Baking

Cheddar Biscuits (Flaky, Buttery, Cheese-Packed)

2 min

Keep the butter cold enough that the cubes stay firm when you cut them into the flour, and stop the moment the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Those little pebbles of butter are what steam open in the oven and give you the layers. The dough should come together shaggy and a bit ragged after the buttermilk goes in, so resist the urge to keep stirring. These are drop biscuits, no rolling or cutting, which means you can have them on a sheet pan in about ten minutes.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

If these taste familiar, it's because they're a close cousin of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which the chain introduced back in the early 1990s. The version here leans on the same trio that does the heavy lifting: sharp cheddar in the dough, garlic powder mixed in, and a garlic-parsley butter brushed over the top while they're still hot.

Cheddar biscuits are the ultimate quick bread. Flaky, buttery, packed with sharp cheddar. No rolling. No cutting. Just mix, drop, bake. 20 minutes. Like your favorite seafood chain’s biscuits — but better.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Preheat & Prep

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2 2

Mix Dry & Cut Butter

Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

3 3

Add Cheese & Wet

Stir in cheddar. Add buttermilk. Mix until just combined (don’t overmix — dough will be shaggy).

4 4

Drop & Bake

Drop ¼-cup scoops of dough onto baking sheet (2 inches apart).

Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

5 5

Garlic Butter & Serve

Mix melted butter, garlic, and parsley. Brush over warm biscuits.

Serve immediately. Try not to eat them all.

Summary

Prep Time: 10 min | Bake Time: 15 min | Total: 25 min

Yield: 10-12 biscuits | Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Best fresh. Fridge 3 days. Reheat in oven or air fryer at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Freeze unbaked dough scoops for 3 months. Bake from frozen (add 3-5 minutes). Never microwave — biscuits get rubbery.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Yield

10-12 biscuits

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 biscuits.

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne (optional)
½ cup (115g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup (180ml) cold buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)

For the Garlic Butter Topping:

¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

Instructions

1
Preheat & Prep. Preheat & Prep. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. 2 2
2
Mix Dry & Cut Butter. Mix Dry & Cut Butter. Whisk flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. 3 3
3
Add Cheese & Wet. Add Cheese & Wet. Stir in cheddar. Add buttermilk. Mix until just combined (don’t overmix — dough will be shaggy). 4 4
4
Drop & Bake. Drop & Bake. Drop ¼-cup scoops of dough onto baking sheet (2 inches apart). Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. 5 5
5
Garlic Butter & Serve. Garlic Butter & Serve. Mix melted butter, garlic, and parsley. Brush over warm biscuits. Serve immediately. Try not to eat them all

Swaps & Substitutions

Buttermilk → stir 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 3/4 cup regular milk and let it sit 5 minutes; thinner than real buttermilk but it works.
Salted butter → fine to use, just drop the added salt to a pinch since the cheese is salty too.
Sharp cheddar → medium cheddar works but tastes milder; pre-shredded is okay though hand-grated melts better because it skips the anti-caking starch.
All-purpose flour → a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with xanthan gum makes a softer, more crumbly biscuit; handle the dough gently.
Dairy-free → use a firm vegan block butter cold, a sharp plant-based cheddar, and the milk-plus-acid trick with oat or soy milk.
Cayenne → leave it out for kids, or swap in a few cracks of black pepper for warmth without the heat.

Questions & Answers

Why did mine come out dense instead of light?

Usually overmixing or butter that warmed up too much. Stir only until the buttermilk is absorbed and the dough looks shaggy, and chill the cubed butter until you need it.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes. Scoop the portions onto a sheet, freeze them solid, then bake from frozen with a couple extra minutes added. The cold butter going into a hot oven actually helps the rise.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temp for two days. Reheat in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes to bring back the crisp edges; the microwave makes them gummy.

Mine spread flat and didn't hold their shape. What happened?

Warm butter and warm dough spread. Make sure your butter and buttermilk are cold, and check that your baking powder is still active by dropping a little in hot water to see if it fizzes.

Can I use a cookie cutter instead of dropping scoops?

This dough is too wet and shaggy for cutting cleanly. If you want cut biscuits, pull back the buttermilk to about 1/2 cup, pat the dough to an inch thick, and cut straight down without twisting.

Cheddar Biscuits (Flaky, Buttery, Cheese-Packed)