This easy cheddar bay biscuits recipe is a copycat of the famous Red Lobster version—cheesy, garlicky, buttery, and ready in about 20 minutes from scratch. No biscuit mix, no fuss.
These drop biscuits bake up fluffy and golden with pantry ingredients and real shredded cheddar. Perfect with seafood, soup, or anytime you want warm, homemade comfort without the wait.
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Featured Comment by Linda:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"These were absolutely, incredibly delicious & SUPER easy! I made (2) batches ... Shared this awesome recipe everywhere - everyone loved them, many thanks!"
💖 Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s fast. From bowl to oven to table in about 20 minutes.
- No mix needed. This copycat version is just as easy—made with real ingredients you already have.
- Beginner-friendly. No rolling, no biscuit cutter—just mix, drop, and bake.
- That Red Lobster flavor. Buttery, cheesy, garlicky, and golden every time.
🥣Ingredients
- Flour – All-purpose works best here.
- Baking powder – Use aluminum-free if you can to avoid any metallic aftertaste.
- Salt – Just enough to bring out the cheese and garlic.
- Butter – Cold and cut in—it helps create tender, fluffy biscuits.
- Garlic powder – Mixed into the dough and the buttery topping.
- Buttermilk – Adds tang and helps the biscuits rise. A substitute works fine (see below).
- Cheddar cheese – Mild shredded cheddar for that Red Lobster flavor.
- Parsley flakes – Optional, but adds a nice touch in the topping.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits
1. Mix the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
- Stir in shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add buttermilk (or a simple substitute) and mix just until combined—don’t overwork it.
✅ Pro Tip: No buttermilk? No problem. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Works great in a pinch.
2. Bake the Biscuits
- Scoop six drop biscuits onto a baking sheet.
- Bake at 425°F (or 400°F convection) for 12–14 minutes.
✅ Pro Tip: You don’t have to make six big ones. Try 8 or 10 smaller biscuits and reduce the baking time slightly. Just don’t go too big—they may bake unevenly.
3. Make the Garlic Butter
- While the biscuits bake, melt butter with garlic powder and parsley flakes in the microwave.
- Brush the hot biscuits with the garlic butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and full step-by-step photos—or keep reading for tips, substitutions, and serving ideas.
👍 Tips, Options & Variations
- Preheat the oven fully. These biscuits bake best at high heat—425° to 450°F. For best results, use a conventional oven (not convection). You can adjust slightly based on your oven, but don’t go low—they need that blast of heat to rise.
- Flour: Use unbleached all-purpose flour. This isn’t the place for whole wheat or bread flour—too much gluten makes tough biscuits.
If you're in the South, try White Lily™ flour—it's made from soft winter wheat, which has lower protein and bakes up extra light and tender.
You can also use self-rising flour in place of the flour, baking powder, and salt. - Butter: Regular salted butter is ideal. If you only have unsalted, just add a pinch more salt to balance the flavor.
- Cheese: Mild cheddar gives you that signature Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit flavor. Sharp cheddar works too, but it’s a little bolder. Freshly shredded cheese (I like Cabot’s) melts and tastes better than pre-shredded.
- Want to customize the flavor? Try adding a pinch of sugar, some onion powder, or a bit of cayenne for extra kick. Many copycat recipes use these to dial in their favorite version.
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🐄 Buttermilk Substitute
Buttermilk helps biscuits rise higher and bake up lighter. Its acidity activates the baking powder and gives the dough a subtle tang that sets cheddar bay biscuits apart from regular drop biscuits.
If you bake often, powdered buttermilk is great to keep on hand—just mix with water when needed.
To make a quick substitute:
Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
You can use regular milk (or a milk alternative) in a pinch—the biscuits will still bake up fine, but they’ll be a little less fluffy and tender. It’s a small difference, but you’ll notice it if you’re paying attention.
🧁 Other Great Biscuit Recipes
If you're a fan of easy homemade biscuits, try one of these next:
- Cornmeal Biscuits
- Healthy Low-Fat Biscuits
- Grilled Biscuits
- Healthier Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
- Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits
🥣 Make Ahead
You can prep the dry mix ahead: combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cheese, and cut in the butter. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
Important: Don’t add the buttermilk until you’re ready to bake. It activates the baking powder immediately—and that rise will be wasted if it sits.
When you’re ready, preheat the oven and stir in the buttermilk. Scoop, bake, and brush as usual.
❄️ Storage
Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days—though they’re best the first day or two.
For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave—wrap in foil or a damp paper towel to keep them soft.
❓FAQs
Yes—but I prefer the fluffier texture you get from the scratch version with real cut-in butter.
If you use Bisquick®, it will replace the flour, salt, baking powder, and butter. Just add the cheese, garlic powder, and buttermilk.
(I think you’ll be disappointed—but if you’re in a rush, it’ll do.)
Some people notice a metallic aftertaste with baking powder that contains aluminum.
Aluminum-free versions have been widely available for years, cost about the same, and sit right next to the regular kind on the shelf.
I recommend using only aluminum-free—especially in biscuits—to avoid any chance of off flavors.
📖The Recipe Card
Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 1 tablespoon baking powder - aluminum-free suggested
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup mild cheddar shredded cheese - freshly shredded preferred
- ¾ cup buttermilk - substitutes in the notes
- 1½ tablespoon melted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes - optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
Mix the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cut in 3 tablespoons of cold butter with a large fork or pastry cutter.
- Stir in ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese. I like mild cheddar here, but sharp cheddar is fine.
- Add ¾ cup buttermilk or substitute. Stir just until combined—buttermilk substitute in the notes below.
Bake the Biscuits
- Spray a baking sheet with PAM or cover it with parchment paper, and make six even mounds (a heaping ¼ cup each). Bake for 12–14 minutes until the tops are golden brown
Make the Garlic Butter
- While the biscuits bake, combine 1½ tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Microwave briefly to melt the butter.
