I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (2024)

It's so easy to make soft, tender buttermilk biscuits exactly like Dolly Parton. Here's what to do!

Dolly Parton is a country music star, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and well-known philanthropist. (Her Imagination Library has gifted nearly 200 million books to kids in need!) But, at home, Dolly’s like the rest of us: she loves gathering with family for good meals.

I’ve already been lucky enough to test some of her homestyle recipes, like butterscotch pieand stone soup. Now, I’m taking on Dolly Parton’s biscuits. Made with buttermilk and baking powder, they come together quickly and can go with breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Dolly Parton Biscuits Recipe

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (1)Getty Images, Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

This biscuits recipe from Dolly Partonmakes 24 soft, 2-inch biscuits.

Ingredients

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (2)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Editor’s Tip: You can use store-bought buttermilk or make buttermilk at home with vinegar or lemon.

Directions

Step 1: Cut lard into dry ingredients

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (3)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Sift together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Add lard or vegetable shortening to the bowl. Use two forks or a pastry cutter to blend the fat into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Step 2: Blend in buttermilk

Add the buttermilk to the bowl. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients into a dough. If the dough is too sticky, add in more flour little by little until you have a soft dough.

Step 3: Knead dough

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (4)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Knead the dough for two minutes. (You can do this in the bowl or on a floured surface.) It will still be very soft.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Cut out biscuits

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (5)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter or overturned glass to cut out rounds; then place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart. (You can line the pan with parchment paper if you’d like.)

Step 5: Bake biscuits

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (6)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Bake the biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes until they’re puffed and golden brown. Serve them warm from the oven or at room temperature. If you’re looking for more recipes, then learn how to make a pimento cheese sandwich.

Here’s What I Thought

These are lovely, soft biscuits that bake up into perfect little rounds. I like that this Dolly Parton biscuit recipe is so easy to pull together and that the dough is easy to handle. The buttermilk biscuits stayed soft for days, too. My family enjoyed them buttered with bowls of chiliand alongside chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Looking for more recipes? Learn how to make Dollywood’s cinnamon bread, birthday cake and cuppa cake in your kitchen.

Dolly’s Tips for Making Biscuits

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (7)Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Use lard for extra flavor

Dolly says not to be afraid to use lard and butter in your recipes: “You can’t get that good taste without all that stuff,” she says. That goes for Dolly Parton’s buttermilk biscuits, too. Use lard or bacon grease to bring out a bit of a savory flavor and to get a tender biscuit.

Don’t overwork the dough

You can make your biscuits using butter, but be careful not to overwork the dough—doing so will create too much gluten, and your biscuits will be tough. With shortening or lard in the dough (as in this recipe), you can get away with a light kneading as these fats prevent gluten from forming.

Make a double batch

Do like Dolly does—make a big batch of these biscuits for your family or guests and serve them warm with butter! Every table receives a free basket of piping-hot biscuits at the Dollywood Front Porch Cafe in Tennessee.

After trying this Dolly Parton biscuit recipe, try using her Dolly Parton Duncan Hines baking mixes to make a delicious dessert.

Try These Southern Recipes Dolly Loves

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I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (8)LISA KAMINSKI/TASTE OF HOME

Hearty Chicken and DumplingsWhen PARADE magazine asked Dolly Parton about her signature dish at home, she was quick to say chicken and dumplings. The ingredients are simple, which makes the flavors stand out more. While Dolly uses a stewing hen for this recipe, you can use a whole chicken instead. It's comforting, tasty and will quickly make its way into your dinner rotation.Go to Recipe

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (9)LAUREN HABERMEHL FOR TASTE OF HOME

Hickory-Grilled HamDolly Parton's father would make this ham recipe every year over the holidays. This easy ham recipe is glazed and smoked in a charcoal grill and the end result is phenomenal. You'll start planning your winter meals around this dish before you even know it. It's sweet and tangy—the perfect combination.Go to Recipe

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5-Layer CasseroleThis Dolly Parton recipe is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food. It's said to be one of her signature dishes and we can see why! While the ingredients are simple, it has everyone's favorites; potatoes, beef and peppers. Don't forget the seasoning!Go to Recipe

Smoky Grilled Corn on the CobDolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood, has a lot more to offer than rides. It has a great assortment of restaurants that highlight southern cooking. Each of these restaurants has an abundance of side dishes available, and corn never fails to make that list. A staple of Tennessee meals, nothing beats a classic corn on the cob.

