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The very best homemade biscuits — we adore these! They’re one part flaky, buttery biscuit and one part salty soft pretzel, baked together for the ultimate holiday roll. Made with simple ingredients — flour, milk, baking powder, and salted butter — then topped with a soft pretzel wash and flaky salt. Serve them warm with whipped honey butter slathered over each one. The most delicious, cozy holiday biscuits!
Thanksgiving dinner just isn’t complete without some kind of roll (or two). Most years, I make a classic roll and popovers for my mom — because she loves them so much. She’s a true bread girl. I honestly think her secret to good health is bread and real salted butter. These two foods have always been at the center of our table, and my mom has never once strayed from using the real stuff. For that, I thank her!
When I plan our holiday menu each year, I always start with the people I’m cooking for — and 90% of the time, that’s my family. My mom is someone I especially love to make happy when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. Forget all those boys — this one’s for her!
When I was creating this year’s Thanksgiving menu, I thought about all the rolls, popovers, and breads I’ve baked in the past. But something I’d never thought to do before was combine two of my mom’s favorites: flaky homemade biscuits and soft, salty pretzels.
Here are the details
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- whole milk – butter is really great too
- honey – I like to use a raw honey when possible
- sea salt
The Pretzel Topping
- baking soda
- an egg yolk – this is for brushing
- coarse pretzel salt or any coarse salt
The Whipped Honey Butter
- salted butter – at room temperature, so you can really whip it!
- honey – again use something really delicious, ideally raw
The Steps
Step 1: Mix the dough
Start by tossing a stick of butter in the freezer to get it nice and cold — this makes shredding it easy.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Grab the butter from the freezer (I like to freeze it for at least 5–10 minutes). Shred the butter on a box grater, just like you would cheese. I’ve been using this trick for years — it’s foolproof and saves you from having to clean a food processor (which, let’s be honest, no one enjoys).
Mix the shredded butter into the flour. Add the milk and honey, and stir until just combined.
Step 2: Roll out the dough
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, then fold the sides inward like a letter. Press it back into a rectangle, then fold it once more.
This step is the secret to creating those beautiful flaky layers in your biscuits — don’t skip it!
Cut the dough into circles or keep it easy and cut into squares. I like to double the recipe and do both — the mix of shapes looks so cute!
Step 3: Freeze
Freeze the cut biscuits for 15 minutes. This helps firm up the butter again and ensures the layers stay flaky and crisp when baked.
Step 4: The topping
Here’s where the soft pretzel magic happens! Brush the tops of the biscuits with a baking soda and water mixture — that’s what gives them that signature golden, slightly chewy pretzel crust.
Then brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with pretzel salt (or flaky sea salt). Freeze one last time while the oven preheats.
Make them ahead of time
If you’re prepping ahead for Thanksgiving, this is a great stopping point. Wrap the biscuits and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
You can also freeze them and bake straight from frozen — just add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.
Step 5: Bake
Bake the biscuits until golden brown and flaky. They’ll smell incredible!
The whipped honey butter
While the biscuits bake, whip together salted butter and honey using an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until light, fluffy, and dreamy.
Serving
Serve the biscuits warm, split in half, and slathered generously with that honey butter. They’re perfect for mopping up gravy or enjoying alongside your Thanksgiving meal — pure, buttery heaven.
Photography by Johnny Miller
Looking for other Thanksgiving bread recipes? Try these.
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Salted Honey Sage Brioche Rolls
The Best (easiest) No Knead Bread
Lastly, if you make these Salted Pretzel Honey Butter Biscuits, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Pretzel Honey Butter Biscuits
Servings: 10 biscuits
Calories Per Serving: 295 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cold salted butter, shredded (like cheese)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
Pretzel Topping
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 egg yolk, beaten, with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt or pretzel salt
Whipped Honey Butter
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, mix in 1 stick of shredded butter. Pour over the milk and add the honey. Mix until just combined.2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold one side into the center, then the other side on top. Like a letter. Turn the dough horizontally. Flatten into a rectangle again. Repeat the folding. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap the dough and freeze it for 15 minutes to allow it to rest.3. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 4. Mix the hot water and baking soda. Brush it onto the entire top surface of the dough. 5. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter (around 2 1/4 inches) or cut into 10 squares. Do not twist the cutter when cutting. Re-roll the remaining dough and cut more circles. Arrange the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with salt.6. Freeze the biscuits for another 15 or 20 minutes. Then bake until golden brown, 20-22 minutes.7. Meanwhile, whip the butter and honey together until creamy. This is easiest to do with an electric mixer. Serve the biscuits warm with honey butter.
