Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Copycat
These Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits are the perfect gluten free copycat for your favorite restaurant version, made with buttermilk and shredded cheddar cheese and topped with a seasoned melted butter right before serving!
There’s nothing like a warm basket of fresh biscuits being passed around the dinner table, and if you’re gluten free, there’s certain things that you just miss. That’s why I’ve created a copycat recipe of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits, made with gluten free flour and ready in only 30 minutes from start to finish! The best part is brushing the tops of the biscuits with melted butter mixed with fresh herbs and spices, right before serving. These are also drop biscuits, meaning there’s no rolling out the dough required!
If you love this homemade version of cheddar bay biscuits, you’ll also love my Gluten Free Buttermilk Drop Biscuits, and my Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits!
Why You’ll Love My Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Gluten Free. These easy cheddar bay biscuits are made with gluten free ingredients, so you can enjoy your favorite buttery restaurant biscuits at home. You can also make a big batch and freeze them, then microwave as-needed!
Quick and Easy. This is a drop biscuit, meaning you mix everything together and “drop” the dough onto a baking sheet. There’s no rolling, cutting, or yeast required!
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Gluten Free Flour. I like to use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free all-purpose flour blend, or Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour. Choose a blend that has xanthan gum in it already, because it helps keep the biscuits from turning out crumbly.
If you’re not gluten free, you can use equal amounts of regular flour.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Buy a block of cheddar and shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheddar at the store has anti-caking ingredients in it, and won’t melt or mix in as well as the block of cheddar. I use the food processor to shred the cheese quickly.
Baking Powder. This is what causes the biscuits to rise. Make sure your baking powder says “double-acting” on the front.
Garlic & Salt. We’re adding these for flavor, because they pair perfectly with the cheesy biscuits. We’re also adding 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to the butter topping for that garlicky butter flavor.
Buttermilk. This has more fat and acid than regular milk, which can help with the flavor and flaky texture of the biscuits. You can also use regular milk, but I recommend using whole milk.
You can make your own buttermilk by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of regular milk and letting it sit for a few minutes.
I also like to brush the tops of the biscuits for that nice golden brown color.
Unsalted Butter. It’s important to use cold butter, because it creates steam pockets when it hits the heat of the oven to “lift” the biscuits and help them rise.
Sugar. A small amount of granulated sugar helps balance out the savory notes in the biscuits.
Parsley. I like the flavor of fresh parsley in the seasoned butter. You can also use dried parsley flakes, or a dash of old bay seasoning.
How to Make Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
After mixing the dry ingredients together, I like to use a grater to grate the butter into the flour. The smaller pieces are easier to work in.
Once the cold butter is worked into the flour, it should have small pea-sized clumps of butter.
Mix the cheddar into the flour mixture gently, until the pieces are all coated in flour.
Using a rubber spatula, mix the buttermilk in a little bit at a time. The dough should look wet and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add more or less buttermilk as-needed.
Scoop the biscuits onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. I like to use a big ice cream scoop for this part.
I used a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops with buttermilk for a golden brown color at the end.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through. After they’re out of the oven, brush with the seasoned butter while they’re still warm.
Recipe Variations
- Give these a spicy kick with some cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
- Try adding some diced pickled jalapenos to the dough to make a cheddar jalapeno version.
- Try using different types of cheese, like pepper jack, mozzarella cheese, or gouda.
- Add some cooked crumbled bacon pieces to the dough for a bacon cheddar version.
- Try adding other spices to the garlicky butter topping, like onion powder, paprika, cumin, old bay, or thyme.
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It’s OK if the dough has some lumps in it, as long as they’re small. The little pockets of butter will help the biscuits rise and stay fluffy. Over-mixing the dough can cause the biscuits to be flat or dense, instead of that fluffy flaky biscuit texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
These copycat Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits can be made up to a day beforehand. I recommend skipping the butter topping and refrigerating them, and when you’re ready to eat, warm them up in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Brush the biscuits with the seasoned butter just before serving. These biscuits are ideal for holidays or a Sunday dinner, and take some of the stress off of preparing everything at once!
Serve these biscuits warm for the best cheddar bay experience. I brush them with the seasoned butter right out of the oven, then transfer them to a basket and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Cheddar Bay Biscuits
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Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits (copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour, 1:1
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold
Seasoned Butter Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and garlic powder until well combined.
- Add pieces of the cold butter to the dry ingredients. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter and flour together until combined.
- Stir the cheddar into the flour mixture until evenly distributed. Slowly stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula, adding more or less as-needed until the dough is wet and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush the tops of the biscuits lightly with buttermilk.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through.
- Once the biscuits come out of the oven, stir together the melted butter, parsley, and garlic powder. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the seasoned butter topping before serving.
Notes
- To make it easier, use an ice cream scoop to “drop” the biscuits onto the baking sheet.
- Using a parchment-lined baking sheet is the easiest way to prevent them from sticking. Make sure your parchment paper can handle 450°F, the temperature limits should be on the box. You can also use a silicone baking mat.
- Use a cheese grater to grate the butter instead of cutting it into smaller pieces. It will be a lot easier to work into a dough with the smaller butter pieces.
- Tossing the cheese with the flour mixture helps coat the pieces and keeps them from clumping together. Make sure to add it before the liquid.
- If the dough gets too warm, let it sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before scooping the biscuits onto the baking sheet.
- Keep your cookie sheet on the middle rack, so it’s not too close to either of the heating elements on the top and bottom of the oven.
Nutrition
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