Turn Those Canned Biscuits Into Donuts, Waffles, Pizza Bombs, and More

For nearly three-quarters of Americans, biscuits are a go-to comfort food. Of course, this Southern staple is delicious when served with (vegan) fried chicken or gravy, but there are plenty of other delicious, creative ways to enjoy this comfort classic, too. If you’ve got some canned biscuits chilling in your pantry and you’re not sure what to do with them, we’ve got 10 delicious vegan recipe ideas below. 

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Are canned biscuits healthy?

Biscuits are a staple of Southern cooking, and canned biscuits offer a convenient way to enjoy them without having to make the dough from scratch—it’s basically just pre-made biscuit dough in a can that you can buy from the store. But while canned biscuits are easy to cook and tasty, they’re not necessarily the healthiest choice.

Canned biscuits typically contain ingredients like flour, leavening agents, salt, and sometimes other additives or preservatives. While they can provide some carbohydrates and fats, they are not particularly nutrient-dense. Still, not all food needs to give us a big punch of nutrition. Canned biscuits can be an enjoyable part of a balanced diet—especially when they’re vegan.

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Are canned biscuits vegan?

Before you grab any old canned biscuits from the store, it’s important to bear in mind that not all brands are vegan. Some canned biscuits may contain animal-derived ingredients such as butter, milk, or buttermilk powder, for example.

However, many brands do offer vegan varieties. Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle Original Biscuits are animal-free, for example, and so is the brand’s Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Refrigerated Biscuit Dough variety (surprisingly, there’s no actual buttermilk in this flavor—go figure). Other examples of vegan canned biscuit options include Annie’s Organic Flaky Biscuits and Immaculate Organic Flaky Biscuits.

Alternatively, of course, you can make your own vegan biscuits. If you feel like skipping canned biscuits and whipping up some of your own, you can find our recipe for vegan Southern buttermilk biscuits here.

7 vegan recipes you can make with canned biscuits

Thyme and Love

1 Biscuit Veggie Pot Pie

If you’re craving something easy, comforting, and nourishing, you can’t go wrong with this Biscuit Veggie Pot Pie from Thyme & Love. As well as canned biscuits, it’s loaded with nutrient-dense plant-based ingredients like chickpeas, onions, celery, and garlic.
Pro tip: Recipe developer Jeni Hernandez recommends cutting the biscuits into quarters before placing the pie in the oven, to ensure they cook all the way through.
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Sweet Simple Vegan

2 Vegan Biscuit Donuts

To make delicious vegan donuts, all you need is some canned biscuit dough, a little bit of oil, cinnamon, and some sugar. That’s it! The result is fluffy, addictive, sweet goodness.
Pro tip: Jasmine Briones, who created this recipe for Sweet Simple Vegan, recommends swapping the deep fryer for an air fryer if you want a slightly healthier result.
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It’s Liv B

3 Vegan Biscuit Waffles

Whipping up a tasty breakfast shouldn’t take ages, because everyone wants more time in bed, right? These vegan biscuit waffles are perfect, because, not only are they delectable, but they also come together in just five minutes.
Pro tip: Recipe developer Liv B recommends serving these up with plenty of coconut whip and maple syrup.
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4 Vegan Honey Butter Chick’n Biscuit

If you’ve ever been to Whataburger, you might be familiar with the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, which, for obvious reasons, is not vegan. But that doesn’t mean a vegan version isn’t possible. Follow this recipe from Thee Burger Dude to create a plant-based version of the fast food classic that is even more mouthwatering than the original.
Pro tip: You can totally make this with canned biscuits, but Thee Burger Dude recommends whipping up some of your own if you have the time.
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Eat Figs, Not Pigs

5 Vegan BBQ Chick’n Pizza Bombs

We have five words for you: Vegan. BBQ. Chick’n. Pizza. Bombs. And we don’t think we need to say anymore. This recipe from Eat Figs, Not Pigs might be about to become your new Friday night go-to.
Pro tip: Ashley Hankins of Eat Figs, Not Pigs recommends you customize these vegan pizza bombs with any of your favorite toppings.
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Zardy Plants

6 Vegan Sufganiyot

Soft, sweet, and quick to make, these vegan sufganiyot pillowy donuts from Zardy Plants are a jelly-stuffed treat you won’t want to miss out on.
Pro tip: Liz Madsen of Zardy Plants notes that using a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, will give you the best results.
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Mississippi Vegan

7 Tofu Vegetable Biscuit Pot Pie

For an extra boost of protein, load up your biscuit pot pie with tofu, just like this recipe from Mississippi Vegan demonstrates. Carrots, shiitake mushrooms, peas, and russet potatoes are also excellent additions.
Pro tip: Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan recommends roasting the tofu, carrots, and potatoes separately before assembling the pie, to make sure everything has the right texture and consistency.
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.