Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
These copycat Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits are made from scratch (no baking mix here!), are buttery, cheesy, light and flaky, and loaded with garlic-herb flavor – even better than the original! They’re ready in less than 30 minutes, which means that these are an easy addition to any weeknight meal.
I haven’t been to a Red Lobster restaurant since I was in high school, but my taste buds have a stellar memory. They won’t allow me to forget cheddar bay biscuits. If you’ve never been to a Red Lobster, cheddar bay biscuits are placed on the table prior to your meal arriving. They’re the equivalent of the basket of bread at other restaurants. Except that these aren’t any ordinary biscuits; they are warm, flaky, loaded with cheddar cheese and garlic, and have a little kick. Utterly and hopelessly addicting.
The great news is, because they are drop biscuits, making the Red Lobster biscuit recipe requires very little effort. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll be enjoying warm, buttery, fluffy, cheesy biscuits fresh from the oven.
If you’re like me, you may have wondered why Red Lobster biscuits are called “cheddar bay biscuits”; as it turns out, when they were originally introduced they were simply referred to as “freshly baked, hot cheese garlic bread”. That’s a mouthful!
Five years later they were renamed “Cheddar Bay Biscuits” as a nod to the seaside atmosphere of the restaurants.
The essentials for delicious Red Lobster biscuits
You’re likely to have everything you need for these amazing biscuits in your pantry and refrigerator already, so let’s run down the list!
- All-purpose flour – This recipe has not been tested using other types of flour.
- Baking powder – To help the biscuits rise, you need to use a leavener.
- Baking soda – Another rising agent, but this one also assists in making the biscuits tender.
- Sugar – A small amount to provide flavor balance.
- Salt – Standard table salt is used.
- Garlic powder – If you don’t have any garlic powder on hand, garlic salt will work. However, omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Cayenne pepper – This offers a tiny kick of heat; the biscuits are not spicy, but you can leave it out if you want.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – For the best results, shred a block of cheese rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. You can also use mild cheddar if you prefer it.
- Buttermilk – Be sure to chill the milk; you want it as cold as possible.
- Unsalted butter – Melt the butter and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before using it.
- Minced fresh parsley – You can substitute ¼ teaspoon dried.
How to make Red Lobster biscuits from scratch
- Prep: Preheat your oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Then, stir in the cheddar cheese and set the bowl aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. It’s important to mix gently with a rubber spatula, just until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain.
- Scoop and portion the dough: Be sure to leave an inch or so between each scoop.
- Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes.
- Prepare the garlic butter: While the biscuits are in the oven, make the garlic butter to brush over the warm biscuits.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with the topping mixture.
The secret to light and flaky biscuits
The number one tip to creating biscuits that are light and flaky and never tough or dry:
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Do not overmix the dough!
You should mix it gently and only until the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Continuing to mix or stir will overwork the gluten and result in subpar biscuits.
No need to head out to a restaurant to get biscuits in a basket; you can whip them up in your own kitchen just as easily!
Recipe tips
Below are some extra tips for making sure your copycat cheddar bay biscuits turn out perfectly every single time:
- Cheese: You can use your favorite type of cheddar cheese. I think sharp is best in these particular biscuits and I always advocate for shredding yourself versus using pre-shredded cheese. I find it tastes better and melts into the biscuits much better.
- Buttermilk: If you are out of buttermilk, you can use this substitution hack - put 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup + enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Storage: The biscuits will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They do not need to be stored in the refrigerator, though you can if you prefer it.
- Reheating Instructions: To use an oven, wrap biscuits in foil and reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until warmed through. To use a microwave, wrap the biscuits in a damp paper towel, place on a clean plate, and microwave on 50% power for 45 seconds.
- Freezing Unbaked Biscuits: To made the biscuits ahead of time, prepare the biscuit dough and place them on a baking sheet as directed in the recipe. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until the biscuits are frozen solid. Transfer the frozen biscuits to an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed, though you may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing Baked Biscuits: Ensure that the biscuits are completely cool, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat as desired, using the instructions above.
More Biscuits!
