or scroll for handy tips and a little nostalgia.
This recipe for Honey Biscuits is dated January 1942 and Nana Ling has identified “Marcella” as the source of this recipe.
While this suggests it could possibly be an Italian recipe, traditional honey biscuits are common across much of Europe and throughout the world.
After some research, I couldn’t pin this recipe to a particular country.
But I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty – these biscuits are exceptional!
Super simple Honey Biscuits
This Honey Biscuits recipe is beautiful in its simplicity.
Unlike many of the traditional recipes I came across when researching, this one uses just one spice – cinnamon.
And plenty of honey, of course!
The biscuits are deliciously crispy and oh so sweet. Rolling them in cinnamon sugar before baking also adds a little sparkle to the final product.
Ready to get cooking?
Ingredients for Honey Biscuits
To make these biscuits, you’ll need:
- butter
- caster sugar
- egg yolk
- SR flour
- cinnamon
- salt
- honey.
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact quantities.
Making Honey Biscuits: tips
The step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
However, keep these things in mind to help you find Honey Biscuit perfection with this recipe:
1. Start with good quality butter that you’ve left out of the fridge for at least half an hour.
2. Roll balls of the biscuit mixture in cinnamon sugar and make sure they’re about the size of a walnut (roughly 3cm in diameter).
3. Remember to leave room for your biscuits to spread on the tray once they’re in the oven.
4. Allow to cool and then enjoy with your favourite hot drink.
Buon appetito!
Love honey? Check out our Honey Joys and Honeycomb recipes too!
Nana Ling’s Honey Biscuits recipe
Keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version.
Honey Biscuits
Ingredients
- 115 grams butter
- 85 grams caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 170 grams SR flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 60 grams honey
- extra 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Cream butter and sugar on high speed in a stand mixer.
- Add egg yolk and beat into mixture.
- Add sifted flour and cinnamon, and salt and fold to combine.
- Warm honey so that it's runny (10-20 seconds in the microwave should work well) and add to mixture.
- Beat again until well combined.
- Place mixture into fridge for 10-15 minutes (or until it's just firm enough to roll into balls).
- Mix together additional sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll mixture into walnut-sized balls (about 3cm in diameter) and coat in sugar and cinnamon mixture.
- Space balls of mixture apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Remember to leave enough room for the biscuits to spread.
- Place trays in oven and bake for 15 minutes or until a light golden colour.
Claire
Sunday 22nd of November 2020
What is sR flour? Can I use cake flour?
Libby
Monday 23rd of November 2020
Hi Claire. SR flour is self-raising flour. You cna make it by using 1 cup of plain or all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Happy baking!
Fiona
Saturday 5th of October 2019
Delicious but agree that 20 min was a bit long. Took them out at 17 min and they were a bit dark. Maybe my oven was too hot at 180 degrees celsius. Will try again though :)
Libby
Sunday 6th of October 2019
Hi Fiona. Thanks for commenting and sorry that I hadn't got around to re-testing since the previous comment. I've now had time to re-test the recipe and, yes, the temp and time was a bit off! So sorry. I've now adjusted the temp and time (170 degrees celsius for 15 minutes) and updated the recipe. Thanks again for commenting, and leaving a star rating, it's much appreciated. Libby x
Jo
Sunday 29th of September 2019
Absolutely delicious! Easy to follow recipe that my daughter and I could do together.
20 minutes in a moderate oven was too long and burnt out first batch. 10 minutes was perfect ?
Libby
Sunday 29th of September 2019
Hi Jo. So pleased you love the recipe but so sorry your first batch was ruined :( I'll check the recipe again as that seems a big discrepancy. Perhaps I can be more specific with a temperature too. Glad it otherwise went well and it's one you could bake with your daughter ? Libby x
Polly
Saturday 7th of September 2019
The article says 'keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version' but there doesn't seem to be one?
Libby
Saturday 7th of September 2019
Hi Polly. Thanks so much for pointing this out. I've now added the code in so the recipe appears. Sorry about that! I switched recipe plugins on the website a little while ago and some of the older recipes have this issue. I thought I'd sorted them all out but obviously there are still some with issues which I'll go through and check for again. Thanks again and happy cooking :) Libby
Laura
Friday 1st of June 2018
My girls are officially out for summer break over here. We will definitely make time to bake these! Thank you for your post!
Libby
Saturday 2nd of June 2018
Hi Laura. Wonderful - enjoy the break and warmer weather! And have fun baking :)