Million Layer Whey Biscuits–A Great Idea for Leftover Yogurt Whey

Sneak Preview: These Yogurt Whey Biscuits are a delicious way to use the extra whey leftover from making Greek yogurt. I have included a cinnamon sugar and whole wheat version.

Flaky Biscuits in a panPin

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Are you wondering what to do with the whey from making Greek yogurt? If so, this recipe is for you. Don’t miss the other variations, including Cinnamon-Sugar Flaky Biscuits and Whole Wheat Whey Flaky Biscuits.

The secret to the flaky layers is in the technique. Keep reading or check out the video to find out more.

Happy Bakers Speak Up

“I left out the sugar, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Lightest airy biscuits I’ve ever made. Excellent for accompanying a meal or with jam at breakfast. I wouldn’t use these for a biscuits and gravy (and would be a waste of the delicate layers). So good!”CARRIE

Recipe Inspiration

Due to an overload of Pillsbury Flaky Biscuits and Cinnamon Twirls in my childhood, I’m a sucker for layers in my bread. Pulling off the layers one by one is so much fun, whether it’s cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, or these biscuits.

You can make these flaky biscuits at home. They may appear complicated, but they’re not. You’ll enjoy making this recipe if you think making yogurt is fun.

Although not as simple as stirred or drop biscuits, you can whip up a batch in 15 minutes with some practice. Don’t worry about rolling out perfectly symmetrical biscuits. Instead, some homemade charm and wonkiness will make them taste even better.

I created this recipe to use leftover whey from making Greek yogurt at home. For my readers who also make yogurt, you know what I mean. You can accumulate a boatload of whey with a voracious Greek yogurt habit.

a picture of yogurt and wheyPin

What do you do with all that leftover whey? First, check out this post for 18 Ways to Use Yogurt Whey. Then, try this crispy-on-the-outside, moist-and-tender-on-the-inside biscuit recipe the next time you have too much whey.

No whey in the house? Substitute buttermilk for the whey. They will be just as tasty! Promise.

What You Should Know About the Different Types of Whey

If you are confused about whey, you are in good company.

Yogurt whey is the watery liquid you often see on top of yogurt. Yogurt whey is an acidic whey.

A similar by-product of making hard cheese like Cheddar is sweet whey. However, it has different uses than acid whey because of the reduced acidity.

Whey protein powder is processed sweet whey derived from making cheese. It’s an entirely different animal and will not work in this recipe.

What is the difference between sweet whey and acid whey? Acid whey is the leftover liquid when dairy producers make yogurts or soft cheeses. It is called acid whey because it is more acidic than sweet whey. Sweet whey is the excess liquid when dairy producers make hard or rennet cheeses. ACID WHEY FAQ – MOOSCIENCE


How Can I Make These Biscuits if I Don’t Make Yogurt?

A common substitute for yogurt whey is buttermilk or a substitute (like milk with vinegar or lemon juice added).

For each cup of buttermilk, you can use one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.Taste of Home: Buttermilk Substitute

Add milk or yogurt to make up the difference if you have some whey but not enough. You can substitute yogurt for whey or buttermilk. If your yogurt is thick, add some milk or whey until it matches the consistency of buttermilk.

Whole Wheat Flaky Whey Biscuits with Honey Butter Glaze in a bowl ready to eatPin
Make Whole Wheat Flaky Biscuits with Yogurt Whey and a Honey Butter Glaze.

What Can I Substitute for Shortening?

I modified the original recipe to use all butter instead of part shortening. Shortening helps to stabilize the biscuits, but I like the flavor better with butter.

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However, the biscuits will sometimes rise so high they topple over without shortening. Here are some suggestions.

  1. Don’t skip the 30-minute rest period for the dough before you cut the biscuits.
  2. Don’t cut the biscuits too narrow. I’ve done that when trying to get more biscuits. They bake up deliciously that way, but it’s not the look I want.
  3. Place the biscuits close together (1/4 to 1/2-inch apart) on the baking sheet. If they start to tip over, they will be supported by the other biscuits.

Can I Freeze These Biscuits?

These flaky whey biscuits are great to make up to the point of baking. Wrap your unfrozen biscuit squares in two layers (plastic wrap and a zippered bag or foil) and freeze. Use within a month.

The frozen biscuits can go directly onto a baking sheet when ready to bake. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time.


How Can I Prepare Whey Biscuits in Advance?