If you are as enamored with biscuits as I am, then you’ll love these other varieties:
- Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
- Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
- Sausage-Cheddar Biscuits
- Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- Cheddar, Jalapeno & Chive Biscuits
Watch the Recipe Video:
If you make this recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cold
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
For the Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley, or ¼ teaspoon dried
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir in the cheddar cheese; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain. Use a greased ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop out portions of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little more than an inch between biscuits.
- Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes. While the biscuits are in the oven, stir together the 2 tablespoons melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with the topping mixture. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top back at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Cheese: You can use your favorite type of cheddar cheese. I think sharp is best in these particular biscuits and I always advocate for shredding yourself versus using pre-shredded cheese. I find it tastes better and melts into the biscuits much better.
- Buttermilk: If you are out of buttermilk, you can use this substitution hack - put 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup + enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Storage: The biscuits will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They do not need to be stored in the refrigerator, though you can if you prefer it.
- Reheating Instructions: To use an oven, wrap biscuits in foil and reheat in a 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until warmed through. To use a microwave, wrap the biscuits in a damp paper towel, place on a clean plate, and microwave on 50% power for 45 seconds.
- Freezing Unbaked Biscuits: To made the biscuits ahead of time, prepare the biscuit dough and place them on a baking sheet as directed in the recipe. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until the biscuits are frozen solid. Transfer the frozen biscuits to an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as directed, though you may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing Baked Biscuits: Ensure that the biscuits are completely cool, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat as desired, using the instructions above.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned]
Can’t believe i managed to make something this good so easy. Recipe from heaven :).
I make these just because!!!! Everybody loves them, i went to red lobster recently and these biscuits were 1000% better. Thanks for the recipe
I wanted to make these yesterday, but I ran out of time, so I actually just stored the batter in the fridge overnight and baked them first thing this morning. They were delicious! I’m not sure if they are worse or better had I made them yesterday, but they were very easy and tasted so light and fluffy! Thanks for your amazing recipes!
I followed the recipe exactly as it’s shown. Perfect! Fluffy and tender, with just the right amount of seasoning!
I just made these tonight and they were so AMAZING! I doubled the amount of garlic because I’m slightly addicted to it, but I think these were the best biscuits I’ve ever made! Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh my goodness, I just made these and they are amazing! So delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! Now if you will excuse me, I’m off to eat the whole batch!
I made this recipe for dinner. It’s really good. I will be making it often. Thanks!
Hi! these look scrumptious! i used to lovveeee these when i was in the states, so when i saw that your recipe does not use bisquik, naturally I had to try making them! But I have some questions tho-
1) can u clarify step 3? “In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.” – when I did this step, no clumps formed whatsoever. Instead, the mixture became very oily and greasy, and everything just became liquidy. Can u tell me what I did wrong here?
2) my biscuits came out flat and not fluffy at all. And greasy (tasted oily as well). Is this due to perhaps my mistake in step 3? Or is it because of sth else?
3) do these freeze well? If so, is it better to freeze the unbaked dough or the baked biscuit? Do u know?
I’d be really grateful if you could help me out here. Craving for these so so much!!! Thank you muahhh!!!
Hi Liza, I hope these helps:
(1) The melted butter should coagulate into clumps when stirred into the buttermilk, this is what you’re looking for. Be sure that the buttermilk is cold and that the melted butter has been cooled, but only for 5 minutes.
(2) It could be due to the issues with the melted butter, as these are definitely not oily.
(3) They do freeze well. You could do either – freeze pre-baked and then bake straight from the freezer (increase baking time by a couple of minutes), or bake, cool, then freeze.
Ok thank you! Will try baking another batch. I will let you know how that turns out :)
P/s: can I substitute buttermilk with milk+lemon juice?
Hi Liza, I always recommend regular buttermilk if you can use it, but if not the lemon juice and milk substitution should be fine.
My second attempt was a success!!! I actually used the milk+lemon juice substitute, and they came out wonderful!!! The whole family was so happy with these, especially hubby, since it’s been ages since we had them! Soooo good!!!! Thank u thank u thank u!!!
Just made these tonight and they came out great. So light and fluffy.
This recipe is incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just made these with dinner and I could barely control myself from eating every single one…And the method of adding the butter to cold milk instead of having to grate up frozen butter is ingenious and sooooo much easier. I was just blown away by these so so so yummy :)
Just made these after having the recipe bookmarked for ages and they were ammmmazzzzing.
