Homemade Biscuits vs. Canned vs. Frozen — Is It Even Worth Making From Scratch?
Homemade biscuits cost $1.50. A can of eight Walmart biscuits costs $1.74. So… is making them from scratch even worth it? I did the math — with a little help from ChatGPT for the baking ingredient calculations, because honestly, who knows what two cups of flour costs off the top of their head — and the answer surprised me a little.
Watch the full cost comparison above — or keep reading for the full breakdown.
I love a good biscuit. And I love knowing whether the effort I put into the kitchen is actually saving my family money — or whether I’m just telling myself it is. So I finally sat down and did a real cost comparison: my homemade biscuit recipe versus a can of Walmart biscuits versus a bag of frozen biscuits. Here’s what I found.
The Full Cost Breakdown
Homemade Biscuits — $1.40 to $1.50 per batch
My homemade biscuit recipe makes 8 biscuits per single batch (I usually double it). Here’s what the ingredients cost, priced at Aldi and Walmart:
| Ingredient | Amount Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups | $0.35 |
| Baking powder | 1 tbsp | $0.12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp | $0.01 |
| Cream of tartar | ½ tsp | $0.18 |
| Sugar | 2 tsp | $0.02 |
| Shortening | ⅓ cup | $0.55 |
| Milk | ⅔ cup | $0.27 |
| Total | 8–10 biscuits | ~$1.50 |
I’ll be transparent — I asked ChatGPT to help me figure out the per-use cost of baking staples like flour and baking powder. I am not doing that math myself. But the numbers check out, and the total lands between $1.40 and $1.50 depending on where you shop.
Canned Biscuits — $1.74 for 8 count
A can of eight Walmart biscuits runs $1.74. That is $0.24 more than homemade for the same number of biscuits. Honestly? That is not a dramatic savings. If convenience matters on a busy morning, canned biscuits are not a budget crime. They’re just not quite as good.
Frozen Biscuits — $4.52 for 20 count
A bag of 20 frozen biscuits costs $4.52 — that’s about $0.23 per biscuit. Compared to homemade at roughly $0.15–$0.19 per biscuit, the frozen option is meaningfully more expensive per biscuit, and you lose the fresh-from-scratch texture. The savings case for homemade is strongest when you’re comparing against frozen.
What Does a Full Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Cost?
This is where it gets interesting. A plate of biscuits alone is just the beginning. Here’s what a full homemade biscuits and gravy breakfast costs when you build it out for four people:
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade biscuits | $1.50 | 8–10 biscuits, single batch |
| Sausage gravy | $3.94 | 1 lb breakfast sausage + 4 cups milk |
| Biscuits & Gravy Total | $5.44 | 4 servings |
| + Scrambled eggs (6) | $1.47 | 6 eggs, milk, butter |
| With Eggs Total | $6.91 | 4 servings |
| + Cantaloupe & blueberries | $5.64 | Walmart sale pricing |
| Full Breakfast Total | $11.55 | 4 servings = $2.90/person |
$2.90 per person for a full breakfast with biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. Our grandmas really did know what they were doing. This is one of those meals that is genuinely filling, genuinely budget-friendly, and genuinely delicious — and it still delivers even when you scale it up for a bigger crowd.
So Is Homemade Worth It?
Here’s my honest take after doing this comparison:
- Homemade vs. canned: The savings are real but small — about $0.24 per batch. If you enjoy baking and have 20 minutes, homemade wins on taste every time. If it’s a rushed Tuesday morning, grab the can without guilt.
- Homemade vs. frozen: This is where homemade makes the clearest financial sense. Frozen biscuits cost significantly more per biscuit and don’t match the texture of fresh.
- The full breakfast value: The real budget win is the complete meal. $5.44 for biscuits and gravy for four people is genuinely hard to beat, and $11.55 for the whole spread including eggs and fresh fruit at $2.90 per person is an excellent number.
There are some convenience foods that really don’t save you much money when you make them at home. And there are some that do. Biscuits fall somewhere in the middle — but the full breakfast they anchor is absolutely worth making from scratch.
You can find my full homemade biscuits and gravy recipe on the site, including the biscuit recipe itself. And find all the kitchen tools and pantry staples I use on my Shop My Kitchen page!
Biscuit Cost Comparison FAQ
Are homemade biscuits actually cheaper than canned?
Barely. A single batch of homemade biscuits (8–10 biscuits) costs between $1.40 and $1.50 at Aldi and Walmart prices. A can of 8 Walmart biscuits costs $1.74. The savings are real but small — about $0.24 per batch. If taste and texture matter to you, homemade is worth it. If convenience wins, canned is a reasonable choice.
How much does homemade sausage gravy cost to make?
A batch of homemade sausage gravy using one pound of breakfast sausage and four cups of milk costs approximately $3.94. Combined with homemade biscuits at $1.50, a full biscuits and gravy meal for four people comes to $5.44 — about $1.36 per person.
How much does a full homemade breakfast cost per person?
A complete homemade breakfast with biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs for four, and fresh fruit (cantaloupe and blueberries at sale pricing) comes to $11.55 total for four servings — that’s $2.90 per person. Just the biscuits and gravy portion is $5.44 for four.
Are frozen biscuits cheaper than homemade?
No. A bag of 20 frozen biscuits costs $4.52, which works out to about $0.23 per biscuit. Homemade biscuits from this recipe run roughly $0.15–$0.19 per biscuit depending on where you shop. Frozen biscuits are the most expensive option per biscuit of the three — and they don’t taste as good.
What ingredients do you need for homemade biscuits?
This recipe uses all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, sugar, shortening, and milk. All pantry staples — nothing exotic. The full recipe with instructions is in my homemade biscuits and gravy post.
More Budget Cooking at the Longstreth Table
- Homemade Biscuits and Gravy — Mama’s Recipe + Country Sausage Gravy — the full recipe this cost comparison is based on.
- Weekly Meal Plans — a full week of budget-friendly family dinners every Saturday, with a printable grocery list.
Want a little note from my table every Saturday? Join my weekly newsletter — recipes, family moments, and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Sign up here.
About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, sourdough journey, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.