14 Delicious Biscuit Toppings Beyond Gravy

A well-made biscuit is among the world's most blissful breads. This mighty starch "needs" absolutely nothing, but will pair with almost anything. So, don't get pigeonholed into sticking with just sausage gravy (although we know that slaps). Broaden your biscuit horizons with these 14 tasty toppings that go beyond the usual suspects and bring a little extra joy to the plate.

Don't get us wrong, we're not out here trying to reinvent the breakfast wheel. Think of our suggestions as a friendly chat around the kitchen table, where someone leans in and asks in a barely-contained whisper, "Have you ever tried that on a biscuit?" Suddenly, everyone's scribblin' notes on napkins. 

For today's purpose, think of biscuits as little, buttery blank canvases, and the portrait we are creating is one of classic comfort that goes beyond gravy-based "paint". What biscuit brush strokes are we bringing to the culinary canvas? We're talking about creamy pimento cheese, old-school sorghum molasses, and even a cheeky, Arkansas-style "faux gravy." Be it for breakfast, brunch, or a late-night snack, there's room on that biscuit for something new. So, grab a plate and let's see just how far that humble biscuit can go.

Did you know that the world's most famous cheese sandwich is now on Goldbelly? It can, and should, be recreated on your biscuit too. Pimento cheese isn't new, but boy, is it having a moment. While it remains among the grocery store items you'll only find in Southern States, you'll spot it on menus from local brunch spots to biscuit joints beloved by Southerners and Northerners alike, and for good reason. Down South, we've been spooning, spreading, and swearing by this creamy, tangy concoction for generations. 

There is something about the contrast of cool, cheesy goodness meeting rich, buttery bliss that just can't be matched. Pimento cheese sits right at the irresistible intersection of comfort and crave. You really cannot go wrong when adding this classic spread to your breakfast biscuit. A good biscuit does the heavy lifting, effortlessly soaking up the full, zesty cheese flavor — it's almost like they were meant to be together all along. 

While restaurants and foodie social media feeds might make pimento cheese on biscuits trendy today, it's nothing new. This Southern staple has been slappin´ since way back, when "brunch" was better known as "late breakfast." Now, this awesome combo is just taking a victory lap.

Now, before you roll your eyes and think we're breaking the rules of this anti-gravy roundup: Yes, we used the word "gravy," but hear us out! This isn't your standard Sunday sausage dressing. This gravy is sweet, and it's perfect for biscuits! Chocolate gravy is a sinfully delicious spread that, in Arkansas especially, is practically sacred. It has even made a name for itself as one of the most iconic snack foods across all 50 States.

You make chocolate gravy with the same care as any meat gravy, just with different ingredients. Take a mix of butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk (recipes vary), then whisk it smooth until it's glossy and thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon. Tear up a couple of still-warm biscuits, pour that chocolate magic right on top, and you have breakfast and dessert all at once. It's one "sin" even the most buttoned-up Southern church ladies won't bat an eye at.

Chocolate gravy carries a sense of nostalgia, too. It's the kind of Southern sauce many remember Grandma making when she wanted to spoil the grandkids or sweeten a slow Saturday morning. Folks who grew up with it see it as a non-negotiable Appalachian classic, and those who haven't tried it yet are about to wonder why they waited so long.

Here's a biscuit topping that will have your whole kitchen smelling like you were born to host brunch — even if you just stumbled in wearing slippers and quickly slapped this spread together. Brown sugar cinnamon butter is one of those quiet miracles that can be ready to eat in mere minutes, but feels and tastes like you really worked for it. Moms have been whipping it up for decades, especially when there's a crowd to feed after sleepovers, or Sunday mornings before church call for a little something special.

To make it, start with soft butter, stir in brown sugar and cinnamon (plus a pinch of salt for flavor balance), and you've got a sensational breakfast spread that you'd swear was actually dessert. Slathered on a hot biscuit, brown sugar cinnamon butter melts just enough to create a perfect, sticky-sweet sheen that begs you to grab and gobble up one more.

This compound butter is not just for biscuits, either. Folks also love it on pancakes, waffles, or a warm roll, but pairing it with a crumbly biscuit truly makes it shine. Keep a jar of brown sugar cinnamon butter in the fridge, and you're never more than thirty seconds away from a sweet, spiced biscuit triumph.

This one is the definition of a crowd-pleaser. Fried chicken and honey is the Southern cousin of chicken and waffles, only more portable and (in our humble opinion) twice as satisfying. Imagine a tender, crispy chicken thigh paired with a warm biscuit, then drizzled with golden honey until it glistens. That sweet-meets-savory combo hits every flavor note in exquisite harmony.

The beauty of this biscuit creation is the counterbalanced taste and texture that gives you the best of both worlds. The salty crunch of the chicken meets the rich, buttery depth of a flaky biscuit, and that silky-sweet honey ties it all together like an amber-ribboned exclamation point.

