Fill the bread basket with a batch (or two) of these Pumpkin Biscuits. They’re a simple but delicious addition to your next soup or chili night. And you can make them gluten-free!
Quick dinner ideas are the name of the game around here this month. Quick often implies that you’re gonna go simple, no elaborate souffles or dishes that take a long time to prepare. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t put in a little extra effort.
One of our simple meals is soup. It’s quick and easy and almost everyone in the family loves whatever soup I fix. Not all, but most. I’ve still got little people, so cut me some slack.
However, one way that I can win people over on Soup Night is to fill the bread basket with some homebaked goodie. Now, that doesn’t sound quick, does it?
But, if you make these Pumpkin Biscuits, it can be.
While I was developing recipes for Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less, I played with all kinds of quick breads to serve as side dishes or even as the base of a larger meal. These Pumpkin Biscuits were one of the winning results of that testing.
I took a standard drop biscuit and mixed it up. Pumpkin puree replaces most of the liquid in the dish. A few spices add another element of flavor. However, I chose not to make these sweet. If you prefer a sweet quick bread or biscuit at dinner, feel free to add a couple tablespoons of sugar. However, I wanted something that was more bread than dessert. In 30 minutes or less.
And I succeeded. Drop biscuits might not look fancy, but they’re super simple and taste great, particularly when you serve them with loads of butter and honey. I love these because they stir up quickly without a lot of fuss. Just drop the dough by spoonfuls like you would cookie dough. Send them to the oven and soon you’ll have piping hot Pumpkin Biscuits to fill up the bread basket.
What ingredients do I need to make these pumpkin biscuits?
- Flour – I used regular all-purpose flour but you could also swap it out and use your favorite gluten free flour blend as well.
- Baking powder – This is what will cause your biscuits to rise! So don’t leave it out 😉
- Salt – A little bit of salt is always good to help bring out the other flavors.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg – I love adding these spices to anything pumpkin!
- Pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has added ingredients.
- The Wet Team – You will need an egg, milk,and oil as the wet ingredients to be mixed into your dry ingredients.
How do I make pumpkin biscuits?
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, milk, and oil.
- Pour the dry mixture over the wet and fold gently to combine.
- Spoon the batter into 12 portions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Can I make these pumpkin biscuits gluten free?
If you’re wondering why this picture looks slightly different than the first, that would be because I retested the recipe with a gluten-free baking mix. While the end result is slightly different in texture — you folks familiar with gluten-free know exactly what I’m talking about, the recipe works well with gluten and without.
You may want to extend the baking time a few minutes if baking with gluten-free flour.
What should I do with that leftover of pumpkin?
Since the recipe takes half a can of pumpkin, be sure to make two batches and freeze the second so you can maximize your baking efforts and avoid wasting that poor little bit of pumpkin.
Want more biscuit recipes? Try these!
- Garlic Parmesan Swirl Biscuits
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
- Cheese and Herb Biscuits to Liven Up the Night
- Drop Biscuits to Fill Your Bread Basket in Minutes
HOW TO MAKE THIS GOOD AND CHEAP:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy just one package of flour. I have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill.
HOW I MAKE THIS RECIPE EASY:
One of the great things about these biscuits is that you can freeze them before or after baking. If you freeze them prior to baking, you don’t thaw them, just slide the frozen biscuits into the hot oven and add a few minutes to the baking time. If you bake them first and then cool and freeze, you can very easily thaw them overnight on the counter so they’re ready when you are.
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- parchment paper – I hate washing pans. Parchment paper makes clean up a breeze.
- sheet pans – I LOVE my set of steel sheet pans. They make such a difference in baking.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Pumpkin Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, milk, and oil.
- Pour the dry mixture over the wet and fold gently to combine.
- Spoon the batter into 12 portions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. You may want to extend the baking time a few minutes if baking with gluten-free flour.
Marisa says
Love everything pumpkin!! What size can of pumpkin did you use for this recipe? 15 0z? Thanks!
Jessica Fisher says
That was a typo. It’s one CUP of pumpkin puree. All fixed now.
Marisa says
Great! Thanks, I will definitely be making some this week.
Anna says
Those look yummy. 🙂
Leah Fox says
Made these tonight with a gf blend, doubled the recipe. Added 1 tsp xanthan gum and used 1 cup coconut milk beverage. Really a beautiful dough to work with, excellent consistency. Scooped out with a small scooper and no sticking! Thanks for the recipe!