Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits: 1 Fluffy Hit

Oh my gosh, I know that craving! You’re sitting there, maybe watching a movie or just having a totally normal Tuesday, and suddenly all you can think about is something warm, crumbly, dipped in garlic butter, and bursting with sharp cheddar. For years, when I switched to gluten-free eating, this specific craving felt impossible to satisfy. You try store-bought GF mixes, and they turn out like rocks, right? Well, those days are over! After way too many failed batches (seriously, I wasted so much butter testing ratios!), I finally nailed it. These, my friends, are the **Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits** you will ever eat. They are fluffy, cheesy inside, and completely foolproof. Trust me, mastering the GF structure was tough, but these turn out perfect every single time.

Why You Will Love These Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Seriously, why should eating gluten-free mean you have to give up the best appetizer on the planet? These flaky little clouds of joy prove you don’t have to compromise a single bit of that savory flavor. Here’s why you need to try these right now:

• They bake up in literally 15 minutes. Quick bread perfection means less waiting and more eating!
• They have that signature restaurant-style texture—tender and soft on the inside, never dry or crumbly like some GF baked goods.
• The filling is loaded—we use sharp cheddar, so the cheese flavor really punches through the garlic butter.
• You get that fantastic garlic-herb coating brushed on fresh out of the oven. That smell alone is worth the effort!
• It’s shocking how easy these are, even with gluten-free flour. Dump, mix gently, drop, and bake. That’s it!
• If you love cheesy appetizers, you absolutely have to check out my recipe for cheddar-stuffed BBQ bacon bombs while you wait for your oven to preheat!

Essential Ingredients for the Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Okay, getting the ingredients right is 90% of the battle when you’re baking without gluten. We need things cold, and we need the right flour blend. I learned the hard way that if the butter isn’t freezing cold, these turn out flat and tough! For the dough, we need structure, sharpness from the cheese, and that lovely buttermilk tang. Don’t forget, if you ever run out of heavy cream for another recipe, I have a great little trick on how to make heavy cream at home!

For the Biscuit Dough

This is the heart of the biscuit, so make sure you measure accurately!

• 2 cups of your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend—and make sure it has xanthan gum already included!
• 1 tablespoon baking powder (this gives us the lift we need)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (yes, in the dough too!)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (I mean tiny, pea-sized chunks!)
• 1 cup cold buttermilk (keeping this frosty is non-negotiable!)
• 1 full cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (sharp gives the best flavor punch!)

For the Garlic Herb Topping

This topping is brushed on right at the end and it makes everything taste like it came straight from that famous seafood restaurant. It’s simple, but so important!

• 1/4 cup melted butter (use real butter here, please!)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (for that beautiful green fleck look)

Expert Tips for Perfect Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Baking gluten-free is different than the old ways of baking, and you can’t just swap ingredients and expect the same results, especially with biscuits that rely so much on structure. But don’t worry, I’m here to stop you from making the same mistakes I did! If you follow these little secrets, your biscuits will puff up beautifully.

If you’re looking for another cheesy, savory treat to bake while these are in the oven, you have to try my recipe for savory cookies with zucchini, parmesan, and red onion. They are addictive!

Handling Gluten Free Flour Blends

This is the absolute most important thing when making these **Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits**: you must use a blend that already has xanthan gum in it! Gluten is the sticky protein that gives regular flour structure, and without it, your biscuits would just crumble into dust on the baking sheet. Xanthan gum is the necessary substitute that holds everything together.

If you use a GF blend that *doesn’t* have it, you need to add about a teaspoon yourself, or you’ll definitely end up with a mess. Gluten-free flour needs help connecting, and the xanthan gum is your miracle worker for getting that chewy, slightly stretchy texture we want.

Achieving Tender Texture

I can’t stress this enough: Cold, cold, cold! Your butter and your buttermilk need to be refrigerator-cold when you mix them in. Think about traditional biscuits—those flaky layers happen because the cold butter cuts into the flour and then melts in the oven, creating steam pockets that push the dough up.

