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Chocolate chip butter swim biscuits are soft, tender biscuits studded with chocolate chips and baked in melted butter for a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Finished with a silky chocolate glaze, they’re a dessert-style twist on classic Southern butter swim biscuits.
Can I just say that I am absolutely obsessed with these biscuits? Imagine a soft, pillowy biscuit swimming in a pool of butter with melty chocolate chips in every bite! And don’t even get me started on the glaze – Woo!
It’s sweet enough to take the edge off when that 3pm craving hits and indulgent enough to enjoy for dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Butter Swim Biscuits: The Perfect Anytime Treat
These are not your traditional biscuits. The dough is submerged in butter and baked until golden brown and crisp on top. The edges get crisp and buttery, while the centers are fluffy and moist. It’s a literal dream.
They’re incredibly easy to make – no kneading, no biscuit cutter, just a handful of simple ingredients. It took longer for my oven to preheat than it did to mix this dough… and that’s exactly the kind of recipe I love. Easy, quick, and so worth it. 😊
Table of contents
Notes From My Kitchen
I tested these a few different ways because I didn’t just want “good”… I wanted perfect texture. Here’s what I did differently:
- Buttermilk over regular milk – this gives the biscuits that soft, tender crumb and slight tang to balance the sweetness
- Coating the chocolate chips in flour keeps them evenly distributed (no sinking to the bottom)
- Parchment paper on the bottom of the dish prevents those little chocolate bits from burning (learned that the hard way 😅)
- Added in some baking soda! This may sound small but hear me out – *food science alert* most butter swim biscuits recipes skip the baking soda. But since we’re using buttermilk, that acidity needs something to react with. Adding baking soda gives these biscuits a better lift, a softer texture, and those perfectly golden edges.
If you love biscuits like me, you have to try my cheddar bay biscuits or maple buttermilk biscuits next!
Let’s Make Chocolate Chip Butter Swim Biscuits!
Step 1: Mix the dough. Melt a stick of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl, then toss in chocolate chips to coat.
Step 2: Add buttermilk and vanilla, mixing just until a soft dough forms. It’s ok if the dough is lumpy – mix until there’s no patches of flour.
Step 3: Cut and bake. Pour melted butter into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish, then pour biscuit dough on top. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 9 squares and bake on the middle oven rack until golden brown on top with crisp edges and a soft, fluffy center (about 25–30 minutes).
Step 4: Make the chocolate glaze. Whisk together cocoa powder, powdered sugar, corn syrup, and warm water, then pour over the warm biscuits.
Expert Tips for Buttery Biscuits
- Don’t overmix! The biscuit dough may look lumpy when combined, but that’s exactly what we’re looking for! If you mix until perfectly smooth, they’ll be dense and tough.
- Use real buttermilk! In a pinch, you can make your own homemade buttermilk with lemon juice and whole milk – but it’s just not the same. For that signature buttery taste and texture, acidulated buttermilk from the store is best!
- Let them cool slightly before glazing, about 20 minutes – this helps it cling to the biscuits instead of sliding off.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend using milk in place of buttermilk as the acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to cause the biscuits to rise in the oven – giving them that fluffy texture.
Because the dough literally bakes in melted butter aka swimming in butter!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Yes, pop in the microwave for 10–15 seconds (keep an eye on them to prevent burning the chocolate) or heat in the oven at 300°F until warm throughout.
More Biscuit Recipes
Appetizers
Cheddar Cheese Chive Biscuits
Breakfast
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Breakfast
Homemade Biscuits and Gravy
Appetizers
Bacon Cheddar and Thyme Biscuits
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Chocolate Chip Butter Swim Biscuits
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Pan (preferably metal of ceramic)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (g) Salted Butter, (melted)
- 2 1/2 cups (g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 5 tbsp (63 g) Sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (213 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, (additional for topping)
- 1 3/4 cups (420 g) Whole Fat Buttermilk
- 2 tsp (10 g) Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Glaze
- 4-5 tbsp (60-75 g) Water, (warm)
- 4 tbsp (26 g) Cocoa Powder, (dutch process or unsweetened/natural cocoa powder work here)
- 1 tbsp (20 g) Corn Syrup, (you can also use honey as a substitute)
- 1 1/2 cups (187 g) Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and set aside. 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- Combine all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together, then add in your chocolate chips and toss together to coat the chips in the flour – this prevents them from sinking. 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour 1 tbsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt 5 tbsp Sugar 1 1/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Pour in buttermilk and vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste but use what you have) and mix just until the dough comes together. 1 3/4 cups Whole Fat Buttermilk 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Line the bottom of a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Pour melted butter into the baking dish, then add biscuit dough into the pan on top of the melted butter. Use a sharp knife to cut the biscuit dough into 9 squares.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for about 25-30 minutes (start checking at the 20 minute mark), until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the biscuits comes out clean.
- Make the chocolate glaze – combine warm water, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. You can pour on top of the biscuits while still warm if you prefer a more melty chocolate glaze or you can wait until they're cool if you like a glaze that sets. 4-5 tbsp Water 4 tbsp Cocoa Powder 1 tbsp Corn Syrup 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
