Mmmm, biscuits. They’re kind of what dreams are made of, no?
Plump, flaky, steamy and just begging to be sandwiched with butter and devoured alongside every holiday dish known to man. Things are about to get serious.
Origins of Biscuits
Soft, flaky biscuits are believed to be a pre-Civil War Southern creation. And because flour was expensive back then, they were enjoyed as a special treat on Sundays. The concept may have been inspired by British biscuits which were more like a thin cookie or cracker.
This recipe resembles the Southern version, but is our plant-based take infused with additional flavors.
Once I cracked the code for the Best Damn Vegan Biscuit, I moved onto another favorite variation of mine: (Vegan) Cheddar Jalapeño. And since I can’t seem to keep my hands off pumpkin this month, I knew a savory fall version had to happen next.
These biscuits are infused with both pumpkin puree and fresh sage, giving them an earthy, autumnal flavor I just adore.
Not to mention, they’re simple! Just 1 bowl, 30 minutes, and no fancy methods required. Even if you’re a biscuit novice, I walk you through each step so you’ll finally taste sweet biscuit glory once and for all.
These biscuits are a dream. They’re:
Tender
Fluffy
Flaky
Warm
Savory
Subtly pumpkin-y
Infused with fresh sage
Perfect for fall
& Begging to be shared
Are you planning an October gathering? Perhaps a Friendsgiving? These are the biscuits for you! I see these making an appearance at pumpkin carvings, fall parties and beyond.
And if you’re a little weary of sage, know that it’s subtle or you can simply leave it out! Alternatively, swap in butternut squash puree or even sweet potato puree for a sweeter take. They’re very customizable and seriously delicious.
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, tweet at us, or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We love seeing what you guys cook up – it’s seriously impressive.
Cheers and happy fall, friends!
Pumpkin Sage Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened PLAIN almond milk
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used a 2:1 mix of unbleached AP & whole-wheat pastry)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 pinch each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- 4 Tbsp non-dairy, unsalted butter (plus more for topping // I use Earth Balance butter sticks)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 Tbsp fresh sage (roughly chopped or torn // or sub 1 tsp dry sage per 3 Tbsp fresh)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C).
- Measure almond milk in a large liquid measuring cup and add lemon juice. Let curdle 5 minutes. Then whisk in pumpkin puree.
- Mix flour(s), salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Add cold butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to combine until small pieces remain and it looks like wet sand. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm. Add chopped sage and mix once more.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir gently while pouring in the almond-pumpkin mixture 1/4 cup at a time. You may not need all of it. Stir until just slightly combined – it will be a little sticky, not too much.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface, dust the top with a bit of flour and then very gently turn the dough over on itself a couple times – hardly kneading.
- Form into a 1-inch thick disc, handling as little as possible.
- Use a 1-inch thick dough cutter or a similar-shaped object with sharp edges (such as a small drinking glass) and push straight down through the dough, then slightly twist. Repeat and place biscuits on a baking sheet in two rows making sure they just touch – this will help them rise uniformly. Gently reform the dough and cut out one or two more biscuits – you should have 7-9 depending on the size of your cutter (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Brush the tops with a bit more melted non-dairy butter and gently press a small divot in the center using your thumb. This will also help them rise evenly, so the middle won’t form a dome.
- Bake for 13-17 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown. These take a little longer to bake than traditional biscuits because the pumpkin adds extra moisture.
- Serve immediately as is or with additional butter and/or maple syrup. Let remaining biscuits cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or bag. Will keep for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
Notes
* Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Tracy says
if I curdled the milk with heat, instead of lemon, how would this affect the outcome? Making for a friend who cannot have lemon juice.
Hi Tracy, curdling it isn’t important so we wouldn’t recommend heating the milk. The acidity of the lemon juice helps activate the baking soda, but it might be okay (possibly not as fluffy) to leave out the lemon juice. Hope that helps!
Lori says
I’ve made these biscuits a few times in the past, and while I don’t remember if I used lemon juice or not, I don’t always have lemons on hand to add to milk when called for in recipes. However, I always have white or apple cider vinegar and more often than not use that to help with the activation of baking soda or baking powder as the leavening agent. Seems to work fine for me. If your friend can have either of those acidic ingredients, that may be a great alternative for you.
Jean T-S says
Seriously simple to make! Used prior commentor’s idea to shape into square and cut into 9 pieces to enhance quick prep. Calling them ‘rustic pumpkin sage biscuits’ as I package them for my church bake sale. Thanks for the recipe! Ideal for a Thanksgiving feast.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Jean! We’re so glad they turned out well! xo
Fox says
These sound lovely and I’m going to try to make a double batch this week – if I want to prepare the day before but serve fresh baked, can I roll them out and cut them and then refrigerate overnight and bake the next day, or would it be better to refrigerate as a single ball of dough and roll out and cut right before baking? Thank you!
Hi! They’re best when fresh, but that might work – we’d suggest cutting before refrigerating. Another option would be to freeze the cut, unbaked dough. If freezing, set them out an hour before baking to slightly thaw and then bake as directed in the instructions until golden brown and fluffy.
Kat says
Suggestions for making these gluten free?
Hi Kat, our 1:1 gluten-free flour blend might work in this one! We haven’t tested it though. Let us know if you do!
Marissa says
If I’m going to cut and freeze these, would I freeze them touching like when I’ll be baking them? Or separate them out? Making a triple batch for Thanksgiving this year since they were SO delicious during our mini COVID Thanksgiving in 2020!
Hi Marissa, Separate them for freezing. Then the morning of let them thaw at room temperature (or in the fridge overnight) and bake as instructed. Hope that helps!
Samantha says
These were so lovely! I didn’t have sage but they were still wonderful! So light fluffy! I was making the one pot white chicken chili, and I had 3/4cup of the full fat coconut milk left, and some pumpkin leftover in the fridge, so I thought I’d give these a whirl while my chili was simmering. I didn’t use any lemon juice (since I didn’t have any of that either), I did all All Purpose flour, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, and omitted the sage. I also was trying to be rather fast, so I patted them into a square a cut them into 9 squares with a large chefs knife. They came out beautifully, and along with the white chicken chili, it made for a delicious autumn dinner! They were so unfussy, I’ll definitely be making these again!
Ooo, yum! That combo sound delish. Thanks so much for the great review, Samantha!
Dani says
I am allergic to pumpkin, so I swapped in sweet potato (steamed then mashed), and they tasted fantastic! Also used goat milk butted (not vegan), which added a very nice flavor to the biscuits! Will be making often during these cooler months.
Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Dani!
Jennifer says
This recipe is an awesome base for a multitude of modifications — sweet, savory, biscuit, scone (and even “scone-nut” — like doughnut, but a scone). When initially making the recipe, I used 20% pumpkin flour and 20% coconut flour, as well as 1/2 tsp xanthin gum; baked at 350. Turned out great! As a sweet option for DH who missed his free donuts at the rock store that morning, I made a “scone-nut” based on this recipe by using 20% coconut flour, 2 TBSP date sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract, and about 2 TBSP orange zest (again, baked at 350); I shaped them into “donut” shapes and when cool, glazed them with a maple syrup glaze (maple syrup, coconut cream and powdered sugar). So good! Just sweet enough to satisfy a craving without going overboard on the sugar.
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing all these ideas, Jennifer! xo