Preheat the oven to 400F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine almond milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
As that sits, prepare grated cheese and finely chopped sage.
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and chopped sage. Whisk ingredients together.
Cut the cold butter or vegan butter into small cubes and add to the large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or hand mixer, incorporate the butter, breaking it into smaller pieces until it resembles the size of green peas or just larger.
To the same bowl, add the almond milk and lemon juice mixture. In addition, add the cheese. Fold in by hand or with a wooden spoon until just combined. The dough should come together easily. If it is too dry, add a small amount of milk if needed. Be sure not to overmix.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a gently floured surface. Lightly roll the dough out to about 1-1 ½ inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits, placing them directly onto the baking sheets evenly spaced apart. They will expand as they bake.
Prior to baking, use brush some almond milk on top of each biscuit. This will provide extra moisture and color.
Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let them rest until cooled.
Notes
Replace butter with equal parts vegan butter.You can use your preferred plant-based milk instead of almond milk OR use buttermilk (which you can omit the lemon juice).Replace cheddar cheese with desired cheese, vegan cheese, or remove altogether. Swap sage for your favorite fresh herbs. They are interchangeable!Serve biscuits with butter or plant-based butter. If you make a plain biscuit or change the flavor, serve with whatever you most desire; jam, honey, gravy, etc. Use a 3-inch size cookie cutter instead to make 12 larger biscuits, bake for 12-14 minutes. Store biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days OR in the freezer for 1 month.