Soft, buttery Raspberry Butter Swim Biscuits are filled with juicy raspberries and baked right in melted butter for golden, crispy edges and a tender center. Topped with a sweet glaze, they are an easy, bakery-style treat made with simple ingredients with no rolling or cutting needed! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert any time of year! If you love buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits (I will never turn one away!), you will definitely want to try my Blackberry Butter Swim Biscuits, too. They are perfect for when you’re craving a cozy, sweet bite!
What Are Butter Swim Biscuits?
Butter Swim Biscuits get their name because the dough literally “swims” in melted butter while baking. This easy recipe gives you a rich, buttery flavor with a soft, fluffy center and a golden, slightly crispy crust. Unlike traditional biscuits that need rolling and cutting, these are totally no-fuss—just mix, pour into a pan, and bake right in the butter! It doesn’t get much easier or more delicious. No surprise I’ve come up with so many tasty butter swim biscuit variations!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Raspberries: I love using fresh raspberries in baked goods when they’re in season. Fresh berries pack the best flavor but don’t worry, frozen raspberries work just as well. So really, there’s no excuse not to bake these biscuits! To start, combine most of the raspberries with granulated sugar.
- Sugar: The granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness to these biscuits. Some of it is mixed with the raspberries to draw out their juicy flavor and make them even sweeter, while the rest is stirred into the dough to boost the overall taste!
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives these biscuits that classic tangy flavor you just can’t get with regular milk. I don’t usually recommend swapping it out, but if you’re out of buttermilk, no worries, you can easily make your own at home!
- Butter: We can’t have butter swim biscuits without the butter! And, they are called butter swim biscuits for a good reason! The dough bakes right in melted butter, giving you that golden, crispy edge( my absolute favorite part) and a super soft, buttery center. I’ve made them with salted butter before, but honestly, they ended up a bit too salty for me and my taste testers.
- Glaze: The glaze couldn’t be simpler, just confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar) and milk! Stir it together, and add a little extra milk if you want it thinner. It’s the sweet touch that really brings everything together. (But honestly, these biscuits are delicious even without the glaze!)
Can I Make Butter Swim Biscuits Without Buttermilk?
Yes, you can make butter swim biscuits without buttermilk by using a simple substitute. Mix 2 cups of milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will curdle slightly and mimic the tangy flavor of buttermilk. While this works in a pinch, I don’t recommend using plain milk. Milk won’t give the same rich flavor or tender texture that makes these biscuits so irresistible.
Can I Use a Different Pan for Butter Swim Biscuits?
Yes, you can bake butter swim biscuits in a 9×9-inch or 11×7-inch pan if needed. Just know the biscuits will be slightly thinner than when baked in the recommended 8×8-inch dish. Keep an eye on them as they may bake a little faster. Adjust the time as needed to avoid overbaking.
How to Store and Reheat Butter Swim Biscuits
These glazed Raspberry Butter Swim Biscuits are best the day they’re baked, but you can definitely save a few for later!
To Store: Let the biscuits cool completely first; this helps keep them from getting soggy. Once they’re cool, wrap them in aluminum foil and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can pop them in the refrigerator to keep them a little longer but just know they might dry out a bit faster.
To Reheat: Warm butter swim biscuits in the oven at 300°F for about 8–10 minutes, just until heated through. It helps bring back that soft, buttery texture without drying them out.
Can I Freeze Butter Swim Biscuits?
Yes! These biscuits freeze well, especially if you hold off on adding the glaze until later. Just let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw them at room temperature or warm them in a 300°F oven for 5–10 minutes. Add the glaze after reheating for the best texture and flavor. (If they were already glazed before freezing, no worries. The glaze might get a little sticky, but a quick warm-up helps bring them back to life.)
Raspberry Butter Swim Biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 1 cup (148 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups (490 g) buttermilk
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted
Glaze
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup of raspberries with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Gently toss and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
- Pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined—do not overmix. Fold in the sugared raspberries and their juices.
- Pour the melted butter into an 8×8-inch baking dish. Transfer the dough into the dish and gently spread to the edges. Use a knife to lightly score the dough into 9 squares (3×3).
- Top with the remaining ¼ cup of raspberries. Bake for 30–32 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the edges crisp.
- While the biscuits bake, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Once the biscuits are done, remove them from the oven. Let the biscuits cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Once the glaze is added, cut into squares along the scored lines and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
These biscuits are so easy and absolutely delicious! You really can't go wrong with any of the butter swim biscuits.
Elizabeth
I love all of our butter swim biscuits, and these are awesome, too! I love the fresh raspberries in there.
Bella
These are so soft and buttery! I love the crispy edges.
Stephanie
No rolling or cutting? Yes, please! Everyone should be making these!
Should the frozen raspberries be thawed before adding the sugar?
Can you double the recipe for a casserole size dish so they would be the same thickness as if they were in the 8×8 dis
I grew up with a Rettke family that lived in Harlowton, Montana 🥰