Low-fat biscuits can be really good—better than the commercial ones and a lot cheaper. Soft and tender, they’re healthy, low-calorie biscuits for most diets and easy enough to whip up anytime.
With just two ingredients—nonfat yogurt and self-rising flour (or a simple homemade substitute)—they’re on the table in under 25 minutes. Perfect for a lighter breakfast or an easy side for soups and chili.
🤔 Quick Answer: How many calories are in these low-fat biscuits?
Per biscuit: about 135 calories and roughly 0.3 grams of fat (the exact number can vary slightly with different yogurts and flour brands).
That makes them one of the lightest homemade biscuit options you can bake.
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Featured Comment by Linda in Boston:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This was a great recipe, and easy. I have struggled for years with butter-based recipes and was never satisfied. But these are great - soft and slightly chewy... "
TL;DR (Recipe Summary)
What it is: A healthy, low-fat biscuit recipe made with just two ingredients. Very low-calorie and nearly fat-free—an easy option for most healthy diets.
Why you’ll love it: Soft, tender, and one of the lightest homemade biscuits you can bake—great for staying on track with a healthy diet.
How to make it: Mix yogurt with self-rising flour (or the homemade version), drop or cut into biscuits, and bake until golden.
Jump to the Recipe Card or keep reading for the details.
🥣 Nutrition Snapshot: Low-Calorie Biscuits vs. Traditional
These homemade biscuits are low-fat and low-calorie — about 135 calories and nearly fat-free — compared to the 200+ calories and 10–12g of fat in classic buttermilk biscuits.
| Per Biscuit (Approx.) | Low Calorie Biscuits | Traditional Buttermilk Biscuits |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~135 | ~200–220 |
| Total Fat | 0–1g | 10–12g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g | 6–8g |
| Protein | 4–5g | 3g |
🥣 What You Need to Make These Low Fat Biscuits
These are simple two-ingredient biscuits made with nonfat yogurt and self-rising flour—store-bought or homemade.
Nonfat Yogurt
Use plain nonfat yogurt—regular or Greek both work. Greek yogurt is thicker, so you may need a splash of milk or extra yogurt to loosen the dough.
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t use flavored or sweetened yogurt—they’ll throw off the texture and taste.
Self-Rising Flour
If you don’t have self-rising flour (many home cooks don’t), you can make it with three pantry staples:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum-free suggested)
- ½ teaspoon salt
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Make Low-Fat Biscuits
1. Mixing the Dough
Combine self-rising flour (or the DIY substitute) with nonfat yogurt in a bowl.
✅ Pro Tip: Stir just until combined—don’t overmix, or the biscuits may toughen.
2. Shape the Biscuits
Make 8 drop biscuits and place them evenly on a parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheet.
✅ Pro Tip: A quick spray of PAM or similar adds a tiny bit of oil for extra browning—but it’s optional.
2b. Optional: Want Cut Biscuits Instead?
Pat the dough ¾-inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out 8 biscuits with a 2-inch cutter. You’ll need to gather and re-roll the dough scraps one or two times to complete the full batch.
✅ Pro Tip: Press straight down—don’t twist—or you’ll seal the edges and reduce the rise.
3. Baking Until Golden
Bake in a fully preheated oven at 400°F convection (or 425°F conventional) for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown.
✅Pro tip: Always use a fully preheated oven for the best rise and texture.
👇For full step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card—or keep reading for flavor variations, serving ideas, and storage tips.
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🤔 Variations and Add-ins
Want sweet, low-fat biscuits? Add a little honey or sugar to the dough. Top with berries or a spoonful of jam for a healthy treat.
For savory biscuits, stir in herbs, garlic, or even shredded cheese (yes, it adds fat—but it’s worth it).
Looking for a fruity variation? Try my Low-Fat Blueberry Scones, a close cousin of this recipe.
✅ Pro Tip: For the lowest fat biscuits, stick to herbs or garlic instead of cheese — still flavorful, but keeps them low-calorie and diet-friendly.
Healthy Sausage Gravy and Biscuits ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This healthy, low-calorie version of Biscuits and Gravy uses low-fat sausage gravy with these yogurt biscuits, so you can enjoy your favorite breakfast without bypass surgery.
↕️ How to Adjust the Number of Biscuits
Cooking for two? Or a crowd? This recipe scales easily.
- In the recipe card, adjust the number of servings to match how many biscuits you want.
