Cathead Biscuits 
In Appalachian and Southern cooking, cathead biscuits are large, fluffy biscuits said to be about the size of a cat’s head. Hand-shaped and baked in a skillet, they’re a farmhouse staple.
Cathead Biscuits
Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never had 'cathead biscuits' at home growin' up. It was always 'drop biscuits'. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never had 'cathead biscuits' at home growin' up. It was always 'drop biscuits'. Pronunciation
[cay-yut hay-ud biz-kuts]
/ˈkæt.hɛd ˈbɪs.kɪts/
/ˈkæt.hɛd ˈbɪs.kɪts/
Meaning & Usage
- Large hand-shaped biscuit (noun)
Mae:
These cathead biscuits are so big, one’ll fill you up.
These cathead biscuits are so big, one’ll fill you up.
Earl:
variations: big biscuits, skillet biscuits, farmhouse biscuits, cat-heads, cathead-style biscuits
★ If somebody asks you, 'hey you want one of 'ese catheads?' - don't be alarmed. Just go gitcha a bowl of sausage gravy and get ready to sop it up. ★
Origin and Etymology
"Cathead biscuit" shows up in the rural South and Appalachia as early as the 19th century. The name reflects the size, not the ingredients - farmhouse cooks made them large to feed big families and field crews with fewer batches.
Usage Notes
Still beloved across the South and Appalachia. Often paired with gravy, molasses, butter, or country ham. Not the same as drop biscuits - catheads are hand-shaped, taller, and fluffier.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said natural: "ca-yuht hay-uhd biz-kuts." Smooth and a little drawn-out, especially in the first syllable.
Kin Topics
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 20). Cathead Biscuits. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cathead-biscuits
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Cathead Biscuits." HillbillySlang.com, 20 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cathead-biscuits.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Cathead Biscuits." HillbillySlang.com. November 20, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cathead-biscuits.
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