- Immediately brush the hot biscuits with the melted butter combination when removed from the oven.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use a heaping ¼ cup for these larger biscuits or slightly less for 8–10 smaller ones. Smaller will cook faster.
- It's a very easy recipe to adjust up or down. Use the number of serving adjustment—it will change the ingredients list volumes but not the instruction text.
- Substitutes and options are in the post.
- You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for five minutes before using. Powdered buttermilk is also a great item to keep on hand if you bake frequently.
- If you want to use Bisquick Mix®️, it will substitute for flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in the dough, but the texture and flavor will be different.
- Good in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or refrigerated.
- Reheat wrapped in foil in the oven or in the microwave with a damp paper towel.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published September 24, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Connie says
Made these last night for dinner....easy and very tasty!! I made them just as your recipe instructed. Extras went into freezer for next time we have soup...liked them so much better then mix at store!!
Thanks for your recipes....
Melody says
Hi Dr. Dan,
Thanks for the powered buttermilk substitution because, sadly, most or all of the milk I buy spoils. How can I judge if powderd buttermilk will work in other recipes?
The milk delema is problematic. (I like to have milk to hand to whip up a quick quiche!) A woman in the market said she freezes small quantities for cooking. Have you ever tried this? Any other suggestions? (I don't like the flavor of canned or fat-free poewdered.)
This is the perfect summer biscuit with grilled chicken and a salad!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Melady,
I do love this biscuits, I can just whip them out if needed. It is a little more special than just a bread sidedish.
About the milk things. Can you freeze milk? Sure but it will change the taste and texture a bit. I think of it as already rehydrated dried milk. But it takes up freezer space and is not as convenient. Just use powdered which is cheaper and more convenient to have around. I wouldn't just drink a glass of either (it is safe but taste and texture is wrong.)
The powdered buttermilk (and powdered non-fat milk) work fine for baking. I don't find they are good for things where the milk stays as a liquid, like in a sauce or gravy.
I rarely can finish a container of fresh milk. I find buying one of the ultrapasteurized milk with a long outdate is best. It can set in the refrigerator for a few months until I need it. Once opened, it has 2 weeks and I date it with a felt tip pen when I open it. Sometime I will buy of three pack of soy milk (not the drink) and will have that around.
Hope that helps some.
Dan
Katie says
Hi. Your ingredient list doesn't have the cheddar cheese on it but your instructions do.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Katie,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the proofread and saying something. It has been like that since originally published almost 8 yrs ago. It has been seen over 100,000 times. So you definitely get the star. Good thing people read the instructions.
Thanks again.
Dan
Aubree says
These are very easy and taste great.
Alicia Bland says
Delicious and very easy! My family loved them. We will be making these again!
DrDan says
Hi Alicia,
Welcome to the blog.
I think it is all the butter. I think I will do these again soon.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
DrDan says
Hi Ken,
I have been trying to do biscuits less but a premade mix would work great if you use it enough or self rising flour. The grater works great for the butter and I do that if I'm doing a large batch. I find it silly when people fire up their food processor for something like this. Mine is a pain to clean.
Thanks for the note and if you could, post to mix formula for the readers.
Dan
Kenneth says
I just wanted to make a quick comment. First off I love these. I have started using my own baking mix from the Utah extension service with half whole wheat and half all purpose and half the recommended salt. Makes my Doc happier. I also started using a cheese grater and grating the cold butter to make it easier to incorporate in to the mix. Since reducing the salt content adding other flavors and herbs really helps. Adding the other ingredients, especially the mix for the top really improved my biscuits. Thanks for the recipe.
Angela says
This recipe is amazing. For the biscuits, I used light cheddar and replaced the 3T butter with 3T 0% Greek yogurt. I made the topping as is. They were absolutely delicious! My husband loved how light and fluffy they turned out and the garlic flavor was a perfect touch. I especially appreciate the small batch size since I do all my cooking for just the two of us. Thank you for this! Definitely being added to the recipe box.
Linda says
These were abolutely, incredibly delicious & SUPER easy! I made (2) batches - 1 without garlic for my toddler grandtwins. In the garlicky batch, I threw some freeze dried chives & a little black pepper into the batter. Also substituted 1/4 c. shredded parmesan for 1/4 c. of the cheddar. Shared this awesome recipe everythwhere - everyone loved them, many thanks!
DrDan says
Thanks so much for the note and rating. I love these but due to the fat content haven't done them for a while.
Again thanks for the comment and rating.
DrDan
Linda says
Beyond incredible & super easy! I made 2 batches - 1 w/o garlic for my toddler Brandywine & added some chives & a little black pepper in the garlic batch. Also used 1/4 c shredded parmesan in plce of 1/4 c of the cheddar. Everyone loved them - sharing everywhere - many thanks!
Shae says
Completely heavenly! There is a mismatch between the recipes though. In the step by step, instructions are for 1/8t salt in the butter topping, but goes up to 1/4 in the full recipe summary on the bottom. Beware... 1/8 must be the right one! My first batch was too salty but second tasted just right with less salt!
DrDan says
You are so right. 1/8 and only if unsalted butter. Thanks for the catch.
DrDan
mickey conway says
I just made a batch of these for dinner and they were great! First time I've ever tried "baking from scratch" and honestly I was a little worried but this recipe was so simple! You have a new fan.
Dan Mikesell says
They are evil little devils. Now that you have done scratch, you will never go back.
Chris says
Those things are addictive! They are even great the next morning, cold.
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
DELICIOUS! Yeah, not a fan, but the rolls are by far the best! great recipe.
And thanks for being such an active part of eRecipeCards