Name: Brenda Gantt White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: White Lily self-rising flour; Full-fat buttermilk ~ 1½ cups; 2 egg-sized pieces

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I still remember the first time I watched Brenda Gantt make biscuits on Facebook Live. She was calm, unhurried, and completely at ease -no measuring cups, no electric mixer, just a well-worn biscuit bowl, cold lard, and a pour of buttermilk that looked more like intuition than a recipe. By the end of the video, millions of people were watching. And honestly? I understood why.

These aren’t just biscuits. They’re a love letter to Southern cooking – impossibly soft, cloud-light in the center, with just enough golden crust to hold them together. Once you learn her technique, you’ll never go back to a boxed mix again.

Note: This is a copycat recreation inspired by Brenda Gantt’s viral biscuit method, made to replicate that same homemade Southern magic in your own kitchen.

Table of Contents

What Are Brenda Gantt Biscuits and Why Do Fans Love Them?

Brenda Gantt’s White Lily buttermilk biscuits are a masterclass in old-fashioned Southern biscuit-making. They belong to the “drop and pat” Southern tradition -soft, tender, thick biscuits that rise tall without a rolling pin and stay pillowy inside even as they cool.

What sets them apart from standard homemade biscuits? Two things: White Lily self-rising flour and real lard or shortening, worked into buttermilk with nothing but your fingers. No food processor. No cold butter cut into cubes. No fuss.

Compared to flaky laminated biscuits (think Popeyes-style) or dense drop biscuits, Brenda’s version sits in a category of its own -rustic yet refined, humble yet unforgettable. Fans love them because they taste exactly like what grandma used to make, except now you have the actual method. The simplicity is the point. When three ingredients and one hot iron skillet produce something this good, you remember why Southern baking has endured for generations.

The Nostalgic History Behind Brenda Gantt’s Southern Biscuit Tradition

Brenda Gantt is an Alabama home cook who became a social media phenomenon almost overnight. In 2020, her unplanned Facebook Live biscuit video -filmed the morning after her husband’s funeral –went massively viral, drawing millions of viewers who were captivated not just by her technique, but by her warmth, humor, and authenticity.

But the roots of this recipe stretch back far longer than social media. Southern buttermilk biscuits made with lard or shortening and self-rising flour are a direct inheritance from Appalachian and Deep South cooking traditions dating back centuries. The biscuit bowl method she uses -keeping dry flour around the edges and working wet into dry from the center -is a passed-down technique that home cooks used long before baking became a measured, clinical process.

White Lily flour itself has been a Southern pantry staple since 1883, milled from soft red winter wheat with lower protein content than all-purpose flour. That’s precisely what gives these biscuits their signature tenderness. Brenda didn’t invent this tradition -she simply reminded millions of people that it still exists, and that it’s worth keeping alive.

Key Ingredients That Give Brenda Gantt Biscuits Their Signature Flavor

Three ingredients. That’s it. But each one carries serious weight.

White Lily Self-Rising Flour is non-negotiable in this recipe. Milled from soft red winter wheat, it has a lower protein content (around 8–9%) compared to standard all-purpose flour (10–12%). Less protein means less gluten development, which translates directly to a softer, more tender crumb. It also already contains salt and leavening, so no additional baking powder, baking soda, or salt is needed. Substituting with all-purpose flour will produce a noticeably denser biscuit.

Real Lard or Vegetable Shortening is the fat that creates that melt-in-your-mouth interior. Brenda uses two “egg-sized” pieces -an old-school measurement that keeps the process intuitive rather than clinical. Lard produces a slightly richer, more savory flavor; shortening gives a cleaner, more neutral result. Butter can work in a pinch but changes the texture.

Full-Fat Buttermilk is the soul of the dough. Its acidity reacts with the leavening in the self-rising flour to produce lift and tenderness, while the fat content keeps the biscuits moist. Don’t use low-fat buttermilk, and don’t substitute regular milk -the tang and the chemistry both matter here. Use about 1½ cups, or more if the dough needs it. Let the dough guide you.

