Garlic cheddar biscuits are made from scratch and turn out buttery, flaky, and irresistible. They're filled with melty pockets of cheddar cheese and make the perfect side for your next meal.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Classic flaky biscuits filled with savory garlic flavor and pockets of melty cheddar cheese.
Yield: 7-8 biscuits
Pan size: 10 inch cast iron
Similar to: Cast Iron Buttermilk Biscuits and Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Dry ingredients - All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. These spices create a mild, savory flavor. If you'd like to add a little heat, try adding ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Wet ingredients - Butter must be cold to create those flaky pockets throughout the biscuits. Buttermilk adds moisture to your biscuits and helps create lift along with the leavening agents. If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then fill to the 1 cup line with whole milk and wait 5 minutes.
- Cheese - I used cheddar cheese, but any melty cheese works well in this recipe. I like to use monterey jack, pepper jack, or gruyere as well.
How to make cheddar garlic biscuits
- Add dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Grate in cold butter, or use a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour mixture. Add cheese and toss to combine.
- Add buttermilk to flour mixture and stir to create a sticky dough.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle.
- Fold rectangle in half, then rotate and pat back into a rectangle. Repeat this process at least 4x more. This creates those flaky layers that rise as your biscuits bake in the oven.
- Cut biscuits out of your dough using a 2.5 to 3 inch biscuit cutter. Do not twist the cutter. Reform dough gently to make an extra biscuit.
- Place biscuits in a buttered 10 inch cast iron pan and bake until golden brown on top and set in the center.
Heather's Top Tip
For accurate results every time, use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland baked goods.
Tips and tricks
Cold butter: The butter must be very cold, straight from the refrigerator or freezer. Cold butter creates pockets throughout the dough that bake up into flaky layers in the oven.
Grating butter: The easiest way to make tiny pockets of butter throughout your dough is to use the large side of a box grater. The butter shreds incorporate easily into your flour mixture with very little effort. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter or a food processor to create pea-sized pieces of butter in your dough.
Handle dough as little as possible: Repeated contact with warm hands can melt the cold butter pockets throughout the dough. Kneading also activates the gluten in the dough, which can cause your biscuits to turn out tough. Instead, use gentle pats and try to handle your dough as little as possible while folding it.
Frequently asked questions
I prefer these biscuits straight from the oven when possible, but they can be made up to a day ahead of time and reheated in the oven or in the microwave.
Cheddar biscuits will keep for 1-2 days at room temperature, up to a week in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. To thaw frozen biscuits, place them on the countertop, uncovered, for 1-2 hours.
Yes, feel free to shred your favorite cheese for biscuits. My favorites include cheddar, pepper jack, monterey jack, and gruyere.
I serve biscuits with a batch of Slow Cooker Chili or creamy soups like Corn Chowder with Sausage and Steak and Potato Soup. Leftovers also make great breakfast sandwiches topped with bacon and eggs!
Fold your dough and use cold butter! This process is called lamination. Cold butter is an important step in this process because it ensures the butter stays in solid pieces throughout the dough. When baked, the butter melts and creates steam, which forces the dough apart and creates flaky pockets.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, cold, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Lightly butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or similarly sized baking dish) and set aside.
- To a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Whisk to combine and remove clumps. (or add to a food processor and pulse a few times).
- Grate cold butter using the large side of a box grater and add to flour mixture, tossing to combine. Or use a pastry cutter to cut cubed butter into flour mixture. (Alternatively, add to food processor and pulse until butter is pea sized. If using a food processor, pour mixture into a large bowl at this time).
- Add cheese and stir to incorporate.
- Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and add buttermilk. Gently stir until ingredients are mostly incorporated. Dough will look shaggy and sticky. Pour dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Gently pat dough with lightly floured hands into a large, flat rectangle, about 10-12 inches wide and about ¾ inch thick. Keep extra flour nearby and continually flour the surface, dough, and your hands as needed. Fold dough rectangle in half, turn to the right to make your new rectangle horizontal, and gently pat back into a large rectangle. Repeat 4 times, folding your dough 5 times in total. Pat dough into a large rectangle, about ¾ inch thick.
- Using a 2.5 to 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut biscuits out of dough (do not twist your cutter, this seals the edges). Reform leftover dough gently and continue cutting until all dough is used - you should get about 7 to 8 biscuits.
- In prepared cast iron pan, place biscuits close together (or touching if possible) for a better rise in the oven. Bake for about 16-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Homemade biscuits keep for 1-2 days at room temperature in a sealed container, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 2-3 months in the freezer. If freezing, seal tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container.
- Cheese variations: Substitute the cheddar with your favorite cheese, like monterey jack, pepper jack, or gruyere.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!