North Carolina Cathead Biscuits
These North Carolina Cathead Biscuits are golden brown and buttery on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Oh, and they’re stuffed with cheese!
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“Wow, that is a fluffy biscuit!” Although the name cathead biscuits might seem a bit odd, there is nothing odd about these delicious biscuits! Some folks say the name comes from the way the rough exterior of these biscuits resembles a cat’s fur. Others say the name is because the biscuits are as large as a cat’s head. Either way, one thing is certain – North Carolina Cathead Biscuits are huge! (And delicious!)
Cathead biscuits fall into the category of drop biscuits. This basically means the batter is rather moist and it’s dropped (using your fingers or a spoon) into small mounds of dough. No rolling pin required for this recipe!
North Carolina Cathead Biscuits
These drop biscuits are large…check that, these drop biscuits are huge. They are a common breakfast item in diners around North Carolina, and some versions are as large as a hamburger bun. Let that sink in. A pillow-y soft, buttery biscuit that’s as large as a hamburger bun. Add in a side of scrambled eggs and bacon, and you’ve got a classic comfort food breakfast to keep you going all day. Count me in on that one!!
The soft texture of these biscuits comes from the generous amount of baking powder in the recipe. As soon as that baking powder hits the hot (very hot!) oven, the biscuits spring up into the most delicious pieces of buttery heaven you can imagine. I might have stood in the kitchen tearing off pieces of warm biscuit right after these photos were taken.
To Cheese or Not to Cheese?
As far as I’m concerned, cheese makes everything better. Some versions of Cathead Biscuits are stuffed with cheese – woah! A gigantic, fluffy biscuit that happens to be stuffed with melted cheese? This is getting too hard to believe now!
The traditional cheese for Cathead Biscuits is hoop cheese. Hoop cheese was common in the South in the early 1900’s, but it’s not widely available anymore. You can sometimes still find it at farm stands or small restaurants, but it’s gonna take some hunting. Instead, I recommend just using mild cheddar cheese. It’s not the exact same thing, but it’s close enough! (Note: Make sure to use mild or medium cheddar. Sharp cheddar can be a bit overpowering in this recipe. I used Cabot’s medium yellow cheddar cheese in this version.)
These biscuits are super easy to make, and they’re always met with great joy in our kitchen. And if you happen to make them without cheese, then they taste amazing with a schmear of homemade peach jam. I hope you enjoy these biscuits as much as we do!
Did you make a batch of these North Carolina Cathead Biscuits at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
North Carolina Cathead Biscuits
Ingredients
- 8 oz. mild cheddar cheese shredded (see note)
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour divided
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter cold, divided
- 1½ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Using a ⅓-cup measure, pack the cheese into 6 balls. Set cheese aside.
- Using a food processor, add 2½ cups of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda; pulse several times until well combined.
- Cut 4 Tbsp of cold butter into ¼” cubes. Add cubes to food processor and pulse several times until mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal.
- Transfer flour mixture into a large bowl and add buttermilk; gently stir until just combined.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of flour evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Spray a ½-cup measure with nonstick baking spray. Scoop out the dough into (6) ½-cup balls and drop dough onto the flour-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle some of the excess flour on the pan on top of the balls of dough.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten dough into a 3½” wide circle. Place one of the shredded cheese balls (from above) into center of the dough. Gently wrap the edges of the dough up and around the cheese. Pinch the top of the dough together to seal. (Tip #1: Feel free to dip your hands into the excess flour on the baking sheet as needed to prevent dough from sticking. Tip #2: Inspect the dough ball to make sure you can’t see any cheese – this is necessary to make sure the cheese stays inside the biscuits as they bake.)
- Place biscuits in a 9” cast iron skillet.
- Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.
- Bake at 500°F for 5 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 450°F and continue baking for 15-17 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown in color.
- Remove skillet from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Transfer biscuits to a large plate and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
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Love the name of this dish! (I kind of can actually see the resemblance.) And they also sound really tasty. And yes, I’ll take the cheesy version!
That’s the right answer, Frank – always take the cheesy version no matter what it is! 🙂
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan cheese / butter and coconut milk i never had north carolina cathead biscuits before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I haven’t tried these biscuits with vegan substitutions, Ramya, but it should work just the same. Give it a try and let me know how they turn out!!
I’m fascinated by the name and that you call them biscuits David. I think we would call them a savoury scone here, never mind, they look absolutely delicious and very clever. I love how you have so many unique dishes from different states in the U.S. FASCINATING, thanks.
Haha – yes, the biscuit debate! Southern-style biscuits are similar to what you might call scones, although biscuits tend to be a bit fluffier than scones. All naming differences aside, this is a fantastic recipe. After all, it’s fluffy bread stuffed with cheese – how can you go wrong there!?
Cathead biscuits? You’ve got Daisy’s attention! Biscuits loaded with cheese? You’ve certainly got my attention too, David! They look tasty, and they’ve got a wonderful texture, so crumbly and moist.
Haha – I bet Daisy would be all about helping you make this recipe, Ben! After all, it’s her namesake. 🙂 Truly, though, these biscuits are delicious…and stuffing them with cheese? That takes ’em to a whole new level!
Of course my Aussie brain thought biscuits, like aussie biscuits, and i wondered how you could stuff them :=) These look delicious David. And I love the name – cathead. I suppose ‘cos they are like a cat’s head really/perhaps. So, you say biscuits and I say scones:=) Tasty either way.
Southern-style biscuits are probably more like what you might call a scone, Sherry. Although these biscuits are still fluffier than savory scones. You’ll just have to give ’em a try! You can’t ever go wrong when you’re looking at a combination of bread and cheese!
Cathead biscuits are new to me, but I can’t resist a great biscuit (especially one stuffed with cheese!).
You’re telling me, Marissa – cheese stuffed inside of a giant, fluffy biscuit? Yes, please!!
Love the name of these biscuits — and the cheese surprise inside! They look so fluffy and delish, would love one for lunch today!
These biscuits really are fluffy and delicious…and then you add in the melty cheese, too? Delicious!!
These Cathead Biscuits look and sound like the perfect biscuits David! And the name is so intriguing. I imagine it’s impossible NOT to eat these biscuits right out of the oven! Adding the cheese makes them even more irresistible 😋, but pairing them with peach jam sounds delicious too. I’ll have to try them both ways!
I hear ya, Shannon – I might have nibbled (I mean devoured) one of these warm biscuits as soon as the photos were finished. 🙂 There’s something kinda fun about making ginormous biscuits!
they look absolutely delicious!
Fluffy biscuit stuffed with melted cheese – it sounds like the perfect comfort food breakfast!!!!
There really are the perfect breakfast comfort food! I can see why they’re popular fare at breakfast diners all over the state!
Huge biscuits? Yes please! I’ve never heard of cathead biscuits before but just looking at them, I know they’d be delicious (especially with the cheddar cheese in ’em). Perfect with a bowl of soup on this chilly day.
These are fun biscuits for sure – I mean any sort of baked good is fun when it’s gigantic, right? And when it happens to be a soft and fluffy biscuit (that’s stuffed with cheese no less!), then it’s even better! This would pair well with a bowl of that beef stew you just shared. 🙂 Thanks, Dawn!