I just made these and they turned out wonderful! Tasted just like Red Lobster’s rolls and I just dropped them on a greased cookie sheet and they looked like them too! Thank-you for this great recipe:)
These are awesome! Had some pepper jack cheese, added that also, (didn’t have any cayenne pepper), it gave them a little kick, they were so delicious, thanks!
Made these for a luncheon today – totally delicious. Don’t change a thing!
I just made these biscuits and they’re really good. However, the bottoms burned. I baked them at 475 like the recipe suggests. Could it be that my oven is not calibrated correctly?
Hi Linda, That’s definitely possible, especially if you aren’t using an oven thermometer to gauge internal temperature. Also, I highly recommend either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, both of which ensure even browning on the bottom of baked goods.
Just got them out of the oven. Tried a little piece and OMG, they’re fabulous. Having them with a short rib stew I got from How Sweet It Is.
Both recipes are GREAT!
I don’t bake, but I love to cook, these were great. Think I would cut the cayenne next time (kids). Thanks. A baked item that works and I can make. Again don’t bake and they were great flaky yummy. I did not have buttermilk so swapped milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice let sit for few minutes.
I only use Whole Wheat flour. Have you tried them with WW? How much less/more do you use? Any ideas would be appreciated!
This is what I have found:
Whole-wheat flour will make your baked products denser and heavier than all- purpose flour does. Substituting whole wheat flour for white flour takes a little experimentation, but you will almost always be successful if you use ¾ cup of whole wheat flour to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
When making cookies with whole wheat flour, reduce the butter or shortening by 20 percent. When making cakes with whole wheat flour, add another tablespoon or two of liquid. When altering a white bread recipe to become whole wheat bread, you may need another ¼ cup or so of liquid.
Hi Elizabeth, I have not tried converting these to whole wheat, so unfortunately I can’t give a definitive answer on how they will turn out or how much to substitute.
I made these last night and they are absolutely fantastic! Thank you!
Can i use half & half..
Hi Nilda, I’m not sure what you’re intending to substitute for the half & half (I’m assuming the buttermilk)? I would not recommend that substitution.
Trying them out tonight. 475? really?
Yes, that is the correct temperature.
These are to die for! My family LOVED them, and they taste better than the
restaurant!!
I made these tonight, was a little heavy handed on the cayenne and used thinly cut/chopped slices of smoked sharp cheddar and extra sharp white cheddar instead of shredded. AMAZING. So much better than Red Lobster biscuits! Will be making these later in the week for a pot luck. Thanks for the recipe!
Love at first bite! These biscuits were incredibly light and fluffy. I substituted fresh crushed garlic and a pickled chili pepper. Thank you so much for this recipe.
made these this morning and they were amazing! I’m wondering if it’s possible to substitute margarine for butter in the dough, or will that mess up the consistency?
Hi Dave, I would recommend sticking with the butter.
LOVE this recipe, especially for the fact that it:
a) it does not use a mix
b) there is no shortening! You just mix up the butter and buttermilk and it makes a light, fluffy biscuit!
This recipe is amazing. Followed the recipe exactly as described. Biscuits turned out like the ones I love at Red Lobster. Yummee!!! Thank you so much for posting the recipe!
Omg did I really just make these? They are super delicious and addictive! The cayenne pepper really comes across and adds a pleasant kick. Way better than Red Lobster and they’re homemade! I added a little more buttermilk, probably about a tablespoon or two because I was having trouble moistening the dough. I made 10 and they baked up really big. I love this!
These were *divine*!!!! I made a few changes and shared this recipe & your blog on my blog! Thanks so much for posting this! My husband LOVES them!
http://kellyabobbyc.blogspot.com/2013/10/cheddar-bay-biscuits-recipe.html
Omg!! Tried this recipe today with some variations. Used regular organic milk because I didn’t have buttermilk nor had anymore white vinegar to make any. Didn’t have enough butter so used some bacon grease to make up the whole 1/2 cup. Also, for the topping had to used bacon grease. Came out AMAZING!!! This is definetly my new go to biscuit recipe! Thanks so much! I want to say this is better than red lobster!