Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Biscuits Recipe | Easy Homemade Pumpkin Biscuits from Scratch
By Rebecca St.Clair
There’s something especially cozy about pulling a tray of old-fashioned pumpkin biscuits from the oven on a crisp autumn day. These tender homemade biscuits are made from scratch with real pumpkin and a hint of sweetness, making them a wonderful addition to breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
If you love old-fashioned recipes, homemade baking, and cozy fall baking, these pumpkin biscuits are a lovely way to welcome pumpkin season into your kitchen.
They have a tender, slightly sweet crumb and the perfect soft pumpkin flavour. Serve them warm with butter, maple syrup, honey, or your favourite homemade jam.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🎃 Easy to make: These homemade pumpkin biscuits come together with simple ingredients and don’t require any special equipment.
🍂 Perfect for fall: Pumpkin and warm spices make these biscuits especially delicious during autumn.
🧈 Tender and buttery: Cold butter creates those lovely flaky layers we all want in a homemade biscuit.
🥣 Made from scratch: No refrigerated biscuit dough or boxed mix needed.
🍁 Perfect with maple: A little maple syrup or maple butter makes a beautiful pairing with pumpkin.
☕ Versatile: Enjoy them for breakfast, alongside dinner, or as a cozy afternoon snack with tea or coffee.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Biscuits
Use cold butter
Cold butter is one of the secrets to tender, flaky biscuits.
Don’t overmix the dough
Mix just until the ingredients come together for the most tender melt-in-your-mouth biscuits.
Don’t add too much flour
Pumpkin biscuits should have a soft, slightly tacky dough. Adding too much flour can make them heavy.
Use pure pumpkin purée
Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar and spices and isn’t the same as plain pumpkin purée.
Don’t twist your biscuit cutter
Press straight down and lift. This helps keep the edges open so the biscuits can rise.
Work quickly
The colder your butter stays, the better the texture will be.
Ingredients
Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
Baking powder – For lift and rise.
Butter – Use cold butter.
Salt – Flavour.
Sugar – Flavour and sweetness.
Milk – Bring the batter together.
Pumpkin – Use store bought or homemade pure pumpkin purée.
How to Make Pumpkin Biscuits
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
A hot oven helps the biscuits rise quickly and develop a lovely golden exterior.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Mixing the dry ingredients first helps distribute them evenly.
3. Cut in the cold butter
Cut the cold butter into small cubes or shred it in a cheese grater.
Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or oatmeal.
Don’t overwork the butter. Those little pieces are what help create tender, flaky biscuits.
4. Add the pumpkin
Stir in the pumpkin purée and milk, until a soft dough forms.
Be careful not to overmix.
5. Shape the dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Gently pat or roll it to about ¾-inch thick.
Cut the biscuits using a round biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or an upturned cup. Press the cutter straight down rather than twisting it. Twisting can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising evenly.
Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake
Bake for approximately 12–16 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and lightly golden.
7. Serve warm
Serve them warm with butter, honey, maple syrup, homemade jam, or on the side of your favourite meal.
Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Purée?
Absolutely!
Homemade pumpkin purée can be used in this recipe. If your purée is very wet, strain or drain some of the excess liquid before adding it to the dough.
What to Serve with Pumpkin Biscuits
These biscuits can be eaten sweet or savoury.
Try serving them with:
- Herb butter
- Maple butter
- Honey
- Homemade apple butter
- Homemade strawberry or raspberry jam
- Homemade peach jam
- On the side of soups and stews
- Breakfast sandwich
Can Pumpkin Biscuits Be Made Ahead?
Yes. You can prepare the biscuit dough, cut the biscuits, and freeze them.
Arrange the cut biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze until solid before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag.
Bake them from frozen when you are ready to enjoy them. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
How to Store Pumpkin Biscuits
Allow baked biscuits to cool completely before storing.
Place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze the biscuits in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months for best quality.
To enjoy them again, thaw and gently warm them in the oven.
How to Reheat Pumpkin Biscuits
For the best texture, warm them in a 300°F oven for about 5–10 minutes.
Pumpkin Biscuit Variations
Maple Pumpkin Biscuits
Use pure maple syrup instead of sugar and remove the milk.
Spiced Pumpkin Biscuits
Add in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and ground clove.
Savoury Pumpkin Biscuits
Reduce or omit the sugar. Add in thyme and sage. Serve the biscuits alongside soups, stews, roasted meats, or Thanksgiving dinner.
Cheddar Pumpkin Biscuits
Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese for a delicious savoury twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pumpkin biscuits sweet?
Yes! These biscuits are lightly sweetened.
Why are my pumpkin biscuits dense?
The most common reasons are overmixing the dough, adding too much flour, using warm butter, or allowing the dough to sit too long before baking.
Can I freeze homemade pumpkin biscuits?
Yes. Both baked and unbaked pumpkin biscuits can be frozen. Freezing the unbaked biscuits is a particularly convenient option for make-ahead baking.
Can I use buttermilk?
Absolutely. Buttermilk makes biscuits that are tender and delicious, and the slight tang of buttermilk works beautifully with pumpkin.
Pumpkin Biscuits
Warm tender biscuits made from scratch with real pumpkin and a hint of sweetness. Perfect for cozy fall baking.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g
- 4 teaspoons baking powder 20 g
- 2 Tablespoons sugar 25 g
- 1 teaspoon salt 5 g
- 2/3 cup cold butter 150 g
- 1 cup pumpkin purée 250 ml
- 3 Tablespoons milk 45 ml
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 Tablespoons sugar.
3. Cut 2/3 cold butter into small cubes or shred it in a cheese grater.
4. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or oatmeal.
5. Stir in 1 cup pumpkin purée and 3 Tablespoons milk, until a soft dough forms.
6. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
7. Gently pat or roll it to about ¾-inch thick.
8. Cut the biscuits using a biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, or an upturned cup.
9. Place the biscuits onto a lined baking sheet.
10. Bake 12–16 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and lightly golden.
11. Serve warm.
Notes
Add in a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the dough for a sweet spiced biscuit.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 270Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 30mgSodium 476mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 5g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
