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    Home » Recipes » Cookies and Biscuits

    Published: May 24, 2023 by joskitchenlarder · 2 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Fork Biscuits

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Bookmark Bookmarked!
    Pile of fork biscuits with crumbs around.
    Bird view of fork biscuits on a piece of baking paper with crumbs around.
    Hand holding a biscuit.

    These fork biscuits are the quickest and easiest biscuits ever and loved by kids and adults alike. All you need is 3 simple ingredients, 30 minutes and perhaps a little helper or two (optional).

    Bird view of fork biscuits on a piece of baking paper with crumbs around.

    This simple fork biscuits recipe is based on one by Mary Berry from her book My Kitchen Table: 100 Sweet Treats and Puds.

    We absolutely adore fork biscuits in our house and make them or their chocolate equivalent on regular basis.

    My boys (9 and 12) usually take charge now and I'm simply left to enjoy the fruits of their labour in the form of finished product, which suits me just fine.

    Even if you have much younger children, I'm sure they will be more than happy to have a go at these (with some assistance of course).

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 📝 Ingredients and substitutes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🥡 Storing
    • 💭 Pro Tips
    • ❓FAQ
    • 😋 More easy recipes you can make with kids
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • Easy recipe to make with kids.
    • Delicious, melt in the mouth, shortbread style vegan biscuits.
    • Take only 30 minutes to make.
    • 3 basic ingredients (or 4 if you want to elevate the flavour a bit).
    • They keep well and are freezer friendly.
    • Easy to adapt with flavours and extras.
    • One bowl recipe.
    • Vegan, dairy and nut-free.

    📝 Ingredients and substitutes

    Here's what you will need to make my Easy Fork Biscuits:

    Ingredients for making fork biscuits.

    Self-Raising Flour - I've used it here as per Mary Berry's recipe but if you don't have self-raising flour then plain (all-purpose) flour with added 1 teaspoon of baking powder can be used instead.

    Vegan Butter - Any vegan block butter will work fine here. I like to use Flora Plant (either salted or unsalted) but feel free to use your favourite type of vegan butter or regular dairy butter.

    ***Quick Tip*** I mostly use salted version of Flora Plant in my biscuits which doesn't make them salty at all but in my opinion does enhances the overall flavour. If you don't have salted butter, you can add a small pinch of salt instead.

    Caster Sugar - Fine sugar works best in shortbread style biscuits in my opinion but you could use granulated sugar too. Golden caster is another alternative.

    Vanilla Extract (optional) - Even though not used by Mary Berry, I love vanilla flavour in these simple biscuits so this is my optional extra which you can simply leave out.

    hand holding a biscuit.

    🔪 Instructions

    Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and prepare two baking trays by lining them with some baking paper.

    Put softened butter in a large bowl and mix/beat it until it starts to go creamy. I used a wooden spoon here but feel free to use hand-held mixer instead.

    ***Quick Tip*** Don't worry if you forget to take out your butter out to soften ahead of time. Microwave it in short 2 sec bursts until it's soft but take care not to melt it.

    Add caster sugar and mix it into the butter until incorporated.

    Creaming sugar and butter in a bowl using wooden spoon.

    Next, add vanilla extract (if using), followed by flour.

    Start mixing everything in with a wooden spoon first and then using your hand, bring the mixture together to form a ball of dough.

    Adding vanilla and flour into sugar/butter mixture and mixing dough by hand.

    Divide the dough into 16 walnut size balls and place them on prepared baking sheets leaving enough room for the biscuits to spread out a bit.

    Flatten each biscuit gently with a fork leaving a fork mark.

    ***Quick Tip*** To prevent fork from sticking dip it in flour and repeat as needed.

    Bake your biscuits in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

    Let them cool on baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring them onto the cooling rack to cool completely.

    Enjoy!

    Making fork imprint on biscuits and biscuits before and after baking.

    🥡 Storing

    Store: Keep in the airtight container for up to a week (although there is no way they'll last that long).

    Freeze: Fork biscuits freeze brilliantly (both baked and unbaked).

    Simply wait for them to cool completely and open freeze them on a tray until frozen solid (this way they won't stick together).

    Once frozen, transfer them into freezer friendly bag for easy storage.

    Defrost: Take them out of the fridge and they will defrost on the kitchen counter in an hour or so.

    If you froze unbaked biscuits, there is no need to defrost them. Simply bake as you would adding couple more minutes of baking time.

    Baked fork biscuits on a tray and two of them on a cooling rack.