- Follow the ingredient list only—the written instructions don’t scale.
- Baking time stays the same.
✅ Pro Tip: If you're making fewer biscuits, you can still use the full batch of self-rising flour mix—just store the extra dry mix in an airtight container for next time.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These low-fat biscuits are great with soups, breakfast sandwiches, or alongside a bowl of chili. Try them with Healthy White Chicken Chili, Texas Style Chili for a full comfort-food meal that still fits your plan.
❄️ Storage
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps for 3–4 days, tightly sealed.
- Freezer: Wrap each biscuit in plastic, then seal in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
✅ Pro Tip: For the best texture, reheat in the oven or toaster oven. Microwaving softens the outside.
❓FAQs
Yes. These are homemade low-fat biscuits with no butter or oil—about 135 calories each and almost no fat. A simple, healthy option if you're watching fat or calories.
They’re soft and fluffy, but not flaky. You might notice a slight tang from the yogurt—especially if using Greek yogurt.
Not quite. Bisquik™ is similar to self-rising flour but includes fats, making it a ready-to-use mix for quick biscuits, quick breads, and other baked goods. If you’re looking for low-fat options, it’s better to stick with self-rising flour.
Yes, in the DIY substitute version, but add extra yogurt or a splash of milk for more moisture. Expect a denser, less fluffy biscuit.
Not exactly. They’re made with no-fat yogurt instead of butter or oil, so they’re very low in fat — about 0.3 grams per biscuit. That’s still a fraction of the 10–12 grams in traditional buttermilk biscuits.
📖The Recipe Card
Low Fat Biscuits (Healthy, Low Calorie Recipe)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup non-fat yogurt
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° regular. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicon mat, or a light coat of PAM cooking spray.
Mixing the Dough
- Use 2 cups of self-rising flour, or make your own by combining 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add 1¼ cups of nonfat yogurt. Mix just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated—do not overmix. If you're using Greek yogurt, you may need to loosen the dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or additional yogurt.
Shaping the Biscuits
- For drop biscuits (the easiest method), scoop the dough into 8 equal portions and place them evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- For cut biscuits, pat the dough out ¾ inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out 8 biscuits with a 2-inch cutter (or 6 with a 2½-inch cutter). Gather and re-roll the scraps once or twice to use all the dough. Larger biscuits may take 1–2 minutes longer to bake.
Bake until Golden Brown
- Place your biscuits (dropped or cut) on the prepared baking pan. Make sure the oven is fully preheated. Bake the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- The exact nutrition values depend entirely on the ingredients you choose. Different yogurt brands have varying nutritional values and continually update their products over time.
- Greek yogurt works fine. However, it will have a stronger yogurt flavor and may require a touch of milk or an additional amount of yogurt. It may vary by brand, but 1-2 tablespoons of milk is the probable range.
- Store sealed at room temperature for 2-3 days, refrigerate for a week, or freeze for 3 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on March 16, 2013. It has been updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help with navigation.
Michelle says
THank you! I was very skeptical, but they turned out great! I made them into drop biscuits and that worked fined. Very tasty! Who would have thought a biscuit could be made without fat?
DrDan says
This was an experiment that just came out right...
Thanks for the comment.
DrDan
Amber says
Excellent recipe! I used expired yogurt (it was not moldy or bad, just more "yogurty") and they turned out fantastically, couldn't taste the yogurt at all. I look forward to experimenting with cheese and seasonings.
5/5 stars. Thank you!!
DrDan says
It is just a basic recipe that screams for modifications. Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Vicky W says
Love, love, love these biscuits! Trying to lose weight slowly and they are perfect for cutting some calories but not flavor and satisfaction. Sometimes I add blueberry yogurt and blueberries, or strawberry yogurt and sugar free strawberry jam. This morning I added cinnamon, raisins, and a little Splenda in the dough and a small amount of simple glaze on top - yummy! I always use one-half white whole wheat flour with good results. I have used low carb dairy blend yogurt as well as half Greek yogurt and half almond milk. I think these would be good with garlic and cheese too and am going to try that next. Thank you for posting this versatile and delicious recipe!
Danni says
Love your site. We call these scones in Australia. But we have them sweet with jam and cream. You can also make them with lemonade instead of baking powder. As a savoury have you tried the dough rolled out into a rectangle , cheese sprinkled over it ,then roll it up and cut into rounds then baked as above. For a sweet version a sweet filling can be spread on it. As I said I love your site, thank you for your time.
cheers
robert says
Can these bisquits be made ahead and frozen before baking, stored in freezer bag and then baked latter as desired?
