Cheddar Bay Biscuits

5 from 1 vote

Our homemade cheddar bay biscuits taste just like Red Lobster! Make this easy copycat recipe from scratch with common pantry + fridge ingredients!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: biscuits, cheddar biscuits, copy cat recipes

Servings: biscuits

Calories: 231kcal

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. These little pockets of butter are what create flaky layers.
Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese into the flour mixture. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until just combined. The dough will be sticky and shaggy. Do not overmix.
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup or a large cookie scoop, drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should get 10-12 biscuits.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
While the biscuits bake, stir together the melted butter, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the garlic butter. Serve warm.

Keep your butter cold. If your kitchen is warm, pop the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting. Some bakers even freeze the butter and grate it on a box grater for the easiest mixing.
Don't over mix. Stir the dough just until the dry ingredients are moistened. A few floury spots are fine. Over mixing develops the gluten and makes biscuits tough instead of tender.
Use a cookie scoop for even biscuits. A 3-tablespoon scoop makes this step quick and ensures your biscuits bake evenly.
Brush with butter immediately. The hot biscuits absorb the garlic butter best right out of the oven. Don't wait!
Serve warm. These biscuits are at their absolute best fresh from the oven. If you're making them for a gathering, time the baking so they come out just before serving.

Ingredient Notes:

No self-rising flour? Use 2 1/3 all purpose flour, 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in place of the self-rising flour.
No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill with milk to the 1-cup line. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will look slightly curdled, and that's perfect.
Salted butter? You can use salted butter for the biscuits and the topping. Just reduce or omit the added salt in each.
Gluten-free? Use 2 1/3 cups of a gluten-free flour blend, along with 3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Storing Instructions:

Room temperature: Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze baked biscuits in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat directly from frozen.
To reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes, or microwave for 15-20 seconds. For frozen biscuits, bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Make Ahead Instructions:

Refrigerate unbaked: Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
Freeze unbaked: Freeze the unbaked dough portions on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 4-6 minutes to the bake time.