In my childhood home, snow days meant biscuits. My mom is a 4th grade teacher, so if we had a snow day, so did she. I’m not sure there’s a snow day on the books that didn’t include her in the kitchen making biscuits when my brother and I groggily shuffled in.
rainy day biscuits
I grew up in New England, where snow days where a regular occurrence. Sometimes, the school district over reacted to the weather report so much that they canceled school the day before.
While it was nice going to bed at night knowing that there would be no alarm to rip you out of REM sleep the next day, it took away from the magic of waking up to a world that had unexpectedly been turned white and fluffy.
White and fluffy, with the smell of biscuits in the air.
I had it on my list for this week to perfect my biscuit recipe, so when I woke up Wednesday morning to the sound of falling rain, I knew it was the day to do it. Living in San Francisco, it wouldn’t make sense to wait for a snow day.
While I can’t say I miss the snow, with the exception of the first magical one of the season, I obviously miss biscuits. Because duh, biscuits are awesome.
They’re versatile too. This recipe is a perfect cake for your strawberry shortcake, a replacement for rolls at Easter or Thanksgiving, or for breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon jam. Of course warm from the oven with a slathering of grass fed butter isn’t so bad, either.
Rainy Day Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 large biscuits / a dozen small
- Category: breads and wraps, Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the almond flour, arrowroot, salt and baking soda.
- Cut the butter into 4-5 pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or 2 knives. You’ll want the result to look like coarse crumbs, no larger than pea sized. (alternately, you can do this and the previous step in a food processor; pulse to mix the flours and cut in the butter)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and eggs.
- Gently mix into the dry ingredients, but try not to over mix. You want it just to come together.
- Drop the batter onto your prepared sheet with a large spoon. It helps to dampen your hands to shape them a bit- the dough is sticky.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and done in the center.
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This Sydney Life says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! These look perfect for Easter and I will be trying them out next week. MOST excellent!
This Sydney Life says
Couldn’t wait until Easter. Made them on Friday and they WERE FANTASTIC!!!
Allison says
I made them with hot cross bun spices! About to pull them out of the oven 🙂 Smells divine.
I’m in Sydney too!
This Sydney Life says
Hey Allison – GREAT idea! I watched my partner and my bestie scoffing Sonoma ‘Not Cross Buns’ this morning and I was so jealous… I think I shall have to follow your lead.
Allison says
Aah Sonoma bread…mmm! I won’t be eating that anytime soon sadly. I used a spice mix from Karen Martini’s hot cross bun recipe but tripled the spice amounts as I made double the amount of these rainy day biscuits. They were great, but definitely need to be eaten fresh from the oven.
Donna says
GORGEOUS…GORGEOUS…GORGEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY..You simply get better and better….
Thanks for the tips/ideas for its versatility…I would love to use this with egg/brunch dishes…and as a shortcake biscuit!…Should I add a bit of a certain spice or flavoring to make them “speak” more as a dessert biscuit if I take this route?…Loving the idea of them with scrambles as well…or perhaps even as a “Benedict” base?….Thanks for your musings, eye-pleasing visuals and, of course, inventive and appreciated recipes.
zenbellyblog says
Thanks, Donna! You could definitely add some vanilla or lemon zest to make them feel like more of a dessert. They’re not too sweet, which I like, but if you wanted them to be sweeter, you could add a bit more honey or sprinkle them with sugar, too.
LOVE the idea of a Benedict base! Eggs Benedict is one of my very favorite breakfasts or all time, and next time I make these biscuits, I will definitely go all out and treat myself to a decadent brunch!
Kellie says
Biscuits and bacon jam. Enough said.
Samantha says
Yeah!
Amysue says
Just made these but subbed coconut sugar for the honey and they are amazing! Thank you!
Amysue says
But now my stomach hurts. Maybe the arrowroot?
Ellen says
Could you be sensitive to nuts? They are primarily almonds, and even ground into flour, nuts can be difficult for some people to digest.
zenbellyblog says
Could be the arrowroot; but I agree with Ellen that it could be the almond flour too… Some people tolerate nuts really well, and others just don’t. Have you had issues with baked goods made from almond flour before? Do you usually consume dairy? I hope you feel better!
Andie says
http://frugivoremag.com/2012/02/raw-food-101-why-you-should-always-soak-almonds/ I have problems with almond flour, too. Painful. I hope that soaking will help as I have a lot of almond flour on hand I wish to use. The article posted at the link above has more info about almonds I did not know about. It’s quite unsettling. Good health, all!
Ellen says
These are AWESOME! Made them for dinner, and the whole family enjoyed them. My almond “flour” was more like meal than flour, so they had a bit of a cornbread texture. Delicious!!
grassfedgirl says
Omg almond flour makes me feel like I ate a brick but I use it anyway. The life of a blogger, lol.
I made these too but subbed tapioca flour and some herbs. It doesnt look as good as Simone’s. Learn from the master!
