Million-Layer Whey Biscuits (Use Leftover Yogurt Whey)
Sneak Preview: These flaky whey biscuits are an easy way to use leftover yogurt whey from homemade Greek yogurt. Layered like puff pastry and ready in about 1 hour, they can be made plain, whole wheat, or cinnamon-sugar.
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If you make Greek yogurt at home, you know that leftover whey multiplies faster than you expect. Instead of wondering what to do with yet another jar, turn it into something worth baking—these tender, ultra-flaky biscuits.
Whey adds a gentle tang, and the rolling-and-folding method creates those signature pull-apart layers—almost like a shortcut version of puff pastry. Make them plain, cinnamon-sugar, or whole wheat for an easy way to turn leftover whey into something special.
Readers Say…
“I’ve made these a few times and they’re splendid. I just wanted to add: when you trim off the sides, don’t throw those bits out. Put them on the sheet along with the biscuits and bake them. They become addictively crunchy.”–Scott
“I’ve made these a few times and they’re splendid. I just wanted to add: when you trim off the sides, don’t throw those bits out. Put them on the sheet along with the biscuits and bake them. They become addictively crunchy.”–ScottWhat is Yogurt Whey?
Yogurt whey (also called acid whey) is the liquid left behind when straining yogurt or making Greek yogurt at home. It adds a mild tang and tenderness to baked goods, making it especially useful in recipes like biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads. If you don’t have yogurt whey, substitute buttermilk instead.
Ingredients & Substitutions
WHEY: Adds slight tang and tenderness; substitute buttermilk if desired.
BUTTER: Enhances flavor; for a sturdier rise, swap half for shortening.
FLOUR: All-purpose works best; see below for whole wheat options.
SUGAR: Use granulated sugar; no substitutes tested.
SALT: Use table or sea salt; increase slightly if using kosher salt.
BAKING POWDER & BAKING SODA: No known substitutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
⬇️ Jump to the recipe below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Flavor Variations for Whey Biscuits
- Whole Wheat: Substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for part of the all-purpose flour. Brush with honey butter after baking.
- Cinnamon-Sugar: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar between the folds for sweet layered biscuits, then finish with browned butter icing, if desired. (Save time and trouble by browning the butter in your microwave.)
Tips That Make a Difference
- Trim the Edges: Don’t skip this step—it helps those million flaky layers rise and separate.
- Keep Butter Cold: Freeze or chill butter before adding to the food processor for best flakiness.
- Pulse, Don’t Overmix: Stop when the dough forms coarse crumbles—overmixing leads to tough biscuits.
- Use Gloves if Needed: Wearing gloves protects the dough from warm hands during kneading.
- Freeze for Later: Freeze unbaked biscuits and bake straight from frozen—add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Layering Builds Flakiness: Repeating the rolling and folding (like puff pastry) creates the signature “million-layer” texture.
Million-Layer Whey Biscuits (Use Leftover Yogurt Whey)
Video
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
- ⅔ cup (151 g) yogurt whey (or 2/3 cup buttermilk)
Honey-Butter Glaze
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Add 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 to a food processor and pulse 3 times.
- Cut in butter: Add 9 tablespoons (126 g) unsalted butter in pieces and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Add whey: Pour in 2/3 cup (151 g) yogurt whey and pulse just until the dough forms crumbles.
- Knead and shape: Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently 3–4 times into a rough square.
- Roll and fold: Roll into a ½-inch thick rectangle, fold in thirds like a letter, and rotate.
- Repeat folds: Roll and fold 3–4 more times to build layers.
- Chill dough: Roll into a 6-inch square, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Trim and cut: Trim edges and cut into 9 squares.
- Bake: Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400˚F (204˚C) for 15–17 minutes until golden brown.
- Glaze (optional): Combine 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon melted butter to make honey/butter glaze. Brush over the biscuits after baking.
Notes
- Whole Wheat: Swap 1 cup of all-purpose flour for whole wheat. Brush with honey butter after baking.
- 100% Whole Wheat: Use 2 cups soft whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose. Follow the recipe as written.
