Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
These tender and sweet cinnamon raisin biscuits full of plump raisins and topped with a creamy vanilla glaze taste just like those famous fast food biscuits you remember.
You know what I used to love when I was a kid? Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits from Hardee’s. My grandma would buy them for us. I had the California Raisins toys and even bed sheets. Yes, my 80’s childhood is definitely showing. And looking back, how weird is it that they made cartoon raisin bed sheets?
Now that I’m grown, I don’t live in a town with a Hardee’s but I still crave those soft and tender cinnamon raisin biscuits, warm from the oven and covered in vanilla glaze. So I worked up my own copycat recipe and I have to tell you, they are pretty dang good. That’s not just my opinion, I took these bad boys around town to get unbiased opinions on how close these taste to Hardee’s Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits and everyone who has tried them agrees.
There are 2 secrets behind these tender cinnamon sweet biscuits.
Secret #1
The secret to plump and juicy raisins in any baked good is this…A good soak in hot water to plump them back up!
Secret #2
Heavy cream. Heavy cream acts as the fat in these biscuits. It takes out the step of cutting the fat into the flour mixture, making these quicker and easier. But it also makes the glaze on the tops just a little richer.
How do you make Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits?
- First you’ll soak ½ cup of raisins in hot water for 20 minutes while you let the oven preheat to 400 degrees. Drain off the water and squeeze out any excess.
- Then in a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon.
- Next, add the raisins and the cream, stirring until it’s just combined.
- Lightly flour the counter and turn the biscuit dough out. Pat the dough down to a 1 inch thickness.
- You’ll need a floured biscuit cutter or the top of a glass to cut the biscuits. I find that a metal biscuit cutter like this set on Amazon works best for cutting through the raisins. Place the biscuits side by side in a 9×13 inch pan. Or see the directions below for freezing cinnamon raisin biscuits.
- Bake the biscuits at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes. While they are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and cream for the glaze. Spoon the glaze over the tops of the warm biscuits and serve.
How to freeze Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits:
Evenly space the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet without the sides touching. Cover with cling film and freeze until just frozen. Transfer to a Ziploc bag and remove all the extra air. To bake, place the frozen biscuits in a 9 x 13 baking pan and bake as directed but allow a few extra minutes bake time. Then glaze as directed.
More Freezer Friendly Breakfast Recipes:
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Glaze
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Soak ½ cup of raisins in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes while you let the oven preheat to 400 degrees. Drain off the water and squeeze out any excess. Discard water.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add the raisins and the cream, stirring the biscuit dough until it’s just combined
- Lightly flour the counter and turn the biscuit dough out. Pat the dough down to a 1 inch thickness. Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut into biscuits and place side by side in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Take any remaining scraps and gently press them together. Pat down again and cut remaining biscuits taking care not to overwork the dough.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes at 400 degrees or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- While the biscuits are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and cream until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the tops of the biscuits and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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I thought I was the only one who longed for those wonderful Hardee’s treats! I still have a set of the California Raisin figurines. I can’t wait to try this recipe – have to go buy the heavy cream first, darnit. 🙂
Oh me oh my! These turned out so incredibly yummy! I used bread flour and reduce the amount of salt to 3/4 teaspoon. They came out fluffy, moist, and downright perfect. I have to confess I am not a very good biscuit maker, so it is all attributed to the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed them April! Thanks for the review!
These are the best biscuits ever! My family loves them. I also make regular biscuits by omitting raisins, cinnamon and icing. Only recipe I use.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I thought it was very close to the famous biscuits we all know, love and miss. I did add a finishing touches of my own by brushing butter on top right as I pulled them out of the oven before icing. Yum yum yum..
Thank you for a great recipe. Easy to fix, doesn’t take much time, and has a great taste- Nice and tender. As usual I always have to fix double the amount of icing. Yes I did cut back on the salt a little bit. Very nice and definitely a keeper
Hi! Can you cut the salt back a little bit, would that make a difference?They were really good but a bit salty.
Lisa,
Yes, you can. Hope that you get them just how you like them!
Amy
These taste really good, but I think I over baked, trying to get them to brown. They got a little dry. Next time I will take them out sooner, brown or not. They are close to the real deal though.
I made these for the first time today and they were delicious. I used self rising flour only because that is what I had on hand. I didn’t have to use the baking powder and or salt since self rising flour has all of that in it. My son and I love cinnamon raisin biscuits so these were delightful. I will be making these a favorite for a long time to come. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I just baked these and they are delicious. Thought they would be dry but they weren’t. Thsnk you . Will be baking them agsin.
I did everything the recipe said to do. Mine did not rise baking powder and flour was good checked the date before I started it. However the only thing I didn’t do was I put mine on a cookie sheet instead of in a cake pan. Would that make a difference?
Sorry to hear that Janet. I don’t know what the problem could have been. Everyone else that I know who has made these has had good results. The cookie sheet vs the 9×13 pan would not make a difference in rise.
Amy
These are fantastic!! Easy and quick to make. Love the instructions to make ahead and freeze. I patted my dough out in a rectangle and cut into squares and rectangles, easier than cutting with biscuit cutter. Thank you!
So glad that you enjoyed them Linda!
Hi
Don’t have heavy cream only whole milk… what if anything can I substitute for heavy cream??
Thank you
Connie
Hi Connie,
I’m sorry, but you really need heavy cream for these biscuits for the best results. 1. It takes out the step of having to cut in the fat, because the cream has such a high fat content. 2. Heavy cream creates such a tender crumb and rich flavor in these cinnamon raisin biscuits. I know it’s a pain, because I don’t keep heavy cream on hand either, but it’s totally worth the trip to the store.
What can you substitute for heavy cream?
Hi Jackie, Can you give me a little more information so that I can make the best recommendation for you. For example, are you needing a dairy free recipe?
Pretty darn close!!!!!!! Thank You!!! Carole
So glad that you enjoyed them, Carole! Thanks for the review.
Pretty darn close!!!!!!! Thank You!!! Carole