This recipe for Cheddar Bay Biscuits is my delicious take on the biscuits available at Red Lobster. I like to call these BETTER cheddar bay biscuits because they are.
I originally shared this recipe in 2013. I've recently updated this post with new photos and additional information, including a recipe card complete with nutritional information, but the recipe itself has remained unchanged.
Go directly to the recipe.
- The ingredient list:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- How this recipe came to be:
- What makes this a BETTER Cheddar Bay Biscuit?
- Is the Old Bay seafood seasoning mandatory in this recipe?
- Can another type of seafood seasoning be used instead of Old Bay?
- Can the sharp cheddar cheese be swapped out with another type of shredded cheese?
- How many drop biscuits does this recipe make?
- Is a cookie scoop necessary to make these biscuits?
- Parchment paper, foil, or uncoated baking sheet?
- The step-by-step photo instructions:
- Recipes to serve alongside Cheddar Bay Biscuits:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredient list:
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- granulated sugar
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- Old Bay seafood seasoning
- cayenne pepper
- smoked paprika
- sharp cheddar cheese
- cream cheese
- buttermilk or buttermilk alternative
- butter
- fresh parsley (optional)
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- mixing bowls
- wooden spoon
- whisk
- pastry blender
- measuring cups and spoons
- baking sheets
- parchment paper (optional)
- aluminum foil (optional)
- cooking spray (optional)
- cheese grater (optional)
- medium cookie scoop
- kitchen timer
How this recipe came to be:
I don't know anyone who visits Red Lobster and doesn't love their Cheddar Biscuits. I do too.
It is because of my love of that biscuit that I wanted to recreate my own version.
Today's recipe is my deliciously improved copycat take on the RL cheddar cheese drop biscuit.
What makes this a BETTER Cheddar Bay Biscuit?
I've packed in as much flavor as I could with some of my favorite dry spices and seasonings. You'll notice it after your very first bite.
It's the Old Bay seafood seasoning, smoked paprika, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper helps to make these biscuits a complete stand-out!
These new and improved Red Lobster cheddar biscuits will be a drop biscuit your family will request time and time again.
Is the Old Bay seafood seasoning mandatory in this recipe?
No. Not really, but it does aid in the flavor that brings these biscuits back around to being a seafood restaurant-inspired side dish (at least in my mind).
Can another type of seafood seasoning be used instead of Old Bay?
Yep.
I tend to gravitate toward Old Bay seafood seasoning for all my seafood seasoning needs so I always have it in the pantry.
If you have another brand that you love and have on hand, by all means, use it.
Can the sharp cheddar cheese be swapped out with another type of shredded cheese?
Of course. Use what you love, or what you have on hand in the fridge.
You can even combine a few different shredded kinds of cheese if that's how you feel.
I particularly like Swiss cheese and think that it would be a tasty combo with the cheddar so you can bet I'll be doing that next time I make these delicious copycat biscuits!
How many drop biscuits does this recipe make?
As written, this recipe will make 24 medium-size biscuits when a medium cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons) is used.
Is a cookie scoop necessary to make these biscuits?
Nope.
You can also use two tablespoons (one to scoop, and one to push the dough off) to drop approximately 2 tablespoons of the batter onto prepared baking sheets.
The cookie scoop method will definitely help the biscuits be more uniform and regular in shape, but please know that a cookie scoop is certainly not necessary for taste.
Parchment paper, foil, or uncoated baking sheet?
Typically I like to use parchment paper.
However, in the photos you'll see here I used aluminum foil wrapped baking sheets that I sprayed with olive oil baking spray.
I do those two applications to keep cleanup to a minimum.
That said, neither of those baking sheet hacks is 100% necessary. You can bake directly on the baking sheets if that is your preference.
Just remember to spray the baking sheets with non-stick spray before dropping the batter onto the sheets because it will prevent the biscuits from sticking.
The step-by-step photo instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
- Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- In a separate bowl, measure out the buttermilk or (buttermilk alternative).
- Add the softened cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese to the dry ingredients, and blend the ingredients together with a pastry blender to form coarse crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir together to form a sticky dough.
- Drop the dough onto a parchment-lined or foil-lined baking sheet (in approximately 2½ tablespoon increments).
- Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
- When baked brush the biscuits with melted butter and top with fresh parsley.
Recipes to serve alongside Cheddar Bay Biscuits:
*Homemade Fried Tilapia (shown below and featured in the video)
Hungry for a Friday night fish fry but don’t want to pay restaurant prices? My homemade fried tilapia recipe is crispy, crunchy, and utterly delicious.
*Pineapple Pork Tenderloin (not shown)
Whether you make pineapple pork tenderloin on the outdoor grill, or inside in the oven…just make it. The pineapple gives the pork a wonderful flavor that you’re going to flip over!
*Copycat Sunflower Crunch Kale and Cabbage Salad (shown below)
Crunchy, healthy, and completely addictive. This Sunflower Crunch Kale and Cabbage Salad has it ALL going on!! Dig in! You’re going to love this colorful salad!
*Slow-Roasted Baby Back Ribs (not shown)
Cooking these slow-roasted baby back ribs in the oven, or on the outdoor BBQ, you can achieve maximum flavor with minimum ingredients that will ensure great meaty flavor, and quality tenderness.
*French Onion Pork Chops (shown below)
All the flavors you love in a traditional French onion soup are captured in this recipe for French Onion Pork Chops. Make them ASAP and I promise you won’t be sorry!
*Layered Zucchini Parmesan (not shown)
Layered Zucchini Parmesan has all the flavors you love about pizza or lasagna but without all those annoying carbs to weigh you down.
*Better Cheddar Bay Biscuits (shown below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did. Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
BETTER CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seafood seasoning or other seafood seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese about 1 ¼ cups
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- -Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
- -In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and paprika.
- -To the flour mixture, stir in the shredded cheddar and cream cheese.
- -Stir in the buttermilk until just combined and forms a sticky dough.
- -Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons (1½ tablespoon) onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
- -Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.
- -Meanwhile, combine the topping mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley.
- -Brush the tops of the baked biscuits with the melted butter mixture and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's recipe for copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Izzy says
Each bite crumbles into rich flavor in the mouth. It has to be the spice and cheese. One biscuit is never enough!
Sam says
These biscuits were delicious and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!