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These Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits are the kind of recipe you’ll want to make again and again. They bake up soft and buttery with sweet blueberries tucked inside, and the best part is that they come together with no rolling or cutting. Perfect for busy mornings or a simple homemade treat for your family.
What Are Butter Swim Biscuits?
Butter swim biscuits are a Southern classic known for their “set it and forget it” simplicity. Instead of cutting butter into the flour like traditional biscuits, you melt it in the baking dish and pour the dough right on top. As they bake, the dough “swims” in the butter, creating tender, fluffy layers with golden, crispy edges.
This style of biscuit has been around for generations in Southern kitchens, but it’s gained fresh popularity in recent years for how easy and foolproof it is!
In this recipe, I’m giving the traditional butter swim biscuit a fruity upgrade by folding in juicy blueberries. They add a natural sweetness and a pop of color that make these biscuits just as perfect for a cozy breakfast as they are for a sweet brunch treat.
Butter Swim Blueberry Biscuits Ingredients
- Self-Rising Flour: This flour gives the biscuits their rise and fluffiness. No need to add baking powder or salt separately.
- Butter: Salted butter adds a rich, savory flavor that balances the sweetness. Unsalted is fine too—just add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Buttermilk: Adds tang and tenderness. If you don’t have any, you can make a quick substitute with milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Sugar: Just enough to enhance the berries! Feel free to adjust the amount based on your preferred sweetness or leave it out if using a glaze.
- Blueberries: Fresh is best, but frozen will work too. Toss in flour before folding into the dough to prevent sinking.
- Powdered Sugar & Milk (for glaze): Optional but delicious. Adjust the milk to achieve the desired glaze consistency, such as a drizzle or thick icing.
How to Make Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits
These blueberry-studded butter swim biscuits come together in one bowl and bake up tender with crispy, buttery edges. Here’s how to make them from start to finish:
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set your oven to 450℉ so it’s nice and hot when your biscuits are ready to bake.
Step 2: Toss the Blueberries
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with a little bit of flour. This helps them stay evenly distributed throughout the dough, rather than sinking to the bottom.
Step 3: Melt the Butter
Melt your butter in a microwave-safe bowl or directly in your baking dish, if it’s microwave-safe and not made of metal. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of your baking dish.
Tip: See my notes below for the best pans to use for this recipe.
Step 4: Mix the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour and sugar until well combined.
Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir until a sticky dough forms. If it seems a bit dry, add just a splash more buttermilk until everything comes together.
Gently stir in the floured blueberries. Be careful not to overmix. Just enough to evenly distribute the ingredients throughout the dough.
Step 5: Add to Baking Dish
Spoon the dough right into your prepared dish over the melted butter. Use a spatula to spread the mixture out as evenly as possible. Some of the butter will pool on top. Don’t worry, that’s the magic!
You can add a few extra blueberries on top before baking if you like.
Step 6: Score the Dough
Use a butter knife to lightly score the dough into 9 squares (a 3×3 grid). This helps make it easier to cut and serve once they’re baked.
Step 7: Bake
Place the dish on the center rack and bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through to ensure even baking.
Step 8: Let Them Rest
Once baked, let the biscuits rest in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes. This gives the butter time to soak into every bite.
Step 9: Add Glaze (Optional)
If you’re glazing, sift powdered sugar. Then, whisk the powdered sugar with milk until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the warm biscuits before serving, or coat it over the top. These are also delicious without a glaze; leave them plain and let those golden tops shine.
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Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuit Tips
- Skip dark metal pans: A dark metal baking dish tends to overcook the edges before the center is done. Stick with light-colored metal, glass, or ceramic. I love my USA Pan—it’s made of metal, but it works beautifully for this recipe. These are truly my favorite baking pans.
- Use a deeper baking dish: Because the butter and dough expand while baking, don’t use a shallow pan. My baking dish is 2.25 inches deep, and I’ve never had issues with overflow. If your pan is on the shallow side, place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on the bottom rack to catch any potential drips—just in case!
- Sweetness level: Some folks prefer no sugar in their blueberry butter biscuits, especially if you’re adding glaze.
