Flaky Cheese Tea Biscuits
My flaky cheese tea biscuits are a perfect snack, breakfast, or accompaniment to your dinner. They will disappear as quickly as you bake them!
I had not had flaky cheese tea biscuits till I came to Canada. The first time I tried one, I did not like it much. I think it was because the one I tasted was a little bland. Then a friend invited me over to her place in Elmira and she baked fresh cheese tea biscuits in front of me and I was in awe. The smell was intoxicating and when I bit into one I was in heaven.
Ingredients for Flaky Cheese Tea Biscuits
My biscuits are the type that you let rise. I use yeast in mine, which makes the biscuits soft and tender. Also, the butter and buttermilk I use make them crumbly. I think this is the perfect way to make cheese tea biscuits.

Ingredients List for Cheese Tea Biscuits
- 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 green onions – sliced
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups grated gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)
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Making the Dough for Flaky Cheese Tea Biscuits
Let’s get the biscuits going.
- Combine 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F) in a measuring cup or small mixing bowl.
- Allow it to bloom for about 10 mins or till it doubles. The yeast needs to bloom and the sugar and warm water help it come back to life.
- While the yeast is blooming, chop 3 green onions into thin slices.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Then add the chopped green onions to the bowl and mix everything well to evenly distribute the spices and onions.

Adding the Butter and Buttermilk
- Chop 1/2 cup of butter into small cubes and add it to the flour.
- Once the yeast has risen, add it to the flour along with the butter and using a pie cutter or fork, cut the butter and mix it into the flour along with the yeast.
- The flour will be crumbly. At this point, you can add 1/2 cup of buttermilk to the bowl and mix well to form a dough. Do not knead the flour so the cheese tea biscuits come out flaky.

- At this point, you can add 2 cups of grated gouda cheese (or any sharp cheese of choice) to the flour mix. I like the flavour of gouda, but you can add sharp cheddar or any other cheese of your choice.
- Once you add the cheese, using your hands gently mix the cheese into the flour to evenly distribute the cheese without over kneading the dough.

- It’s time to let the dough sit and leaven.
- Cover the bowl with a wet dishcloth and let it sit in a warm place. I usually put it in the oven turned to bread proof (100 degrees F).

Baking the Cheese Tea Biscuits
Time to get the tea biscuits baked.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Once the flour has risen, pull it onto a clean counter and dust the surface with a small amount of flour.
- Gently roll the dough into a 4 inch diameter log.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 equal pieces. I like to bake the biscuits as they are. I find this gives them a more rustic look.
- Line a 9 x 13 inch baking tray with parchment paper and place the tea biscuits on the sheet.

- Bake the cheese tea biscuits for about 20 mins.
- They will rise more as they bake and you will see the cheese brown.
- Remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 mins on the baking tray.
- Once cooled, allow them to cool down further on a cookie rack.
- Enjoy them warm with a dollop of butter.

Serving Suggestions:
These can be enjoyed warm out of the oven.
- Slice them in half, put butter on them and have them with a fresh cup of coffee or my chai. That’s how I like them.
- I usually make these with my mushroom soup or my butternut squash soup.
- Serve them with a bowl of my homemade chili.
Tea biscuits are made with flour, cheese, buttermilk, and some leavening. You can use any sharp cheese of choice. I use Gouda and add green onions for added flavour.
There are a few things one can do to make cheese tea biscuits flaky, such as use cold butter. Do not over knead the flour. Add buttermilk to make moist, yet flaky.
Generally, if the butter you are using is not cold, your biscuits will fall flat. Keep the butter in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

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Cheese Tea Biscuits
Course: Snack, SidesCuisine: CanadianDifficulty: Easy12
servings1
hour10
minutes20
minutes278
kcal5
minutes1
hour35
minutesMy flaky cheese tea biscuits are a perfect snack, breakfast, or accompaniment to your dinner. They will disappear as quickly as you bake them!
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 green onions – sliced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated gouda cheese (or cheese of choice)
Directions
- In a bowl or measuring cup, add the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Mix well and let it sit for about 10 mins to allow the yeast to bloom.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, green onions, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well to evenly distribute the spices.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the flour mix.
- Cut the butter into small cubes and put the cubes into the flour at the same time as the yeast.
- Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the butter and yeast. The flour will be crumbly.
- Add the buttermilk and mix well. Do not over knead the dough. You want it to be rough so the cheese biscuits are flaky.
- Add the cheese to the flour and using your hands mix it through the dough. This will take some effort to ensure that all of the cheese is evenly distributed without actually kneading the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roll the dough on a clean surface and form a 4 inch diameter log. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
- Line a 9×13 inch baking tray with parchment paper and place the 12 biscuits on the tray.
- Bake for 15 mins or till you see the cheese brown.
- Let rest for 5 mins. Enjoy warm with butter.
Notes
- – This recipe is inspired by Anna Olson’s cheese tea biscuit recipe.

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For this past week I had been checking out recipes for gluten free Ritz like crackers.
I think the recipe for cheese biscuits is God sent.
I have to try it out soon.
Hello Anuradha,
I am so glad I got this recipe out in time for you 🙂 Hope you like them!
Thanks,
Deepti