Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Close up side shot of a bowl of homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits just like at Red Lobster

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Better than Red Lobster, these easy homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits are soft, flaky and made from scratch!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Sides

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk biscuits, cheddar bay biscuits, homemade cheddar bay biscuits

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings biscuits

Calories 193.5kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 ounces grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled, plus additional melted butter for brushing
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Set aside.
In a large food processor, combine flour, cheddar cheese, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and onion powder. Pulse until blended.
Add the chilled butter and pulse until incorporated (there will still be some small chunks of butter).
Slowly pour in the buttermilk, pulsing as you go. Stop pulsing as soon as the dough comes together.
Use a ¼ cup scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown – about 15-17 minutes. Brush the warm biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Notes

The butter and buttermilk for this recipe need to be as cold as possible for fluffy and soft biscuits. You can freeze the cubed butter for about 10-20 minutes before using it or keep it in the refrigerator. I also keep the buttermilk in the refrigerator right up until it’s time to add it to the food processor.
For a stronger cheddar flavor, use a sharp aged cheddar cheese (just like the restaurant uses). I use mild cheddar, since that's my boys' favorite!
The buttermilk is an important ingredient in these biscuits, so don't substitute with regular milk. We use buttermilk for its acidity as well as its fat and liquid content. The acid in the buttermilk works in conjunction with the baking powder to help the dough rise.
If you don't have store-bought buttermilk on hand, you can always make your own buttermilk at home. You can make 1 cup of homemade buttermilk by using regular milk + either lemon or white vinegar. To do so, pour your milk into a small bowl. Add either 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe as directed! Since this recipe requires 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk, you would need to add about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice or white vinegar.
Be careful not to overwork the dough. The food processor is great to quickly pulse the ingredients, but stop processing as soon as the dough comes together. Otherwise you'll end up with tough, dry biscuits.

Nutrition