Pancake Mix Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Make drop biscuits without flour! No rolling or cutting, and made with just 5 ingredients. These Pancake Mix Cheddar Drop Biscuits are easy, cheesy, and the perfect make-ahead compliment to any meal!

What can’t pancake mix do? Okay, I know it can not make soup. But it can serve as emergency flour and leavener in many baked goods when you run out of flour.

Here, let me prove it. Try my other baked goods recipes made with pancake mix!:

• Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix Cookies
• Pancake Mix Zucchini Muffins
• Banana Bread Pancake Cookies Mix
• Pumpkin Spice Pancake Mix Muffins

And now, I present to you, Pancake Mix Cheddar Drop Biscuits. 

What is a drop biscuit?

A drop biscuit is a biscuit where the batter is dropped onto the baking sheet with a spoon or scoop. Traditional biscuits are rolled out and cut with a circular cutter instead. 

While there is for sure nothing wrong with traditional biscuits, this is what I like to call a ‘short cut’. No rolling, no cutting, no flour on the counter, no flour at all actually! Totally non-traditional, totally easy & delicious.

What are the ingredients in these Pancake Mix Cheddar Drop Biscuits?

There are only 5 main ingredients + pepper in these biscuits (I don’t count salt, pepper or basic oil when totalling ingredients). Here they are:

• pancake mix – For this recipe, I used Kodiak Cakes Flapjack & Waffle mix, but I think most ‘just add water’ mixes would work. No flavors, just buttermilk is fine.
• shredded cheddar cheese – I’ve made these with white cheddar and regular cheddar, loved both! If you wanna experiment and try other cheeses, please by my guest!
• milk – Any kind of unflavored, unsweetened milk will work. I used unsweetened almond milk because that’s what I have on hand.
• butter – Required! This is what takes it from pancake mix batter to biscuit batter. 
• garlic powder – I love garlic. Helps create a savory biscuit.
• fresh ground black pepper – I also love fresh ground black pepper with cheddar cheese. I like to sprinkle some black pepper on top when the biscuits come out of the oven. Personal preference, but so delicious!

How do you make these Pancake Mix Cheddar Drop Biscuits?

First, prep the scene by preheating the oven to 375F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. These biscuits WILL stick if you put them directly on a sheet pan without a liner.

The coolest thing about this biscuit recipe is that you can put everything into the bowl (except save about 1/3 cup cheddar for topping!) and mix it up. You don’t have to roll the dough or cut out biscuit shapes.

The batter should be thick, sticky, and shaggy. It should NOT resemble pancake batter – it should be quite a bit thicker.

Divide the bowl of batter into 12 equal piles on your baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten the biscuit just slightly, then top with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese on each.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges near the bottom are golden brown and the cheese on top is is bubbling. The bottoms should be completely golden brown if you give them a peek.

Let them cool for a few minutes, then enjoy warm!

Why does pancake mix work for these biscuits?

‘Just add water’ pancake mix works in place of flour because the mix will have its own flour and its own leavening agent. Double check that ‘leavener’ is an ingredient in your pancake mix if you are concerned.

It will say, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, in the ingredients list.

Traditional biscuits also have a hint of sugar. This pancake mix also has a hint of sugar, which works for these biscuits. The brand of pancake mix I used has only 2 grams of added sugars, and that’s definitely enough for biscuits! 

What brands of pancake mix do you recommend?

In my kitchen, I regularly use Kodiak Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix for pancakes, cookies, muffins and now biscuits. For this recipe specifically, I have not tested any other kind of ‘just add water’ pancake mix.

However, back when I was first testing Pancake Mix Cookies, I tested three varieties of pancake mix and they all worked great: Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix, and Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk Pancake Mix. I’m also positive that Bisquik would work here, but that’s not something I normally purchase.

What can you serve these biscuits with?

These biscuits are good warm, good cold, great with any meal. Here are some examples:

• Perfect for dunking in soup
• Great cheesy side for a wonderful lunch salad
• Goes with fish, steak, chicken, etc
• Not too heavy, but does satisfy bread & biscuit cravings
• Eggs and bacon. Breakfast anyone?!

How to store cooked cheddar drop biscuits:

Store these biscuits on the counter at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

How to freeze cheddar drop biscuits:

These biscuits can be stored in the freezer in a sealed container for up to 6 months. Wait until they are completely cool before freezing.

How to reheat cheddar drop biscuits:

These biscuits can been eaten at room temperature, or they can be heated up. To warm from room temperature, place in an oven or toaster oven and use the ‘Warm’ or “Low” setting for 5 minutes. To warm from frozen, wrap in foil and heat in an oven or toaster oven at 300F for 20 minutes, or until they’re warm and no longer frozen in the middle.