Quick and Easy Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits – in just 4 steps

This garlic cheddar drop biscuit recipe is quick and simple to make and is a family favorite. It’s also quite versatile and can be served as an appetizer, with brunch, with salad for a light lunch, as a snack, or alongside dinner. Your whole family will love these super-simple drop biscuits!

If you’re looking for the Bisquick or GF version of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits, you are certainly in the right place! This garlic cheddar drop biscuit recipe includes instructions for both Bisquick and gluten-free Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. Be sure to read the recipe notes below.

A towel-lined basket of garlic-cheddar drop biscuits.

Ingredients and Tools for garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

Garlic cheddar biscuits from scratch start with pretty standard pantry items mixed with a few fresh herbs for an incredible Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit your whole family will crave. If you’ve never experienced the Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster, you are in for a real treat. This recipe makes delicious gluten-free Cheddar Bay biscuits as well. Just follow the recipe notes.

  • All-Purpose Flour – Regular or Gluten Free. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour to make these gluten-free biscuits. To make Bisquick cheddar garlic biscuits, use two cups of Bisquick and omit the salt and baking powder from the recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe accordingly. Note: I have not tested this recipe with any flour other than those listed here.
  • Sugar – ordinary white cane sugar is what we use in this recipe but you can opt for honey, maple syrup, or your preferred sugar substitute, like Splenda. For a completely sugar-free biscuit, omit the sugar altogether without substitution.
  • Baking Powder – if using gluten-free flour, be sure to select a brand of baking powder that is also gluten-free.
  • Butter – Either salted or unsalted butter is acceptable for this recipe. Since this is a drop biscuit recipe, we use melted butter. For a traditional cut biscuit recipe, you would use super cold, grated butter. No-fuss here!
  • Milk – many recipes call for buttermilk which imparts a certain tanginess to the biscuits, it’s easy to make biscuits without buttermilk, too. Simply substitute whole or part-skim (2%) milk in place of buttermilk. In this recipe, we use whole milk, but you can use whichever you prefer. If you want to use buttermilk but only have whole milk, try this easy buttermilk substitute. Note: I have not tested this recipe with soy, oat, coconut, or nut milk. If you do, please let me know how it turns out.
  • Cheese – the perfect cheese for this recipe is really up to you. Your favorite cheese will always taste the best in any recipe. For this recipe, we prefer a sharp cheddar. The bold flavor stands out against the garlic and herbs instead of shrinking into the background. Also, we grate our cheese from a block cheese rather than the prepackaged shredded cheese because we find it to be more flavorful. Other suitable options include Swiss cheese, gruyere cheese, aged Irish cheddar. For a spicy kick to your biscuit recipe, try jalapeno or habanero Jack.
  • Fresh herbs – Parsley, green onions (scallions), or chives – the flavor of fresh herbs make these biscuits pop. I prefer green onions (also called scallions) for the bright, bold flavor they provide. Chives have a more mild flavor that can be less discernable amongst the other bold flavors. I always add a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley just for the brightness and freshness in flavor it brings to the garlic cheddar drop biscuit recipe.
A stream of melted butter being poured into a mixing bowl with the ingredients for cheddar bay drop biscuits.

How to make cheddar bay biscuits

Making garlic cheddar drop biscuits from scratch couldn’t be easier or more simple to do especially with this easy drop biscuit recipe. This recipe is a simple drop biscuit recipe that is not fussy like traditional cut biscuits. There’s no fear of overworking the dough here. Just light and fluffy biscuits each and every time!

