Honey Butter Biscuit Bites Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking pan if making pull-apart bites.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and fine salt until evenly distributed.

Cut in cold butter

Cut the cold unsalted butter into small cubes. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–8 cuts).

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate small bowl, whisk the cold buttermilk with the large egg until combined.

Form dough

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk-egg mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dough just comes together and is slightly shaggy. Do not overmix; the dough should be slightly sticky.

Shape biscuit bites

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over on itself 3 times to build layers. Pat or roll gently to about 1-inch thickness. Use a 1½-inch round biscuit cutter (or tablespoon) to cut rounds. Re-roll scraps once and cut additional rounds until dough is used. You should have about 18–20 biscuit bites.

Arrange for baking

Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart for individual bites, or arrange them close together in the 9x9 pan for pull-apart biscuits so sides touch slightly.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Rotate pan halfway through baking for even browning if needed.

Prepare glaze

While the biscuits bake, combine the unsalted butter, honey, and light brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Warm gently, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and fine sea salt.

Brush warm biscuits

When the biscuits are out of the oven, use a pastry brush or spoon to generously brush the warm biscuit tops with about half of the honey butter glaze. If the biscuits are in a pan, pour glaze over them so it soaks into seams and tops.

Second glaze (optional)

For extra shine and flavor, return biscuits to the warm (turned-off) oven for 1–2 minutes after glazing, then brush again with remaining glaze as soon as they come out.

Optional toppings

Immediately sprinkle with coarse sugar or flaky sea salt and the optional chopped toasted pecans or walnuts while glaze is still tacky so they adhere.

Serve warm. These honey butter biscuit bites are best eaten the day they are made. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; reheat briefly in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes and brush with additional warmed honey butter if desired.