The Best Breakfast Protein Biscuits
When I made these for the first time at 33 weeks pregnant, my 5- and 3-year-olds gobbled them up and said “you can’t even taste the green parts.” Sneaky protein and greens are always a win-win for me.
So if you want something delicious, high-protein, and easy to make, these biscuits with protein hit the mark. A few highlights:
- Packed with protein from milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and ham.
- Just like classic flaky biscuits thanks to an easy fold technique. They’re super tall, tender, and layered.
- Perfect for breakfast sandwiches: they already have 10g of protein, but add in scrambled eggs and veggies and you easily hit your protein goals.
- Family-friendly: mild garlic-chive flavor (kid-approved!), but also easy to customize.
Bonus: They’re great for pregnancy! According to dietitians, dairy provides vitamin B12, iodine, choline, calcium, which are nutrients moms and babies need.
Love high-protein cottage cheese recipes? Try cottage cheese bagels, cottage cheese flatbread, or cottage cheese pancakes next.
Tested Tips Before You Start
- Always measure flour properly (fluff, spoon, level) so dough isn’t too dry.
- Don’t over mix the dough! It will be crumbly as you mix it but will come together when you turn it out onto the counter.
- Press the biscuit cutter straight in and out (no twisting) so you get the tall flaky layers.
- Bake the biscuits touching! This encourages them to rise taller rather than spreading wide.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Each ingredient adds flavor and function. Here’s what to use and why:
- All-purpose flour: gives them structure. I tested these with gf flour, too!
- Baking powder + baking soda: aluminum-free avoids that metallic aftertaste.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: rich and flavorful, plus adds extra moisture and some protein.
- Ham (cooked, diced): for a bit more protein and savory flavor.
- Chives: fresh flavor without overpowering, but you could omit.
- Avocado oil or melted coconut oil: the fat adds tenderness to the dough.
- Cottage cheese (blended smooth): the moisture + protein helps keep biscuits lighter and adds protein. You can’t taste the cottage cheese flavor!
- Whole milk: adds a bit more dairy protein and helps the tops brown. Milk is high in quality protein, iodine, and B vitamins (all things I’m looking for during this pregnancy!).
- Honey: for just a hint of sweetness.
- Topping: melted butter + honey: for flavor and glossy finish (highly recommend!).
Bonus: this recipe has shredded cheddar, cottage cheese, and milk! I specifically developed this with being pregnant in mind because dairy foods provide important nutrients that help support a healthy pregnancy! Peep my bump in the photo above:).
How to Make Protein Biscuits
Step 1. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the dry ingredients and seasoning then stir in the cheddar, ham, and chives.
Step 2. Wet Ingredients: Create a well in the center then add the wet ingredients. Stir to combine with a fork then start to bring in the dry ingredients until it’s all combined. It will be shaggy and wet in spots.
Step 3. Turn Out + Fold: Dump dough onto floured surface and press together to get all of the loose bits. Flatten into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle then fold one side into center, the other side over it (like a book). Repeat.
Step 4. Cut the Biscuits: Press cutter straight down (no twist) into dough to cut ~3-inch rounds. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
Step 5. Bake. Arrange biscuits touching in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Brush tops with milk and bake for ~15 minutes.
Step 6. Finish with Topping: Whisk melted butter & honey in a bowl then brush generously on top of the warm protein biscuits. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
This recipe is sponsored by American Dairy Association Mideast. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to brands like theirs who believe in our mission and recipes so we can continue to share free ones with you. Visit their website for dairy nutrition facts, cooking tips and to learn about dairy farming.
More High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
Protein Biscuits
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cooked diced ham
- 1/3 cup finely diced chives
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 cup cottage cheese blended smooth
- 1/4 cup milk plus more for brushing
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Topping: 2 Tbsp melted butter + 1 Tbsp honey or hot honey, and flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the shredded cheese, chives, and ham so it’s coated in the flour mixture.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup cooked diced ham, 1/3 cup finely diced chives
- Create a well in the center and add the avocado oil, blended cottage cheese, milk, and honey. Fold everything together with a large spoon until it starts to come together, but still shaggy and wet in some spots. Do not overwork.2 Tablespoons avocado oil, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup milk, 2 teaspoons honey
- Turn the dough (and any crumbles) out onto a floured work surface and use generously floured hands to bring the dough together. Flatten it out into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Fold one side into the center and the other side on top (like a book) then flatten out into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat folds one more time. This gives you the flaky layers.
- Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut into the biscuit straight down and up, without twisting. Re-roll the dough and repeat until the dough is gone and you have 10 biscuits.
- Arrange closely in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, or so they’re touching on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until they’re risen and golden brown on the tops.
- While they’re baking, whisk together the butter and hot honey (or regular honey). Generously brush on top of the warm biscuits, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations & Swaps
- Make it meatless: omit the ham and leave as is or swap with sauteed red peppers.
- Gluten-free: use 1:1 gluten-free flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free flour).
- Jalapeno cheddar: use 1 seeded and minced jalapeno instead of chives.
- Spinach & feta: add 1-2 cups of chopped spinach and swap the cheddar for feta.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the recipe uses pasteurized dairy (milk, cheese, cottage cheese) and cooked ham. I love that these protein biscuits supply nutrients like calcium, vitamin B12, iodine, and choline (all important in pregnancy!).
Yes! Bake and let them cool completely. Wrap them in cling wrap and freeze in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven to keep them crispy.
Use a parchment-lined baking sheet and arrange them so they’re all touching! You can also use any oven-safe skillet you have on hand.
Look for golden brown tops and crisp edges. You can tap the top lightly. It should feel set (not doughy) and the bottom should be slightly golden. You can also use a meat thermometer. Biscuits are done when the internal temp reaches 200-210°F.
These biscuits are higher in protein than traditional biscuits. However, nutritionists recommend aiming for 25-30g for breakfast, so I like to pair them with over medium eggs and avocado or a side of greek yogurt or a cottage cheese breakfast bowl.
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