Cheddar Bay Biscuits: The Complete Copycat Recipe, Price, and Nutrition Guide

If you’ve ever bitten into a warm, cheesy Red Lobster biscuit, you know why people can’t stop talking about them. Cheddar Bay Biscuits are soft, buttery, and loaded with sharp cheddar and garlic flavor. They’re famous for a reason, and the good news is you don’t have to visit the restaurant to enjoy them.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make cheddar bay biscuits at home, what they cost at Red Lobster, how many calories are in one biscuit, and where to buy the boxed mix if you’d rather skip the scratch recipe. We’ll also cover storage, freezing, and reheating, including the air fryer method most guides skip.

What Are Cheddar Bay Biscuits?

Cheddar Bay Biscuits are Red Lobster’s signature bread basket item. They’re small, fluffy drop biscuits made with buttermilk, sharp cheddar cheese, and a garlic butter brush-on topping.

The biscuits first appeared on Red Lobster’s menu in 1992 under a different name: “freshly baked hot cheese garlic bread.” Five years later, the chain renamed them Cheddar Bay Biscuits to match the seaside theme of its restaurants. They quickly became one of the most requested copycat recipes in America, and Red Lobster now serves them as part of its unlimited bread basket with most meals.

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Ingredients

A homemade cheddar bay biscuit recipe uses simple pantry staples. Here’s what goes into a classic batch:

For the biscuits:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Granulated sugar
• Salt and garlic powder
• A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for a subtle kick)
• Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Cold buttermilk
• Unsalted butter, melted

For the garlic butter topping:

• Melted butter
• Garlic powder
• Dried parsley

That’s it. No yeast, no rolling pins, and no waiting for dough to rise. These are drop biscuits, which means you scoop the dough straight onto the baking sheet.

How to Make Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Making buttermilk cheddar biscuits from scratch takes about 20 to 25 minutes total, most of which is baking time.

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. A hot oven is key to getting that golden brown, slightly crisp exterior.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
3. Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the cold buttermilk with the melted butter. Small butter clumps will form. This is normal and helps create a flaky texture.
4. Bring the dough together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Overmixing makes the biscuits tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears.
5. Scoop and bake. Use a greased ¼-cup scoop to drop mounds of dough onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Brush with garlic butter. While the biscuits bake, mix melted butter with garlic powder and parsley. Brush it over the hot biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.
7. Serve warm. These biscuits taste best fresh, ideally within the first 20 minutes of baking.

Buttermilk Substitutes

Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Any of these options work in a pinch:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice + enough milk to make 1 cup (let sit 5–10 minutes)
• 4 tablespoons milk + ¾ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons milk + plain yogurt to make 1 cup

Using a Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix

If scratch baking isn’t your thing, a boxed cheddar bay biscuit mix is a fast alternative. Red Lobster licenses its own retail biscuit mix, which comes with the dry mix, cheese packet, and garlic herb seasoning included. You simply add water, sometimes butter, then bake.

Where to buy cheddar bay biscuit mix: The official mix is widely stocked at Walmart, Kroger, and Target, along with most major grocery chains. It’s usually found in the baking aisle near other biscuit and cornbread mixes. Availability can shift seasonally, so if your local store is out, check the store’s website for pickup or delivery options before making a special trip.

You can also make your own version with a Bisquick base if you prefer a homemade mix on hand:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter

Mix, scoop, and bake the same way as the from-scratch version, then finish with the garlic butter topping.

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Calories and Nutrition Facts

If you’re tracking calories or just curious what’s in a serving, here’s the typical nutrition breakdown for one homemade cheddar bay biscuit. Numbers vary slightly by recipe and biscuit size, but this gives you a realistic range.