Folks have been mastering this dreamy mix in some form or another for ages. A piece of leftover fried chicken snagged still-cold from the fridge and sandwiched inside a biscuit, is a quick snack many of us probably remember well. Now, the fried chicken and honey biscuit is a bona fide menu item at eateries nationwide. We approve this not-so-new trend.

Apple butter and pumpkin butter are a spiced duo of spreads that can turn an ordinary biscuit into a treasured taste of fall. Around the South, these seasonal spreads, made from simmered-down local apples or pumpkin puree with a generous hand of sugar and spice, are perfect for "sweat-ah weath-ah." While you might encounter apple butter year-round in certain regions, these delightful biscuit toppers, which are often homemade and sourced from the scribbles on Grandma's recipe cards, are typically seasonal finds. 

A dollop of apple butter on a biscuit, with its rich and sweet undertones that whisper of cinnamon, is a treat you want to savor while swinging on the front porch and watching the world go by. And Pumpkin butter? That's its apple butter's cousin; smooth and creamy with a little autumnal attitude. Both are made for biscuits.

Don't be shy, spread it on thick. Apple butter or pumpkin butter on a hot, split biscuit really makes it sing. Some folks swirl a little apple or pumpkin butter into oatmeal, or spoon it over yogurt or ice cream, but on biscuits? That's where they arguably shine the brightest.

When asked the difference between biscuits and scones, the answer used to be clear: Scones get topped with clotted cream. Yet times have changed, and what used to be reserved for scones has now crossed the pond to bless American biscuits with its creamy presence. Clotted cream (or Devonshire cream, if you're feeling proper) hails from the English countryside, where it is still most often served with scones and jam at cream tea, a British spread that dates back thousands of years. Somewhere along the way, travelers tried it, fell in love, and brought it to America, only we're swapping the scones for our beloved biscuits.

Thick and rich with a subtle sweetness, clotted cream practically melts into the crumb of any hot biscuit. Add a spoonful of jam or jelly on top of the cream, and you've got yourself a cross-continental treat that'll make you renege on any past assumptions that British cuisine is blah.

Although America prides itself on creating its own independent cuisines, we are grateful that somewhere along the line, kitchens across Dixie and beyond weren't remiss in borrowing a good idea and making it their own. Besides, a biscuit topped with clotted cream feels a little fancy — perfect for a British-inspired cream tea.

If there's any biscuit topping that's had a glow-up lately, it's hot honey. What surely started as a kooky kitchen experiment has turned into a staple for folks who, in true Southern style, like their sweet with a little sass. When that golden drizzle of honey, kissed with just enough chili heat to make your eyes water, hits a warm biscuit, it's flavor fireworks.

The most killer quality of hot honey is how it's a low-key, jack of all trades topping that you can really do whatever with. Pour it over fried chicken biscuits for a sweet-spicy crunch, or let it soak into a buttered biscuit for a slow-building kick that suddenly wakes up your taste buds like a blaring alarm clock siren jolting you out of a deep sleep. Hot honey manages to feel both daring and familiar when added to the table. Consider it the "I see you" wink in an otherwise simple biscuit breakfast.

Hollering at you, team savory! This one is for the folks who pick salt over sugar every time. Creamed chipped beef might sound old-fashioned, but we assure you it is still relevant and wonderful today, especially as a biscuit topper. You may remember creamed chipped beef as being a comfort dish born from lean times, one of those old-school dishes that remind us people could make meals out of anything. Don't let its humble old-school origins fool you. This stuff is tasty enough to rival any modern biscuit topping trend.

Its preparation is simple. Thin slices of dried beef are simmered in a rich, creamy sauce until everything comes together in a salty, savory gravy. When poured over a biscuit, you start to understand that "simple" is not a four-letter word. Hearty, nostalgic, and filling in that stick-to-your-ribs kind of way, you'll still see this Depression-era staple in diners and on family breakfast tables, especially where the old recipes still get their due.

So, next breakfast, give it a try. Tear open a biscuit, ladle the warm chipped beef right on top, and let it soak in just enough before taking a bite. You can thank us later.

You may have never even heard of our next pick, but we assure you it's a primo biscuit topping that definitely deserves more fame. Mayhaw jelly is a hidden gem from Texas and the Deep South, made from the tart, little red berries that grow on Hawthorne trees, mostly along riverbanks and swamps. Mayhaw berries have a fantastically balanced flavor, expertly straddling the fine line between sweet and tangy, with just enough bite to keep your taste buds interested.

Down in mayhaw country, families have been making this jelly for generations, passing jars across tables and recipes down the family line. It's a true Southern specialty that has never really made it to the national spotlight (yet), but some who have tried it swear it's unmatched on a hot biscuit.