Recipe Ingredients -Brenda Gantt White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes approximately 30 biscuits

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
White Lily self-rising flour	As needed (start with ~4 cups in the bowl)	Do NOT substitute with all-purpose flour if you want authentic results
Full-fat buttermilk	~1½ cups (or more)	Don’t skimp -the dough should be soft and slightly sticky
Lard or vegetable shortening	2 egg-sized pieces (~¼ cup total)	Real lard preferred for flavor; shortening works well too

Substitution Notes:

No White Lily? Use any soft wheat self-rising flour. If unavailable, make your own: for every 1 cup all-purpose flour, add 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt -but accept that texture will differ.
No lard or shortening? Cold unsalted butter works but produces a slightly denser, flakier result rather than Brenda’s signature soft biscuit.
No buttermilk? Mix 1½ cups whole milk with 1½ tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice. Let sit 5 minutes before using. Results will be slightly less tangy.

Tools You Need to Make Brenda Gantt’s Biscuits at Home

Kitchen Tools:

Large mixing bowl (a wide, deep ceramic or enamel “biscuit bowl” is ideal)
Biscuit cutter or a clean empty can (Brenda uses an old pizza sauce can -about 2½ inches wide)
Flat iron skillet or cast iron griddle, greased
Oven

That’s genuinely it. No stand mixer, no rolling pin, no pastry cutter, no parchment paper.

Preparation & Cooking Time:

	Time
Prep Time	10 minutes
Mix Time	~2 minutes
Bake Time	8–10 minutes
Total Time	~20 minutes

Steps to Make Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits

1. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Grease your flat iron skillet or cast iron griddle and set aside.

2. Add the fat to your biscuit bowl. Place two egg-sized pieces of lard or shortening in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.

3. Pour in the buttermilk. Add approximately 1½ cups of full-fat buttermilk directly over the fat. Using your fingers, squash and work the grease into the buttermilk until loosely combined. It won’t fully emulsify -that’s fine.

4. Add the flour gradually. Pour a generous amount of White Lily self-rising flour around the edges of the bowl, forming a well. Begin pulling flour from the sides into the wet mixture, working it in gently with your fingers. Keep the outer edges and top of the flour dry as you work inward.

5. Mix just until the dough comes together. Work the dough for no more than about 2 minutes total. It should be soft, slightly sticky, and just cohesive -not smooth, not stiff. Do not overwork it. Do not plunge your whole hand deep into the dough.

6. Clean your hands the Brenda way. Use your clean hand to pull any dough off your working hand. Then rub both hands with a little dry flour to remove residue before heading to the sink.

7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Optionally, gently pull up the sides and fold the dough over itself once or twice for smoother biscuit tops.

8. Pat the dough down gently to about ½ inch thick. Do not use a rolling pin -use your palm.

9. Cut the biscuits using your cutter or can. Press straight down without twisting (twisting seals the edges and reduces rise). Place biscuits on the greased skillet, touching each other slightly for taller, softer sides.

10. Bake at 500°F for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden on top. Do not overbake -Brenda prefers them pale golden, not dark brown.

11. Serve immediately. Split open while hot, add a generous pat of butter, and top with jam, pear preserves, honey, or sausage gravy.

Pro Tips for Getting Brenda Gantt’s Biscuit Flavor Just Right

Getting these biscuits right is mostly about respecting the process – and resisting the urge to over-control it.

1. Don’t over-mix

This is the single most common mistake. Overworking the dough develops gluten, which turns your biscuits tough and dense instead of soft and airy. Mix only until the dough just comes together -about 2 minutes, no more.

2. Use real White Lily flour

It makes a measurable difference. The lower protein content is what gives Southern biscuits their characteristic tenderness. If you’ve ever made biscuits with all-purpose flour and wondered why they weren’t quite right, this is likely the reason.

3. Don’t cut the fat into the flour

Unlike traditional flaky biscuit methods, Brenda’s technique works the fat into the buttermilk first. This creates a different texture -cohesive and soft rather than flaky and layered. Follow her order of operations exactly.

4. Work with wet dough

It should feel slightly sticky and soft, not dry and workable. If it feels too firm, add a splash more buttermilk. Dry dough = dry biscuits.

5. Don’t twist the cutter

Press straight down, lift straight up. Twisting compresses the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising fully.

6. High heat is essential

500°F sounds aggressive, but it’s what keeps the biscuits from drying out during baking. The short, hot bake produces that light, fluffy interior with a just-golden top.

7. Bake them touching

Placing biscuits close together on the skillet means they support each other as they rise, producing taller, softer sides -the hallmark of a great Southern biscuit.

Easy Variations to Customize These Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Once you have the base recipe down, these biscuits are a wonderfully versatile canvas.

