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Low-Calorie Southern-Style Biscuits Recipe

Yes, you read that right. Enjoy this flaky delight that won't damage your waistline.
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Truth be told, a low-calorie biscuit is no easy feat. You can make one with yogurt or some funky butter substitute instead of the real thing, but you'll know something is amiss the second you bite down. Where's the flakiness? Where's the comfort? To keep the biscuit as healthy as possible while still producing a genuine, flaky, Southern-style treasure, we've cut out the shortening (trans fats are so 1990s), showed some restraint with the butter, and used low-fat buttermilk to bring moisture and tang to the mix. With this recipe, you won't have to sacrifice the best part of a biscuit. Dig in!

Nutrition: 140 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated), 370 mg sodium

Makes 10 biscuits

You'll Need

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp cold butter
4 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

How to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Combine the flour, butter, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Use your fingers to break up the butter, mashing it into the flour to create little pebbles.
  4. When the flour and butter have been combined, make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk.
  5. Use a fork to gently bring the dough together.
  6. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it out into a square.
  7. Gently fold the dough onto itself four or five times (this action helps create tall, delicate biscuits), then roll it out to form a 1"-thick circle.
  8. Use a round cookie cutter (or even a drinking glass) to cut out the biscuits. (You should get about 6 from the original circle.)
  9. Re-form another circle and repeat.
  10. You should have about 10 biscuits in total.
  11. Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.
  12. Bake on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Eat This Tip

These biscuits are perfect on their own, but we never shy away from gilding the lily a bit. Here are a few biscuit fillers to get you started:

  • Scrambled egg with scallion and sharp Cheddar, topped with salsa
  • Orange marmalade and smoked ham
  • Grilled chicken drizzled with honey and hot sauce

RELATED: The easy way to make healthier comfort foods.

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