Flaky and savory pumpkin biscuits are the fall side dish that you didn’t know you needed. These biscuits are filled with warm spices and real pumpkin, and a candied ginger topping gives them a unique twist. Served with soft butter and honey, homemade pumpkin biscuits are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner!
If there was ever a biscuit recipe that screamed “autumn”, this would be it. Pumpkin biscuits filled with warm spices and topped with sweet, chewy bits of candied ginger. These are a festive, holiday version of homemade biscuits.
These gorgeous pumpkin biscuits are tender and flaky thanks to butter and buttermilk. Flecked with cinnamon, just barely sweetened by honey, and a bit zingy thanks to the ginger, they are a welcome side dish at any fall table. Your Thanksgiving dinner is practically begging for them!
Reasons to Love These Homemade Pumpkin Biscuits
- Quick and easy. Similar to scones, biscuits don’t require yeast or rising time. The dough goes directly from the mixing bowl to the oven.
- Filled with fall flavors. Cozy cinnamon and nutmeg bring out the gorgeous pumpkin flavors in these biscuits. They’re lightly sweetened, but still savory enough to serve with a Thanksgiving turkey or beef stew.
- Candied ginger topping. Candied ginger is such a fun ingredient to snack on and include in recipes. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and chewy… pretty much irresistible. I also included it in my pumpkin cheesecake recipe, so fun!
What You’ll Need
Grab some pumpkin puree and let’s make some biscuits! Here’s a look at what you’ll need. Scroll to the recipe card below the post for the printable ingredients list, amounts, and recipe details.
- All-purpose flour – Measure the flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method (spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level off the top). Never scoop directly from the bag, as this leads to overmeasuring.
- Baking powder – Gives these biscuits their rise. Make sure your leavening is fresh and not past its expiration date.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – Add warm spice to the biscuits. You could also use pumpkin pie spice here.
- Butter – The butter should be cold and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Cold butter helps create flaky pockets in the biscuits.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk creates a tender crumb in biscuits.
- Pumpkin puree – Be sure to grab a can of pumpkin puree, not pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling. They aren’t the same product!
- Honey – Just a little bit in this recipe. If you want more sweetness, drizzle a bit more honey over your warmed biscuit.
- Candied ginger – Candied ginger takes these biscuits to a whole new level. Find it at your grocery store, on Amazon, or at Trader Joe’s (where I buy mine).
What Is Candied Ginger?
In case you don’t know about candied ginger (affiliate link), it’s sometimes called crystallized ginger. It is simply ginger that has been sliced thin and cooked in a sugar syrup until its raw toughness is broken down, tenderized, and sweetened. Then it can be dipped in sugar to add a thin, crisp coating and another layer of sweetness. This process leaves the wonderful ginger pungency, but its bite is much softer. It’s perfect for adding a little zip to your baking, just like I did with these biscuits!
How to Make Pumpkin Biscuits
These easy biscuits come together quickly, with only 10 minutes required for chilling the dough.
- Make the flour mixture. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Add the wet ingredients. Whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, and honey together. Add to the chilled flour mixture.
- Knead and fold the dough. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle, then fold crosswise into thirds. Roll the dough into a triangle and repeat. Once the dough has been folded in on itself the second time, gently roll to a 3/4″ thickness.
Cut out and Bake the Biscuits
- Cut biscuits and add ginger. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly press some candied ginger on top of each biscuit.
- Bake. Bake at 400ºF for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm!
Tips for Perfect Flaky Biscuits
- Use cold ingredients. Be sure the butter is cold when you cut it into the dough, and keep the buttermilk cold as well. You want the butter to melt slowly during the baking process to create pockets of flaky texture.
- Don’t over-knead or over-mix the dough. Mix and knead the dough just enough to combine the ingredients. Overdoing it can lead to a less flaky biscuit.
- Take the time to fold the dough. Folding the dough in on itself is essential for a light, flaky texture that creates the pull-apart layers in the biscuits.
- Work quickly. Once you start working with the dough, it’s important to work quickly so that the dough stays chilled.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these flaky pumpkin biscuits as an alternative to classic dinner rolls at holiday dinners. Serve them warm with soft butter and honey next to this year’s Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham with gravy. Or, for an extra special treat, whip up some sweet cinnamon honey butter to slather on. Pair your pumpkin biscuits with traditional sides like sausage stuffing and creamy mashed potatoes. I promise you, the biscuits won’t last long!
How to Store & Reheat
- At room temperature. Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to reheat. Or to enliven the flaky texture, heat a baking stone in the oven to 325° F and warm leftover biscuits until heated through.
- In the freezer. Once the pumpkin biscuits have cooled completely, they can be transferred to a freezer baggie or container and frozen for up to 3 months. Pop in a preheated oven for a few minutes to reheat.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into 1/2” pieces
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree not pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a rigid pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Combine buttermilk, pumpkin, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk until well blended and then add to the chilled flour mixture. Stir just until moist.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly just a few times. Roll dough into a 10” x 6” rectangle and dust top of dough lightly with flour. Fold the dough crosswise into thirds, as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope. Roll the dough again into a 1/2” thick 10” x 6” rectangle and dust the top lightly with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds again and gently roll or pat to a 3/4” thickness. This process helps to make your biscuits tall, with a layered textured.
- Using a 2-1/2” diameter biscuit cutter, press cutter straight down into the dough and then lift straight up (do not twist the cutter), using up all the dough. You should have 10 rounds of dough. Place them 1” apart on your prepared baking sheet and then lightly press some candied ginger into the top of each round.
- Bake for 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack for a couple minutes. Serve warm with soft butter and honey, or with this fantastic Cinnamon Honey Butter!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was first published in 2011, and then updated in 2021.
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