Soft, flaky, and fantastically flavorful, these homemade cheddar biscuits practically fly off the table anytime they’re served. Good thing they’re so quick and easy to make!
One reader, Teri, says: “These are now sitting on the kitchen counter next to bacon so when the fam wakes up they can fix an egg and make a great breakfast sandwich—delicious!!! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Amanda, says: “These were UNBELIEVABLE! I will say that I made part of my batch in a round metal cake tin, and some in a cast iron skillet—both were good but the cast iron biscuits were magical! ★★★★★“
You’ll find many quick bread recipes on my website, like banana bread, no yeast bread, and Irish soda bread. They’re labeled quick breads because they don’t require any yeast or rise time… but loaves of bread still take a while to bake, and need time to cool before you slice into them. I love making biscuits because they also don’t require any yeast or rising, and they bake in just about 20 minutes and can be enjoyed warm—they’re really, truly quick!
Here’s Why You Will Love These Cheddar Biscuits
- Rise extra tall with extra flakes
- Buttery, garlicky, cheesy flavor
- Another egg-free baking recipe
- Just 10 simple ingredients
- Quick to prep and bake, ready in about 35 minutes total
- Enjoy warm with plenty of melty cheese pockets inside!
- Top with an easy melted butter, garlic, and parsley topping
If you’ve made my homemade buttermilk biscuits before, you’ll be familiar with the technique I use to make countless buttery, flaky layers. That’s my go-to biscuit recipe; it’s easy, quick, requires minimal ingredients, and produces beautifully tall biscuits. For today’s cheddar biscuits, we’re adding cheese, garlic, and even more butter. I also use the baking powder/baking soda combination detailed in those recipe notes.
Today’s biscuits taste remarkably similar to the popular cheddar bay biscuits served at Red Lobster. (By the way, if you enjoy adding flavor to plain biscuits, you’ll love my everything biscuits too.)
Grab these ingredients:
I have 2 quick tricks for flaky biscuits and 2 quick tricks for tall biscuits. First, the flakes!
How to Make Flaky Cheddar Biscuits
Success Tip #1: Use Cold Fat
For flaky layers, use cold fat. This is very important. When little crumbs of butter melt as the cheddar biscuits bake, they release steam and create little pockets of air—this makes the biscuits flaky on the inside while remaining crisp on the outside. You don’t want the butter to melt BEFORE hitting the oven, because then there would be no steam. No steam means no pockets of air, and no pockets of air means no flakes.
It’s the same thing that happens when making pie crust, ham & cheese scones, and the topping for my berry cobbler recipe. Make sure your butter is COLD. Cut it into your dry ingredients by following the printable recipe below. You can use a food processor or pastry cutter for that step. You’re looking for coarse, flour-coated butter crumbles. Mix in your cheese, and then pour in the buttermilk/honey mixture and gently mix to combine:
Success Tip #2: Fold & Flatten
For the flakiest cheddar biscuits ever, flatten and fold the dough before cutting into biscuits. Flattening and folding creates layers, and you might remember this if you’ve ever tried my homemade puff pastry and croissant bread recipes. Tip the scrappy, crumbly biscuit dough onto a work surface and work it together with your hands. Form into a rectangle:
Flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, and then begin folding. Fold one end of the rectangle in towards the center, and then the other end on top of that as if you were folding a business letter:
Turn the folded dough horizontal, and flatten again into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle.
Repeat the folding process 2 more times before cutting into round biscuits.
Now let’s move on to the tricks for tall biscuits.
How to Make Super Tall Cheddar Biscuits
No Twisting = Super Tall Biscuits
When cutting the dough with a biscuit cutter, don’t twist the cutter. Twisting it will seal off the biscuit edges, preventing the biscuits from fully rising.
Snug as a Bug = Super Tall Biscuits
Biscuits rise up nice and tall when they’re pressed snuggly against one another. Arrange them tightly in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet/baking pan. A cast iron skillet helps produce a super crisp bottom, so I prefer it over a baking sheet or pan. I use this 10-inch cast iron skillet for biscuits.
Before baking, brush the biscuits with a little extra buttermilk. Why? This gives the biscuits a slightly crispier crust.
After baking, brush with melted garlic parsley butter. Why? Because yum. The garlic butter seeps down into all the crevices and, obviously, makes the tops extra buttery.
You brush finished breadsticks with something similar.
