Great Grandma’s Cinnamon Tea Biscuits

cinnamon tea biscuits

I have always thought of these cinnamon tea biscuits as the quickest cinnamon biscuits out there. They are a recipe I grew up having, my mom made them often. I believe her mom made them too and I know her grandmother definitely did.

Cinnamon Tea Biscuits – A Family Treat

Of course I thought nothing of it growing up. I mean who doesn’t have cinnamon tea biscuits on the regular, right?! Wrong. Turns out I missed them terribly! So a couple years back, I asked mom for the recipe. And have made them countless times now. But as many an old recipe, written by hand, can attest to, it came very light on proportions and directions (a splash of this and a dash of that).

I think perhaps this was the case so ones could claim that their secret ingredient was love … or everyone could read between the lines a little more back then … it’s hard to say!

Really, I guess we will never know, but I still felt obliged to make and remake this recipe until I felt I had the proportions right and record them properly (so that every fall when I dig out the recipe again,  I don’t have to guess as to what I did last year). Surprisingly, no one in my house complained! Actually, I made my mom watch me make the recipe the last time she was over (and that is where I learned the tip that when the vinegar/milk/baking soda combination is correct, you get a particular, deeper sound when mixing it together).  I tried to take a video –  alas she talked all the way through it.  But, with my newly added ‘sound wisdom,’ they turned out delicious! And my girls definitely seem to love them as much as I did growing up!

Cinnamon Biscuits

They are not like traditional cinnamon buns however, there is no yeast or rise to the recipe, but rather the dough has more resemblance to a lightened, baking powder biscuit. In turn they make a wonderful accompaniment to a cup of tea and yet are hearty enough to be slathered in extra butter, if one feels so inclined. They even make a terrific rainy day, after school snack and arguably could also be breakfast in a pinch, if your mom isn’t looking.

This is a quick and rustic recipe. Unlike traditional cinnamon buns, these come together quickly. They taste amazing right out of the oven and need nothing else. But if any do survive to the next day, than I like them warmed up with a little butter.

Buttermilk

Essentially you create your own buttermilk by adding white vinegar to the milk and then thickening it with the reaction from the baking powder. Unlike other similar recipes (that allow the milk to sour for a given amount of time) this is best down directly before adding to the dry ingredients. I have also tried it with actual buttermilk – it is not the same! There is something about this particular chemical reaction that makes these so good. The original recipe called for shortening or butter, again I tried both, but I prefer butter. So here goes:

Grandma’s Cinnamon Tea Biscuit Recipe:

Dough:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Cup of Butter (chilled)

1 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda (into milk)

Filling:

1/3 Cup Softened Butter

1/2 Cup (or to taste) Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon (approximately – I just sprinkle it on)

Directions:

Heat oven to 360 degrees.

Step 1:

In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.

Step 2:

Cut chilled butter into chunks and using pastry cutter (or kick it old school and use two butter knives in a criss cross motion like my mom) work the butter into the flour mixture until course crumbs form and there are no chucks of butter left larger than a pea size.

Step 3:

Measure 1 Cup of milk (I generally use 1% or 2%)  into a 2 cup measuring glass (it will nearly double in volume).

Step 4:

Add the vinegar and then the baking soda and stir with a spoon. It should bubble and froth up immediately and get thicker. If it does not, add another splash of vinegar – the original recipe simply states add a splash of vinegar (this is the part my mother speaks to about the sound from vigorously stirring changes). Also it will significantly increase in volume.

The so-called sound video –

Step 5:

Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine.

Step 6:

With clean hands knead the mixture until it comes together, either in the bowl or on a floured surface.

Step 7:

Flour a surface generously and roll out the dough (also with a well floured rolling pin) to about 16″ x 12″. You do want it on the thicker side (even if  your own mother is not there to remind you of this repeatedly). Keep in mind this is a rustic recipe – so perfect edges need not apply.

Step 8:

Generously spread the softened (very soft room temperature, but preferably not melted) butter over the entire surface. This is best done with your fingers and it’s messy business. So suck it up – it’s worth it in every way. Wash your hands – yes you will need soap (butter is greasy).

