Cinnamon Honey Butter Swim Biscuits are my butter swim biscuits with added honey for a touch of sweetness and cinnamon for a hint of warmth. And then, the biscuits are topped with cinnamon and sugar for an extra layer of sweetness! The biscuits have a soft and airy texture with a slightly crispy exterior. They are a delicious treat, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack. I also have Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits you will want to try!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Melt a stick of unsalted butter for this recipe. Mix confectioners’ sugar, honey, and cinnamon with the butter. Then, pour the mixture into the baking dish to be absorbed by the biscuits. Using unsalted butter helps you control the amount of salt added to recipes. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt. (Salted butter does make the biscuits noticeably saltier, so keep that in mind.)
Sugar: Use granulated sugar for the biscuit dough and topping. Add confectioners’ sugar (icing or powdered sugar) to the melted butter with honey and cinnamon.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives these biscuits a bit of tanginess as you would expect in a buttermilk biscuit. If you don’t have any on hand, make homemade buttermilk to use.
Honey: Add honey to the biscuit dough to bring out a little extra sweetness in each bite.
Cinnamon: Add cinnamon to the biscuit dough. Then, add it to the top with granulated sugar.
When Are Cinnamon Honey Butter Swim Biscuits Done Baking?
Look for these indicators to check the biscuits for doneness:
- The biscuits should be a golden brown color on the top and edges.
- When the biscuits are gently pressed, they should feel firm (not squishy or overly soft).
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of a biscuit. They are fully baked when a thermometer reaches 200°F.
- The biscuits will pull slightly away from the edges of the pan.
Can I Use A Different Pan?
Sure! If you don’t have an 8×8-inch baking dish, you could use a 9×9-inch or 11×7-inch baking dish. Baking times may need to be adjusted if using a different pan, so watch the biscuits carefully.
Honey Butter (Optional)
Looking For Even More Honey Flavor? These biscuits have a subtle taste of honey in each bite, and they are delicious as-is. However, if you want even more honey flavor, try spreading a little honey butter on a biscuit. Here is the recipe for honey butter:
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Combine the ingredients and spread over a warm biscuit. Yum!
Storing & Reheating Butter Swim Biscuits
Although best served fresh on the day of baking, butter swim biscuits will last for a couple of days when stored properly.
- Allow the biscuits to cool to room temperature.
- Wrap tightly with aluminum foil. (Only use plastic wrap if the biscuits are completely cooled; trapping them in hot air could make the biscuits soggy.)
- Store at room temperature for a day or two. (Refrigerating the biscuits may add a few days, but they could dry out faster.)
- Warm in the oven at the lowest temperature for up to 10 minutes when ready to serve.
Can I Freeze Butter Swim Biscuits?
Yes! To freeze, wrap cooled biscuits tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and then in a freezer-safe storage bag. If they are wrapped tightly and air can’t get to them, they should remain fresh for a couple of months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before reheating.
Cinnamon Honey Butter Swim Biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (490 g) buttermilk
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (31 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Biscuit Topping
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt.
- Pour in the buttermilk. Stir until mostly combined, being careful not to overwork the dough.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, honey, and cinnamon.
- Pour the melted butter mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish. Place the dough on top of the butter. Using a spatula (or your hands), evenly spread the dough out to the edges of the pan.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the biscuits.
- Cut the unbaked dough into 9 equal squares (3×3 pattern). Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the the biscuits are golden brown.
- After removing the biscuits from the oven, allow the butter mixture to be absorbed.
- Serve.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I love how the honey carmelizes on the sides of these biscuits! Sweet and soft, with a little crunch on the outside. These would be the perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch menu!
Elizabeth
These biscuits had just the right amount of sweetness from the honey, which you could taste in each bite! I especially loved the cinnamon sugar topping and buttery bottom crust.
Bella
This is a tender and fluffy biscuit with a very strong flavor of honey! This is the type of biscuit that is perfect in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea.
Annabelle
The honey flavor in these shines through just perfectly! I'd serve these with coffee and breakfast!
Selena
These are so delicious! The honey butter almost turns into a caramel on the bottom. They remind me of monkey bread or even a sticky bun! You must make these!
Hello Amanda – Love all your great recipes, in this one for the Cinnamon Honey Butter Swim Biscuit, you list the Kosher Salt, but not in the instructions. I added it to the flour ingredients.
I baked these for 28 minutes without checking them because I didn’t smell anything burning, but the entire bottom of the pan was charcoal. These were a disappointment🙁
Thank you so much for trying the Cinnamon Honey Butter Swim Biscuits and for sharing your experience. I’m truly sorry to hear that the biscuits did not turn out as expected. This recipe has been tested extensively, and many have enjoyed great results. It sounds incredibly frustrating to have something go wrong, especially when you’re looking forward to a delicious treat.
Given how different each oven can be, it might be that your oven runs a bit hotter, which could cause the bottoms to burn. I recommend checking the actual temperature with an oven thermometer, as oven calibration can sometimes be off. Also, using a light-colored baking dish and placing it on the middle rack can help prevent the bottoms from burning.
Please know that your feedback is valuable, and I’m here to help make sure you have a better baking experience next time! If you decide to give this or any other recipe another try, feel free to reach out with any questions or for more tips tailored to your equipment and ingredients.
Thank you again for your feedback, and I hope your next baking adventure is a delicious success!
I tried these this morning. They smelled incredible. I baked them for 30min.The top was golden, the edges were starting to burn, and when they were cooled I tried to get them out of the pan (non-stick Calphalon), about 80% were stuck to the bottom and they were not cooked through. They weren’t runny… They were undercooked in the middle, burnt on the bottoms, and beautiful on the top, except at the edges where it always burned. I’ve never experienced this before with anything…cakes, breads, bars, and I’ve been baking since I was a kid. I have an oven thermometer and it registered 450. So it wasn’t too hot. I’m at a loss. I want to try these again, but I don’t know what to do differently
Hi Lisa! So sorry that happened. Were you able to watch the video? Did you pour the butter mixture into the pan before adding the dough? That greases the pan so that the biscuits won’t stick. However, if an oven is cooking hotter it could heat too quickly on the outsides. You mentioned you have an oven thermometer, was the pan near that? Is it possible you have hot spots in your oven?
I did pour the mixture into the pan before adding the dough. I followed your instructions and I did watch the video. My oven in the center is 450 per the thermometer. Near the front of the oven it is 425. I baked it on the center rack in the center where it’s 450. I do plan try this recipe again (next week when I’m not so disappointed). I’m just trying to understand why it didn’t work. Thanks.
Yes, I can totally understand any frustration! I’ve made no less than 15 different butter swim biscuits recipes (varying flavors) and never had it stick to the pan, so that one has stumped me a bit. When it comes to baking and it being not done in the middle but browned on top, that one can be fixed. You can bake the biscuits as directed until they are browned and then add a foil tent over top so the inside will continue to bake but it won’t burn. I hope that helps! These are a favorite and really worth trying again when you feel up to it.