If there was ever a day we needed to celebrate it’s National Buttermilk Biscuit Day. After all, what’s more Southern than Buttermilk Biscuits? Nothing makes your tummy happier than enjoying a warm, hand-rolled buttermilk biscuit topped with real butter, jam, or savory Sawmill Gravy. We love ’em, and we know you do too. They are a part of who we are and on Sunday, May 14th, we get to enjoy them a little bit more. So, let’s get rolling!
History of the Buttermilk Biscuit
You might be surprised that the biscuit you know and love was very different back in the day. The word biscuit comes from the Latin word “bis coctus,” meaning twice baked. The original process involved baking bread and drying it out in an oven to create a sustainable biscuit that could survive for weeks so armies could use it for sustainable food (think, Biscotti). At that time, flour was a luxury and only available at trading posts, so the biscuit that was created ended up being flat and hard. They were commonly referred to as “beaten biscuits” or “Sea Biscuits” because they were so popular among sailors.
It wasn’t until the introduction of mechanized flour mills during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century that the true Southern biscuit began to take shape and “rise” to new heights in popularity.
Buttermilk Biscuits & Cracker Barrel
Our history with buttermilk biscuits goes back to our founder Dan Evans and his Southern roots. Dan’s vision was to create a welcoming rest stop for travelers with comforting cuisine steeped in Southern tradition and homemade goodness. Biscuits were a staple at any Southern table, and they’ve been part of our table since the beginning.
We’ve been making biscuits from scratch for over 45 years with the same simple, high-quality ingredients, using custom-designed rolling pins and biscuit cutters developed by Cracker Barrel many, many years ago. Each of our 664+ Country Stores has a dedicated biscuit oven that produces a fresh batch of warm biscuits, perfectly flakey in texture and thickness. Handmade and delicious. That’s the reason why they all look a little bit different.
Buttermilk Biscuit Facts
Did you know?
• Cracker Barrel serves over 210 million biscuits a year! That means over 825,000 biscuits are made each day!
• We serve over 7 million servings of strawberry, grape, and blackberry jellies a year. Plus 1.6 million pounds of Apple Butter. That’s a lot of biscuit toppings!
• A US “biscuit” would be considered a scone in the UK. You’d get a cookie if you ask for a “biscuit” in the UK.
• Biscuits use baking soda, while rolls use yeast. In the 18th century, Southern cooks used lard or butter to try to make a lighter biscuit, but they were still rather dense because they did not have a leavening agent. Baking soda made its debut in the mid 19th century and bakers were able to start making the lighter biscuits we know today.
How to Celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
If all this talk about biscuits makes you hungry, don’t worry. Here are a few fun ways you can celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day at home or with us.
Make Your Own Biscuits
Feeling adventurous? Put on your apron and create some biscuits at home with our easy-to-use Biscuit and Dumplin’ Mix. This one package lets you choose between baking up a sheet of classic, golden-brown biscuits or some delicious, to-die-for dumplings. One box yields roughly 16 biscuits or 16 servings of dumplings, and it’s super easy to make. Just add water and flour. It’s a little taste of home, from our kitchen to yours.
Try Some Buttermilk Biscuit Recipes
Here are a few biscuit themed recipes we like that give some of our famous sides a special twist.
Almond Streusel Fried Apples
Our famous Fried Apples get a crunchy makeover in just a few simple steps using our Biscuit & Dumplin’ Mix. This easy to make recipe makes a great snack or yummy dessert to celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day with the family tonight.
Get the full recipe here.
Crunchy Hashbrown Fritters
Create the ultimate game-day snack and celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day with a little zest of savory, salty goodness. Transform our famous Hashbrown Casserole into delectable bite sized fritters.
Get the full recipe here.
Blackberry Jam Hand Pies
Create some portable pies, perfect for popping using Blackberry Jam, Biscuit Mix and a little creativity. Let the kids practice their culinary skills by creating these fun, personal desserts. No fork needed.
Get the full recipe here.
Order Biscuits (& More) To-Go
Celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day with the family tonight by ordering your favorite Cracker Barrel meal for convenient pickup or delivery. Order one of our popular Family Meal Baskets like our Sunday Homestyle Chicken Family Meal Basket. It’s a complete meal that comes with your choice of two sides and, of course, buttermilk biscuits. Try something new like our Biscuit Beignets. We take our buttermilk biscuit dough and deep-fry it, then toss it in cinnamon sugar with butter pecan sauce for dipping, (Yes, they are that good). Browse our full menu for more options and we’ll make sure to add plenty of biscuits and jam to your order.
Visit Us at Your Local Cracker Barrel
So, a piece of bacon and a biscuit walk into a bar…
And the bartender says, “Sorry, but we don’t serve breakfast here.” 😊
That’s OK…we do! (All-day actually). So, come on in and celebrate National Buttermilk Biscuit Day with us. Find the Cracker Barrel nearest you, and let us serve you a meal made with care, complete with warm, hand-rolled buttermilk biscuits. Make sure you use our online wait list to avoid the line and when you’re done you can even pay your check from anywhere in the store using our new Mobile Pay.
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day may come around only once a year, but thankfully you can celebrate your love of biscuits with us anytime you want. After all, if we could all have biscuits every day, wouldn’t the world be a butter place?