Step 9:

Next sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter, then sprinkle your cinnamon on top.

Step 10:

Starting with wide end closest to you, begin rolling the dough up. If the dough sticks a little to the board, add extra flour to your fingers and at the base where it meets the surface. Continue rolling until fully rolled up.

cinnamon tea biscuits

Step 11:

Shape the roll lightly with your hands so as to get an even size and shape. Using a floured, serrated knife, cut the roll into 1″ slices.

cinnamon biscuits

Step 12:

Place on baking stone ware or a parchment lined cookie sheet about a 1/2 inch apart or so.

cinnamon tea biscuits

Step 13:

Bake in 360 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes until basically done.

Step 14:

Then turn the oven to broil, and while watching carefully, allow the biscuits to cook for another 1-2 minutes. This melts any remaining sugar and browns up the tops wonderfully. It makes a big difference in my opinion – otherwise you get brown sugar that can still be grainy (which really no-one seems to mind but me…). These biscuits are still perfectly good without this step as well, it’s just my (and my mom’s) preference.

Step 15:

Remove from oven and devour (and possibly burn tongue – so probably wait 5 minutes if you can).

cinnamon tea biscuits

 

Great Grandma’s Cinnamon Tea Biscuits

Great Grandma’s Cinnamon Biscuits

A great recipe for old fashioned cinnamon tea biscuits.

Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon, old fashioned, tea biscuit
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Author Laura Crawford

Ingredients

  • Dough:
  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Cup of Butter chilled
  • 1 Cup Milk
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda into milk
  • Filling:
  • 1/3 Cup Softened Butter
  • 1/2 Cup or to taste Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon approximately – I just sprinkle it on

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 360 degrees.
  2. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
  3. Cut chilled butter into chunks and using pastry cutter (or kick it old school and use two butter knives in a criss cross motion like my mom) work the butter into the flour mixture until course crumbs form and there are no chucks of butter left larger than a pea size.
  4. Measure 1 Cup of milk (I generally use 1% or 2%)  into a 2 cup measuring glass (it will nearly double in volume).
  5. Add the vinegar and then the baking soda and stir with a spoon. It should bubble and froth up immediately and get thicker. If it does not, add another splash of vinegar – the original recipe simply states add a splash of vinegar (this is the part my mother speaks to about the sound from vigorously stirring changes). Also it will significantly increase in volume.
  6. Add the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine.
  7. With clean hands knead the mixture until it comes together, either in the bowl or on a floured surface.
  8. Flour a surface generously and roll out the dough (also with a well floured rolling pin) to about 16″ x 12″. You do want it on the thicker side (even if  your own mother is not there to remind you of this repeatedly). Keep in mind this is a rustic recipe – so perfect edges need not apply.
  9. Generously spread the softened (very soft room temperature, but preferably not melted) butter over the entire surface. This is best done with your fingers.
  10. Next sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter, then sprinkle your cinnamon on top.
  11. Starting with wide end closest to you, begin rolling the dough up. If the dough sticks a little to the board, add extra flour to your fingers and at the base where it meets the surface. Continue rolling until fully rolled up.
  12. Shape the roll lightly with your hands so as to get an even size and shape. Using a floured, serrated knife, cut the roll into 1″ slices.
  13. Place on baking stone ware or a parchment lined cookie sheet about a 1/2 inch apart or so.
  14. Bake in 360 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes until basically done.
  15. Then turn the oven to broil, and while watching carefully, allow the biscuits to cook for another 1-2 minutes. This melts any remaining sugar and browns up the tops wonderfully. It makes a big difference in my opinion – otherwise you get brown sugar that can still be grainy (which really no-one seems to mind but me…). These biscuits are still perfectly good without this step as well, it’s just my (and my mom’s) preference.
  16. Remove from oven and devour (and possibly burn tongue – so probably wait 5 minutes if you can).

Recipe Notes

Store cooled biscuits, covered at room temperature.