Spread a thick layer of mayhaw jelly on your biscuit, then, before you take that first blissful bite, summon every shred of your self-control and wait a beat as it melts slightly into the crumb. That's when you take a bite, and go back for another, and another. Trust us, you will.

Before we talk about country ham biscuits, let's get one thing straight. We're not talking about those thin, pink deli slices of ham. Country ham is a whole other story. Salt-cured, aged, and not messin' around with modern ham-production shortcuts, it's the kind of meat your mama most likely learned how to cook from your grandma, who was schooled on the savory breakfast staple while tugging on her own matriarch's apron in a Southern kitchen eons ago.

To say that making a proper country ham is a sacred tradition does not quite cut it. Something just happens when you tuck a warm slice of country ham into a scratch-made biscuit. It's strong, salty, and a little smoky, and capable of rendering one speechless. Once you've regained your ability for words, you won't need it. You'll be too busy savoring every boldly flavored bite.

Country ham has a full-bodied character and a crisp, salty kick that those wimpy deli slices just can't capture. Need more convincing? Set up a DIY biscuit bar and become champion of brunch, just please, for the love of Dolly, do not bring deli ham anywhere near a glorious country ham spread.

This pick is as old-school as it gets. Sorghum syrup is sometimes mistaken for a type of molasses. Yet in regard to molasses and other sticky-sweet toppings, sorghum syrup is proudly different. 

Sorghum syrup is liquid gold royalty, at least in Appalachian kitchens. It has a dark, sweet, earthy taste and a sturdy viscosity. Sorghum syrup gives off a hardy, rustic vibe like it's been around forever. Pouring it over biscuits is a pairing so classic it's practically folklore (and we don't mean the Taylor Swift kind).

There's something deeply comforting about drizzling sorghum syrup on a still-warm biscuit, watching in greedy anticipation as it soaks into every crevice, then pools in glorious excess on the plate (that's the dippin' puddle). If you've never tried it, you're missing out on one of the simplest joys that ever toppled onto a biscuit. Sorghum syrup is a delicious nod to Southern heritage in a spoonful, and still holds its own in a world full of modern elixirs and sugary trends.

Ready for a biscuit topper that's pure Southern innovation? Cheese grits by themselves are already Southern comfort in a bowl, but spoon them over a warm biscuit, and that's breakfast brilliance. Creamy, buttery grits loaded with cheese melt into every little nook of a warm split biscuit, turning what would otherwise be an everyday breakfast staple into something far richer, heartier, and satisfying. 

It's a simple combination, but the pairing makes magic as a meal, and all you need to complete the spell is a fork. Speaking of casting spells, cheese grits on biscuits will definitely leave you in a satisfied stupor, one that maybe (okay, definitely) requires a nap after.

If you want to go big, toss in some shrimp for that classic Lowcountry twist. This may not be fancy food, but it sure feels special. You can also enjoy this delicious duo at any time of day, as cheese grits on biscuits effortlessly blur the lines between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And we ain't mad at it.

If biscuits ever decided to host a dinner party, baked brie and fig would be their showstopper guests. Whether dressed up as a jam or a dip, this combo is finding new fans all over social media, and for good reason. Brie melts into luscious, gooey perfection, while fig (either fresh or in jam form) adds just the right touch of sweetness.

Spoon a little warm brie onto a biscuit half and top it with fig jam (or meld the two for a divine dip), and suddenly you're eating something that feels fancy but tastes comforting. It's also impressive enough to share with party guests without being too high-effort. This balance of dairy and fruit works so effortlessly that there is no need to explain how or why brie and fig found their way to each other.

Sure, it's a little trendier than the old-school Southern biscuit toppings we know and love, but the flavors are timeless. The contrast of flaky biscuit against soft, warm cheese and luscious jam that feels indulgent in a way you almost feel you should apologize for — but never would. Perfect for brunch, or spoiling yourself on a random Saturday, a biscuit with brie and fig is the kind of treat you can have any time you want.

We can't talk about biscuit toppings without tipping our hat to this classic. Fruit and cream cheese are a pairing that never goes out of style, able to somehow check multiple mealtime boxes: part breakfast, part dessert, all deliciousness.

Think of cream cheese and fruit compote (or jam) on a biscuit as the country companion to strawberry shortcake or your favorite fruity danish. You've got your warm biscuit, a smear of cream cheese, and a mound of compote made from the fruit of your choice (or perhaps a fresh homemade one if you're feeling extra).

It's a go-to combination for spring mornings, brunch tables, and lazy weekends alike. Plus, this is one of those biscuit toppings that looks as good as it tastes, thanks to pretty-as-a-peach jam swirled with softened cream cheese atop fluffy biscuit layers. Every bite hits a little different in terms of flavor, and as a whole, ushers in off-the-charts levels of taste. One thing is for sure: fruit jam with cream cheese is an unwavering favorite, steadily holding its place among the most-preferred biscuit toppings.