So let’s get all this straight. There are 2 things you need to remember for flaky biscuits and 2 things you need to remember for tall biscuits. You will (1) use cold butter in the dough and (2) fold the dough together a few times to help guarantee lots of flakes. Plus, you (3) won’t twist the biscuit cutter and (4) you’ll place the biscuits close together so they rise tall in the oven.
And 2 things to remember for deliciously flavored biscuits: cheddar + garlic. 🙂
What to Serve With Cheddar Biscuits
These flavorful cheddar biscuits are such a versatile side. They’re as welcome with Thanksgiving recipes next to turkey and green bean casserole as they are at Easter brunch alongside bacon and eggs or quiche. And they can go from accompanying baked lemon herb salmon, cilantro lime chicken, or vegetarian pumpkin chili for dinner, to making a phenomenal breakfast sandwich the next morning.
If you enjoy savory baking recipes like this one, you’ll love these homemade ham & cheese pockets, this cheese bread, and these pizza pull apart rolls.
PrintHomemade Cheddar Biscuits
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 biscuits
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These deliciously simple homemade cheddar biscuits easily rival Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits. Baked in only about 20 minutes, they’re a must-try for brunch or dinnertime.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for hands and work surface
- 1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder (yes, Tablespoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cubed and very cold (see Note)
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (270ml) cold buttermilk, divided
- 2 teaspoons (14g) honey
- 1 cup (125g) shredded cheddar cheese
Topping
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Make the biscuits: Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Cut/pulse until coarse crumbs form. See photo in blog post for a visual. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl.
- Fold in the shredded cheese. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk and drizzle honey on top. Fold everything together with a large spoon or spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots. See photo in blog post for a visual.
- Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. The dough will become sticky as you bring it together. Have extra flour nearby and use it often to flour your hands and work surface in this step. Using floured hands, flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle as best you can. Fold one side into the center, then the other side on top. Turn the dough horizontally. Gently flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Gently flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat the folding one last time. Flatten into the final 3/4-inch-thick rectangle.
- Cut into 2.5- or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. (Tip: Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough because this seals off the edges of the biscuit, which prevents them from fully rising.) Re-roll scraps until all the dough is used. You should have about 8–10 biscuits. Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (see Note) or close together on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure the biscuits are touching.
- Brush the tops with remaining buttermilk. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Make the topping: Mix the topping ingredients together. Generously brush on the warm biscuits, and serve warm.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked biscuits freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator, then warm up to your liking before serving. You can also freeze the biscuit dough. Prepare the dough in steps 2 through 4. Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap (plastic wrap is best for freshness) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 5. Also, after step 4, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before continuing with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Pastry Cutter or Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula | 2.5- or 3-inch Biscuit Cutter | 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet | Pastry Brush
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: This recipe used to call for 2 Tbsp of baking powder and no baking soda, like my regular biscuits recipe. And that still absolutely works! However, to avoid a chemical aftertaste, which *can* be present if you’re not using aluminum free baking powder, I swapped the leavener to 1 Tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. (I usually use Clabber Girl brand and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.)
- Butter in Biscuit Dough: Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Keep butter as cold as possible until you need it. I recommend placing the cubed butter in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you begin.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. However, if you’d like the tangy flavor, which I highly recommend, you can make your own sour milk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup. (You need 1 cup in the recipe, plus 2 Tablespoons for brushing—you can use regular milk to brush on top.) Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best for the DIY sour milk substitute, though lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch. (In my testing, the biscuits don’t taste as rich or rise quite as tall using lower fat or nondairy milks.)
- Cast Iron Skillet: If your cast iron skillet isn’t well seasoned, I recommend greasing it with a little vegetable oil or melted butter. Brush a thin layer of either on the bottom and around the sides. No need to heat the cast iron skillet before using, though you certainly can. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes before arranging the shaped biscuits in it.
Made these tonight with Facerock Garlic Slayer cheese. My family ADORED them! They were very impressed with the lightness and fluffiness of them. They were easy and fun to make. I did them in the cast iron skillet.
Just a question Sally, why the aluminum free baking powder? Thanks for all your great recipes, they are ALWAYS enjoyed at my house and work!
Hi Katriona! I mention aluminum free because using so much *can* add a metallic aftertaste. However, I usually use Clabber Girl brand and have never noticed a metallic aftertaste. I’m glad you enjoyed these!
Oh!! It looks like you changed the recipe. Usually you indicate that in the date/ your intro.
I am glad I noticed the change from the original, which I have on my PlantoEat account.
What did the addition of the honey add? And is that why so much less baking powder?
