Easy Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits [+VIDEO]

When’s the last time you’ve been to Red Lobster? I don’t know about you, but it’s definitely been a while for me! To be completely honest, I was never too crazy about the restaurant, but one thing’s for sure those Cheddar Bay Biscuits used to HIT! Needless to say, I haven’t had one in a month of Sundays. I actually started testing this recipe back in 2019 and forgot about it! That is until I got a craving for one recently and knew I had to get it right so I could share it with you. These Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits are BOMB y’all!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits:

• Unsweetened almond milk – not into almond milk? Feel free to substitute with another unsweetened dairy free alternative like soy or oat.
• Apple cider vinegar – when combined with diary free milk, they make for the perfect vegan buttermilk mixture! You can also substitute with regular vinegar if necessary.
• All-purpose flour – while I have only used all-purpose flour for this recipe, you could try making it gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.
• Organic cane sugar – a little sugar goes a long way in this recipe to help balance out the flavors!
• Garlic powder and fresh parsley – these flavors are going to level up your biscuits and give you that savory, irresistible flavor you’re looking for!
• Baking powder – this will help ensure your biscuits rise and are fluffy.
• Vegan cheddar cheese – you can use whatever dairy-free cheddar cheese you enjoy most. Some of my favorite brands are Follow Your Heart, Whole Foods 365, or Daiya.
• Vegan butter – this will add that buttery flavor you’re looking for.

Why is There No Old Bay Seasoning in This Recipe?

I initially thought that Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits had to include Old Bay seasoning. After all, that’s what the “Bay” in the title is for, right? Apparently not. After doing a bit of research it looks like many people adopted the use of Old Bay seasoning to their Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits because it seemed like the right thing to do. I can’t knock ’em. It makes sense. Old Bay and seafood go hand in hand, so why not add it to the biscuits too?

Well, if you want to add it to this recipe feel free to Old Bay your heart out! I haven’t tried it personally, but I’d start with 1-2 teaspoons. Either way you can’t lose. These Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits are great with or without Old Bay seasoning.

How to Make Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits

To make these Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits you’ll want to start by gathering all of your ingredients. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than starting to make a recipe, then realizing halfway through that you’re missing a few ingredients. Once everything is laid out on the counter, you’re ready to get started!

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 425°. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the unsweetened almond milk, then add the apple cider vinegar to the measuring cup in order to make a vegan buttermilk. Set this aside for a few minutes while you put together the rest of the biscuit ingredients.

To make things super simple, less messy and to keep from overworking the dough I chose to use my high-speed Vitamix blender to make this recipe. Simply add all of the biscuit ingredients to the blender (with the exception of the vegan buttermilk you’ve got set aside) and pulse them together a few times to combine. Once this is done, go ahead and add in the vegan buttermilk. Pulse a few times until a dough is formed and there are no visible dry areas.

Don’t have a blender? You can make these Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits in a bowl too! You’ll start the same way as you would if you were using a blender. Make the vegan buttermilk and set aside, then add all of the remaining biscuit ingredients to a large mixing bowl. With a large spoon, stir all of the ingredients together, then use the back of a fork to break up the vegan butter pieces a bit.

Once everything is mixed, create a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the vegan buttermilk. With a spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. At this point there will likely be a great deal of dry ingredients remaining, so use your hands to scrape the dry ingredients from around the edges of the bowl and combine everything together to create a ball of dough. Careful not to overwork the dough!

Now that you have your ball of dough formed, grab a ¼ measuring cup or large cookie scoop to create each biscuit and transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Because there is no rolling or cutting involved, these are technically “drop biscuits.” So drop ’em right onto your baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 15 minutes. While the biscuits are baking, now would be a great time to mix the ingredients for the vegan butter topping. Simply combine them in a small bowl and set aside until needed.

Once the Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits are done baking use a basting brush to sweep a generous amount of the vegan butter topping over the top of each biscuit and BOOM! You’re ready to devour them!

Tips for Making the BEST Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits:

• Gather all of the ingredients before you begin. There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe, then realizing you’re missing an ingredient. Save yourself a headache and gather everything first!
• Use a measuring cup to scoop out the dough. This will help to keep the size of the biscuits consistent. Alternatively a large cookie scoop would work well too.
• Don’t overwork the dough. This is probably a lot harder than it sounds, but it’s a common mistake when making biscuits. Nobody likes hard, tough biscuits so the best way to keep that from happening is to take it slow and be gentle. Personally, I’ve found that using a high-speed blender is really helpful for this, but if you don’t have a blender, you can always use your hands (check out this section).
• Instead of drizzling the vegan butter topping over the Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits, use a basting brush. At first glance, the butter topping won’t look like enough to cover all of your biscuits, but trust me… IT IS! A basting brush will ensure you add just the right amount to each biscuit. Drizzling will likely have you running out after two biscuits.

FAQ:

How do I store these biscuits?

You can store these Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can this recipe be frozen?

Yes! Once the biscuits are cooled completely, transfer them to an air tight container and if stacking separate each layer with parchment paper in between.

When you’re ready to enjoy, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge the night before to thaw. The next day you can reheat them in the microwave for about 10 seconds or until warmed.

Can this recipe be made by hand?

Don’t have a blender? You can also make this recipe in a bowl. Make the vegan buttermilk and set aside, then add all of the remaining biscuit ingredients to a large mixing bowl. With a large spoon, stir all of the ingredients together, then use the back of a fork to break up the vegan butter pieces a bit. 

Once everything is mixed, create a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the vegan buttermilk. With a spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. At this point there will likely be a great deal of dry ingredients remaining, so use your hands to scrape the dry ingredients from around the edges of the bowl and combine everything together to create a ball of dough. Careful not to overwork the dough!

What to Pair With:

These Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits are perfect for pairing with your favorite pasta dish. Try one of these! Alternatively, I’ve used them for breakfast sandwiches and they are delicious!

• Vegan Cashew Alfredo
• Spinach Lasagna Rolls
• One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
• Sun Dried Tomato Broccoli Pasta with White Wine Sauce
• Spinach Pesto

More Biscuit Recipes You’ll Love:

• Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits
• Vegan Blueberry Biscuits
• Vegan Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
• Vegan Jalapeño Cheddar Drop Biscuits

I know you’ll love these Vegan Cheddar Bay Biscuits! They’re super easy to make, require just 9 ingredients, taste just like original Red Lobster biscuits, and are the perfect savory side dish for your favorite pasta recipes (and more!). Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

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