These Italian Cheese and Herb Biscuits are the most simple and satisfying way to eat pizza for an appetizer, snack or lunch. Loaded with mozzarella cheese, optional pepperoni (or salami) and plenty of savory Italian seasoning—these will be a definite family favorite! Dip in marinara or pizza sauce for a more complete treat.
These cheesy biscuits taste wonderful any time of year, but our favorite is in the fall and winter with a cup of hot soup. Yum!
This recipe inspired by our Cheddar Biscuits, and pairs well with our Broccoli Potato Soup or Italian Meat Pasta Sauce. But really, these little flavor-bombs are amazing as a snack or appetizer too!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Just a handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes is all it takes to make these biscuits. Plus, there's lots of easy substitutions if you're missing an ingredient. See below for details.
All-Purpose Flour - Or a gluten free flour blend, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure (see why that's my favorite here).
Baking Powder - just enough to give these biscuits a perfect amount of rise.
Salt - flavor booster!
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - or your favorite Italian cheese blend works too.
Italian Seasoning Blend - if you don't have a blend on-hand, use my recipe below to make your own Italian seasoning.
Unsalted Butter - cold and cubed butter gives this biscuit that signature flakiness.
Whole Milk - use whatever milk you have on-hand. Whole milk will give the richest flavor, but I've used oat milk and it was still amazing.
Optional Additions
Optional Pepperoni or Salami - I love adding pepperoni or salami to give these biscuits an extra flavor boost and make them taste like pizza.
Melted Butter - brush on a little melted butter before baking to give the tops some brown color and to add a bit of shine.
See recipe card for quantities.
Homemade Italian Seasoning
This easy recipe is adapted from Spend With Pennies. Combine these herbs and save the leftovers for next time, or mix with olive oil to make an amazing bread dip!
1 tablespoon dried basil, dried oregano and dried rosemary
1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary, dried thyme and red chili flakes (more or less to taste)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
I just made these Italian Cheese and Herb Biscuits with 10 minutes of hands-on time. That included mixing up my own seasoning, since I'm out of pre-made Italian seasoning. Check out this step-by-step to see how easy this recipe is!
In a food processor, add flour, baking powder, salt, Italian seasoning and mozzarella cheese. Pulse to combine (about 5 seconds).
Add butter and pulse again until butter bits are about the size of peas.
Place flour and butter mixture into a large bowl. Add milk and stir gently until no flour streaks remain. Batter will be a little sticky.
Scoop medium-sized balls of biscuit dough (about 3 tablespoons) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush tops with melted butter for extra shine and to help the tops get brown. Bake 13-15 minutes until center springs back.
Hint: The bottoms of these herb-y biscuits are a dark golden brown and have that wonderful browned cheese flavor! But using parchment paper or a silpat mat is essential to keep the bottoms from turning too dark and getting that not-so-great burned cheese flavor.
Substitutions
These Italian Biscuits are delicious made lots of different ways and it's easy to make them to fit your diet. Here are a few ideas.
- Gluten Free - Since Amy has Celiac, all of our baked goods are tested with gluten free ingredients. The biscuits pictured here were made with King Arthur Gluten Free Flour and taste amazing! No further substitutions need to be made.
However, always double-check all your ingredient labels. I cannot guarantee results with other gluten free flour blends.
- Dairy Free/Vegan - It's not difficult to make these dairy free and vegan, however, since dairy is a main component of this recipe, I cannot guarantee the results.
Swap the butter for a vegan butter, such as Smart Balance. Swap the cheese for a vegan mozzarella-style cheese and swap the whole milk for a plant-based milk. I used oat milk in the biscuits pictured here and you'd never know it!
If you are strictly gluten free or have Celiac disease, please read all ingredients and be sure to use equipment that has not been used with regular flour foods. Especially if you bake for someone with allergies, just check with them for suggestions before getting started.
Variations
This is such a wonderful recipe as it is, but there are some fun ways to make it your own. Here are a few ideas!
- Spicy - add ½ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper chili flakes for a touch of heat.
- Pepperoni Pizza - turn these into a pepperoni pizza biscuit by adding ½ cup chopped pepperoni or salami to the food processor and chop along with the mozzarella.
- Extra - take these over the top by adding extra mozzarella cheese and herbs prior to baking. Just keep an eye on them so the cheese doesn't burn. Dip the tops in butter while warm or cut them open and add butter right in the center. YUM!
Check out our Cheddar Biscuits or Buttermilk Drop Biscuits for more ways to enjoy biscuits!
Equipment
A food processor really makes this recipe very quick to throw together. However, you can also cut the butter into the flour mixture with your hands. Just rub butter between your fingers until mixture has large crumbs.
Be sure to use parchment paper or a silpat mat on your baking sheet as well. This will result in a perfectly browned bottom to your biscuits. Without it, they are likely to get very dark on the bottom.
Serving Ideas
- Breakfast - cut open and top each side with a soft-boiled egg. Or simply eat alongside scrambled eggs.
- Lunch - dipped in your favorite Soup. We like it with our Chicken Tortilla Soup or Broccoli Potato Soup.
- Dinner - alongside your favorite Italian pasta recipe or served as an appetizer or snack.
- Add to your next charcuterie board with marinara for dipping and plenty of other Italian meats and cheeses. I've done this and it's such a hit! When serving this way, consider making the biscuits smaller (1 Tablespoon) so they're just a couple bites. Reduce baking time and keep an eye on them.
How to Store Biscuits
Room Temperature
Place in a zip-top bag lined with a paper towel. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture and helps them stay fresh longer. They will keep at room temperature for 3 days.
Refrigerator
Biscuits will keep really well in the refrigerator in a paper towel-lined zip-top bag for up to a week! Feel free to warm in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating.
How to Freeze Biscuits
Biscuits will keep well in the freezer! Be sure biscuits are completely cooled, then simply place biscuits in a zip-top bag (no paper towel this time) and place in the freezer. Remove one or two biscuits at a time and reheat in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to date the bag.
Italian Cheese & Herb Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend King Arthur Measure for Measure works the best
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend*
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup chopped pepperoni or salami optional
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a food processor combine flour, baking powder, salt, Italian seasoning and cheese. Pulse until combined.
- Add cubed butter and process for 5 seconds, until large crumbs.
- Add chopped pepperoni or salami, if using. Pulse another 5 seconds.
- Dump flour mixture into a large bowl and use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the milk. Mix until no flour streaks remain.
- Dough will be wet and sticky to the touch.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop batter onto a greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- You can leave the biscuits as is or with wet fingers you can gently spread out each biscuit to make them larger. They don't spread much.
- Brush the top with melted butter to get a shiny and browned top.
- Bake on center rack at 425°F for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- These keep for 3 days at room temp or for 1 week in the refrigerator.
Leave a Reply