I Just Hacked a Box of Bisquick and Made the Best Biscuits Ever

I just baked a batch of tender, fluffy, soft-as-a-pillow biscuits, and I didn’t even break a sweat. That’s because I tried a new biscuit-making method, and it’s easier than anything I’ve ever made before. And here's the thing: the biscuits came out even more buttery and delicious than I anticipated.

What's my secret? A box of Bisquick and a can of Sprite. That’s right—I’m not asking you to freeze and grate butter, do any elaborate kneading and folding, or even have buttermilk on hand. Put away the food processor and the bench scraper. When I say these are easy, I mean four ingredients, one bowl, and in and out of the oven in 12 minutes flat.

Most of us have a box of Bisquick laying around, which is why I love this recipe. The versatile mix has its own back-of-box biscuit recipe, but these are better. Why? The carbonation in Sprite (or 7-Up) mimics the acid in buttermilk, which reacts with the leavener in Bisquick to create tender, fluffy biscuits. (It’s the same science behind adding Sprite to a box of cake mix). Sour cream and butter make them extra rich.

I didn't come up with this technique, but I did improve on it by baking the biscuits in a cast iron skillet and finishing them with melted butter. A sprinkling of flaky salt wouldn't be out of place, either. Here’s how to make the best 7-Up biscuits:

How to Make 7-Up Biscuits Step-by-Step

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pour 2 cups Bisquick into a medium bowl. Add ½ cup sour cream and mix with a fork until the sour cream is coated, then finish working it in with your fingertips. Add ½ cup Sprite or 7-Up and stir to combine.

2. Dust a large cutting board or work surface with more Bisquick. Transfer the dough to the surface and pat it into a rectangle, folding it over onto itself a few times so that it’s lightly coated and not sticking to the surface. Use a round biscuit cutter to cut circles from the dough.

3. Place 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and transfer to the hot oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl so that the butter coves the bottom of the pan. Begin placing biscuits into the pan, re-rolling and cutting out more until you're out of dough. You should be able to make about 10-12 biscuits, depending on the size of your cutter. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter (we like this one), you can use anything in your kitchen with a sharp edge, such as a thin-rimmed baking glass—but your biscuits won’t rise quite as tall.

4. Bake until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Brush with melted butter and top with flaky salt, if desired.

A Few Variations:

• If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, bake these in an 8x8 inch square baking dish or a 8 or 9 inch cake pan.
• If you’re feeding a large crowd, double the recipe and bake in a 9x13” baking dish.
• No sour cream on hand? Use whole milk or full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead.
• Feeling fancy? Fold in some grated cheddar and chopped chives for a cheesy, savory version.