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Home / Holidays and Events / Thanksgiving Recipes / Bread

Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

5
/5
22 minutes
12 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 04/07/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes! No rolling and cutting needed and they're made from scratch. #biscuits #cheddarbay #copycat #redlobsterbiscuits
These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes! No rolling and cutting needed and they're made from scratch. #biscuits #cheddarbay #copycat #redlobsterbiscuits
These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes! No rolling and cutting needed and they're made from scratch. #biscuits #cheddarbay #copycat #redlobsterbiscuits
These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes! No rolling and cutting needed and they're made from scratch. #biscuits #cheddarbay #copycat #redlobsterbiscuits

These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes! No rolling and cutting needed and they’re made from scratch.

This is one of my Copycat recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

red lobster biscuit halves on parchment paper
Pin this recipe for later!

Admittedly we don’t go out to eat at Red Lobster much these days. But there’s one thing I can remember about eating there… how much I love those cheddar bay biscuits!

They’re always so soft and fluffy inside, with that buttery crispness on the outside. And of course, you can’t forget the cheesy garlic goodness.

There are a lot of copycat recipes for the biscuits out there. But this one, is pretty spot on, in my opinion of course.

One thing I love about cheddar bay biscuits is there isn’t any rolling out the dough, no careful cutting of the dough, or anything fussy.

Just mix, scoop, and bake!

How to make your own Cheddar Bay biscuits?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to make cheddar bay biscuits - image collage
  1. Melt the butter. Unlike traditional biscuits, there’s no need to cut in cold butter, just melt it in the microwave.
  2. Mix dry ingredients. Just add it all to the mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Combine buttermilk and melted butter. The buttermilk will be cold, so it causes the melted butter to solidify a bit, so there will likely be little clumps – and that’s what we’re looking for.
  4. Mix buttermilk mixture with dry ingredients. Stir them together until just combined.
  5. Fold in cheese. Gently stir in the cheddar cheese.
  6. Scoop onto baking sheet. You can use a cookie scoop, two spoons, or a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup for this.
  7. Bake. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
  8. Make butter topping. Combine melted butter, seasonings and parsley.
  9. Brush biscuits with topping.

Helpful Tip!

Don’t forget the garlicky butter topping after the biscuits come out of the oven. That’s what gives these biscuits the classic “cheddar bay” flavor.

closeup of red lobster biscuits on plate

Variations of this recipe

  • Self rising flour – if you have self rising flour, you can use it for this recipe! Just omit the salt and decrease the baking powder to 1 1/2 tsp.
  • Buttermilk substitute â€“ if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own! Mix 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar with whole milk and let it sit about 10 minutes. It will look a bit curdled. Stir and use.
  • Drop biscuits – I like to use a cookie scoop to get evenly sized biscuits, but for a classic Red Lobster look, use a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup or two spoons, and drop the biscuits down on the baking sheet. This will give the biscuits a craggy appearance on top, with plenty of peaks that get nice and crunchy.
  • Cheddar type – normally I talk about how important it is to shred your own cheese (especially for a mac and cheese recipe), but here it’s not all that important. Pre-shredded will work just fine. We like to use a medium or sharp cheddar.
cheddar bay biscuit pulled apart

FAQ’s

Why are they called cheddar bay biscuits?

Apparently they weren’t always called that, but sometime in the 90’s they named them Cheddar Bay based on a fictional body of water. Some people think there would be Old Bay seasoning in the biscuits, since there’s “bay” in the name, but that seasoning isn’t used.

Why not just use the Red Lobster biscuit mix?

Well you obviously can; I won’t show up at your house and stop you lol. But I like making my own for several reasons. First, way less preservatives and ingredients I can’t pronounce. Second, I can control the quality of the ingredients used. Third, I think homemade tastes better 🙂

How can I tell if my baking powder is still good?

You definitely want to use non-expired baking powder for this recipe, or your biscuits won’t rise. To test your baking powder, add a bit to hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, you’re good to go! However, if your baking powder is older than 6 months, it’s best to just get a new can. The older one can still be used for cleaning purposes!