If you want to prepare flaky biscuits earlier in the day or the night before, make dough through step 8. Chill until you are ready to bake. Cut the biscuits into squares, place them on a baking sheet, and bake.


Variations

***Honey-Butter Whole Wheat Flaky Whey Biscuits

Substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour with 1 cup of unbleached flour. Glaze with equal parts honey and butter as the biscuits come out of the oven.

If you want 100% whole wheat biscuits, substitute 2 cups of soft whole wheat pastry flour. I like to buy this flour from the bulk bin. If you can find it, I urge you to try this variation. They are so light and mild-tasting for a 100% whole-wheat product.

***Cinnamon-Sugar Flaky Whey Biscuits with Sanding Sugar or Icing

These biscuits are a time-saving substitute for cinnamon rolls made with yeast. Put them together through step #8 the day before and refrigerate.

Bake and cover them with a glaze like this quick brown butter icing you can make in the microwave. Everyone will be hopping out of bed when they smell them baking.


Cinnamon-Sugar Whey Biscuits with Brown Butter IcingPin
Cinnamon-Sugar Flaky Biscuits with Browned Butter Icing
  1. Use two tablespoons of sugar instead of 1 tablespoon in the biscuit recipe.
  2. Put together a mixture of 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and one tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on each layer of dough as you roll out the biscuits. Fold and roll 4-5 times for the best results.
  3. Brush the tops of the biscuits with butter before baking. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, raw sugar (Demerara), or cover with powdered sugar icing.
Flaky Cinnamon Biscuits on cooling rackPin
Cinnamon-Sugar Flaky Biscuits with Sanding Sugar on top

How To Mix Whey Biscuit Dough

Adding dry ingredients to a food processor bowl.Pin
1. Add all dry ingredients to the food processor bowl.
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2. Pulse 3-4 times to mix and aerate.
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3. Cut frozen butter into smaller pieces before adding it to the bowl.
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4. Pulse 15+ times until the butter combines to make oatmeal and pea-sized chunks. No chunks should be bigger than a pea.
Adding whey/yogurt to biscuits.Pin
5. Add whey, yogurt, or buttermilk and pulse eight times until the dough is barely moistened but not gathered into a ball.

How To Roll Out Flaky Whey Biscuits

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1. Press dough together. Knead 3 or 4 times. Press into a rough square.
Rolling the dough into a rectanglePin
2. Roll dough into a rectangle with dough about 1/2-inch thick.
sprinkling cinnamon and sugar over the doughPin
3. Only if you make the cinnamon biscuits: Sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar mixture over 2/3 of the dough.

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4. Fold 1/3 of the dough up over the top.

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5. Fold the lower third over the top third like a letter.
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6. Turn the dough a quarter turn. Repeat steps 2-5 again. (See the video for clarification.)
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7. Roll into a rough 6-inch square approximately 1/2-inch thick.
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8. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
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9. Cut the dough into nine biscuits after trimming all four edges.
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10. Place biscuits close together on a cookie sheet. Bake.
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Brush rolls with honey butter as the biscuits come out of the oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have a food processor. Is it ok to mix these by hand?

Yes. Shredding the frozen butter will make it easier to incorporate if you do it by hand.

Why do my biscuits burn on the bottom?

Try moving your pan of biscuits to a higher rack in the oven. Using heavy, dark pans makes a difference, too.

Be sure your oven is preheated. Try calibrating your oven using a cheap oven thermometer if all else fails.

Why didn’t my whey biscuits rise very high?

Use very cold or frozen butter. Also, make sure your whey (or buttermilk) is well-chilled. Some people go so far as chilling the flour and their mixing bowl. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before you cut it into biscuits helps, too.

The temperature difference between the biscuit ingredients and the oven causes a pop of steam that helps the biscuits rise. Make sure your oven is hot, and the biscuit dough is cold!

Why did butter leak out of my biscuits while they were baking?

The pieces of butter in the dough were too big. After you cut the fat into the biscuit dough, no pieces should be over the size of a pea.

Hint: If you notice smoke leaking out of your oven (burning butter) or see butter dripping from the cookie sheet while your biscuits are baking, do this. Cover another cookie sheet with a silicone baking sheet, parchment paper, or foil. Slide it onto a rack beneath the biscuits to catch the drips.