If your butter is soft, it just blends in seamlessly with the flour, and you lose all that lift. Same goes for overmixing! Once you add the liquid (buttermilk), you only want to mix until a shaggy dough just barely comes together. If you keep mixing gluten-free dough, you start developing the xanthan gum too much, and suddenly your tender biscuit turns into something tough and bouncy. Gently does it!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Alright, time to put those cold ingredients to work! Since these are such fast biscuits, getting your setup ready first is super important. You don’t want to be scrambling while they’re hot and ready for the garlic butter. If you’re looking for another quick cheesy side, these cheddar and chive biscuits are also a winner!

Mixing the Dry Ingredients and Butter

First things first, get that oven blasting to 400°F (200°C) and make sure you have parchment paper ready on your baking sheet. Now, grab the biggest bowl you have. Whisk together everything dry: the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder until it’s all nicely mixed. Next, toss in those tiny cubes of cold butter. You need to cut that butter in! Use a pastry blender or even just your fingertips—rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse sand or tiny crumbs. I look for flecks of butter that are still visible.

Forming and Baking the Biscuits

Once the texture is crumbly, stir in that gorgeous cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese until it’s dotted throughout. Now, pour in the cold buttermilk all at once. Use a spatula and mix *just* until you can manage it into one shaggy ball. Stop immediately! Don’t worry about it looking perfectly smooth; overmixing is the enemy here. Drop your dough by rounded tablespoons onto your sheet, giving them about two inches of space to grow, and slide them into the hot oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until they just start turning golden brown on top.

Applying the Garlic Butter Finish

While those beauties are baking, whip up the topping. Just melt your butter gently in a small dish and stir in the extra garlic powder and parsley. It should smell incredible! The second those biscuits come out of the oven—and I mean *immediately*—brush them generously all over with that liquid gold. The butter will melt right into the warm gluten-free crust, and they are ready to serve warm!

Serving Suggestions for Your Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Honestly, I rarely make these biscuits without having a big, hearty main course waiting nearby. These aren’t just a side; they are the vessel for all the delicious sauce and gravy left on your plate! They are just so rich and cheesy, so they pair wonderfully with anything saucy that needs a good dipping partner.

If you’re planning a seafood feast, these are a non-negotiable addition. They stand right up to shrimp scampi or even just baked salmon. But for me, the ultimate pairing is anything warm, rich, and creamy. They are absolutely divine alongside a big bowl of my friend’s garlic parmesan chicken pasta bake. That cheesy sauce just begs for a buttery biscuit to soak it all up!

They also work amazingly well as a replacement for soggy croutons or standard dinner rolls with saucy stovetop meals. Think about smothering them in a flavorful cream sauce. They are perfect next to a lovely Tuscan chicken with creamy broccoli alfredo. Seriously, you’ll need a little extra butter on hand because everyone will fight over the last one!

And hey, don’t feel like you have to save them just for dinner! These make a fantastic savory breakfast alongside scrambled eggs if you’re craving something a little more substantial than toast.

Storing and Reheating Your Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Listen, these biscuits are best when they are steaming hot out of the oven, drenched in that gorgeous garlic butter. But let’s be real—I’ve never managed to keep a batch around long enough to properly store them! However, if you miraculously have leftovers (or you’re planning ahead, which is smart!), here’s how I handle them so they taste almost as good the next day.

Because we are working with gluten-free flour, moisture retention is a little trickier once they’ve cooled. Storing soft breads like these is all about trapping what little moisture is left inside!

For short-term storage, say up to 2 days, keep them at room temperature. Place them in an airtight container. I usually line the bottom with a paper towel first—this helps catch any residual moisture that might make the bottoms soggy. Don’t put them in the fridge! Cold temperatures make most gluten-free baked goods firm up into little hockey pucks. If you see condensation forming in the container, take the lid off for a few minutes just to let that steam escape, then seal it back up.

The Best Way to Reheat for That Fresh-Baked Experience

If you stored them on the counter, they’ve likely gone a bit soft or lost that initial crispness around the edges. We need to wake them up!

Forget the microwave, please. The microwave turns GF biscuits gummy almost instantly. The absolute best method is a quick zap in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat your toaster oven to about 325°F (160°C). Place the biscuit right on the rack, not covering it or putting it in any dish, and heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.

This gentle dry heat brings back that lovely structure and warms the cheddar right back up. If you want to double down on flavor, you can brush on a tiny bit more liquid garlic butter right before putting them in to reheat—it adds moisture and brings back that amazing aroma!

Can I Freeze Them? Yes, You Can!