Making Cheddar Bay biscuits ahead of time

I found that making the dough ahead of time didn’t work as well, since the leavening agents (specifically the baking powder), will start activating as soon as the ingredients are mixed. This means when the biscuits are baked, they won’t rise as much as they should.

But this dough comes together so quickly, you’ll probably have them mixed up before your oven even preheats!

batch of cheddar bay biscuits on parchment paper

Freezing

This biscuit dough can be frozen as well!

Place the scooped biscuits on a wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until hard. Then transfer the frozen biscuits to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake frozen biscuits, set out on the counter while the oven is preheating.

Then bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Storage

Biscuits should be stored in an airtight container and eaten within 3 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

To reheat leftover biscuits, bake at 300°F for about 10-12 minutes, then brush lightly with melted butter.

Delicious recipes that go with biscuits:

zuppa
Copycat Zuppa Toscana
honey garlic salmon
Honey Garlic Salmon
chicken in pan with sauce
Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
swedish meatballs in gravy in pan
Swedish Meatballs
brushing biscuit with garlic butter topping
cookie scoop

My Favorite Cookie Scoop!

I love using cookie scoops for more than just baking cookies. This scoop is perfect for measuring out 1/4 cup of dough!

Get on amazon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

red lobster biscuit halves on parchment paper

Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

5 from 12 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Calories: 374
Servings: 10 biscuits (approximately)
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are buttery, garlicky, cheesy, fluffy, and ready in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1 – 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Melted Butter Topping

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • pinch onion powder
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 – 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Melt 1/2 cup butter and set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.  Whisk to combine well.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, combine buttermilk with melted butter.  Mixture should look clumpy.
  • Pour buttermilk/butter into the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Fold in shredded cheese.
  • Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup, a 2 oz cookie scoop, or even a regular spoon to scoop approximately 3-4 Tbsp of batter onto prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or two in-between each biscuit.
  • Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
  • While biscuits are baking, combined topping ingredients (1/4 cup melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and parsley).
  • Once biscuits are removed from the oven, immediately brush with the butter topping.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Anna says

    Posted on 7/24 at 7:40 pm

    I’ve made these gluten free and they were a hit!!!

    Reply
  2. Beti | easyweeknightrecipes says

    Posted on 4/11 at 11:27 am

    SO soft and delicious!! Absolutely amazing!!

    Reply
  3. katerina @ diethood.com says

    Posted on 4/11 at 11:26 am

    Oh boy!! These Cheddar Bay Biscuits are terrific!! I am so excited to try this recipe!

    Reply
  4. Catalina says

    Posted on 4/10 at 6:01 pm

    These biscuits look so inviting! My family will love them!

    Reply
  5. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    Posted on 4/10 at 10:36 am

    These Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits would disappear in our house!

    Reply
  6. Beth says

    Posted on 4/9 at 5:02 pm

    Yum! These look amazing and so delicious! These are going to be gone in a matter of seconds!

    Reply
  7. Amanda Livesay says

    Posted on 4/9 at 2:26 pm

    This recipe tastes exactly like the ones at the restaurant! So good!

    Reply
  8. Jen says

    Posted on 4/8 at 3:23 pm

    These biscuits were the only thing I missed from eating out. Love that I can easily make them for any dinner I want to now. Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Rosie says

    Posted on 4/8 at 7:16 am

    Absolutely Fabulous!!

    Reply
  10. Tom says

    Posted on 4/8 at 6:54 am

    I love that it only takes 22 minutes! Amanda, you rock~!

    Reply
  11. GEORGE PSYCHAS says

    Posted on 4/7 at 10:45 pm

    loved it

    Reply
  12. Dave says

    Posted on 4/7 at 10:25 pm

    I’m making these. Another substitute for buttermilk. Equal parts of sour cream and milk or even water. It’s not that critical. Make it thicker with more sour cream and cut back on the other liquid. I’ve used this hack in both gluten and gluten free baking. Biscuits are very forgiving. 🤨

    Reply

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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