Delicious Canned Biscuits Upgrades That Will Blow Your Taste Buds Away

Canned biscuits are a ready-made yeasted dough that can reduce the prep time on many popular dishes. If you live in the Midwest or Southern United States, biscuits are an every day food. Homemade biscuits from scratch are notoriously finicky. The most important variable in a simple biscuit recipe is the skill and mixing technique of the cook making them. If you lack biscuit-making experience, there's no shame in relying on pre-prepared dough to get tender, fresh-from-the-oven biscuits in your home.

A staple of American kitchens since their invention in the 1930s, canned biscuits are a blank canvas for flavor improvisation and can be endlessly upgraded to create memorable sweet or savory dishes. From quick improvements like adding toppings or switching your cooking method to more involved reshaping, there are dozens of simple ways to make canned biscuits shine. These tips will help you reimagine what a tube of biscuit dough can become.

The most straightforward way to upgrade a canned biscuit is to top the uncooked dough with additional, flavorful ingredients. Scan your spice rack for flavors that complement your main dish. A sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning is a perfect fit for breakfast biscuits destined to become sandwiches. A combination of butter, cheddar, garlic, and chives gets you close to the much-beloved cheddar bay biscuit popularized by Red Lobster. Pecorino cheese and pepper is a refined take on the classic flavors of cacio e pepe, making a perfect biscuit companion to a bowl of minestrone or a Caesar salad.

Keep in mind that most canned biscuits are well salted already. The high sodium content is part of what gives the dough its extended shelf life. So temper any salty additions like cheese with something spicy or herbaceous such as fresh pepper, paprika, or unsalted butter. If you plan to pile on lots of salty extras, opt for low-sodium biscuits as your base.

Most canned biscuits instruct you to cook them on a baking sheet. But switching up your cooking vessel can impart additional flavor. Cooking canned biscuits in a cast-iron skillet directs the heat evenly around the dough, reducing the likelihood that you'll burn the biscuit bottoms before the centers are cooked. Skillet-cooked biscuits tend to brown more evenly than biscuits cooked spread out on a baking sheet. The result is peak biscuit flavor with no additional fuss.

For a breakfast twist, use the same skillet for your biscuits that you used for meats. After cooking your bacon or sausage in the cast iron skillet, for example, reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat. Add your biscuits to the skillet with the reserved fat to infuse your biscuits with home-made flavor.

It's commonly said that we eat with our eyes first. Serve these biscuits directly from the skillet to deepen the comfort food vibes. The cast iron has the added benefit of keeping your biscuits warmer longer as they sit on your table.

Speaking of changing your cooking methods, a popular countertop appliance can have a transformational effect on your canned biscuits. Biscuits cooked in an air fryer cook up pillowy on the inside and crisp on the outside. It is one of the easiest ways to upgrade a canned biscuit. Even if you do nothing else — no fillings, no toppings, no seasoning — simply choosing the air fryer results in fluffy biscuit interiors and crisp, evenly browed exteriors.

The air fryer circulates air around and between the biscuits to ensure fast, even cooking. Since you don't need to preheat an oven, air fryer biscuits cook in half the time. If you only plan to cook enough biscuits for one or two people, the air fryer is also an improvement on the oven. Just store leftover biscuit dough safely. Any uncooked portions are best frozen once you remove them from the can. Previously frozen biscuits won't rise as high as biscuits fresh from the can, but the flavor will be about the same.

Canned biscuits are excellent carriers for all types of fillings. There are two ways to fill your biscuits. You can roll the biscuits flat and fold the dough around a filling, or split the biscuits along their equators, fill, and re-stack.

Milk-dipped Oreo cookies wrapped in a biscuit and cooked in an air fryer make an excellent copycat for the State Fair favorite fried oreos. With cinnamon, crunchy nuts, and seeds, a can of biscuits can quickly become a classic Korean comfort food, Hotteok. Split biscuits sprinkled with dried fruit and sugar become a quick version of scones.

Fillings don't need to be complicated. If you have a handful of cheese cubes in your fridge, you've got a delicious biscuit filling. You can slice sticks of string cheese — or other cheese — into biscuit-sized bits, wrap with dough, and brush with garlic butter. Serve these alongside a bowl of marinara sauce, and you've got a fast and delicious appetizer.

Pressed into a muffin tin – or even draped over the outside of one – biscuits from a tube easily become a cup-style vessel for any filling you can imagine. You can fill the cups before cooking or after; it all depends on the fillings. Try layering hollandaise, Canadian bacon, and eggs in muffin-tinned biscuits before cooking to create individual eggs Benedict.

For a cocktail party, these biscuit cups become canapé sized bread bowls to carry spinach artichoke dip or sweet corn soup. Or smear a tablespoon of hummus in the bottom of the cooked biscuit cup and tuck in baby carrots, celery, and cherry tomatoes for a handheld crudité in an edible bowl.

Plan your baking strategy based on fillings. If you need to fill your biscuit cups after cooking, cooking them inside the muffin cups creates a modest-sized bowl perfect for small amounts of filling, or to give extra height to mounded fillings, like chicken salad. Baking the biscuits draped on the outside of the muffin cups usually gives you more generous bowls that hold more filling. Use the outside of the muffin tin when you want mini-bread bowls. If you're baking on the outside of muffin tins or ramekins, remember to spray with non-stick cooking spray so the cooked biscuits release easily.

Reshaping canned biscuit dough is an easy way to amp up the wow factor. Tying a quick knot and topping with garlic butter makes an excellent and quick version of garlic knots. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for a more complex flavor. Paired with a variety of dipping sauces, these knots make a deliciously sharable game day appetizer — also a perfect side to a bowl of pasta e fagioli or minestrone.

