We love these easy cheese drop biscuits! Our recipe is quick to make, buttery, cheesy, and so fluffy. You can make these in less than 30 minutes!
These cheesy drop biscuits are a family favorite that disappears in minutes! (Whenever I make them, I save one to the side for myself to make sure I actually get one!) If you loved my drop biscuit recipe, you’ll adore this cheesy version!
There’s no rolling, cutting, or shaping required with this recipe. Simply mix the dough, drop it onto your baking sheet, and bake. You’ll have warm cheese biscuits on the table in no time!
Key Ingredients
- Cheese: I use sharp cheddar or Gruyère for a flavorful biscuit, but you can use your favorite cheese.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute self-rising flour if you reduce the baking powder and salt (see my tips in the recipe).
- Baking powder: This helps the biscuits rise and become puffy.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt give these biscuits an amazing flavor, similar to Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits.
- Butter: This makes the biscuits extra delicious and tender. I love brushing them with more melted butter before serving.
- Milk: This helps the dough come together and makes them tender. You can substitute buttermilk if you prefer.
How to Make Cheese Biscuits
These cheesy biscuits are ridiculously easy to make, and once you try them, you’ll want to make them again and again. The entire process takes about 30 minutes, and they taste amazing!
To start, whisk together flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Then, cut small cubes of cold butter into the flour mixture using your fingers, a pastry blender, or a food processor. (We use a food processor for our pie crust and traditional biscuits, which also works great here.)
Next, add the cheese and milk. The dough will look shaggy and might be sticky, but that’s exactly how it should look. Simply drop mounds of the dough onto a baking sheet or into a cast iron pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
When the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, brush them with a bit of melted butter while they’re still warm, and enjoy!
Easy Cheese Biscuits
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These cheese drop biscuits are ridiculously easy to make. Once you make them, I know you’ll be itching to make them again. The entire process takes about 30 minutes, and they taste fantastic. Instead of rolling out and cutting this dough into shapes, all you need to do for these easy biscuits is spoon (or drop) mounds of dough onto a baking sheet and bake.
Use whatever cheese you love. I go for a flavorful cheese like sharp cheddar or Gruyere.
You Will Need
8 tablespoons (115g) cold unsalted butter
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (118ml) cold whole milk, plus more as needed
1/3 cup (85g or 3oz) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Alternatively, set aside a medium cast iron pan.
2Whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt together until well blended.
3Remove one tablespoon of butter and set aside (you will melt and brush this over the baked biscuits).
4Cut the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. Alternatively, use a box grater to grate the cold butter.
5Scatter the cold butter over the flour mixture, then use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut or rub in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (see notes below for a food processor).
6Mix in the shredded cheese.
7Using a fork, gently stir the milk into the biscuit mixture until the dough comes together. It will be a bit sticky and look shaggy. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk. A tablespoon or two should do it.
8Drop mounds of dough, about three tablespoons each, onto the prepared baking sheet. Dough mounds should be about an inch apart (they can be closer if using a pan).
9Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits are puffed and turn brown. It’s okay if some butter pools out around the bottom.
10Meanwhile, melt the reserved tablespoon of butter. When the biscuits come out of the oven, gently brush the butter onto the top of each biscuit. Serve warm.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
Food processor: Combine the flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse three to four times to mix. Cut the cold butter into cubes or thin slices, then scatter it over the flour in the food processor. Pulse 5 to 7 times, or until the butter turns into tiny bits.
Measuring the flour: Flour should be spooned and leveled in the measuring cup. Use a spoon to add the flour into your measuring cup, and then use a flat edge to scrape the top of the cup flat. This method of adding flour to your measuring cup makes sure that you do not add too much flour to the dough.
Self-raising flour: Omit the baking powder and salt in the recipe.
The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I would like to make these to take with soup to a friend who is having surgery. Can these be reheated or are these better straight from the oven?
Hi Susan, They can definitely be reheated. Biscuits are always at their best right out of the oven, but thanks to the butter in this recipe, they should still be nice and soft in the middle after reheating.
Can gluten free all purpose flour be used or work in it? I realize it may not taste the same, but we have 3 that need gluten free, and I’d love to make it for my community, I remember the first time I ate some at the Red Lobster, my pallet & brain went “WOW!”
Hi there, While we have not tried a gluten-free flour blend to make this recipe, I bet it will work. The texture might be slightly different, but they will still be delicious.
Can I double this recipe to make 16 biscuits please? Thankyou
Absolutely!
Can I increase the amount of cheese? I would like to add about 2 cups or so. I love cheddar.
You can add more cheese. You might not need 2 cups, though, since this recipe only makes 8 biscuits.
These are amazing. My favorite recipe.
I’ve tried a few others online and that stops here. I added some dried parsley in the batter and in the butter for topping to add a little color.
Thank u for helping me with dinner 😉