Why Muffin Pans?
These hearty biscuit rounds bake up as individual portions layered with smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, and scallions - sturdy enough for grab-and-go breakfasts all week. They reheat beautifully and eat like a cross between a biscuit and a breakfast sandwich without the fuss of assembly.
Ingredients
- 8 oz thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (scooped and leveled)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (packed, about 4 oz)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (shake well before measuring)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter (for brushing tops)
- Nonstick cooking spray (for the pan)
Instructions
- 01Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, making sure to coat the sides of each cup.
- 02Cook the bacon: Lay the bacon slices in a single layer in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool, then crumble or chop into small pieces. Reserve 1 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat from the pan and discard the rest.
- 03In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until well combined.
- 04Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Don't overwork it; you want visible bits of butter.
- 05Stir in the shredded cheddar, sliced scallions, and crumbled bacon, tossing gently to distribute them evenly through the flour mixture.
- 06In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, Dijon mustard, honey, and the reserved 1 tbsp bacon fat until smooth and emulsified.
- 07Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently just until no dry pockets of flour remain. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky; avoid overmixing to keep the biscuits tender.
- 08Divide the dough evenly among the 12 muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup of dough per cup. A lightly greased 1/4-cup measuring cup or scoop helps portion and press the dough in. Gently pat the tops to level them without compacting too much.
- 09Brush the tops lightly with the 1 tbsp melted butter. Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of the oven.
- 10Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit round comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
- 11Let the biscuit rounds cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a small offset spatula or butter knife around the edges to loosen and lift them out to a wire rack. Cool at least 10 more minutes before packing for storage, or serve warm.
Chef's Notes
These keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days; reheat in a 325°F oven for 8-10 minutes or in a toaster oven until warmed through and crisp at the edges. If your kitchen runs warm, chill the dough in the bowl for 10 minutes before portioning to keep the butter cold, which gives you better lift and flakiness. You can swap cheddar for pepper jack and add a pinch of cayenne if you want more heat, but don't skip the Dijon - it sharpens the flavor and keeps the biscuits from tasting flat after a few days in the fridge.
Behind the Scenes
How This Recipe Was Made
Follow the creative team's conversation as they developed, photographed, and published this recipe.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Margaret
Head Baker
Marcus
Copywriter
Steph
Project Manager
Julian
Art Director
Devon
Site Architect
Ria
Social Media Manager
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Alright. Bacon biscuit rounds in a muffin pan. Someone finally wants to do something that actually tastes good instead of looks good.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
I know, right? Like, we can actually let the bacon do the work here instead of overthinking it.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Good instinct. Don't let anyone convince you to stuff them with something precious or drizzle them with whatever's trending.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
That's exactly what I was worried about - like, what if we got caught up in the technique and forgot these are just really good biscuits?
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
The technique IS the thing here - laminate the dough right and you don't need anything else.
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
Yeah but the lamination moment - that's the hook, that's where we stop the scroll, can we get video of that pull-apart?
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
Bacon biscuits no fluff - I can work with that. Just need Margaret pulling them warm from the oven, that golden exterior catching light. People share that.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
The pull-apart shot is perfect - that's exactly the moment that matters. Okay, we're doing this: warm biscuits, bacon visible, Margaret's hands, no extra noise. I think we've got it. Good work today, everyone.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Pulled the test trays this morning. Bacon rounds are too dense - butter ratio's throwing everything off. We need to talk about it before we lock anything.
Marcus Reid · Copywriter
Yeah, I tasted one earlier and that density is actually interesting to me - it's reading almost like a savory scone, which could work if we lean into that texture as intentional instead of fighting it.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
I hear you, but Margaret's right - if we're going for biscuit we need that flakiness, not scone density, so maybe we just dial back the butter slightly and see what happens?
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Slightly isn't going to cut it - we're talking a quarter cup down, maybe more. Test it that way and we'll know by tomorrow.
Marcus Reid · Copywriter
If the butter drops that much, the salt in the bacon's going to dominate - we might need to pull back on seasoning or the whole thing tips savory instead of rich.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
That's fair - so we test with the butter cut and keep the seasoning where it is, see if the bacon still reads. If it tips too savory we adjust from there tomorrow. Good catch on that, by the way. I'm heading out, but we've got what we need.
Julian Torres · Art Director
Just got the bacon biscuits dialed in - shot three distinct approaches, all of them working. Macro's got the crumb structure, overhead shows the whole pan geometry, three-quarter's warm and inviting. Curious what everyone thinks should lead.
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
Three approaches is smart, but the macro crumb shot is the one - that's the stop scroll pm, people need to see why these are different from a regular biscuit.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
The crumb shot's fine if you want to sell microscopes instead of breakfast.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
I think the crumb detail actually matters though - that's what makes these bacon biscuits feel premium, right?
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
The three-quarter with steam hitting those crispy bacon edges - that's the visual that makes someone stop pm hungry. Macro kills it.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Steam shot works. Just make sure the bacon's actually crispy - not that limp diner stuff. Get it right the first time.
Julian Torres · Art Director
The three-quarter angle with steam gives us that premium feel - bacon's actually rendered crispy, not soggy. Skip the macro, it reads clinical.
Marcus Reid · Copywriter
Morning. Got the bacon biscuits in front of me and I think the title should be "Crisp Bacon, Tender Crumb" - there's a textural contrast happening that feels honest about what these actually are.
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
The textural angle is smart, but "Crisp Bacon, Tender Crumb" reads like a menu description. What if we lead with the payoff - like "Bacon Biscuits That Actually Shatter" - then let the crumb softness be the surprise?
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
"Shatter" is marketing language. Just call them what they are - Bacon Biscuit Rounds. People know what they're getting.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
Wait - before we lock this, can we taste test one more time? I want to make sure "Rounds" actually describes what people see when they bite in.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Bacon biscuits in a muffin tin. Fine. Let's see what we're actually shipping.
Julian Torres · Art Director
The muffin tin reads clean, but I need to see how Devon's laying out the hero shot before I sign off - the composition can't get buried in bad spacing.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
Yeah, Devon's got the layout locked in - I checked it this morning and the hero shot's got plenty of breathing room.
Julian Torres · Art Director
Good - if the spacing is actually there, the cross-section detail won't get lost in the layout.
Marcus Reid · Copywriter
The spacing working out means the lamination detail actually lands - that's the whole story right there, so we're good to ship it.
Devon Park · Site Architect
Staging the muffin pan recipe now, should be live in a few.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Good, just make sure the bacon ratio is actually readable - people will mess it up otherwise.
Devon Park · Site Architect
Copy, bumped up the font size on the ratios so it won't get skipped.
Margaret Chen · Head Baker
Weight measurements or they'll dump in random amounts and blame the recipe.
Stephanie 'Steph' Whitmore · Project Manager
Okay, we're here. Bacon biscuit rounds - let's make sure this lands right before we push it live.
Ria Castillo · Social Media Manager
Cool - I need that pull shot of the bacon coming out crispy, then we lead with the biscuit break on feed and save the hero for stories.
Marcus Reid · Copywriter
The bacon pull is smart - that's where the story actually lives, the moment it becomes something worth eating. Copy's locked and ready to go with it. I'm calling it a day.