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet [paid link] with a silicone baking mat [paid link] or parchment paper [paid link]. Set aside
  2. Mix the Dough. Into a large mixing bowl [paid link], sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Then add the ground black pepper, garlic powder, parsley, chives, green onions (scallions), melted butter, and milk. Stir together just until a soft dough forms. Add the cheese and stir until incorporated. Note: The dough will be sticky and wet. This is normal.
  3. Portion the Biscuits. Using a #50 Stainless steel (1.5-inch| 38mm) cookie scoop [paid link] or 2-tablespoon portion out 24 scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Do this by scraping the excess dough from the scoop either with a butter knife or by scraping the open edge of the scoop across the inside edge of the mixing bowl [paid link].
  4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Note: A toothpick inserted into the middle of the biscuit should come out clean. If read by a digital thermometer, the center of the biscuit should read 205°F (96 °C). If they are still a little doughy in the center or not quite to the required internal temperature, return them to the oven and bake 1 to 2 minutes longer and check again.
A tray of portioned-out red lobster cheddar bay biscuits ready to be baked in the oven.

How to form the dough

Garlic cheddar drop biscuits are an easy, foolproof way to prepare perfectly fluffy biscuits each and every time. A small ice cream scoop [paid link] or melon baller with a trigger makes quick work of things but no special tools are really required for this. You can use a tablespoon and make 1.5 tablespoon scoops.

I’m using a #50 triggered ice cream scoop or a heaping tablespoon portion out about 24 scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Do this by scraping the excess dough from the ice cream scoop or measuring cup either with a butter knife or by scraping the open edge of the scoop across the inside edge of the mixing bowl [paid link].

A tray of freshly-baked Garlic Cheddar biscuits.

FAQs

How To Store Garlic Biscuits

Store cooled biscuits in a refrigerator-safe storage container or food-grade zip-top bag. Wait until they have cooled completely to store them. Otherwise, condensation droplets will form inside the storage container or bag. See below for freezing instructions.

Do garlic cheddar drop biscuits Need To Be Refrigerated

Yes. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), all perishable foods, including biscuits are not safe to eat after sitting at room temperature overnight. This rule holds true whether your biscuits have meat in them or not.

Can Biscuits Be Frozen

Absolutely. You can store both baked and unbaked garlic cheddar drop biscuits in the freezer. Baked biscuits will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer and you can reheat them within minutes in the oven or the microwave.

If freezing raw, follow the recipe instructions straight through to portioning them out on the baking sheet, then flash freeze them on the sheet pan [paid link] in your freezer. Once fully frozen, remove from parchment and place in a zip-top bag for up to 1 month. They do not need to be defrosted before baking.

Uncooked biscuits go from the freezer right into the oven. A slight adjustment to the baking time by adding 1 to 2 minutes may be required.

Other Great Biscuit Recipes

If you’re looking for more quick and easy biscuit recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Try these other bread and biscuit recipes Loaded Sausage Breakfast Biscuits, Ham and Cheese Scones – a simple, savory drop scone, easy No-Knead Oatmeal Bread, easy no-yeast Soda Bread or let your bread machine [paid link] do the work (mostly) with these easy bread machine English muffins.

A basket of garlic Cheddar drop Biscuits [Cheddar Bay Biscuits]

Serving Ideas

Trying to think of other ways to serve up these savory garlic cheddar drop biscuits? We have a few –

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits Cheddar Bay Biscuits 7

Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits make a great addition to soups and stews. They also pair great with seafood and any dinner you have in mind.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, lunch, side, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 24 biscuits (2.5-inch)
Calories 90 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour Regular, Gluten-free, or Bisquick [See Note 1]
  • 2 tsp Sugar [See Note 2]
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder [See Note 3]
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 4 tbsp Butter , melted [See Note 4]
  • 1 cup Milk [See Note 5]
  • 1 cup Cheese , shredded [See Note 6]
  • 1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp Fresh parsley , minced [See Note 7]
  • 2 whole Green onion (Scallions) sliced into fine rings [See Note 7]
  • 1 tbsp Chives chopped [See Note 7]

Optional Garnish

  • 2 tbsp Butter melted
  • 1 tsp Chives and/or parsley minced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet [paid link] with parchment paper [paid link] or a silicone baking mat [paid link]. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl [paid link], sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Then add the melted butter, milk cheese, ground black pepper, garlic powder, parsley, chives, and green onions (scallions). Stir together just until a soft dough forms and then mix well with a fork for about 30 seconds. Note: The dough will still be wet and sticky. This is normal.
  • Using a #50 scoop with trigger or a tablespoon, drop dough by the spoonful onto the prepared pan. Optional: Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little bit of milk to promote browning.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the biscuit should come out clean. If using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature should be 205°F/96°C. If the biscuits are still doughy in the center or not the correct internal temperature, return them to the oven and bake 1 to 2 minutes longer and recheck.
  • Brush warm biscuits with some additional melted butter just before serving and sprinkle with reserved chives or parsley, optional.