Throwing away parchment paper or foil is easier than cleaning your oven. Also, the drips won’t burn and smoke on the cookie sheet as they do on the bottom of your oven. I’ve already tested this for you.

p.s. I always do this when baking pie crusts, too.

Why are my biscuits dry?

The most common reason is using too much flour. I recommend weighing instead of measuring for the best results.

If you want to measure, stir the flour first. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup with a light hand before leveling. Scooping flour with a measuring cup often results in too much flour.
I know there is a lot of butter in this recipe. You can cut back a tablespoon or so without too much damage. However, the butter makes the fabulous layers and keeps these whey biscuits moist (along with the whey and yogurt).

Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

flaky biscuits made with yogurt whey on a platePin
Yield: 9 biscuits

Flaky Whey Biscuits Recipe

Light and flaky layers set this flaky biscuit recipe apart from the average biscuit. Use whey drained from yogurt for the liquid or buttermilk if you don’t have yogurt whey. These biscuits are one of the best uses of whey I can think of.

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(5 stars if you loved it)

5 from 25 votes
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Video

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 17 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 2 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons sugar (Use lesser amount for plain biscuits )12-24 gr
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 9 tablespoons (126 g) unsalted butter 126 gr + 1 tablespoon of melted butter for brushing tops
  • cup (151 g) yogurt whey (or 2/3 cup buttermilk)

Honey-Butter Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

  • Place 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour,1-2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together into the food processor bowl. Pulse 3 times.
  • Add frozen 9 tablespoons (126 g) unsalted butter sliced into small pieces. Pulse 15-20 times to cut into the flour. You should have pieces of various sizes resembling oatmeal, peas, and cornmeal all mixed together. No pieces should be larger than a pea.
  • Pour 2/3 cup (151 g) yogurt whey over the mixture and pulse about 8 times until the mixture turns into dough crumbles. It should not come into a ball yet.
  • Turn dough crumbles out onto a floured surface. I like to use a silicone baking mat or a well-floured pastry cloth. I also like to wear surgical gloves to protect the dough from the heat of my hands but it’s not essential.
  • Knead about 3-4 times until you have a barely cohesive ball of dough. Use your hands to gently push the dough into a square shape.
  • Use a rolling pin to roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Fold a third of the dough over itself. Now fold the uncovered third over the folded portion like a letter. (See the pictures or video)
  • Give the dough a quarter turn. Roll out again into a rectangle that is about 1/2-inch thick. Fold as described in the previous step. Repeat the folding process four-five times.
  • Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and approximately 6-inch square. Wrap and chill for thirty minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400˚F.
  • Trim 1/4 inch from each side of the square of dough with a sharp knife to make clean edges. You should be able to see all the layers.
  • Slice into 9 biscuits, Place biscuits about 1/2-inch apart on a cookie sheet that has been greased, covered with parchment paper, or a silicone mat.
  • Optional: Combine 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon melted butter to make honey/butter glaze. Brush over the biscuits after baking.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes

Notes

VARIATIONS:
Flaky Whole Wheat Biscuits with Honey-Butter Glaze Recipe:
Substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour (113 grams) for 1 cup of unbleached flour (120 grams). As biscuits come out of the oven, brush with a mixture of equal parts butter and honey.
100% Whole Wheat Flaky Biscuits Recipe:
Use 2 cups of soft whole wheat pastry flour (192 grams) in place of the unbleached flour. Follow the recipe as written.
Cinnamon-Sugar Flaky Biscuits Recipe:
Stir together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar. As you roll the layers, sprinkle cinnamon mixture on each layer before folding. Roll and fold at least 4 times. Chill and cut as directed in the recipe. Before baking, brush the tops of the raw biscuits with butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Continue with step 8. Icing or glaze is optional, but it takes these cinnamon biscuits over the top. If doing icing, you can skip the sanding sugar.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Help others find this recipe in search results on the web.

Thanks to Kate of Cooking During Stolen Moments for showing me how to do the layers.

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Recipe Rating




26 Comments

  1. How should I adjust the baking time if I plan on cutting the recipe in half?

    1. I would not change the time but you might check for doneness a little bit early.Since these are individual biscuits, there should be little if any difference.

  2. HomesteadingBoomerette says:

    I haven’t tried it yet, but this looks BRILLIANT!

    I love it when a great cook works out new basic that can form a foundation in multiple, healthful recipes.

    Many thanks for moving the new-era homemade cook along in the journey.

    1. Hi Laura,

      Let us know what you think after you try it. That is most helpful to other readers.

