Learn how to make effortless Cheddar Bay Biscuits at home with just 5 simple ingredients! Gently folded for tender layers and cut with a biscuit cutter for tall, flaky, cheesy biscuits packed with Old Bay seasoning.
Why You’ll Love 5-Ingredient Cheddar Bay Biscuits
When you need a quick, warm carb to round out dinner, these easy Cheddar Bay biscuits are your best friend. They take just 5 minutes of prep—no cutting in butter, no long resting times, and no fancy techniques. Just mix 5 simple pantry ingredients, layer, cut, and pop them into the oven!
They are the ultimate partner for cozy soups and quick seafood dinners. I serve these piping hot alongside a bowl of creamy crockpot clam chowder, a hearty crockpot fish chowder, parmesan-crusted salmon, or lemon parmesan-crusted tilapia. Having a batch of tall, flaky, cheesy biscuits on the table in under 20 minutes makes any weeknight meal feel like a special treat!
The 5-Ingredient Shortcut for Max Flavor
Traditional old bay biscuit recipes usually call for cutting cold butter into flour, measuring out individual spices, and carefully balancing leavening agents… This simple 5-ingredient combination strips away all the fuss while packing in even more flavor:
- Self-Rising Flour: Your built-in shortcut for a reliable rise. It already contains the precise balance of baking powder and salt, eliminating the need to measure separate leavening ingredients while ensuring your biscuits turn out tall and fluffy every time.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Mixing sharp cheddar directly into the dry flour before adding liquids coats each shred. This keeps the cheese evenly distributed throughout the dough so every single bite gets rich, melty pockets of savory cheddar.
- Old Bay Seasoning: The ultimate flavor powerhouse. Instead of opening five different spice jars for garlic, onion, celery salt, paprika, and herbs, 1.5 teaspoons of Old Bay delivers that iconic, warm seafood-shanty seasoning in one single step.
- Heavy Cream: Acts as the liquid butter substitute. High in milk fat, heavy cream coats the flour protein to yield a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb without the extra step of grating or cutting in cold butter.
- Milk: Thinning the rich cream just slightly creates the perfect dough consistency—pliable enough to fold for flaky layers, yet hydrated enough to bake up light and soft inside.
How to Make Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits Step-by-Step
Making flaky, bakery-style biscuits doesn’t have to be intimidating… With this simple method, you’ll have tall, cheesy biscuits in the oven in just 5 minutes!
Step 1: Preheat Oven, Whisk the Dry Base & Cheese – Preheat your oven to 425F. Then get a large mixing bowl, and whisk together your self-rising flour, Old Bay seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese. Tossing the cheese with the flour first coats every single shred so it distributes evenly throughout the dough instead of clumping up.
Step 2: Stir in the Liquids – Pour in the heavy cream and milk. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together just until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Dont go crazy here, be gentle here—overmixing leads to tough biscuits!
Step 3: Fold for Flaky Layers – Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat it into a rough rectangle, fold it in half, and pat it down again. Repeat this simple folding process 2 or 3 times. This quick trick builds those gorgeous, flaky layers without any tedious butter-cutting! Pat the final dough out until it’s about 1 inch thick.
Step 4: Cut the Biscuits – Press a floured biscuit cutter straight down into the dough without twisting it! Twisting seals the edges of the dough and stops your biscuits from rising tall in the oven. Gather up any scrap dough, pat it out, and cut your remaining biscuits.
Step 5: Arrange & Bake – Place the cut biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet so their edges are just touching. Placing them close together forces the dough to rise up instead of spreading out, giving you taller, fluffier centers! Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
Serving Ideas & Optional Butter Finish
While these biscuits taste rich, buttery, and perfectly seasoned straight out of the oven, you can easily give them that classic restaurant-style shine with a quick garlic-butter finish.
*Optional As soon as you pull your biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and stir in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and a pinch of dried parsley. Use a pastry brush to sweep it generously over the hot biscuit tops. It gives them a gorgeous golden shine and an extra punch of garlic goodness!
My absolute favorite way to serve these is piping hot next to a big, comforting bowl of chowder, or loaded crockpot potato soup. Their tender, layered crumb is built for dipping! Dunk them into a creamy crockpot clam chowder, a rich seafood chowder to soak up every last drop of flavorful broth.
5-Ingredient Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 2 1/2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter
- 1 Baking Sheet & parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
- Prep Oven & Pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry & Cheese: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, Old Bay seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese until the cheese is coated in flour.
- Add Liquids: Pour in the heavy cream and milk. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until a soft, shaggy dough comes together.
- Fold for Layers: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a rectangle, fold it in half, and pat down again (repeat 2–3 times for flaky layers). Pat out to 1-inch thickness.
- Cut Biscuits: Press a floured biscuit cutter straight down into the dough without twisting. Place biscuits onto your parchment-lined sheet so their edges are slightly touching.
- Bake: Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea is a mother of six, a sourdough baker, and a homestead builder living in Idaho. Alongside her husband and their horse, Dude, she manages a busy farmhouse and shares her love for scratch-cooking and simple homemaking. Through her blog and YouTube channel, she helps millions of families every year master the art of the handmade home.
