! You can store unbaked biscuits in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. I recommend wrapping unbaked biscuits well in foil and then placing in a freezer bag.

To store baked biscuits, completely cool before freezing. To protect the flavor, wrap the baked biscuits in foil and then place into a freezer bag. Baked biscuits will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month, maybe a little longer.

To reheat: No need to thaw frozen biscuit dough! Previously-baked biscuits: place biscuits on a lined baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until soft and warmed through. To prevent over-browning, cover biscuits with foil. Frozen biscuit dough: bake in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.

parmesan black pepper biscuits on white plate with white linen on the side

These Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits are itching to be on your table, y’all. Plain and simple, they’re incredibly good! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

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parmesan black pepper biscuits with butter stacked on top of each on white plate

Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits

  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 25m
  • Total Time: 35m
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Appetizers & Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Southern
Print Recipe

Description

These Parmesan Black Pepper Biscuits are giving extra tender, buttery, and flavorful goodness in every single bite! If you’re looking to add a little oomph to your everyday biscuits, this recipe is the one. Perfect to serve alongside breakfast faves or savory meals alike! So easy to make and downright craveable, you can’t eat just one!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups (725 grams) Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tablespoons (26 grams) Bob’s Red Mill baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (7 grams) fine sea salt
  • 12 ounces (3 sticks/339 grams) cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon (6 grams) freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups (50 grams) freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups (480 grams) whole buttermilk, plus more as needed
  • 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and sea salt and whisk until well blended. Add the butter into the bowl and toss to coat. Then use a a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, or pinch it with your fingertips, smearing the butter into the flour. Continue this process until you begin to see pea-sized, shaggy bits throughout the flour.
  3. Add the black pepper and parmesan cheese, tossing to mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the buttermilk, and gently mix using one hand or a rubber spatula until the mixture is still crumbly but begins to form into a cohesive mass. If the dough looks too dry during the mixing process, add more buttermilk (1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until it reaches the correct consistency). The dough should be moist and somewhat sticky but not hard to work with.
  4. Once the dough has formed into a mass after mixing, scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface. Use lightly floured hands to continue kneading the dough, folding/turning it onto itself a few times, as pictured. Once in a cohesive mass, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut out 3-inch rectangle-ish biscuits.
  5. Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, arranging them about an inch apart so the biscuits have room to puff up and rise. Place them into the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
  6. Take the biscuits out of the freezer. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the top of each biscuit with the egg wash.
  7. Bake the biscuits for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot out of the oven (ideally the best timing!) or at room temperature with a generous smear of softened butter, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Keywords: homemade biscuits, parmesan biscuits, parmesan black pepper biscuits, southern biscuits, cathead biscuits, biscuits