Notes

  1. All-Purpose Flour – Regular or Gluten Free. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour to make these gluten-free biscuits. To make bisquick cheddar garlic biscuits, use two cups of Bisquick and omit the salt and baking powder from the recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe accordingly. Note: I have not tested this recipe with any flours other than those listed here.
  2. Sugar – ordinary white cane sugar is what we use in this recipe but you can opt for honey, maple syrup, or your preferred sugar substitute. For a sugar-free biscuits, omit the sugar altogether.
  3. Baking Powder – if using gluten-free flour, be sure to select a brand of baking powder that is also gluten-free.
  4. Butter – Either salted or unsalted butter is acceptable for this recipe. Since this is a drop biscuit recipe, we use melted butter. For a traditional cut biscuit recipe, you would use super cold, grated butter. No-fuss here!
  5. Milk – many recipes call for buttermilk which imparts a certain tanginess to the biscuits, it’s easy to make biscuits without buttermilk, too. Simply substitute whole or part-skim (2%) milk in place of buttermilk. In this recipe, we use whole milk, but you can use whichever you prefer. If you want to use buttermilk but only have whole milk, try this easy buttermilk substitute. Note: I have not tested this recipe with soy, oat, coconut, or nut milk. If you do, please let me know how it turns out.
  6. Cheese – the perfect cheese for this recipe is really up to you. Your favorite cheese will always taste the best in any recipe. For this recipe, we prefer a sharp cheddar. The bold flavor stands out against the garlic and herbs instead of shrinking into the background. Also, we grate our cheese from a block cheese rather than the prepackaged shredded cheese because we find it to be more flavorful. Other suitable options include Swiss cheese, gruyere cheese, aged Irish cheddar. For a spicy kick to your biscuit recipe, try jalapeno or habanero Jack.
  7. Fresh herbs – Parsley, green onions (scallions), or chives – the flavor of fresh herbs make these biscuits pop. I prefer green onions (also called scallions) for the bright, bold flavor they provide. Chives have a more mild flavor that can be less discernable amongst the other bold flavors. I always add a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley just for the brightness and freshness in flavor it brings to the biscuit.

FAQs

How To Store Garlic Biscuits
Store cooled biscuits in a refrigerator-safe storage container or food-grade zip-top bag. Wait until they have cooled completely to store them. Otherwise, condensation droplets will form inside the storage container or bag. See below for freezing instructions.
Do biscuits Need To Be Refrigerated
Yes. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), all perishable foods, including biscuits are not safe to eat after sitting at room temperature overnight. This rule holds true whether your biscuits have meat in them or not.
Can Biscuits Be Frozen
Absolutely. You can store both baked and unbaked garlic-cheddar biscuits in the freezer. Baked biscuits will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer and you can reheat them within minutes in the oven or the microwave.
If freezing raw, follow the recipe instructions straight through to portioning them out on the baking sheet, then flash freeze them on the sheet pan [paid link] in your freezer. Once fully frozen, remove from parchment and place in a zip-top bag for up to 1 month. They do not need to be defrosted before baking.
Uncooked biscuits go from the freezer right into the oven. A slight adjustment to the baking time by adding 1 to 2 minutes may be required.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit (2.5 inch)Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 171IUVitamin C: 1mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 3µgCalcium: 70mgFolate: 21µgIron: 1mgZinc: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

2 thoughts on “Quick and Easy Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits – in just 4 steps”

Leave a Reply to Erica Cancel reply

Recipe Rating