When I was a child, I was an incredibly picky eater. I can remember one of the few foods I always looked forward to eating were my Gramma's fresh biscuits. It was of course an extra special treat when they were made with buttermilk.
I have been playing around a lot with Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour recently since it can work as a 1:1 substitute for wheat flour in many recipes. I had a craving for REAL biscuits so I did what scientists do best: experiment.
It took a few tries, but I finally perfected it. These biscuits have that classic hint of tartness that buttermilk lends and they have a texture inside that is just right. You can slice them open with a simple butter knife and they hold together instead of crumbling like other paleo biscuits. The trick to making dairy-free buttermilk is to add vinegar to regular coconut milk - this is a trick you will find in old cookbooks, too, for milk.
Best of all, these biscuits are just as easy to make as flour biscuits. They store well so you can make a big batch to enjoy for breakfast (or lunch, or supper) for the week.
For Southerners like me, we grew up eating biscuits sometimes more than once per day. They can be enjoyed plain, with butter or ghee, stuffed with meats like sausage, bacon, chicken, or turned into dessert with honey or your favorite preserves.
I think next I will be experimenting with creating cinnamon biscuits just like Gramma used to make. That was seriously my favorite comfort food growing up and I would love to enjoy it again!
Buttermilk Biscuits (Paleo, AIP, Grain-free, Dairy-free)
These biscuits are just like my Gramma used to make. They have an authentic taste and texture and are unlike any other gluten-free or Paleo biscuit you have ever tried!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cassava flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ½ tsp unrefined salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3-4 Tbsp lard
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 to 3/4 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (depending on how much coconut milk you use - the ratio is 1/2 Tbsp vinegar for 1/2 cup coconut milk for proper flavor)
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add cassava flour to a large bowl and then whisk in tapioca starch, salt, and baking soda until evenly combined.
- Cut in the lard using a fork or a dough blender. Keep working the dough for 1-2 minutes until the dough consists of tiny granules, which means the fat is evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
- Add the coconut milk a little at a time and work into the dough. I recommending adding 1/2 cup and seeing how dry the dough is to see if you need to add the remaining 1/4 cup. You want to be able to form the dough into a ball without it cracking and crumbling apart. Add the appropriate amount of apple cider vinegar to the dough based on the amount of coconut milk you added (3/4 cup coconut milk needs 3/4 Tbsp ACV).
- Work the dough into a large ball and divide into 6 equal-sized balls. Work each into a biscuit-shaped disc, about an inch thick, and place on a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 400F for about 15 minutes then check. Optional: you can brush the tops with fat of choice (olive oil, lard, ghee, butter) when you check on them. Cook an addition 2-5 minutes and remove from oven when tops are golden.
- Let cool for a few minutes before digging in! They will cut open easily with a simple butter knife and they won't fall apart. I like to smother them in ghee or butter or with some fresh preserves from a local farm (I'm really digging elderberry jelly and apple butter right now!) Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
Recommended Ingredients
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