7 Frozen Biscuits, Ranked Worst To Best

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There's a reason comfort food is called what it is. It's meant to feel warm and cozy, like a happy childhood memory or a hug from grandma. Biscuits are among the many nostalgic comfort foods out there. And while you can whip up a batch of fluffy Southern biscuits in about 30 minutes, there are plenty of reasons you might choose a store-bought version — time, dishes, lack of ingredients, and general convenience are a few I can think of. 

I was curious to check the store-bought biscuits in the freezer aisle to see how the offerings varied. While there are a handful of options, it's not as widespread as other bread products. Still, I located a few options from various brands to test them against each other. I'll tell you straight up that nothing was poor-tasting or especially unpleasant, so you can happily lean on any of the following options; however, some were vastly more interesting and flavorful in my opinion. Therefore, I decided to rank these by overall taste and texture. 

I was seeking a buttery biscuit with a medium crumb structure. Some of them have flavor add-ins, so those ingredients needed to bring clear flavor. I wanted a balanced texture that was neither too firm and crunchy nor too soft that it fell apart at the touch. I will also describe what kind of dishes a biscuit might be good for because there is quite a range of tastes and textures.

I totally get if you're surprised to find Red Lobster Frozen Cheddar Bay Biscuits at the bottom of the list. Truthfully, I expected a lot more from this iconic biscuit, and you will probably have to dine in at Red Lobster to get the best experience. These Cheddar Bay Biscuits simply don't taste as cheesy as I would expect, and they aren't as savory or interesting as they should be. If you've had the fresh ones before, you'll know what I'm talking about. You should most definitely add the buttery seasoning packet, which uses dehydrated parsley, garlic, and onion powder, along with other ingredients to give it a flavor boost.

Even so, they are quite dry and chewy and not nearly as fluffy as an in-store biscuit. They seem somewhat small, too. While the seasoning helps, it's not enough to change the overall flavor of the interior; if anything, it just makes the top tastier. Don't get me wrong, they are not bad, and they will still get eaten, especially given that there are so many ways to use leftover Cheddar Bay Biscuits (such as incorporating them into a soup or using them to make stuffing). These weren't gross, but they don't live up to the Red Lobster name.

Pillsbury has a selection of refrigerated Grands!, but the frozen options are scant. I located Pillsbury Grands! Buttermilk Biscuits Frozen Dough, and it yielded an interesting result. The exterior is quite tough and crunchy, while the inside is incredibly airy. It felt like the lightest biscuit out of all the ones I tried. I didn't get the complex, mild tanginess I expected from buttermilk. This is more of a basic, flour-forward biscuit, so I think your best bet would be to serve it with gravy or even a breakfast sandwich slathered with hot sauce and cheese. 

I don't find it particularly flavorful or enjoyable on its own. The textural contrast is somewhat unappealing as well: The exterior is firm enough that you can tap it with a knife without any movement, but the inside is pillowy and airy, almost so soft that it just kind of crumbled into pieces as I tore it in half. (But it advertises this quality on the packaging itself.) 

I can appreciate its basicness and think the foundation is still better than Red Lobster's frozen biscuit. The packaging is also not resealable, so you just have to close it in some fashion; everything else had a zipper seal. This did not affect the ranking, but it is still annoying. You can use this Pillsbury product, but it's not the most flavorful or high-quality of the ones I tried. The benefit is accessibility, knowing that you can buy Pillsbury at many types of grocery stores.

I was surprised at the presentation of the Great Value Buttermilk Biscuits. They are light and fluffy, and they solved the problem that Pillsbury didn't by having a resealable bag. I genuinely think this is a fantastic option to keep in the freezer because they have a better crumb than Pillsbury. They're still perfectly airy, like a cloud, but they have a little more structure, so they won't turn to dust the moment you cut into them or slather them with some butter. 

These would be perfect for a rich, savory sausage gravy — in fact, the higher-ranking things are a little bit fancier and more complex, so I wouldn't necessarily want to cover them up with a thick sauce or gravy. These have a nice flavor and texture that give them the edge over everything else ranked below. If you want something plain, well-made, and budget-friendly but still available in bulk, then Great Value is a great product to stock in the freezer. This has a great foundation that can be enhanced any way you want. I like that it comes with 20 biscuits, making it convenient for several meals (this varies on your family size, of course).

Gluten-free readers will be happy to hear that Cappello's Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits are genuinely scrumptious. I love that they look exactly like the image on the packaging, ensuring you know what to expect. Cappello's Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits feature buttermilk as the primary ingredient, along with white rice flour, tapioca starch, almond flour, eggs, and other ingredients that form their foundation. There's a touch of butter and honey, which adds a rich, sweet flavor. The interior is soft, and I like that it doesn't crumble completely as I tear into it. 