      Have a great week.

  3. Hi Paula, I made 4 batches of these biscuits for yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner – they were delicious! Though they were tender and flavorful, the layers in the finished biscuits weren’t as noticeable as yours, and overall, they were soft (I was hoping they would end up crisp / crunchy on the edges). Do you think it’s because I substituted 25% of the AP flour with spelt flour? With the addition of spelt flour, I found I had to add more whey, too, but I ‘m not sure if it was the right amount. Does the recipe need any adjustments when adding whole-grain flour, and does the biscuit texture come out different (softer & less noticeably layered)? Thanks for your wonderful recipes!

    1. Hi Brenda,

      Thank you for your kind words.

      I have never tried spelt in this recipe (although I add it to my sourdough loaves all the time.). So I can’t advise you from experience. I had never heard of spelt when I developed this recipe some 13 years ago.

      My only guess about the layers is that the butter got too warm at some point. Butter is the secret to the layers. It also helps, if you have a little time, to put the biscuits into the fridge before baking them. This will help them rise higher so the layers will be more distinct.

  4. 5 stars
    These are really delicious! I do not trim the edges though – I don’t need them to look perfect when they taste so decadent! Today I had one while it was still warm with blueberry jam. Mmm mmm good!

    1. Blueberry jam is the perfect finishing touch. Thank you for the 5-star rating.

  5. Hello, this is such great idea on so many levels – using up the whey, adding yummy cinnamon and honey to the dough…..

    I’m wondering about making them ahead. Would you bake them, and then freeze them?

    AND THEN…..I read the previous posts, and got your previous answer! So, as Gilda Radner once said, “Never mind.”

    Thanks for the great recipe, I can’t wait to make it.

  6. Hello and thanks for the recipe; I’m going to give this a try.
    The weight equivalent you have for the whey is wrong, though. 2/3 cup should be about 151 g, not 76.

    1. You’re right. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I will fix it immediately.

  7. Hi Paula, Love the creative use of the whey. I was wondering if this recipe can be made with almond flour instead of regular flour. Thanks!

    1. Hi Emily,
      I haven’t tried this recipe with almond flour, but I hope you do. I would expect the biscuits to be crumbly. Maybe you could combine the almond flour with something that would hold everything together.

  8. 5 stars
    I left out the sugar, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Lightest airy biscuits I’ve ever made. Excellent for accompanying a meal or with jam at breakfast. I wouldn’t use these for a biscuits and gravy (and would be a waste of the delicate layers). So good!

    1. Hi Carrie,
      Thank you for going to the effort to leave a rating and a comment. So glad you enjoyed the biscuits.

  9. SHIRLEY YOUNG says:

    What a fabulous baker you are, to make this wonderful recipe!! My husband and I have been trying to make rising, flaky biscuits. We have tried many recipes, between us. My husband marvelled at how mine turned out, staring up close, to look at the layers. I have made them twice, and they both rose spectacularly. Thank you for a great recipe!!

    1. Hi Shirley,
      I’m so glad you love this recipe. Thank you for letting me know.

  10. Jonathan Sudler says:

    BEST BISCUITS EVER! They came out lighter than air!

    1. Fantastic!! Thrilled that they turned out good for you.

  11. These were really terrific – the family loved them. I loved using my whey. Can’t wait to try the cinnamon sugar biscuits!

  12. This recipe is great I didn’t have shortening and substituted butter and it worked out none the less beautiful flaky biscuits

    Thank you so much for the recipe

    1. Good to know about substituting the butter. Glad you liked the biscuits.

  13. I made my first batch of yogurt a couple of days ago and made these biscuits today with the whey. We absolutely loved them. They are delicious. My question is can I freeze them. Either before or after they are baked. Living on the east coast, biscuits were not on the table too often so i don’t know “biscuits 101”.

    1. Yes, I would think you could do both. But if I had to choose, probably freezing before you bake is best.

      So glad your yogurt turned out good and that you liked the biscuits. Have a great weekend.

  14. This has become my go-to biscuit recipe. It is a terrific way to use my leftover whey. The texture of the dough is perfect, so easy to work with, and the biscuits turn out wonderfully flaky. This morning I even used it to make cinnamon roll biscuits! I tried to give it five stars, but for some reason it only recognized 4.5.

    1. Thank you Jocelyn. Cinnamon roll biscuits sound wonderful!