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Roasted Pork with GravyWhen the New York Times interviewed Dolly Parton, she claimed that roast pork was her favorite dish for entertaining. She loves a good, Southern greasy dish and with a nice fatty pork loin you'll understand why.

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Truly Tasty Turnips with GreensAs a side to roast pork, Dolly Parton loves to serve turnip greens. Turnip greens have a bit of a kick to them and this recipe accentuates these natural flavors.

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Southern Fried OkraDolly Parton has confessed that in addition to turnip greens, okra is another one of her favorite southern side dishes. This recipe would go beautifully with a roast pork or ham.

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Banana PuddingDolly Parton has said time and time again that her mother's banana pudding is one of her favorites. According to Dolly, one of her neighbors near her family's Tennessee home owned a store. They would tell Dolly's mother when bananas were going bad so that she could buy them for a cheaper price. The family knew that on these days, her mom would make her famous banana pudding.

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Spiced Baked CatfishOne of Dolly Parton's cookbook recipes is a catfish dinner like this one. Her pan-fried recipe relies on cornmeal, shortening and a lemon wedge. She keeps it simple and we love her for that!

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I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (17)NANCY MOCK FOR TASTE OF HOME

BiscuitsDolly Parton's biscuits bake to be perfectly round and soft. You can have them for any meal of the day, as long as you get creative. Our favorite pairing is with a big bowl of chili.Go to Recipe

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (18)SUSAN BRONSON FOR TASTE OF HOME

Milk GravyWhen it comes toSouthern comfort food at breakfast time, you can’t go wrong with the classic biscuits and gravy. You'll want to serve this with sausage patties and big biscuits to sop up every last drop of this gravy.Go to Recipe

Jalapeno Buttermilk CornbreadAny of these ham, chicken and pork dishes would go well with a good skillet of cornbread. Dolly Parton's cornbread recipe is simple and relies on bacon drippings and buttermilk. This cornbread is similar, but adds a bit of heat that we think Dolly would appreciate.

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Southern Fried Chicken with GravyGet a bit of Dollywood at home with this Southern fried chicken. Fried chicken is known to be one of Dolly's favorites and this recipe does hers justice.

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Creamy ColeslawAnother classic side dish. This one accompanies many of Dolly's dishes at her restaurants in Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

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I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (22)NANCY MOCK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Butterscotch PieDolly Parton calls this butterscotch pie one of her favorite desserts to make for the holidays. It has a pecan crust that gives every bite a delightful crunch. Try it out for your next gathering!Go to RecipeFor more Dolly recipes, try out some of her Duncan Hines baking mixes.

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (23)RISA LICHTMAN FOR TASTE OF HOME

Pecan Chicken SaladDolly’s preferred way to serve her favorite chicken salad is on a bed of watercress. This makes for a picturesque lunch that tastes as good as it looks. Just like the butterscotch pie, the pecans add a sweet crunch to the otherwise savory dish.Go to Recipe

I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (24)NANCY MOCK FOR TASTE OF HOME

Pimento Cheese SandwichYou just found your next potluck appetizer recipe. Before you know it the platter will be empty before you even get to the party. This Southern comfort is tangy and cheesy. You can add some hot sauce for even more of a kick.Go to Recipe

Swirl Cinnamon BreadIf you've ever been to Dollywood you already know about the mouthwatering cinnamon bread. You can make this quick version of Dollywood's cinnamon bread in your kitchen and feel like you're right in Tennessee.

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Smooth Sweet TeaSweet tea is called the "house wine of the South" in Steel Magnolias and we've never forgotten it. Make this smooth recipe for your next "wine" night!

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I Tested Dolly Parton's Biscuit Recipe—and Now I Know Why It's So Famous (2024)

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