These soft and fluffy Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits taste just like the famous Red Lobster biscuits! Filled with vegan cheese and brushed with garlic butter, they’re an irresistible side dish or appetizer to enjoy with dinner.
If you love freshly baked vegan biscuits as much as I do, then you’ll want to check out my Southern-Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits, Easy Vegan Biscuits, and Vegan Dinner Rolls as well.
Forget everything you know about ordinary dinner biscuits because these copycat Red Lobster Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits are a game changer! Fluffy, savory, filled with vegan cheddar cheese, and topped with garlic butter sauce, they’re a perfect addition to any meal.
What’s better is that they only take about 40 minutes from start to finish and can even be prepared days in advance! You’ll never want to eat dinner without them again.
Why these are the best cheddar bay biscuits
- Just like Red Lobster – Just like the famous Red Lobster biscuits, these vegan cheddar biscuits melt in your mouth and are packed with irresistible flavors. Serve them with my Beer Battered Vegan Fried Fish for a vegan feast!
- Cheesy and garlicky goodness – These biscuits are loaded with vegan cheddar cheese and topped with vegan garlic butter for addictively delicious flavors in every bite.
- An easy side dish – The biscuit dough is easy to make in one bowl and can even be made ahead of time.
How to make them
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Make the vegan buttermilk by stirring the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a glass measuring cup. Set it aside to curdle for a few minutes.
Next, whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Gently mix the buttermilk and melted vegan butter into the dry ingredients until a thick dough has formed. Finish by folding in the shredded vegan cheddar cheese.
If you don’t like spicy food, feel free to omit the cayenne pepper!
Use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop the dough out of the bowl and onto a baking sheet, leaving room in between each one. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top.
Meanwhile, make the garlic butter by stirring the melted vegan butter, garlic powder, and fresh parsley together in a small bowl. Brush the vegan garlic butter over the warm biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
There are two reasons why they’re called cheddar bay biscuits: (1) they’re made with cheddar cheese in the dough, and (2) the “bay” in the name hints at the coastal atmosphere of Red Lobster restaurants.
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it might work with a quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
No cheese? No problem! You can either omit the cheese shreds or replace them with ½ cup of nutritional yeast instead. You may want to decrease the flour to just 1 ¾ cups if using this substitute so your biscuits aren’t too dry.
Yes, you can make the biscuit dough and portion out the biscuits ahead of time. Store them (covered) in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from the fridge or from frozen, but add 2 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
The leftover biscuits will keep for 3 to 4 days when stored in a covered container at room temperature. They also freeze well for about 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter or warm them in the oven or microwave before serving.
Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Ingredients
Cheddar Biscuits
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter cooled for 5 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare – Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Make the buttermilk – In a glass measuring cup, pour in the unsweetened soy milk. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then set aside to curdle for a few minutes. This is your buttermilk.
- Whisk dry ingredients – In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
- Mix in wet ingredients – Now add the buttermilk and melted vegan butter to the dry ingredients and stir until a thick dough has formed. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the vegan cheese; use your hands if necessary to incorporate it.
- Scoop dough – Lightly grease a 1/4 cup measuring cup and scoop the dough out with it. Place the uncooked biscuit dough on the baking sheet, leaving a little room in between each one.
- Bake – Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
- Prepare the topping – Stir the melted vegan butter, garlic powder and parsley together in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the warm biscuits with the butter mixture.
- Serve warm and enjoy! Leftover biscuits will keep for 3-4 days in a covered container and they can be frozen.
Video
Notes
- You may use another milk, like unsweetened almond milk. Just don’t use anything with added sugar or flavors.
- I haven’t tested it with gluten free flour, but it might work with a quality mix.
- If you don’t want to use vegan cheese, you can substitute 1/4 cup or so of nutritional yeast.
So easy and SO GOOD! These biscuits come together in a flash and are really moist and light. Fabulous!
Hi Dawn. I’m thrilled you are loving the biscuits! Thank you for sharing your terrific review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I’ve never eaten at Red Lobster so I don’t know how these mimic the restaurant biscuits, but these were absolutely fabulous!!!
I’m thrilled that you loved the biscuits, Janis! Thank you for your terrific review and comments!
Oh my gosh! My husband made these for me using King Arthur Gluten Free one to one flour. They were amazing! He did say that after 14 minutes, he switched over to convection for another five minutes. They were lightly browned and perfect!
What brand of vegan cheese do you use? Last one I bought just melted into oil – didn’t hold it’s shape.
I love Violife cheddar shreds, Follow Your Heart and even Daiya.
Made this last night and they came out SOOOOO GOOD!!!! I could not believe how easy the process was and how tasty they turned out. Nora for the win again!!! Thank you!!!