Nutrient	Per Biscuit (approx.)
Calories	170–260 kcal
Carbohydrates	16–21 g
Protein	3–6 g
Fat	11–16 g
Saturated Fat	7–10 g
Cholesterol	28–44 mg
Sodium	176–347 mg
Sugar	1 g

The calorie count depends heavily on portion size and how much butter topping is used. Restaurant versions, including Red Lobster’s, tend to run on the higher end of this range because of the generous butter brush-on and larger biscuit size.

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Price at Red Lobster

Cheddar Bay Biscuits aren’t sold individually on Red Lobster’s printed menu. Instead, they come free and unlimited with the purchase of an entrée, similar to how some restaurants offer unlimited bread or chips and salsa. This is part of what makes Red Lobster’s bread basket so popular. Guests can request refills throughout their meal at no extra charge.

If you want biscuits without dining in, your best options are:

• Making a batch at home using the recipe above
• Buying the retail boxed mix from a grocery store
• Checking if your local Red Lobster location offers takeout biscuits as an add-on, since this can vary by location and isn’t guaranteed

Because pricing and availability change by location and promotion, it’s worth calling ahead if biscuits are the main reason for your visit.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

How to Store Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Baked biscuits keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. For longer freshness, refrigerate them for up to 4 days.

Freezing Cheddar Bay Biscuits

These biscuits are freezer-friendly. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Oven (best for texture):

• Refrigerated biscuits: Wrap in foil, bake at 350°F for 6–7 minutes.
• Frozen biscuits: Wrap in foil, bake at 300°F for about 20 minutes.

Microwave (fastest):

• Wrap a biscuit in a damp paper towel and microwave at 50% power for 30–50 seconds if refrigerated, or up to 2 minutes if frozen.

Air Fryer (crispiest exterior):

• Preheat the air fryer to 320°F.
• Place biscuits in a single layer and heat for 3–4 minutes if refrigerated, or 6–8 minutes if frozen.
• This method brings back the crisp, golden top better than the microwave without drying out the inside.

What to Serve With Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Cheddar bay biscuits pair naturally with seafood, but they’re versatile enough for almost any meal:

• Clam chowder or seafood chowder
• Shrimp scampi
• Roast chicken or chicken and biscuits
• Tomato soup or chicken tortilla soup
• Chili or pot roast
• As a simple appetizer or side dish on their own

FAQ’s

They also work well as a base for mini sandwiches, split and filled with leftover chicken, ham, or even lobster salad.

Do Cheddar Bay Biscuits need to be refrigerated?

Not immediately. They can sit at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerating them extends freshness to about 4 days, and reheating from the fridge helps them retain more moisture than room-temperature storage.

Can you make cheddar bay biscuits with Bisquick?

Yes. Swap the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt for 2 cups of Bisquick mix, then add the cheese, garlic powder, cayenne, milk, and butter as directed in the recipe above. The texture comes out very similar to the from-scratch version.

How many calories are in one cheddar bay biscuit?

A homemade cheddar bay biscuit generally has between 170 and 260 calories, depending on size and how much butter topping is used. Restaurant versions tend to run higher due to larger portions and extra butter.

Where can I buy cheddar bay biscuit mix?

The retail cheddar bay biscuit mix is available at most major grocery stores, including Walmart, Kroger, and Target, usually in the baking aisle. Stock can vary by location and season.

Can you reheat cheddar bay biscuits in an air fryer?

Yes, and it’s one of the best methods for restoring a crisp exterior. Heat refrigerated biscuits at 320°F for 3–4 minutes, or frozen biscuits for 6–8 minutes, checking partway through to avoid over-browning.

Final Thoughts

Cheddar Bay Biscuits earned their fame for good reason: warm, cheesy, garlicky, and impossible to eat just one. Whether you bake them from scratch, use a boxed mix, or enjoy them fresh at Red Lobster, this guide gives you everything you need, from the exact ingredients and steps to nutrition facts, pricing details, and the best way to reheat leftovers. Try the recipe above, and you’ll have restaurant-quality cheddar bay biscuits ready in under 30 minutes.