Cheddar & Herb Biscuits: Fold in ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1 teaspoon dried chives or rosemary into the dough during the final mix. Perfect alongside soups or as a savory breakfast sandwich base.

Honey Butter Biscuits: Brush the tops with a mixture of melted butter and honey right as they come out of the oven for a sweet, glossy finish.A bowl of hearty beef stew is even more satisfying with Brenda Gantt White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe on the side.

Black Pepper & Bacon Biscuits: Mix in 2 tablespoons of crumbled cooked bacon and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper for a smoky, savory variation that pairs beautifully with eggs.

Mini Biscuits: Use a smaller cutter to make bite-sized biscuits for sliders or party appetizers. Reduce bake time to 6–7 minutes.

Dairy-Free Version: Substitute the buttermilk with full-fat coconut milk plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and use vegetable shortening. The texture won’t be identical, but it’s a solid alternative.

Best Ways to Serve Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Biscuits in Your Meals

These biscuits are as versatile as they are delicious, and they move effortlessly from breakfast to dinner.

Classic Southern Breakfast: Split them open while still steaming hot and tuck in a generous pat of salted butter. Add a drizzle of sourwood honey or a spoonful of homemade pear preserves -Brenda’s personal favorite -for a breakfast that needs absolutely nothing else.

Biscuits & Gravy: Ladle thick, peppery sausage gravy over split biscuits for the quintessential Southern comfort meal. The soft, absorbent crumb of these biscuits is ideal for soaking up gravy without falling apart.

Breakfast Sandwich: Layer a fried or scrambled egg, a slice of sharp cheddar, and a strip of crispy bacon or country ham between two biscuit halves. Compact, satisfying, and infinitely better than anything drive-through.

Alongside Dinner: These biscuits serve beautifully as a dinner bread alongside fried chicken, slow-cooked collard greens, beef stew, or a bowl of chicken and dumplings. Their mild, buttery flavor complements virtually any Southern main course.

Strawberry Biscuit Shortcake: Split cooled biscuits, pile on fresh macerated strawberries, and finish with a dollop of whipped cream for an effortless Southern-style shortcake dessert.

As a Snack: Straight from the pan with nothing on them. Honestly, they don’t need a thing – especially in the first five minutes out of the oven when the crust is just barely set and the inside is still steaming.

One batch makes about 30 biscuits, which means you’ll have plenty to share, freeze, or quietly eat over the sink when no one is watching. We won’t judge.

How to Store Brenda Gantt Biscuits and Keep Them Fresh

Room Temperature: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. They stay reasonably soft if sealed well.

Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cold biscuits firm up, so reheating is essential before eating.

Freezer: These biscuits freeze beautifully. Place cooled biscuits in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months.

To Reheat:

Oven (best method): Wrap in foil and heat at 350°F for 8–10 minutes. They’ll taste nearly fresh-baked.
Microwave: 20–30 seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel. Quick but slightly softens the crust.
Air Fryer: 300°F for 3–4 minutes for a slightly crisped exterior.

Nutrition Facts and Dietary Notes for White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits

Estimated per biscuit (based on a batch of 30):

	Per Biscuit
Calories	~110–130 kcal
Carbohydrates	~17g
Fat	~4–5g
Protein	~2–3g
Sodium	~220mg

Values are estimates and will vary based on exact flour quantity and fat used.

Dietary Notes:

Gluten-Free: Not suitable as written. A 1:1 gluten-free self-rising flour blend can be attempted, but texture will differ significantly.
Vegan: Substitute buttermilk with plant-based milk + vinegar, and use vegetable shortening. Results are close but not identical.
Lower Fat: Replacing lard with a reduced amount of Greek yogurt mixed into the buttermilk reduces fat but also reduces richness and rise.
Health Benefit: Buttermilk provides calcium, probiotics, and is lower in fat than regular whole milk, contributing to a lighter biscuit with some nutritional benefit beyond pure indulgence.

Conclusion – Now It’s Your Turn to Make Brenda Gantt’s Famous Biscuits

Brenda Gantt’s White Lily buttermilk biscuits aren’t complicated. They never were. They’re about trusting your hands, using the right ingredients, and not overthinking a process that generations of Southern cooks have had memorized by heart.

Make them once and you’ll understand the obsession. Make them twice and they’ll become part of your regular rotation.