paleo cassava flour biscuits

So here’s the deal. I’d tried making paleo cassava flour biscuits before. They were just so-so and not real memorable! I’d basically stuck that recipe development on the back burner for another time. Which, when you’re testing one recipe over and over again is actually healthy I think…put it aside for a time, let things percolate in your mind! For me, stepping back for a bit helps the creative process.

Fast forward a year or so. A couple weeks ago, my cute Aunt from Arizona posted a picture of some traditional biscuits she’d made. I immediately felt motivated to give it another try. They didn’t come out too bad with the new variation I tried and they showed some real potential! I felt confident. I even posted a picture of a slightly over-baked biscuit on our Instagram feed. It blew up in terms of likes and excitement! Clearly I was onto something!

I thought back to a time when I was probably 10, I was making buttermilk biscuits with my grandma. I remembered cutting those biscuits out of the thick fluffy dough. It felt like a revelation. I had a new approach to making these paleo cassava flour biscuits. They were tall with a golden bake and a fluffy inside. Most traditional biscuits are rolled to about a 1/2” or so. They rise while baking because of all the gluten in the flour. The thought struck me…why not just roll out my paleo cassava flour biscuit dough very minimally. This way, they’re already tall to start with. The buttermilk and baking powder action will do the rest of the work. Guess what…it WORKED!

Yes, this recipe intro is getting long…but I have to express how important these tips below are for paleo cassava flour biscuit success…trust me, I’ve tried this recipe so many times!

Paleo Cassava Flour Biscuit SUCCESS TIPS!

1️⃣ instead of rolling the dough out, press it down with our hands to about 1¼”. If you’re not getting a good rise, start at this height. This allows the buttermilk and baking powder to do their job. Please note, you’ll get fewer biscuits this way.
2️⃣ you can use a larger biscuit cutter. Although you’ll get fewer biscuits, combined with tip #1, you may like the results.
3️⃣ reduce your oven temp to 425°. Biscuits can bake a bit longer at this temperature. This allows the insides to get fully baked without the outsides becoming too brown.
4️⃣ I’ve discovered that other fats do not give the same rise as palm shortening. Palm shortening has consistently worked the best for me. If you do prefer a different fat, your biscuits could bake up flatter.
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READ THESE TIPS!

#1 – The most important tip here is to press the dough out no thinner than 3/4”. It’s optimal to aim for 1” if you’re using a 2” cutter like I did. Trust me, the inside will get done before the outside is too brown. Use a ruler and measure so you know for sure.

#2 – Second important tip, use a stainless steel cutter if you can, makes the cuts nice and precise. Before each biscuit is cut, dip the cutter into some flour. The floured, thin edge of the cutter is just dreamy for getting a nice quick cut. You can use a drinking glass. However, those edges are typically “chunkier.” As a result, your edges might not be as precise. DO NOT twist the cutter–simply push straight down into the dough in one whole action. Twisting basically drags the cutter around the dough essentially sealing the edge, which we don’t want!

#3 – Give the tops of the cute little biscuits a little wash of room temp water. This is just to smooth them out. Dip your finger into a little bowl of water. Slowly wipe over the top of each biscuit. Continue until the surface is smooth–one little drop is all you’ll need. More is not better in this case. Take your time and do this for each biscuit.

Alright, who’s ready to make some Paleo biscuits!! This recipe yields 10 – 2″ biscuits and depending on what size cutter you use, you’re results may vary. First thing we enjoyed them with, warm right out of the oven, was some ghee and honey. We’ve since enjoyed them in so many different ways, we’d love to hear how you’re enjoying them! Please give me a tag over on Instagram when you make them!!

paleo cassava flour biscuits

Recipe by MichelleDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

paleo cassava flour biscuits

Ingredients

• 1½ cups Otto’s Cassava Flour, stirred with a whisk first, then spooned into measuring cup (235g) – do not scoop cassava flour!

• 4 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp Redmond Real Salt

• ½ cup non hydrogenated organic vegetable or palm shortening* room temp.

• 1 cup raw milk room temp. (or coconut milk for non dairy, I used Native Forest “Simple” brand)

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or ACV)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450° – line baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
• Add lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill up the rest of the way with raw milk (or coconut milk, use full fat). Stir and set aside while you prep dry ingredients.
• Add cassava flour, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl, whisk to combine.
• Add shortening to the flour mixture and cut in with a pastry cutter until shortening is incorporated, even and resembles coarse crumbs.
• Give the buttermilk a stir and then pour into dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk until dough comes together. Use the back of the spoon to press dough together until you have a nice dough. Then, using your hands, gently roll the dough ball around the bowl to shape and gather all the dough/flour on the side of the bowl. Dough will initially seem sticky, but will not stay that way.
• Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper, and flatten dough slightly with the palm of your hands. Dust with a little bit more flour and cover with another piece of parchment paper, or dust your hands a bit and skip the parchment paper.
• Place in the oven – depending on the size biscuits you cut (2″, 2 ½” etc…) bake times will vary just a bit. For my 2″ biscuits, which rose better during the bake than the 2 ½”, I started checking at 14 minutes and ended up baking for 18 minutes. You’re looking for a nice golden color on top and some golden color on the ridges on the sides. Be patient and let that hot oven work its magic!
• Optional step, but super tasty…once you remove from the oven, and biscuits are warm, brush tops with ghee or butter and watch the color get even better!
• Let cool a bit before pulling apart to enjoy, but most certainly ENJOY!! Biscuits can be stored at room temperature for a couple days, or freeze to enjoy later.
• *I tested this recipe with grass fed butter and they were a flatter biscuit…fwiw!

If you’re looking for a few other fun recipes to make, here are a few to consider!

• Gluten Free Ted Lasso Biscuits
• Paleo Soft Sugar Cookies
• Rosemary Sea Salt Crackers