If you want to keep these longer—say, for a surprise guest next week—freezing is totally fine, but you must freeze them *before* you add the garlic butter topping. Once they are fully cooled after baking, place the plain biscuits in a freezer-safe bag or container. They keep great for up to three months this way.

When you’re ready to eat one, just take it out of the bag and use the slow oven reheat method above. Once they are piping hot, *then* you brush on whatever garlic butter topping you have freshly prepared. It makes them taste like they were just pulled off the sheet pan!

Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I get so many messages asking about tweaking my recipes, and that’s totally understandable! Everyone’s pantry looks a little different. These **Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits** are pretty straightforward, but I wanted to quickly answer the most common questions I see so you can customize them perfectly.

By the way, if you make these and have soup left over, try dipping them in a big bowl of my broccoli cheddar soup. It’s just divine!

Can I use a different gluten free flour blend?

You certainly can try a different blend, but here is the big rule: you absolutely must ensure it has xanthan gum included, or it needs to be added separately! Gluten free baking relies on that gum to mimic the stretchy, binding power of wheat flour. If you use a blend that is just starches, these biscuits will crumble when you try to drop them onto the pan, and certainly won’t hold their shape while baking.

If your go-to blend doesn’t have it, toss in about a teaspoon of pure xanthan gum when you mix your dry ingredients. That little bit of binder is what separates a good GF biscuit from a sad pile of crumbs!

What is the best cheese to use for these cheddar biscuits?

I insist on sharp cheddar cheese, and here’s why: mild or medium cheddar just disappears flavor-wise once you add the garlic butter and the buttermilk tang. Sharp cheddar has that extra bite that cuts through the fat and shines through. Don’t go straight for the pre-shredded bags, either, if you can help it!

When you grate the cheese yourself from a block, it shreds into fluffier pieces that melt much better into the dough without clumping up. That gives you those nice, gooey cheese pockets throughout the biscuit instead of one big hard lump in the middle!

Can I freeze the dough before baking?

Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastic trick for busy weekdays. Once you mix the dough until it’s just shaggy (remember, don’t overmix!), grab two spoons or a small cookie scoop and drop the dough balls right onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop the whole tray into the freezer until the dough pieces are rock hard—maybe an hour or two.

Once they are frozen solid, transfer them to a heavy-duty freezer bag. When you want biscuits, just pull the frozen dough balls off the tray and place them directly onto the prepared baking sheet. You’ll need to add about 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time since they are starting frozen, but they will bake up just as beautifully!

Nutritional Estimates for Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Okay, so these are rich, cheesy, and swimming in garlic butter—so we know they aren’t exactly a salad topping! But for a homemade, delicious side dish, the numbers are surprisingly reasonable, considering how decadent they taste. I had my nutritionist sketch out what these **Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits** look like based on the recipe ingredients, but you know how it is with baking!

Because we used sharp cheddar and real butter, we have a little healthy fat content, which is great because it fills you up! Remember, since GF flour blends and the exact amount of cheese you pile on can change things up, these numbers are just a solid starting point. Use this as a general guide, not gospel!

Here are the estimates for one beautiful biscuit:

• Serving Size: 1 biscuit
• Calories: 220
• Fat: 15g (with 9g being Saturated Fat)
• Total Carbohydrates: 18g
• Protein: 6g
• Sugar: just 1g (mostly natural from the cheese and buttermilk)
• Sodium: 350mg

You can certainly dial down the sodium by using a lower-sodium cheddar cheese or cutting back slightly on the salt in the dough mixture if that’s a concern for you. Overall, though, for a gluten-free treat that tastes this incredible, I think these are a fantastic way to indulge!

Share Your Experience Making These Biscuits

Now it’s your turn! I’ve shared all my secrets—the cold buttermilk, the need for the right GF blend, and why you have to brush the butter on the second they come out of the oven. The best part of sharing recipes is hearing about your successes in your own kitchen. Seriously, don’t leave me hanging!

When you make these **Best Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits**, please come back here and leave a star rating. It really helps other bakers know that this recipe is the real deal. And if you have a favorite way to eat them—maybe dipped in my amazing easy chicken tostadas sauce, or just eaten plain right over the sink like I usually do—tell me all about it in the comments below!

I’m so excited for you to try them. Let me know how they turned out!

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