DrDan says
I would think they freeze like bread... OK for a couple of months. I have never tried it though.
DrDan
Shweta says
is there a way to replace the AP flour? Perhaps a gluten free flour or healthier flour? I dont buy white flour ever. I have Whole wheat pastry, would that work?
DrDan says
I have never tried them and I'm not familiar with cooking characteristics But I will give it a guess. Since these are biscuits, gluten formation is not very important...so... I would just substitute it in and see what happens. The worst that would happen is some wasted ingredients. If you try it please comment here with your results
DrDan
dolores says
Scweta…..do what I do. I mill my own flour and you won't find white processed flour in my kitchen. BUT that doesn't mean, you can't have soft, fluffy biscuits.
Subbing gluten free flours can actually be LESS healthy…as if you look at the ingredients list, it 's mostly starch (most of them highly refined). Since I like to eat whole food, I like to sub barley flour (unless you have Celiac disease) or oat flour (which is very healthy). It will add a little color but who cares?! There are other options, I would use half ww pastry and half oat flour or barley flour. You will still get the health benefits.
Stay healthy.
dolores
Lisa says
Great recipe! They were really good. I just used plain non-fat yogurt since I was all out of Greek and they were delish!
Anna Marie Price says
These are tasty! We used greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt and this made them a bit drier. However, I simply used what I had on hand. Will plan for the next batch and make them with regular plain yogurt. This one is a winner. Thanks for sharing a very doable usable recipe!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Bianca says
Tried this recipe today - I added about a quarter cup of nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavour. This is the first time my mom approved of what I made in the kitchen ever since I started oil-free baking. Thank you so much!
V says
Using organic whole wheat flour, they came out too dense and tasteless - had to put a little agave sweetner to eat. Something else needs to be added so they are not bland?
DrDan says
The whole wheat flour is the issue. It has less gluten and won't act the same at all. I have only had success with 100% whole wheat when I added gluten in other recipes. Also a sweetener is almost always needed like honey commonly. I don't think you can do much with this recipe with the whole wheat flour.
DrDan
Darlene Bloom says
Thank you, thank you. Fat free biscuits that are NOT rocks. Question for you, not about biscuits. In the above pictures you are adding yogurt. How do you get it all to come out of the cup. For me it sticks like honey. I was told to oil the cup, but since oil is to enemy that is a no no. What do you do to get such clean cup results?
DrDan says
Hummm it is a stainless steel cup and it just comes out. No oil. If yours doesn't just fall out, use a rubber spatula to scrape. Also it is just biscuits. I do it without measuring frequently. A quick spray of PAM would add minimal fat if you want.
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Shawna says
This isn't completely fat free, unless you have fat free flour.
DrDan says
Well... busted.... Really I didn't know until just now that flour had 1 gm of fat per cup. Now if I go by FDA rules it is still "zero" per serving... but that is cheating really. I'm editing the post tonight.
DrDan
Vera says
This is a fabulous recipe! I added some crushed roasted cumin and it was an absolute winner. I had to bake it for really long though at a low temp to get desired hardness. I think I must've messed up the measurements. May u pls share them in gms to help clear the ambiguity. Please I really love this recipe and I really want to make them again the right way.
Cheers!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I don't cook by weight but AP flour should be about 140 gms per cup. The yogurt should be about 30 gms per oz. Weight of spices and baking powder... I have no idea but do people weigh spices...
I do have very nice cheat sheets for various conversion at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/kitchen-cheat-sheets/
DrDan
Cecilia says
Fantastic, I am on a reduced fat diet study and I thought it'd be a long while before I could eat a biscuit again....these are great. They were a delicious accompiament with dinner tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note
DrDan
Akros says
These are really good! Easy to make, good flavor, and nice light texture. I substituted King Arthur whole wheat white flour for the AP, and they were still light.
DrDan says
This recipe came out much better than I ever thought it would.
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
Jenny says
Wow, no butter biscuits? I have to try this! Thanks for the recipe!
wendy says
I found that these were burning on the outside and still doughy in the inside. 425 is too high for these. Not bad for lowfat ,but I found the first batch tasteless, so I sprinkled some thyme in them. If this second batch is still too doughy, I wont be making them again.
Janna Walters says
Just made them. They were WONDERFUL.