Admittedly, I haven’t yet tried your original because I have bad luck making layer biscuits but I wanted to give it a try. If you changed it- there must be a good reason-all your recipes are so great! I will update my app.
Great question! The change I made was reducing the baking powder by half and then adding the baking soda. The honey has always been in this recipe, similar to my regular biscuits and you can see the baking powder/baking soda note there as well. Using some baking soda helps prevent a metallic aftertaste that some readers reported when using 2 Tbsp of baking powder (if they could not find aluminum-free).
Oh! I am terribly sorry—- I didn’t read the notes yet like I do when I go to cook. For shame!! Thank you for your time & patience. I also didn’t see the honey in my recipe because the one I imported before changed the order.
Man, I apologize!
Thanks so much for all your hard work & delicious recipes!
This will be the next Cheddar Bay biscuit I try.
I tried this recipe for the first time tonight and boy were they scrumptious.I love how quick and easy the dough came together.I got 11 biscuits from the dough and used my cast iron skillet to bake them in.I will definitely be making this again.
I have been making these since I found this recipe on Sally’s website. They are DELICIOUS!
I use the top of a drinking glass for my biscuit cutter – works great. After baking, I wrap the remaining biscuits in sets of two and freeze them. They freeze great – I just heat the thawed biscuits for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Hi Sally! Would you recommend shredding the cold butter into the flour?
Hi Jessica, if doing that, you’ll want to begin with frozen butter as just regular cold butter from the fridge is pretty difficult to shred using a box cutter.
Hands down – Best. Biscuit. Recipe. Ever! Subbed hot honey for the honey and drizzled some additional on the tops. Served as egg/cheese biscuits. Absolutely delicious!
Do you think grating frozen butter instead of using a food processor, would make the butter pieces too small?
That would be fine, and I usually do that when making scones. But you’ll still want to cut that frozen butter into the flour mixture somehow, rather than just stirring, so it’s incorporated properly. You could even use a fork to do so.
Can I use a different cheese. I love this recipe so much..l
Absolutely! Any shredded cheese should be just fine. I’ve made them before with smoked Gouda and jalapeño jack cheeses before.
I like to use Kerry gold unsalted butter when baking. With the extra butter fat in the butter, do you think the biscuits may be too greasy?
Hi Jennifer, I often use that in my biscuits and they turn out wonderfully. I would avoid it in a pastry such as an all butter pie crust though; the pie crust doesn’t hold shape very nicely. But, again, for biscuits, it’s great!
Hi-is the honey necessary? We have a baby under a year who cannot have honey for a few more months. Anything I should swap it with?
Hi Jennifer, feel free to leave it out, or to balance the salty flavor, use granulated sugar instead.
What kind of cheese do you recommend
Hi Sandy, I usually use extra sharp cheddar cheese. But a mild cheddar works too.
Does A mix like Colby Jack work?
Absolutely! Any shredded cheese should be just fine. We’ve made them before with smoked Gouda and jalapeño jack cheeses as well.
Can I swap the flour for cup4cup to make gluten free?
Hi Sue, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version of these biscuits. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients.
I have made these biscuits once a week for the past month 1/2. Everyone in my house hold loves these I’m lucky if the there’s any left by the time dinner dishes are done, and never till the next morning. There are six of us in the house, I usually 1 1/2 the recipe and get 12-15 depending on how much I roll them out. I don’t have a biscuit cutter, I’ve just cut them up into as even squares as possible and thrown them in a 9×13 metal baking pan. I pack the squares in pretty tight for the high rise you reference and it works great, they hold their individual shape well and rise well too. I just wanted comment my experience since I saw a few questions about square biscuits and doubling recipes. Amazing job with this Sally, hands down the best biscuits I’ve ever had and they blow red lobsters out of the water 20/10 recommend.
Hi Sally… I’ve seen biscuit recipes using an egg as one of the ingredients. I wonder how this might impact biscuit dough?
dough?
Hi Linda, it usually makes a cakey-style biscuit, and they’re a bit less flaky.
This recipe is delicious. My brother said they were “sinful”. They turned out beautifully even though I doubled the recipe (I was very cautious not to over mix) and used a glass Pyrex dish to bake them. They very closely resemble Red Lobster’s biscuits. I can’t even imagine how good they would be for biscuits and gravy in the morning!!
Excited to make this recipe for an upcoming work potluck! I have a few questions about the recipe – in order to avoid waste, would it work to cut into squares/rectangles instead of circles? If so, how should they be packed? Can they go right next to each other or would it morph into a big glob?