Angie says
Lovely receipe! Don’t have arrowroot flour? Can i substitute it with more almond flour?
zenbellyblog says
They might be a little heavier, since the arrowroot lightens them up a bit… But I think they’d still come out great. Let me know how they turn out!
christine says
How about coconut flour instead of arrowroot? Would that work too?
zenbellyblog says
coconut flour is completely different. There are probably recipes for paleo biscuits that use it; if you prefer coconut flour I’d just follow one of those.
Tara says
OMG…crumbly wonderful biscuits…amazing.
Tiffany Sanderson says
I’m making these tonight, to go with green bean stew. I’m going to try dropping some of the dough into the pot, to make dumplings. This stew with dumplings is something my mother always used to make, and I’ve missed it so! Big time comfort food, perfect for a rainy day. My fingers are crossed they come out right. I’ll keep you posted 🙂
awingren says
Tiffany, I’m curious… how did the dumplings turn out?
-awingren
Jade R Fogg says
Just thought I’d tell you this is one of my favorite recipes since I began changing my diet to a paleo template in recent months. I’ve altered it a few different ways to have a different sort of biscuit – just more variety, you know. I think this basic recipe is excellent by itself, or a perfect starting point for experimentation. Thank you so much for sharing! I have recommended these to a number of people.
Ways I’ve altered the recipe:
1. When I was on Whole30 for a month and eating no dairy or added sugars, including honey, I substituted the raw honey with dates that I mashed, substituted the ghee/butter with palmoil lard, and added cinnamon to taste.
2. Add cinnamon to taste! A nice way to do a different flavor.
3. Do 1 tsp of baking soda instead of 1/2 tsp. This makes them a bit fluffier. You’ll want to do a bit of extra honey or something sweet if you do this, just so you don’t taste the bitterness of the baking soda.
4. Do double the raw honey 🙂 This will make the mixture wetter, in which case you should add a bit more almond flour. I’ve added frozen blueberries to this as well. It seems the best way to cook them in this case is to lower the temperature 10 or 15 degrees and cook a few minutes longer. Keep your eye on them, don’t let them get to brown, but be aware that in the middle they may be a bit moist. Still ironing this out. They taste great this way though. Amazing. Especially if you eat nice and hot and spread butter on. Mmm.
5. Do double (or more) the raw honey, add in 1/2 cup of rolled oats (vs needed to add more almond flour– the oats absorb the extra liquid) (you may need more than 1/2 cup – eyeball it) and cinnamon to taste. My boyfriend has declared this particular version as being equal to my famous cranberry oatmeal cookies, which I used to make for him regularly when I was still eating gluten, and which he would die for… So that’s saying something, lol.
zenbellyblog says
Thanks Jade! I love all of your variations! I’m going to have to try the cinnamon version for sure.
Louise says
My second zen belly recipe that I’ve made. Loved it! Light texture, tasty! Thank you. My first recipe was the coffee cake, and I think I need to try it again to see if I did anything wrong because it did not turn out. Thank you!
zenbellyblog says
I’m so glad you had better results with this one! 🙂
JC says
Would Coconut Flour be a decent substitute for Arrow Root flour? I have Arrow Root in the spice shaker, but not 3/4 of a cup. “/ Thanks!
pamela says
You might try tapioca, but coconut flour would require different ratios and probably extra egg.
zenbellyblog says
coconut flour is entirely it’s own animal, acts much differently from other flours. Tapioca would be a better alternative, as Pamela mentions above! Or, you could even just use more almond flour; but they might be a bit heavier.
pamela says
How did I miss this in March? Trying these tomorrow—or maybe today.
Kelsey Highland (@BizOnlineMktg) says
How long will these last? I want to make them ahead of time to have on vacation. 🙂
Tara says
They freeze well! Make them whenever is convenient. 😉
Samantha says
I’m wondering if anyone has tried these without the honey for a 21DSD? I’m wanting to use them as savory with italian spices so I’m not too concerned with losing any sweetness. If I end up doing it (I’ll probably use lard too) I’ll be sure to let you know how they fare.
zenbellyblog says
I think they would be fine without honey! Especially if you add some savory seasoning to them.
Samantha says
Well, I made these without the honey, using lard, adding fresh chopped rosemary and garlic powder. They were good, maybe just a touch dry, I might try extra large eggs or a smidge more lard in the future if omitting the honey. Then, after I ate one for dinner, I saw that no arrowroot is allowed on the 21DSD. Oops! I guess if that’s the worst ‘cheat’ I have then I’m not doing too bad.
Liron says
Just made these and they are SO GOOD! Thanks so much for the recipe.
zenbellyblog says
So glad~ Thanks Liron!
Kristen says
I’m allergic to all nuts. Do you think this will work with oat flour? Thanks!
zenbellyblog says
nut flours and oat flours act pretty differently, so it wouldn’t be a 1:1 swap. The only thing I’ve found that you can sub nut flours with without altering the recipe is sunflower flour. If you want to use oat, it might be better to find a recipe that uses GF flours. Hope that helps!
Debbie says
Snow day today in CT so I made your biscuits for the first time. Trying to follow your lead, finally. These were delicious!!! Like them better than my snow day biscuits. Even picky husband, you know who, loved them. Only problem – can’t stop eating them.
