Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe delivers buttery, garlicky, cheesy drop biscuits with tender centers and crisp, golden edges. It suits seafood nights, cozy soups, and brunch boards, and the batch takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. I baked an early batch on a snow day, and the neighbors still bring it up like local gossip.
Why You Should Try This Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe gives you big flavor with simple steps, no kneading, and pantry-friendly ingredients. You get warm, cheesy biscuits that taste bakery-level without any fuss.
You can tweak the spice, use your favorite cheddar, and control the salt. I love how they stay tender and fluffy while the tops bake to a crisp finish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups or 240 g (King Arthur measures consistently)
- Baking powder, 1 tablespoon
- Baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon (use it if you go with buttermilk)
- Granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon
- Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
- Old Bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon (optional but classic for that “bay” vibe)
- Fine sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon
- Cold unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons, grated on a box grater (freeze 10 minutes for easy grating)
- Sharp cheddar cheese, 1.5 cups shredded or 6 ounces (hand shred Cabot or Tillamook for best melt)
- Cold buttermilk, 1 cup (sub 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar; rest 5 minutes)
- Fresh parsley or chives, 2 tablespoons, chopped
Topping:
- Unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons, melted
- Garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon or 1 small grated garlic clove
- Old Bay seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon, optional
- Fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon, chopped
- Pinch of flaky salt, optional
Pantry shortcut:
- Use 2 cups baking mix like Bisquick. Skip flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep garlic powder, Old Bay, butter, cheese, and milk or buttermilk.
Substitutions:
- Self-rising flour works too. Use 2 cups and skip baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour works well. Let the dough rest 10 minutes before scooping.
- Dairy-free: use plant butter, dairy-free cheddar, and thick unsweetened milk. Add an extra tablespoon of fat if the dough feels dry.
Equipment:
- Mixing bowls, whisk, rubber spatula
- Box grater or pastry cutter
- Sheet pan, parchment paper
- Cookie scoop or two spoons
- Pastry brush
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Step 1: Heat oven and prep the pan
Set the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. This prevents sticking and helps even browning.
Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, garlic powder, Old Bay, and salt. Mix until everything looks uniform. Keep the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes if your kitchen runs warm.
Step 3: Cut in the butter
Add the grated cold butter to the bowl. Toss and rub it into the flour until you get pea-sized bits. Cold butter makes tall, flaky biscuit layers.
Step 4: Stir in cheese and buttermilk
Fold in the shredded cheddar. Pour in the cold buttermilk and the parsley. Stir until the dough looks shaggy with no dry pockets, then stop. A slightly sticky dough bakes up tender.
Step 5: Scoop and bake
Scoop 10 to 12 mounds onto the parchment, about 1/4 cup each and 2 inches apart. Chill the tray for 5 minutes if the dough softened. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops look golden and the edges crisp.
Step 6: Make the garlic butter
Stir melted butter with garlic powder, Old Bay, and parsley. The warmth opens up the spices. Keep it nearby so you can brush the biscuits while hot.
Step 7: Brush and serve
Brush the hot biscuits with the garlic butter. Add a pinch of flaky salt if you like a little pop. Serve warm and watch them vanish.
Tips & Tricks
- Weigh flour or use the fluff-scoop-level method to avoid dense biscuits.
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter and chilled dough give you better lift.
- Hand shred cheddar. Bagged shreds contain starch that limits melt.
- Do not overmix. Stop as soon as the dough comes together.
- Use a cookie scoop for even sizes and even baking.
- Add a pinch of cayenne if you like a gentle kick.
- Swap parsley for chives to double down on savory flavor.
- Line the pan. Parchment promotes crisp edges and easy release.
What to Serve with Cheddar Bay Biscuits
These biscuits love seafood dinners like shrimp scampi, crab cakes, or baked salmon. They also cozy up to chowders, tomato soup, and chili. For brunch, pair them with soft scrambled eggs, bacon, and hot honey. I also like them with a simple salad and rotisserie chicken when life calls for low effort.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make the dough up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then scoop and bake. Or scoop the dough, freeze solid on a tray, and store in a zip bag up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 450°F and add 2 to 3 minutes.
Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temp for 1 day or in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes. Freeze baked biscuits up to 2 months and reheat at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes. Brush with a little fresh garlic butter after reheating to revive that just-baked magic.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika (if using).
- Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter remaining.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley until evenly distributed.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and gently stir just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; the dough will be sticky.
- Using a large spoon or 1/4-cup scoop, drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to make about 12 biscuits.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through.
- While the biscuits bake, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley in a small bowl.
- As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the garlic butter mixture.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Approximate per 1 biscuit (1 of 12): 210 calories; fat 14 g; saturated fat 9 g; carbohydrates 16 g; fiber 1 g; sugars 2 g; protein 5 g; sodium 360 mg. Values will vary based on ingredient brands, add-ins, and portion size.