Fill the bread basket with a batch (or two!) of these easy Pumpkin Biscuits. You can bake them in the oven or enjoy the ease and novelty of air fryer biscuits.
Delicious alongside a bowl of Potato Soup with Sausage or spread with honey and butter and served as breakfast for dinner, these pumpkin biscuits bake up light and fluffy. You can freeze extras for an easy bread basket filler.
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Quick dinner ideas are the name of the game around here. 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.
It’s all well and good to have a quick dinner, but often the bread basket gets neglected. Let that no longer be the case with these Pumpkin Biscuits. Especially if you’ve got an air fryer.
Air fryer biscuits bake up quickly and easily and taste delicious! While these Pumpkin Biscuits can be baked in the oven, cooking them in the air fryer gives them a great texture.
Why Make This
Pumpkin Biscuits are delicious! Drop biscuits might not look fancy, but they’re super simple and taste great, particularly when you flavor them with pumpkin and spices and serve them with loads of butter and honey.
They’re quick and easy. 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 or the air fryer and soon you’ll have piping hot Pumpkin Biscuits to fill up the bread basket.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for these easy air fryer pumpkin biscuits:
flour – I use unbleached, all-purpose flour, but you can also use regular all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flours as well as swap out the wheat and use your favorite gluten-free flour blend as well. (See the gluten-free notes below.)
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! If you prefer, you can leave them out or sub in something like ground ginger or turmeric for another warm spice.
pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has added ingredients. You can also substitute butternut squash puree if you like. They won’t be pumpkin biscuits but they’ll still be good!
egg – One egg is all you need. If you don’t have any or are accommodating an allergy, you can use Flaxseed Meal Egg Substitute. The texture might not be exactly the same, but still good.
milk – I use 1% milk, but you can use whatever milk you like, including plant-based milks.
oil – Use whatever oil you prefer for baking. You can also substitute butter, margarine, or lard.
Gluten-free Variation
This recipe has been tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking mix. While the end result is slightly different in texture, 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make these easy air fryer pumpkin biscuits:
Prep step: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the air fryer basket and set this aside. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, milk, and oil.
3. Pour the dry mixture over the wet and fold gently to combine.
4. Remove the air fryer basket and carefully line it with the parchment paper. Scoop the batter into equal mounds in the basket. Insert the basket in the machine and cook for 9 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, if any.
5. Cool the pumpkin biscuits on a wire rack until ready to serve.
To bake in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the batter as directed.
- Spoon the batter into 12 portions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
To freeze the biscuits:
Once the pumpkin biscuits are completely cooled, store them in a ziptop bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To serve: thaw at room temperature in the wrappings and reheat in a warm oven.
FAQs
Since this pumpkin biscuit recipe takes half a can of pumpkin, you can make two batches and freeze the second for later or you can prepare another recipe calling for one cup puree, such as Spicy Pork Chili with Pumpkin or Pumpkin Coffeecake with Pepitas.
The air fryer is basically a convection oven, a highly efficient means of baking. With the perforated basket, the hot air circulates quickly, reducing the cook time. You can bake many traditionally oven-baked goods in the air fryer, provided that the dough or batter doesn’t fall through the holes or slots in the basket. Lining the tray with parchment paper allows a sturdy base for air fryer biscuits and other baked goodies.
Pumpkin biscuits are delicious with butter and honey, similar to cornbread, but they are also good with your favorite jams or preserves. They are a great accompaniment to soups and chilis.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- flour – $0.30
- baking powder – $0.09
- salt – $0.01
- ground cinnamon – $0.02
- ground nutmeg – $0.03
- pumpkin puree – $0.45
- egg – $0.15
- milk – $0.10
- oil – $0.08
While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $1.23 for a batch of pumpkin biscuits or about 20 cents per large biscuit.
Save even more with the Good Cheap Eats System
Follow our money-saving system to save more. 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.
More Great Biscuit Recipes to Try
Pumpkin Biscuits
Equipment
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
To prepare the biscuit dough:
- 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.
To bake in the air fryer:
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the basket of the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Remove the basket and line the bottom with the parchment paper. Spoon the batter into 6 large portions on the paper. Insert the basket and bake until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack prior to serving.
To bake in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spoon the batter into 6 large or 12 small portions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 20, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Leah Fox
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!
Anna
Those look yummy. 🙂
Marisa
Great! Thanks, I will definitely be making some this week.
Marisa
Love everything pumpkin!! What size can of pumpkin did you use for this recipe? 15 0z? Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
That was a typo. It’s one CUP of pumpkin puree. All fixed now.