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    Home » Recipes » Bread & Baking » Quick Breads

    100% Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

    Published: Mar 30, 2020 · Modified: Jul 23, 2024 by Amy Sandidge · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    If you are looking for a 100% Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits recipe that is light and flaky, this is the recipe for you! 5 simple ingredients are all you need to make these irresistibly fluffy biscuits that come packed with whole wheat benefits.

    Most people have a lot of misconceptions about whole wheat baked goods. Let this recipe dispel them. These fluffy buttermilk biscuits have a warm, nutty taste that complements a number of dishes. Served warm, they're a dream that you can enjoy any time of day.

    If you're still not sold, you can easily substitute whole wheat flour for regular all-purpose flour to make a delicious biscuit with a more traditional taste. For more recipes with whole wheat, check out my vegan dinner roll recipe or whole wheat pretzels! If you're a pasta lover, give my whole wheat pasta recipe a go! It's only five ingredients and so easy that even beginner pasta makers can follow along.

    woman picking up whole wheat biscuits off a small cooling rack.

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    Light and flaky- It’s easy for whole wheat recipes to be dense and hard. This recipe is neither of those things. It comes down to the type of flour and the techniques that make the recipe light, and I promise if you follow my lead, you’ll enjoy light, flaky, and nutritious biscuits in no time!

    Versatile-Biscuits are always a go-to when I need bread with our meals. These biscuits go well with various dishes and can even be frozen after baking. They have a mild flavor that goes well with stew but can also be enjoyed with sweet fruit jams.

    woman breaking apart 100% whole wheat biscuits.

    Ingredients

    Whole wheat flour - I love to use white winter wheat for this recipe. I have been able to find it at my local Winco bulk bins. White winter wheat has a milder taste and finer texture than hard red wheat. Be sure to read the packaging if you're unsure which wheat is used.

    Baking Powder -Baking powder is a powerful leavening agent that will give the biscuits a rise. Baking powder is double-acting, which means it rises twice. Once when combined with liquid and a second time when it comes into contact with heat. This makes for extra fluffy biscuits. Be sure to use baking powder and not baking soda for this recipe. Also, be sure that your baking powder is fresh because it will greatly affect the rise if your baking powder has been opened for more than six months.

    Salt- Salt is always important in baking, and biscuits are no different! A biscuit without enough salt will often feel like something is missing. Be sure to include the salt to bring out the delicious flavors.

    Butter - The key to flaky biscuits is very cold butter. You can even pop your butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting to make this recipe. Chilled and cut in ¾-1 inch chunks. Don't stress about the sizes being perfect; it’ll be going into the food processor. The chilled butter creates delicious pockets of moisture that really help the biscuits rise tall in the oven.

    Buttermilk - Buttermilk helps gives the biscuits rise, and it makes them tender. You'll also want to make sure your buttermilk stays chilled. Sometimes we can take it out to use and forget it's been sitting out for a bit, so keep it chilled until you're about to pour it in. The colder you can keep the dough, the flakier your biscuits will come out.

    How to make whole wheat flour buttermilk biscuits

    Make sure all of your ingredients are ready and measured, line your baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside your biscuit cutter, and preheat the oven. 

    You want these biscuits to go straight into a hot oven once they are formed. If your oven is not preheated by the time you finish making the dough, you can put the tray of biscuits in the fridge until the oven is ready.

    Make The Dough

    • Place your flour, baking powder, and salt into a food processor or a large mixing bowl. I like to use food processors because they combine the ingredients faster, which helps keep them cold. If you’re using a bowl, you can use a pastry cutter to cut the cutter into the flour mixture. 
    • Next, add the cubed, chilled butter. Pulse or mix until it is smaller, pea-sized pieces. Then, pour in the buttermilk, pulsing to combine about 4-6 times until a cohesive dough forms.
    whole wheat flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor.
    Butter in a food processor for making biscuits.
    buttermilk in flour mixture in a food processor.
    whole wheat biscuit dough in a biscuit dough.

    Forming and cutting the biscuits

    I like to use a trifold method. This helps create even more lovely layers in the biscuits.

    • Press the dough onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangular shape about ½ inch thick. Fold over the right third of the dough across the middle.
    • Then fold over the left third on top of the right third. This will form 3 layers. Press gently.
    • Dip your biscuit cutter in flour and start cutting biscuits. Make sure and cut biscuits as close as possible.
    woman pressing biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface.
    folding biscuit dough on floured countertop.
    woman folding biscuit dough over to make biscuits.
    woman folding biscuits for 100% whole wheat biscuit dough.
    woman cutting out biscuits with a biscuit cutters.
    Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit dough.

    Bake

    • Place the whole wheat biscuits on a baking sheet and place them straight into the oven.
    • Once they are lightly browned and have risen, they are done! Remove from the oven and enjoy!

    Wheat Recommendations

    If you are unsure what flour to use for this recipe, there are tons of options.

    I prefer using higher protein wheat flour for this recipe. Generally, I use whole wheat pastry flour for baked goods.

    In this recipe, I used white winter wheat flour. This is a pretty standard flour, especially if you don't grind your own wheat. You can find it almost anywhere. It's different from the regular whole wheat flour you typically see at the store, which is often made with hard red wheat.

