Carrot Butter Biscuits

These carrot biscuits are all about moisture and flavor, and they might be a fun twist on a classic, but they are designed for the biscuit skeptics in you life. I love a good biscuit, but too often I hear that people think they are “dry” or “boring,” and this biscuit is designed to counteract that (very false!) notion. These biscuits are subtly sweet, deliciously moist from the carrots, but still maintain a crispy exterior and cravable, flakey layers. With spring here and carrots in abundance, there’s no better time for a carrot biscuit.

Plus, this recipe only makes 6 generous, golden biscuits. So if you are looking for an easy biscuit recipe for a weekend morning, these are a great contender.

When are carrots in season?

Although you can easily find carrots in most grocery stores year round, they do, in fact, have a peak season like any other fruit or vegetable. Or technically, two seasons. Carrots are first planted once the ground is soft in early spring, then again in late summer, and are harvested in late spring and fall.

The fact that they have two growing cycles in much of the US means we get to enjoy them for more of the year than some other produce. Fall harvests are often extended in temperate regions by leaving them in mulch-covered ground to be slowly harvested in the cooler months, or cellared to be sold during winter months.

Although they’re available year round, you’re likely to find the best, most delicious carrots from June through early August—the exact time may vary depending on where you live.

Why put carrots in these carrot biscuits?

While it may initially seem ~a little unordinary~ to put carrots in a biscuit, and I may actually be pushing biscuit skeptics further from the desire to try them, carrots actually have a long history of being incorporated into baking in times when sugar was hard to come by. Not only are carrots a great way to add sweetness to your baked goods without only one simple ingredient, they also add moisture, nutrients, and a touch of character to your biscuits. Like confetti, but subtle.

How to prepare the carrots for this recipe

We want to incorporate the natural sweetness and moisture of the carrots, but we don’t want them to be too prominent or leave our finished product too wet. To avoid a soggy, unbakeable biscuit, we finely grate the carrots and then squeeze out any excess moisture with our hands. This ensures the finished product is moist, but overall balanced and easy to work with!

Ingredients you will need for carrot biscuits

The ingredients in this recipe are pretty standard, so if you’ve dabbled in baking before, you’ll likely have most of them already on hand. Here’s what you need to make these carrot butter biscuits:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, 300 grams
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half if using Morton’s
• 1 tsp cinnamon, optional
• 8 tbsp salted butter, 113 grams, chilled
• 1/2 cup & 2 tbsp buttermilk, chilled
• 2/3 cup grated carrots, squeezed out of all excess moisture, 110 grams after the squeezing
• 1 medium egg, for egg wash

Why is this recipe in grams?

Baking is a very finicky and exact science. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, and not volume. As much as I wish I could give you multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe measuring by cups might cause some volatility and miss-matched results. I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe!

How to prepare the sweet carrot biscuit dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Cube the butter into 1 cm thick pieces, add to the flour mixture. Toss with your hands to coat in the flour, then squeeze the pieces into flatter pieces, breaking them up with your hands until they are all about bean sized and combined into the flour. Make a well in the center.

Pour the buttermilk into the center of the well, then add the carrots. Working quickly, use your hands to form a shaggy dough. Give it a few kneads in the bowl to bring it together, then put the bowl in the refrigerator. Let chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk together the egg in a small bowl.

Flip the dough out onto the counter and flatten into a rectangle. Cut the dough into thirds and place them on top of each other, press down to create numerous flakey layers. Rotate this new piece of dough 90° and repeat one more time. Then pat the dough down into a rectangle about 2″ tall. Cut into 6 even pieces.

Evenly spread out the carrot biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each with the egg wash.

Bake for 24-26 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and almost double in height. Serve warm!

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