Barbara says
I’m allergic to arrowroot. Can you recommend another flour to use?
zenbellyblog says
Can you have tapioca? I use it interchangeably with arrowroot all the time, and it always works great. Or in general, just about any starch! Potato should work, too.
supermomdg says
I just had my son make these for a homework assignment. He had to make a recipe we have not tried yet. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!
zenbellyblog says
How fun! I’m so glad I could help make homework a bit tastier 🙂
pamela says
Delightful. I have no idea why I waited so long to try them. Well, maybe my lack of restraint where freshly baked biscuits is concerned could be a factor.
Maggie says
Before I went Paleo I had my go to recipes for baked goods, which took years to go through lots of recipes and find the best. I am doing the same thing for Paleo baked goods and your always come out on top!! I am just going end up with a collection of mostly your recipes, because they are always the best! Thank you!
zenbellyblog says
That’s so great to hear, Maggie, Thanks so much! 🙂
Renee P. says
Yep, my family fell in love with these! Very easy to make and very tasty! I think part of the tastiness that my kids loved was all the honey, so I might cut back on it next time, maybe 1.5 Tbsp? We had these with some BBQ chicken but I think they could work just as well with strawberry shortcake!
I’ll definitely keep these in mind for pairing with winter soups & stews!
sara says
I’m allergic to eggs, can I use a flax or gelatin egg instead or applesauce? Thanks!
zenbellyblog says
You could certainly try! I wouldn’t know for sure until I tried it, though.
CarolS says
OMG Serious DUH moment here….LOVE these biscuits, didn’t occur to me to use the bacon jam with them! So good as a strawberry shortcake or a simple honey/coconut oil spread! YUM
Carleen Bradbury says
Hi there! I just made these and they are delicious! Does anyone know how many net carbs in each biscuit? Thank you!
Sheree says
So, it was raining today and I thought – it’s Rainy Day Biscuit Day!!!!! They are quite delightful! I followed your directions and measurements to a T. Here’s my question for you (please keep in mind I am quite capable of fu@ck!ng up a 1 car funeral) – My dough was not one solid mass when I added the egg/honey mixture and lightly mixed it with a spoon. It was actually in kind of “crumbly” pieces. So I couldn’t really “scoop” it out onto the pan. I had to kind of scoop it and form the crumbly bits into a biscuit shape. Did I mess up? Or does that sound about right? I think the only way I could have gotten it into a mass would have been to smoosh it with my hands. But I was afraid of having some hard-ass biscuits. And we all know, hard-ass biscuits are NOT cool!
And yeah…I’m kind of working my way through all your recipes. I figure, so far, they’ve all been winners! 🙂
Thanks so much 🙂
★★★★★
zenbelly says
Hi Sheree!
Haha one car funeral that made me laugh. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes! If the dough was dry, I’m guessing either your eggs were on the small side, or your flour measurements were heavy. It’s really easy to do with grain-free goods; almond flour and others can get pretty weighted down when they sit so sometimes need to be “fluffed up” with a whisk before measuring. As is the case with any bready baked good, sometimes you just need to make an adjustment like adding more liquid or flour depending on what’s going on.
I hope that helps and that the end result is better next time!
Sheree says
🙂 Thanks for responding! Glad I could make you giggle! I’m totally loving all the recipes! So is my man. It’s nice to fight for leftovers 🙂
I will try fluffing up the flour and see if that helps. Or, I will add a little more liquid. Is there a recommended weight I should use? If not, no worries. They still tasted awesome! And they freeze well, too!
Next time I’m going to add it as the topper to the chicken pot pie…EXCITING!!!!
Elena says
Just made these delicious biscuits for the 2nd time. My husband and I think these are the best lower-carb biscuits we’ve ever had. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
zenbelly says
Thanks, Elena! I’m so glad to hear that you love them.
Valerie says
I was wondering what i can sub for butter? Want to make it for a friend but is sensitive to dairy even butter.
Thank you!
zenbelly says
people have used duck fat and gotten great results!
Alene says
Oh my goodness! They remind me of baking powder biscuits that I used to eat before gluten issues. Rice issues too now. So easy, fast, and really good. I wanted to just try them out before Thanksgiving, and I halved the recipe. I made gluten sweet potato rolls for my guests and froze them. I had forgotten how much fun making yeast rolls with all purpose flour was! So my husband had one, laugh out loud, to taste he said. Since I can’t. I was thinking to make these for me with our first course. Since I can’t eat the rolls. I’ll be curious if anyone at the table wants one too. Thank you so much. I have never liked any of the gf biscuits I’ve made in the past. You have saved me!!!
★★★★★
Kelly says
Love these! I’ve now made them twice in the past few weeks to go with soup/stew and both times for people with and without food sensitivities. They are a hit all the way around! Making these again for Christmas Eve.
I used coconut oil instead of butter and added fresh herbs. I love the slight sweetness. They are dense but still soak up lots of broth. There’s no way I could cut mine in half without them crumbling. Could the coconut oil be the issue? I might try vegan butter next time. Thanks for the yummy, easy recipe!
★★★★★
zenbelly says
it could be the coconut oil, but they are a crumbly biscuit! If you add an extra egg they’ll be softer and more bready.