Need a more traditional cinnamon bun?! Check out Blackberry Cinnamon Buns or Lingonberry Sweet Buns

cinnamon tea biscuits

36 thoughts on “Great Grandma’s Cinnamon Tea Biscuits”

  1. OMG, these are fantastic! I added some raisins and walnuts to the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Thank you so much for sharing your great Gramma’s recipe. I’ll definitely be making them often.

  2. These went together well, but there was too much butter in the recipe. I followed to the letter, but these were swimming in melted butter all over the baking sheet.

    1. I haven’t had this problem before. Hmmm. Could be that perhaps the dough or butter was too warm before going in the oven. Or the oven not hot enough 😀

  3. I made these today, and they were delicious. I ate two before I made myself stop eating more. I took some to my neighbors for their breakfast tomorrow.
    I will make these again.

  4. I’m going to try your recipe. I’ve been make biscuit cinnamon buns since I was a teen – I’d have competitions with my Grampy (mine were always more than his). I like trying new methods. And I thought I’d tell you something I do. I have added expresso powder to my cinnamon mixture. Totally great. I always thought I was the only one who had biscuit cinnamon buns. Glad to know I’m not.

  5. You know, I love this recipe. I have made it several times now. But I find that the dough is incredibly difficult to work with. Granted this is one of the very few recipes that I bake that requires hand manipulation of dough. However, I have been making slight changes to process each time to make it more hand friendly, but to no avail. The dough always turns out incredible sticky and I end up using tons of flour to gather it. And I end up with a huge mess on my hands and work surface as a result. Is this normal or am I missing something? Any advice or a video would be appreciated.

    1. I made the recipe again just this past week. And the dough worked great for me. However so many things can effect dough, weight of flour, humidity, weather etc.
      I also wonder if you are using cold butter to begin with and blending it to smaller than pea size perhaps? If the butter warmed up too much in slightly over working the dough that could make it stickier. If you find the dough very wet and sticky when trying to bring it together, add another tablespoon of floor at a time to it. This dough does require some generous flouring of the board and rolling pin. And one last thought, is the softened butter spread on the rolled out dough very melted and warm? As this would warm up the butter and dough beneath and possibly make it sticker to roll up off the board. If a particular piece still sticks when rolling, I will sometimes sprinkle a pinch of flour right there to get it to release cleaner. Anyways hope one of these tips work and you keep enjoying my great grandma’s cinnamon tea biscuits.

  6. Omg, just finished making these. My hubby and i ate 5 each and had to stop from finishing them all. I added chopped pecans with raisins. This is by far the best recipe i have ever tried and i have done many. Going to share with all my friends.

  7. I had a friend make these for a coffee visit, and OH MY!!! They were absolutely lovely! She switched the butter for bananas and they were absolutely wonderful!
    I am hoping to make these myself, however the rest of my family is severely lactose intolerant. Is it possible to make these with a milk alternative?
    I imagine not, as there is the homemade buttermilk but these were so amazing I didn’t want my family to miss out.
    Thank you!

    1. I have never tried making them with a milk alternative – but it might be worth a try. It’s likely they wouldn’t be the exact same, but they probably would still be good 😊

    2. Absolutely you can. I use soy milk all the time – just add a tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit 5 minutes to make alternative buttermilk.

  8. Delicious! They taste just like the ones from “down home.” I really appreciated the clear and detailed instructions. I used whole wheat pastry flour so I could kid myself that they’re healthy. I also used 4 or 5 tsp cinnamon because we’re obsessed with it. Definitely a keeper.

  9. Omg, so glad to find this recipe.My grandma made these for us when we were kids and until I used this recipe I could never get quite the right taste, thanks for sharing.The only difference is she added the brown sugar and cinnamon to the butter and spread it on that way.

  10. Temp of 360 seems low compared to other similar recipes at 450. Could you explain please? Thanks.

    1. I have always found they cooked well at 360 degrees Fahrenheit in my different ovens over the years. A quick broil at the end is nice for melting any extra sugar too.

  11. I can’t even tell you how many batches of cinnamon rolls I’ve made over the years that turned out like garbage. These were soft, buttery and beautiful!!! Thank you so much!!

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