Whole biscuits can be a bit large to shape into knots. Most recipes advise you to slice each biscuit into two and flatten them slightly to make shaping easier. You'll then brush your shaped dough with butter and seasonings. By converting canned biscuits to knots you're adding flavor and also extending the number of portions.

Transforming canned biscuits into donuts is an easy and popular upgrade. Simply cut holes in the center of each biscuit and fry in hot oil or in an air fryer. Then coat with cinnamon sugar or glazes and garnishes. Your canned biscuit donuts can be as simple or complex as you like. Quartered biscuit dough cooked in an air fryer and rolled in cinnamon sugar are terrific donut holes.

Alternatively, you can fry donut holes in vegetable oil. This is a popular biscuit dough hack for outdoor enthusiasts. With a can of shortening, a can of donuts, and some cinnamon sugar, you can have "campfire donuts" anywhere.

Or, go the classic route and pull out the round cutters for a classic donut shape. An air fryer gives these traditionally shaped donuts a satisfyingly crisp exterior. Follow with a light coating of vanilla or chocolate glaze and a dusting of rainbow sprinkles for a festive, fast breakfast.

Fresh or frozen fruit mixed into biscuit dough creates a quick cobbler-like dessert that's impressive enough for company. Sometimes called a "bubble-up," this dish involves quartering your biscuits, tossing with canned or fresh fruit in a baking dish, then baking until golden and bubbly. The biscuits absorb the fruit juices, and the dough tends to "bubble up" to the top of the dish, creating a multi-layered sweet dish that is perfect for breakfast or — topped with a scoop of ice cream — dessert.

Fresh berries mixed with sugar and cornstarch are a popular base for a biscuit bubble-up. Though canned pie fillings also work well. Many recipes call for the added step of rolling your quartered dough in cinnamon sugar, which adds a more sweet flavor. If you have powdered sugar on hand, topping the hot bubble-up with a drizzle of glaze is a show stopping touch.

Canned biscuits make an easy topping for hearty casseroles, creating a golden crust that's perfect for soaking up savory fillings. Simply shingle a can of biscuits over your favorite pot pie, chili, or shepherd's pie mixture before baking. The biscuits puff up beautifully while sealing in all the delicious flavors below. Be sure to leave space between your biscuit topping. This allows steam to escape and can help avoid filling bubbling over the sides of your baking dish.

Adding a biscuit topping makes any dish extra hearty and filling for a crowd. It will also save you time when you need to get a pot pie on the table fast; no mixing fresh dough for your pot pie or boiling potatoes to top a shepherd's pie. Amp up the flavor by adding more sprinkles of cheese or dollops of butter.

Waffling canned biscuits creates pockets for holding sweet or savory toppings. The waffle iron's heat caramelizes the outside while keeping the inside tender and fluffy. Try topping these biscuit waffles with strawberries and cream cheese for a quick dessert. Or go savory with eggs and bacon for an innovative breakfast sandwich. Biscuit waffles can be the perfect speedy side for a fried chicken and waffle dish.

Many canned biscuits are also vegan, making the biscuit waffle a quick and flavorful vegan addition to a brunch table. A slick of maple syrup keeps your biscuit waffles free of animal products. They are also a perfect vessel for a drizzle of seasonal fruit jam.

Creating pull-apart bread (also commonly called "Monkey bread") from canned biscuits is a crowd-pleasing party dish that's surprisingly simple. Cut biscuits into quarters, toss with your favorite seasonings, then stack in a bundt pan before baking. The result is an impressive treat that allows guests to pull off perfectly portioned bites.

Pull apart breads can be sweet or savory; it all depends on the filling. Sprinkling shredded cheese between your dough balls makes a cheesy pull-apart bread that is excellent as an appetizer. Monkey bread seasoned with cinnamon sugar is a welcome addition to any brunch table. Filled with plain chocolate, chocolate hazelnut spread, or a combination of chocolate and fruit, your biscuits can go from breakfast to dessert. 

Canned biscuits make an excellent substitute for traditional pizza dough when you're short on time. Press the biscuits flat, top with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, then bake until golden. The result is pillowy personal pizzas and no fighting about who likes mushrooms or extra cheese. Short on sauce, but have a lot of toppings on hand? Fold your flattened biscuits around a savory filling for a spin on empanadas.

Biscuit dough can also be a crust for personal sweet pies. Rolled flat and dolloped with jam or canned pie filling, everyone at the table can have a handheld version of their favorite fruit pie. For traditional hand pies, fold the biscuit dough around your filling and crimp to close. Your taste buds will thank you.

Most canned biscuit dough easily takes on the shape of novelty shaped pans — think mini bundt pans, or cakelet pans in seasonal shapes like flowers, rabbits, pumpkins, or Christmas trees. As an added flavor bonus, the close contact with the pan increases browning on the biscuit face, adding deeper caramel-crust flavor and shattering crispness. Grease your pan with butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or vegan butter spreads to infuse even more flavor.

To get the best visual effect, center the biscuit dough on the shape so no folds or seams end up on the face of your biscuit. Press the dough firmly into all the nooks and crannies of the cake pan. Use whole biscuits and let the dough dome above the pan; you want each cup to be full to overflowing to get the best imprint.

Canned biscuits are one of the most versatile convenience foods in the American pantry. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, an impressive appetizer, or a comforting dessert, these humble tubes of dough offer a blank canvas for culinary creativity. The 14 techniques we've explored are just the beginning.

Try combining several techniques for even more variations, like creating pull-apart bread with both sweet and savory sections, or filling a biscuit and adding an herb topping. With a little imagination and a can of biscuits, you can create memorable dishes that quickly become signature favorites. Next time you spot those canned biscuits in your refrigerator, think beyond the basics and let your culinary creativity shine.