Cheddar Bay Biscuits

These homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits are fluffy, buttery, packed with sharp cheddar, and finished with a garlic butter topping that soaks right into the warm biscuits. These biscuits come together in just one mixing bowl about 30 minutes, no rolling or cutting needed.

 

I love having a go-to biscuit recipe like my drop biscuits. But this time I wanted them to be a little extra. A biscuit that feels a little special but doesn’t require any fuss, and these Cheddar Bay Biscuits, aka copycat Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits are exactly that. They’re fluffy on the inside, crisp around the edges, packed with melty cheddar cheese, and finished with a warm garlic butter topping that soaks right into the biscuits while they’re still hot.

I make these as drop biscuits, which means no rolling, folding, or cutting—just mix, scoop, and bake. Using cold butter and buttermilk keeps the biscuits tender and tall, while a combination of baking powder and baking soda gives them a strong rise without yeast. The dough is meant to be slightly sticky, with visible pieces of butter throughout, and that’s what creates those soft, fluffy interiors once they hit the oven.

They come together in about 30 minutes, making them perfect for weeknight dinners, holiday tables, or anytime I want homemade bread without a lot of effort.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by biscuit-making, this is a great recipe to build confidence—drop biscuits are very forgiving!

Ingredients Needed

• Cold butter – creates steam as it melts, giving you flaky layers. I used unsalted butter but salted butter also works. Reduce the salt if you use salted butter.
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Buttermilk – If you don’t have any you can make your own homemade buttermilk.
• Sharp cheddar cheese – Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded, which is often coated with anti-caking agents.
• Garlic powder – I use this in the dough and in the garlic butter.
• Parsley – You can use fresh or dried parsley.

How to Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Prepare the pan and oven

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also bake these biscuits in a cast iron skillet or a round cake pan for softer edges and taller sides.

Combine the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garlic powder.

Whisking well at this stage ensures the leaveners are evenly distributed, which helps the biscuits rise evenly in the oven.

Cut in the butter

Add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the pieces are about pea-sized. It’s important to keep the butter cold and visible; as it melts in the oven, it creates steam pockets that give the biscuits their fluffy, tender texture.

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese so it’s coated in flour—this keeps it from sinking or clumping in the dough.

Add the buttermilk

Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently stir just until the dough comes together. The dough should look slightly wet and sticky, and you should still see small pieces of butter throughout.

Avoid overmixing here—stirring too much will develop the gluten and make the biscuits dense instead of tender.

Scoop and bake

Using a large scoop (that holds about 1/4 cup of dough), drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each biscuit. You can bake these on a cookie sheet, in a cake pan, or a cast iron pan.

Scooping instead of shaping keeps the dough light and prevents warming the butter with your hands. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen.

Brush with garlic butter

While the biscuits are still warm, melt the butter and stir in the garlic powder and chopped parsley.

Brush the mixture generously over the tops of the biscuits right away—brushing while warm allows the butter to soak in rather than sit on the surface.

Serving, Storage, and Make-Ahead Notes

Serve these cheddar bay biscuits warm alongside soup, chili, roasted chicken, or pasta dishes. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to refresh the texture. Baked biscuits also freeze well for up to 3 months. You can also freeze unbaked biscuits for up to 3 months. You can bake frozen and just add on a few minutes of baking time.

More Biscuit Recipes To Try

If you loved these cheddar bay biscuits, here are a few more biscuit recipes you might want to try next. Each one uses simple ingredients and slightly different techniques, so they’re a great way to build confidence with biscuit baking.

• Buttermilk Biscuits – My classic, go-to biscuit recipe. Tall, flaky, and perfect for breakfast sandwiches or serving with butter and jam.
• Butter Swim Biscuits– Soft, golden biscuits that bake right in melted butter. These are almost impossible to mess up and great if you want something ultra comforting.
• Blueberry Biscuits – Light, tender biscuits studded with juicy blueberries with a touch of lemon and just the right amount of sweetness. Perfect for brunch or a not-too-sweet treat.
• Self Rising Flour Biscuits – Just 3 ingredients is all you need to make these fluffy, tender biscuits.

Whether you’re looking for something savory, sweet, or completely foolproof, these biscuit recipes are a great place to start.