One reviewer on Amazon said it perfectly: "Not super light, but not pucks either." And that's tough to achieve in a gluten-free dough. I also like that they offer a slight moistness that none of the previous biscuits had; they were more straightforward and drier by comparison. The honey doesn't contribute much sweetness, but instead helps round out the flavor — 2 grams of sugar per biscuit, which is similar to others on this list. I like this Cappello's offering and think it has the best texture out of anything thus far. However, the rest are far superior in flavor. Also, while I followed the baking instructions, I feel like I could have added another minute or two for a firmer exterior — but it was perfectly fine as directed.

These Magnolia Table Jo's Buttermilk Biscuits are easily the butteriest of the bunch, leaving a greasy pool on the baking tray. However, they are quite dense and flaky compared to the airiness that I found in some of these other options. That means you have to know what you're getting into when you buy these. If you want a rich, heavy biscuit, then these are a fantastic option. Holding one in my hand feels like a hefty paperweight compared to Pillsbury's paper-like lightness. There's a touch of oiliness and a general richness that the other lower-ranking options lack. These actually feature butter, sour cream, and buttermilk to achieve the rich, complex flavor and moistness I detected.

I think the butteriness brings a compelling flavor that makes these feel like a treat all on their own. You could just top it with some jam, relying solely on the butter content in the recipe without needing to add your own. Dousing them in gravy seems like a disservice to the flavor they already offer. These are tasty, compact, dense, but wonderfully moist on the inside. They strike a good balance between having a firmer exterior and not being particularly hard or crunchy. If any of this sounds appealing to you, you genuinely cannot go wrong with this type of buttermilk biscuit from the Magnolia Table lineup — these ranked as the No. 1 pick out of all the brand's selections at Target, by the way. This was the most flavorful of anything I've had so far, easily earning it third place.

You might be pondering: If the Magnolia Table Butternut Biscuits were so good, why aren't they even higher in the ranking? This is a great question, and the only thing I have to say is that the Magnolia Table Prize Pig Biscuits are even more complex and delectable. It's the same base but with added flavors, which only enhances the overall result. The frozen product was missing from the aforementioned Magnolia Table ranking, and I wonder how the writer would rank this. As for the context of my frozen biscuit ranking, I think they are dreamy.

This recipe has much of the same foundation as the buttermilk version; however, we have some powerful players this time around. There is smoky and salty bacon, herby and fragrant chives, and a dash of pepper that add intrigue. Don't forget the delightful addition of cheddar cheese, which makes it even more savory and easy to eat. These are heavy, dense, and fatty, but oh so delicious. The bacon pieces are small enough that they don't overwhelm you with chewiness, but they provide an added mouthfeel to make them shine. I think these would make a pleasant addition to the dinner table when you want something that strikes the fine balance of convenience, uniqueness, and ultra-flavorful. Again, these should stand as their own side dish. You can serve them with butter, but they're excellent alone. All right, Joanna Gaines, you really nailed your biscuit offerings.

I have to be honest with you; I didn't even realize either of Cappello's biscuits was gluten-free until I started writing this article. That means the Cheddar Biscuits received top marks for their amazing flavor and texture, despite their lack of wheat. If Cappello's Cheddar Biscuits wants to offer a lifetime supply of biscuits, I would happily sacrifice Red Lobster Frozen Cheddar Bay Biscuits from my freezer. These are fabulous, light, pillowy, with a marvelous exterior that's firm and holds its structure but not too tough to bite into. They use a flour blend of white and brown rice, tapioca, and almond in place of wheat. 

You'll also spot buttermilk, butter, and cheddar cheese to give it an authentic cheesy, buttery complexity that permeates every bite. And finally, it delivers on the chives. They're visible (hoorah!) but add wonderful flavor that makes the biscuits balanced and compelling enough that you want to finish the round and go in for another. They're savory, of course, so they'll work well with various meals, but they're scrumptious enough you don't need to slather them with anything. They are the appetizer alone — no need to drench them in gravy or sauce. If you want a rich, flavorful biscuit with a moist center and a surprisingly airy interior, Cappello's Cheddar Biscuits are a must–try, whether you're gluten-free or not. I'd reach for the lighter Cappello's cheesy option over Magnolia Table's heavy one to give the former top marks as the best frozen biscuit.

I sourced my biscuits from Walmart and Whole Foods and baked each one according to the individual instructions, since baking temperatures and times varied. Biscuits fell into two camps: flavored and buttermilk plain. For the flavored ones, I was seeking a good delivery of the add-ins; I wanted to taste the mix-ins and the buttery biscuit base. As for the buttermilk biscuits, they were relatively plain. Here, I wanted to enjoy the floury and buttery notes. 

The texture was somewhat important because some were dense or crunchy while others were light and fluffy. Moisture was a factor because some were incredibly dry beyond what I would expect from a biscuit. Biscuits that ranked at the top of the list were more interesting and flavorful, delivered their advertised ingredients better, and overall had a pleasant moisture level. While I inevitably had to pick something to rank at the bottom, it had minor flavor issues; it just didn't meet the criteria I was looking for and wasn't as interesting when pitted against other options on the list. I believe you can still feel very confident buying any of these options based on your personal preference.