    Another wheat that is a favorite of mine for this recipe is rye. There is something about that earthy flavor I just love! Spelt is also a really good flour to use here. It is a popular wheat in Europe and is gaining traction in the states as well.

    If you are looking for an ancient grain, how about einkorn flour? It is easily in my top 3 flours I love to use.

    woman picking up whole wheat biscuits off a small cooling rack.

    Tips for the perfect biscuits

    • Keep it cold- Use cold ingredients. In order to get those light-layered biscuits, you have to start with chilled butter and buttermilk. You want those butter chunks whole when they go in the oven, so you have to work quickly. If you have a few extra minutes, chilling the bowl itself in the fridge for 10-15 minutes can help keep heat out of the dough.
    • Preheat the oven-I love to bake these on convection, about 400-425 degrees. Cooking them too low will result in the butter melting before the structure of the biscuit is formed and will make them turn out more flat. The high heat begins cooking them quickly so all the pockets created by the butter rise upwards instead of out.
    • Using the tri-fold fold method-The fold method will give you the lofty, high biscuits you desire. I will show what this looks like in the photos below.
    woman breaking apart 100% whole wheat biscuits.

    Other Whole Wheat Recipes

    • Bran Muffins
    • Green onion drop biscuits
    • Multigrain Bread
    • Strawberry Sugar Cookie Bars
    • Snickerdoodles
    • Honey Oatmeal Bread
    woman grabbing whole wheat biscuits from a cooling rack.

    100% Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

    Amy Sandidge
    These light and fluffy buttermilk biscuits are such a great carb. Perfect with any meal or even on their own. I just love them for breakfast!
    4.54 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Bread
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8

    Equipment

    • food processor or pastry cutter

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour I love to use white winter wheat for this recipe. I have been able to find it at my local Winco bulk bins.
    • 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter, chilled and cut in ¾-1 inch chunks Don't stress about these sizes being perfect, the food processor makes quick work of this.
    • 1 cup buttermilk

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 425 degrees on convection if you have it. Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray if you prefer.

    Food processor method:

    • Add flour, salt, and baking powder to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add in the chilled butter and pulse again about 3 times. The last up is the buttermilk. Pulse until the buttermilk is distributed. Mine took about 4-6 pulses.
    • Sprinkle the surface lightly with flour. Remove the dough to the surface. Lightly flour the top as well. Now, this will be a wet dough but only add as much as you absolutely need. Gently press into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Now, fold one-third over the top, then fold the other third over the top. This is a little hard to describe, so check the photos for details.
    • Now, dip your biscuit cutter in flour and start cutting biscuits. Make sure and cut biscuits as close as you are able. Place on prepared pan. Gather the remaining dough and gently press it together, and cut again. Just make sure the new dough is the same thickness as the previous one.
    • Place in oven and bake until biscuits are fully risen and very lightly golden brown on top. I actually like to turn on broil for just a minute or 2 to get a little darker golden color. If you do this, just keep an eye on them, they can burn quickly.
    • Remove from oven and serve right away. I think biscuits are best served hot!

    Hand Method:

    • This is very similar to the food processor, except by hand.
    • Pour flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Mix with a fork to combine. Add chilled butter and work with the pastry cutter until it is in small chunks, about ¼ inch chunks.
    • Last, add the buttermilk. You can mix this with a fork if you want. It will be a little bit of wet dough, so don't worry about it.
    • Next, cut biscuits and bake biscuits as described above.

    Video

    Notes

    • Keep it cold- Use cold ingredients. In order to get those light-layered biscuits, you have to start with chilled butter and buttermilk. You want those butter chunks whole when they go in the oven, so you have to work quickly. If you have a few extra minutes, chilling the bowl itself in the fridge for 10-15 minutes can help keep heat out of the dough.
    • Preheat the oven-I love to bake these on convection, about 400-425 degrees. Cooking them too low will result in the butter melting before the structure of the biscuit is formed and will make them turn out more flat. The high heat begins cooking them quickly so all the pockets created by the butter rise upwards instead of out.
    • Use the tri fold method-The fold method will give you the lofty, high biscuits you desire. I will show what this looks like in the photos below.
    Keyword whole wheat, whole wheat baking, whole wheat biscuits, whole wheat biscuits no sugar
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    • Quick Breads
    • White Whole Wheat Flour
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.54 from 13 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Joi says

      June 08, 2023 at 8:24 pm

      These turned out beautifully! I was nervous about 100% whole wheat so did sub in 1/2 cup white flour. Otherwise followed as directed. Never thought about the higher heat to activate the baking powder. Could be why previous attempts have been less than thrilling at 400°.

      Reply
      • admin says

        June 09, 2023 at 1:33 am

        I am so happy this recipe worked for you! I love these flaky biscuits and spent years working through all the testing! Thank you so much for letting me know of your success!

        Reply
    2. Mike says

      January 22, 2025 at 5:17 am

      What temperature and time if you don’t have a convection oven?

      Reply
      • Amy Sandidge says

        January 22, 2025 at 2:38 pm

        Hey Mike, you can still bake the biscuits at 425 degrees. The convection will help them bake faster, but conduction also works well. Happy baking!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amy! I am a culinary school graduate creating a comprehensive collection of recipes, with a focus on incorporating whole grains. My goal is to craft dishes that resonate with the whole family. 

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