If rectangles wouldn’t work, what do you do with the leftover scraps between the circle cuts? Can you re-combine it?
Hi Erica! We do reroll the scraps until all the dough (or nearly all of it) is used. We haven’t tried square biscuits, but if you do we’d recommend making them on a baking sheet and staggering them, with some edges touching and some not, so that they can rise up but don’t create one giant biscuit as you mention. Hope they’re a hit!
Just made these yesterday – only my second time attempting biscuits ever, and they came out fabulous! I really appreciated all the tips and steps with photos.
TIP: I was searching for a jalapeno cheddar biscuit recipe, and figured I would try this one because I trust Sally’s recipes. I seeded and chopped a few small jalapenos and folded them in with the cheddar. They came out great, with just a hint of heat. When I make again, I will probably leave the seeds in, but I like things spicy.
If I don’t have a garlic clove for the topping, can I use garlic powder? Or minced garlic? If so, how much?
Hi Rachel, you could use about 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic in the topping.
I’ve made these to rave reviews – terrific recipe and dependable results! One question: can you double this recipe when making for a crowd or is it best to make two batches?
Hi Liz, separate batches would be better to prevent over or under mixing. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
Thank you, Sally. Yummy, savory, loved it. I didn’t have a biscuit nor cookie cutter. So I used my bench scraper and cut in squares like a scone or bread stick.
Can I use this recipe for drop biscuit?
Yes, absolutely!
Instead of regular milk could I use half & half and lemon juice to make buttermilk? Also, I’ve used a cookie cutter for biscuits before (no twisting!) but they still seem to seal off the edges. Any tips? Thank you and can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Hi Conny, see recipe notes for details on making your own buttermilk substitute. We find a biscuit cutter works best for cutting biscuits, but a cookie cutter could work in a pinch (metal would work better than plastic). Let us know what you try!
Best. Biscuits. Ever.
I cannot believe something sooo good comes together so quickly and easily. Eating these biscuits adds to life’s joy! Thank you so much for such good recipes. They really bring joy to my family and friends. My three old is adorably trying to sneak extra biscuits out of the pan.
Could I add bacon to these? Thank you!
Sounds like this would be delicious. Enjoy!
This is such a great recipe! Love it! Biscuits disappeared in a matter of minutes! Can one add crispy bacon (cold, as to not melt the butter) into the mix?
Hi Wendy, Sounds like this would be delicious. Enjoy!
Hello Sally, can this recipe be made on a baking sheet in the oven? If so, what temp and baking time would you recommend? I am a novice. Thank you, Sally!
Ridiculously amazing. New biscuit bakery here, and they turned out perfectly. Thanks!!!
Absolutely delicious. Easy to prepare. I followed the (easy) instructions and results were amazing.
2 questions miss sally! Ive never made biscuits from scratch.
1. I dont have a biscuit cutter- will a 3 inch round cookie cutter work instead? (No twisting!)
2. Once cut and in the pan, can they go in the fridge, covered, for a few hours before baking?
Hi Donna, yes and yes! A cookie cutter will work for shaping the biscuits, and you can leave them covered in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking. Hope you enjoy the biscuits!
Thank you!
Also- love your name 🙂 our six year old is miss lexi!
Do these have to go in the fridge for overnight
Hi Elise, once baked, you can cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If not yet baked, after step 4, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before continuing with step 5.
Could you use a smaller biscuit cutter and reduce the baking time? Trying to get more biscuits out of it for a party
Hi Elizabeth, that should work just fine. Hope they’re a hit!
I made these this morning for brunch with eggs a and bacon! They were SO good. I’m so happy I have left overs for tomorrow. Mine took a little longer to cook then expected. But my oven could have been off and I did chill them in the skillet in the fridge over night so that could have been it too. I did not use aluminum free baking powder and I wasn’t able to taste anything off so don’t let that stop you from making them!
Also when I pulled them out of the oven I wasn’t sure if they were fully cooked but it was the shine of the melted cheese that threw me off – I’m glad I went by Sally’s direction to take them out once they are browned on top 🙂
Thanks for a great recipe Sally, I will be revisiting this one often!
These are delicious. I am not an experienced biscuit maker, however. If you refrigerate overnight, should the dough come to room temp, or go right in and adjust cooking time?
They can go straight from the fridge to the oven, no need to adjust cooking time. Some people always refrigerate to let dough rest and butter get cold again. Either way, definitely don’t let them sit out and come to room temp, that will cause your butter to become too warm and kill your flakes.
Ok, these are absolutely FABULOUS! I want to hide them and not share…