This post was originally published on November 7, 2025
I’m frustrated our questions have not gotten through your filtering system. My aunt and my mother both submitted questions that haven’t been answered. This makes it really difficult to make HBH recipes because I don’t have time to keep checking back to see if they’ve been posted. It seems you guys are very specific with what you’ll let through and this is bothersome. We can’t submit a glowing review if we never make them, but we can’t make them if we don’t get our questions answered.
Hi Tersy,
So sorry to hear you are having some issues, we are more than happy to answer your questions. Please feel free to send them through:) I am not seeing any questions for this recipe so please let me know how I can help!
Why was the rest of your book tour cancelled? Wasn’t it already rescheduled?
Hi Paula,
I am so sorry for any inconvenience, I am so disappointed we had to cancel but we are hoping to get something else on the books. Again, so sorry! Happy Holidays!
Can you use bread flour?
Hi Judy,
I have not personally tested this recipe with brea flour. You could certainly give it a try, but for best results I would use all purpose flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Judy, if you use bread flour, you will get a texture that is more chewy than if you use ap.
These look so good! I only have 1% milk – will that work? Also can you refrigerate instead of freeze the dough?
Hi Jen,
Yes, 1% milk will be just find for you to use. I would recommend keeping the recipe as is and freezing the dough. I hope you love this recipe!
I just got an email that my tix to NYC event has been refunded…noooo! We even reserved a hotel for the night so we could stay in the city. So bummed. What happened?!
Hi Macy,
I am so sorry about that, I am super bummed as well! We are hoping to get another in person event scheduled soon. Again, my apologies! Happy Holidays!
Why were the last 2 stops of the tour canceled? Weren’t these already rescheduled from earlier in the year? Is everything OK?
Hi Becs,
Thanks for asking! Sadly, yes. If I had control of it I would change it! I am so sad we had to postpone these!!!
We are working to get another in person event on the books. Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!
Have some of the booksigning events changed? Can you clarify what your upcoming dates are? I’m confused—have you cancelled some? Thank you!
Hi Claudia,
Yes, unfortunately, some of the events have been cancelled. We are working to get another in person event on the books. So sorry for any inconvenience, trust me, I am disappointed as well! Happy Holidays!
These look awesome! They might show up on my dinner table this weekend.
Can you please confirm that 1 stick of butter = 8 tbsp / ½ cup / 113g / 4oz / ¼ lb? I’ve got a 1 lb block of butter in my fridge and want to make sure I cut off the correct amount.
Hi Shiv,
Yes, that is correct! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try!
Was your NYC tour cancelled? Or is it sold out?
Hi Edith,
Unfortunately, yes it was cancelled, so sorry!
We are working on a new in person event soon, stay tuned and happy holidays!
Hi. My favorite dinner roll recipe is in the book I left in my Michigan cottage. Would you please send me the recipe. I’m desperate! It’s the dough that you use in a few different ways.
Thanks
Anita Schneider
Hi Anita,
I will send to you via email! Keep a look out:)
Was the Williams Sonoma event in New York cancelled? It’s not showing up on the event page. I was hoping to go.
Hi Alexandra,
Yes, unfortunately that event has been cancelled, so sorry!! We are working on another in person event, so stay tuned!
Happy Holidays!
Are the last 2 stops cancelled?! What happened – I have a ticket!! 😢😢😢
Hey Diane, sadly yes. If I had control of it I would change it! You will absolutely be refunded and I apologize for any inconvenience. I am so sad we had to postpone these!!!
But we are working on another in person event soon! Updates this Sunday!
Thank you for understanding and happy holidays!!
Good morning!
I’d like to make these ahead of time. How should I reheat them?
I plan on making a test batch and also the pretzel candy canes! It’s going to be lousy weather this weekend so this will keep me busy. Thanks for your great recipes!
Judy
Thanks so much, Judy!! For reheating, you can follow the instructions as written. Let me know how these turn out for you! I hope you love the recipe!
These sound so yummy!
Can you provide an alternative recipe for gluten free and dairy free?
Hey Bridget! I think you can give an all purpose gluten free flour a try! And for dairy free use your favorite nut/dairy free milk and non-dairy sticks of butter. I’m sure thy will work nicely. And then, just omit the egg. Give it a test and let me know. I hope you enjoy them!
Happy holidays!
Should biscuits be separated on baking sheet or should they be touching.
Hi Richard,
You do not want the biscuits to be touching on the baking sheet.
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!