You are welcome, Jayasree! I’m so glad that you loved the biscuits and they turned out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I made them with a gluten-free flour and coconut milk and they turned out good. Needed a little extra milk though to get the biscuit batter consistency.
Yet another perfectly delicious veganized recipe for something my family has missed since going vegan 5 years ago! Thank you 😊👍
You are welcome, Eliza. We all need some good cheddar biscuits! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review! Happy cooking!
Nora, these were delicious. We were pleasantly surprised! Definitely will be making these again. Thank You.
You are welcome, Jean! I’m thrilled that you love the biscuits! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Happy cooking!
I made these for one of my gf/vegan friends and they were amazing! I did end up using GF flour (Cup4Cup) from Fresh Market and used the 2 cups as written with the regular flour and it worked phenomenally!
Hi Samantha. I’m thrilled that the biscuits turned out amazing for you and your friends! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and your stellar review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Would this work with whole wheat flour?
It probably will, though they will be quite dense and taste very wheaty.
These biscuits are SO GOOD. They remind me so much of the Red Lobster ones, but vegan! 😍 My whole family (non-vegans) loved them too. I will definitely be making these again!
Hi Vanessa. I’m thrilled the biscuits were a hit! Thanks for sharing your glowing 5 star review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I can’t wait to make the biscuits !!
As I loved loved loved these at Red Lobster before being plant based.
However where is the crab cake recipe ?
Is it hidden ??
Thank you Nora for your delicious recipes.
Jody
Thanks Jody, I hope you love them! Here is the recipe for Vegan Crab Cakes.
I made these for a cookout, and they got gobbled up! I made 1.5 the recipe and did 2 Tbsp sizes instead of 1/4 c so I could get more of them. I ended up with about 45 of them. I also skipped greasing the baking sheet as they had butter within them. Turned out perfect with a crispy bottom. As with all things Nora, a total crowd pleaser!
Your biscuits sound so fun and delicious! What a fun idea for a cookout! I am honored by your stellar review and feedback! Thanks so much for sharing this with me, and for using my recipes! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
My girlfriend makes these often and they’re always a hit with everyone (we’re the only vegans amongst non-vegans)! I love that she discovered this recipe ☺️
Hi Amy. I’m thrilled that your girlfriend discovered my recipe, and that you guys are loving the biscuits! Thanks for sharing your awesome review and feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Nora, your recipes never disappoint. These biscuits were easy to make and soooo yummy! I substituted Old Bay seasoning for the cayenne. Next time I’ll add chopped green onion (scallions) or chives to the dough…, though your recipe is already great “as is”.
Hi Victoria. I appreciate you using my recipes, and am glad you are enjoying them! I love your addition ideas for the biscuits! Thank you for your stellar review! Wishing you happy cooking!
WHAT?! These are incredible! I added flaked sea salt to the topping as another reviewer suggested, and it’s absolutely incredible. Another hit, Nora!
So yummy! Made a few times and have also cooked them on a waffle maker, they’re a hit no matter what.
Just made these and also subbed the cayenne for Old Bay because the rest of the family is sensitive to spicy (I’d have doubled the cayenne for me! haha). They are SO easy and fluffy! Serving with potato soup tonight 🙂
Bomb. Made these today. ❤️❤️
I’m thrilled you loved the biscuits, Christie! Thanks for your great review!
I plan to make these for Christmas Eve but I’m wondering how far in advance I could make them before baking them as I would like to prep ahead of time as much as I can
By far the best vegan cheddar bay biscuits I’ve made. The major difference between these and other recipes is the addition of melted butter to the biscuit mix. It made a HUGE difference, they’re so soft and tasty. The only change I made was adding some flaked salt to the topping mix, but overall amazing.
Hi Meg. I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I love your flaked salt idea! Thanks for taking time to share your terrific review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Do you think a vegan margarine in a tub is okay instead of a vegan stick butter? I’ve read some recipes that don’t think the tub type aren’t as good for various foods.
It might work okay, but the tub butter tends to be greasier and not as easy to measure either. In a pinch, it should work, especially for these biscuits.
These were great! Very flavorful and great addition to a meal. Even my non vegan family members approved. Was nice to have fresh biscuits ready in 30 minutes
Hi Kate. I’m so glad you loved the biscuits! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review and feedback!
these are amazing!!! So much easier than the cold butter and roll out method:) Rich and so tasty non-vegans gobbled them up faster than anything else. I made a double batch and got to have only 1/2. there were only seven of us…
Because I’m from Maryland and everything tastes better with Old Bay I substituted for the cayenne. People loved the taste. Will be making again.