    💭 Pro Tips

    • Fork biscuits are easy enough to make by hand but I've also made them using either hand-held mixer (see my Chocolate Fork Biscuits) or food processor so choose whichever way suits you best.
    • Number of biscuits will depend on the size you choose to make them. I usually get anything between 14-16 biscuits when rolling my dough balls to the size of a walnut.
    • Feel free to vary the flavours a bit by adding some lemon or orange zest for slightly citrussy biscuits, mixing in some chocolate chips, cocoa nibs or some dried fruit or adding touch of almond extract for almond flavoured biscuits.
    Hand holding a biscuit split in half.

    ❓FAQ

    Can you freeze Mary Berry Fork Biscuits?

    Yes you can. These can be frozen both baked and unbaked for up to 3 months. See - Storing above for more details.

    What if I don't have self-raising flour?

    It's not a problem at all. Simply use plain (all-purpose) flour and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

    Are these gluten-free?

    No they're not as I use standard wheat flour. However you can try and use your favourite gluten-free flour to make them. I haven't tried so please do let me know if you do.

    Have you tried my Fork Biscuits recipe? 
    Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.

    😋 More easy recipes you can make with kids

    No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    Chocolate Fork Cookies

    Easter Chocolate Nests

    Pile of fork biscuits with crumbs around.

    📋 Recipe

    Close up of baked fork biscuits on a baking paper with crumbs around.
    Print Pin
    5 from 4 votes

    Fork Biscuits

    These fork biscuits are the quickest and easiest biscuits ever and loved by kids and adults alike. All you need is 3 simple ingredients, 30 minutes and perhaps a little helper or two (optional).
    Course Biscuits
    Cuisine British
    Keyword fork biscuits

    Equipment

    • Large Glass Bowl*
    • Wooden Spoon*
    • Hand Mixer*
    • Non-Stick Baking Tray*
    • Baking Paper*
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes minutes
    Servings 16 biscuits
    Calories 91kcal
    Author Jo Allison
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 150 g self-raising flour see notes
    • 100 g vegan block butter (salted or unsalted) or any butter you like softened ( I use Flora Plant)
    • 50 g caster sugar or granulated
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and prepare two baking trays by lining them with some baking paper.
    • Put softened butter in a large bowl and mix/beat it until it starts to go creamy. I used a wooden spoon here but feel free to use hand-held mixer instead.
      Don't worry if you forget to take out your butter out to soften ahead of time. Microwave it in short 2 sec bursts until it's soft but take care not to melt it.
      100 g vegan block butter (salted or unsalted) or any butter you like
    • Add caster sugar and mix it into the butter until incorporated.
      50 g caster sugar
    • Next, add vanilla extract if using, followed by flour. 
      1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 150 g self-raising flour
    • Start mixing everything in with a wooden spoon first and then using your hand, bring the mixture together to form a ball of dough.
    • Divide the dough into 16 walnut size balls and place them on prepared baking sheets leaving enough room for the biscuits to spread out a bit. 
      Flatten each biscuit gently with a fork leaving a fork mark.
      To prevent fork from sticking dip it in flour and repeat as needed.
    • Bake your biscuits in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 
      Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them onto the cooling rack to cool completely
      Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate, per biscuits (based on 16 biscuits) and should be treated as a rough guideline only. 
    • Self-raising flour can be substituted with plain (all-purpose) flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder. 
    • Fork biscuits will keep in the airtight container for up to a week or can be frozen (baked or unbaked for up to 3 months).
    TIPS:
    • Fork biscuits are easy enough to make by hand but I've also made them using either hand-held mixer (see my Chocolate Fork Biscuits) or food processor so choose whichever way suits you best.
    • Feel free to vary the flavours a bit by adding some lemon or orange zest for slightly citrussy biscuits, mixing in some chocolate chips, cocoa nibs or some dried fruit or adding touch of almond extract for almond flavoured biscuits.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Fork Biscuits
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 91 Calories from Fat 45
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 5g8%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2g
    Sodium 41mg2%
    Potassium 11mg0%
    Carbohydrates 10g3%
    Fiber 0.2g1%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 0.2IU0%
    Calcium 2mg0%
    Iron 0.1mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

      Please leave a comment & rating if you've made my recipe! Feel free to ask questions too, I reply to all! Cancel reply

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    1. Richard says

      June 06, 2023 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe,easy to follow,great stuff. Keep it going 👍👍

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        June 06, 2023 at 2:23 pm

        Thanks Richard!🙂

        Reply

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