- Cinnamon-Sugar: Mix 2 tsp cinnamon with 1 tbsp sugar. Sprinkle between every dough layer before folding. Before baking, brush tops with butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar or drizzle with icing after baking.
Equipment
- French Wooden Rolling Pin 18" x 1.55" for Baking Pizza Pastry Dough, Pie Crust & Cookie – Kitchen Cuisine Utensil Smooth Tools Gift Ideas for Professional Bakers, Restaurants, Grandmas – MR. WOODWARE
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Troubleshooting FAQs
Why didn’t my biscuits rise?
- Dough might be too cold—let it sit for 5-10 minutes before rolling.
- Overmixing can make biscuits dense—handle the dough gently.
Why is butter leaking out as the biscuits bake?
- Butter chunks may be too large—pulse until no piece is bigger than a pea.
Why are my biscuits dry?
- Too much flour—measure accurately.
- Overbaking—check for doneness a couple of minutes early.
Final Thoughts
If you make Greek yogurt regularly, you know the leftover whey adds up fast. These biscuits are my favorite way to use it—simple, flaky, and versatile enough for breakfast or dinner. Whether you go plain, cinnamon-sugar, or whole wheat, this is a satisfying way to turn yogurt-making leftovers into something worth sharing.
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
p.s. Thanks to Kate of Cooking During Stolen Moments for showing me how to do the layers.
More Quick-Bread Recipes
- White Chocolate, Apricot, and Walnut Scones
- Kid-Friendly Coffee Cake
- Lemon Poppy-Seed Scones
- Frosted Fresh Blackberry Scones
Would this recipe be good for prepping ahead and freezing the formed biscuits?
Hi Steven,
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t know why not. That’s a great idea for holiday preparation.
This is a great recipe. I didn’t have a food processor, so I just did my best mixing by hand and not freezing the butter, I just had it cold and tried not to over mix it. resting the dough in the fridge straight after mixing the ingredients as well as just before baking.
I admittedly took a couple of liberties with the recipe, using an oat milk and cow milk hybrid butter called smug, and also added some chilli and cheese in between folding and it worked out great!
I like your creativity, Haru. Sounds like dinner.
I’ve made these a few times and they’re splendid. I just wanted to add: when you trim off the sides, don’t throw those bits out. Put them on the sheet along with the biscuits and bake them. They become addictively crunchy.
Scott–that is a great suggestion. I appreciate you taking the time to share your “addictive” snack.
Would leftover whey from making mozarella work with this recipe?
Joni–I’ve never made Mozarella so I can’t say for sure. But if I was guessing, I would say a pretty positive “yes.” I can’t wait to hear if you try it and how it turns out.
Has anyone used this recipe to make crackers? I’m looking for a cracker recipe that uses yogurt whey? These biscuits look addicting 😉
Great question! I haven’t tried making crackers with this recipe, but using yogurt whey in crackers sounds like a fantastic idea.
If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how they turn out! ?
Fabulous biscuits! My husband said they were the lightest biscuits he had ever had. Just making my second batch now.
Hi Dana,
Thank you for taking the time to write. I’m so glad your biscuits turned out good. Sounds like you impressed your husband. Congratulations!
How should I adjust the baking time if I plan on cutting the recipe in half?
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.
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.
Hi Laura,
Let us know what you think after you try it. That is most helpful to other readers.
Have a great week.
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!
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.
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!
Blueberry jam is the perfect finishing touch. Thank you for the 5-star rating.
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.
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.
You’re right. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I will fix it immediately.
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!
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.
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!
Hi Carrie,
Thank you for going to the effort to leave a rating and a comment. So glad you enjoyed the biscuits.
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!!
Hi Shirley,
I’m so glad you love this recipe. Thank you for letting me know.
BEST BISCUITS EVER! They came out lighter than air!
Fantastic!! Thrilled that they turned out good for you.
These were really terrific – the family loved them. I loved using my whey. Can’t wait to try the cinnamon sugar biscuits!
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
Good to know about substituting the butter. Glad you liked the biscuits.
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”.
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.
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.
Thank you Jocelyn. Cinnamon roll biscuits sound wonderful!