- Sugar Topping: You can also sprinkle 1–2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar on top before baking for a little crunch.
- Salted vs. unsalted butter: Salted butter adds a nice balance to the sweet blueberries and glaze, but you can absolutely use unsalted if that’s what you have on hand.
- Baking tip: Oven times can vary. Check for doneness at the 20-minute mark. The tops should be golden, and a toothpick in the center should come out clean with no wet batter.
Variations and Substitutions
- No buttermilk? You can make a quick buttermilk substitute by mixing 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes, then use it as a substitute for buttermilk.
- Use a different fruit: No blueberries on hand? Try: chopped strawberries (pat dry first), Raspberries, Chopped peaches, or Blackberries (cut in half if they’re large).
- Add lemon flavor: For a fresh twist, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough and a splash of lemon juice to the glaze. Lemon + blueberry is always a win!
- Make them cinnamon-sugar style: add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry mix. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar before baking. It’s like a cross between a biscuit and a snickerdoodle. You can do this with blueberries or without
- Want extra crunch? Sprinkle turbinado sugar (or even coarse white sugar) on top before baking for a crisp, sweet crust.
- Gluten-free option: I haven’t personally tested it, but a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix that includes leavening (such as King Arthur or Cup4Cup, which includes added baking powder/salt) should work. Let me know if you try it!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use frozen blueberries. Thaw them first and pat dry. Then, toss them in flour, just as you would fresh berries. Keep in mind that frozen berries may add a little extra moisture and slightly streak the dough, but the biscuits will still be delicious.
No worries! You can make your own by combining all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt. For each cup of self-rising flour, use 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Absolutely. I prefer salted butter for a nice balance with the sweet berries, but unsalted works just fine. You can always add a pinch of salt to the dough if you like.
How To Store Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits
Room Temperature:
These biscuits are best the day they’re made, but you can store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Make sure they’re completely cool before storing to prevent sogginess.
Refrigerator:
For slightly longer storage, place the cooled biscuits in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. They may firm up and dry out a bit in the fridge, but they can be reheated.
Reheating Tips:
Warm individual biscuits in the microwave for about 15–20 seconds or pop them in a 325℉ oven for 5–10 minutes until warmed through. This helps re-crisp the edges and revive that buttery goodness.
Freezing:
Let the biscuits cool completely, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven until heated through.
More Delicious Blueberry Recipes
- Blueberry Pound Cake
- Soft Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Mini Almond Cakes with Whipped Blueberry Icing
- Blueberry Vinaigrette
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- French Toast Bake with Blueberries
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Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, 1 stick
- 2 ½ cups self-rising flour, plus 1 tablespoon for tossing blueberries
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, adjust to taste—see notes
- 1 ¾ cups cold buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
Optional Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 – 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Prep the blueberries: In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. This helps prevent them from sinking in the batter.
- Melt the butter: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Pour melted butter into a baking dish. Note: You can melt the butter directly in the 9×9-inch baking dish, as long as it's not metal and is microwave-safe.
- Mix the dough: In a medium bowl, stir together the self-rising flour and sugar. Pour in the cold buttermilk and mix just until combined and sticky. If it’s too dry, add a splash more buttermilk.
- Add blueberries: Gently fold in the floured blueberries.
- Transfer to a baking dish: Pour biscuit dough into a 9X9 baking dish on top of the melted butter. Some of the butter will run over the top of the dough. Spread out the batter evenly (as best as you can). I do this with a small silicone spatula.
- Score into squares: Using a butter knife, gently slice the dough into 9 squares (3×3 grid). This will not be perfect, it will just help with cutting the biscuits when they are baked.
- Bake: Place on the center rack and bake for 18–25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. The top should be golden brown, and when you insert a wooden pick in the center, it should come out clean (without wet batter). They are done when the biscuits are golden brown on top and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. You may still see some butter bubbling along the sides.
- Let them rest: Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes to allow the butter to soak in. Cut into 9 equal pieces.
- (Optional) Add glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Start with 1 tablespoon of milk and adjust the amount as needed until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle over the warm biscuits.
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Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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