Gluten Free Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Soft and fluffy, buttery and melt in your mouth good, these Gluten Free Cheddar Chive Biscuits are easy to make and amazingly gluten free.

Copycat Recipes

I’ve never really thought about making a copycat recipe…until now. Way back when gluten was not a problem for me, I would crave those Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster. Red Lobster was my father-in-law’s restaurant of choice, so each year we would take him there for his birthday dinner. For me, my favorite part of the meal was those biscuits. Warm, buttery, and filled with the perfect hint of salt, garlic, and chives. They were a once a year treat for me.

It’s been a very long time since I have been to Red Lobster, and even if I did go, I would no longer be able to indulge in those amazing biscuits. So instead of craving those biscuits, I decided to make my own Gluten Free Cheddar Chive Biscuits.

Gluten Free Biscuits

I really have had a lot of fun using my basic gluten free biscuit recipe as a springboard for other new creations. My Gluten Free Banana Bread Biscuits were a huge hit with my family which confirmed that a basic biscuit can easily be transformed into amazingly delicious treats. This recipe for Gluten Free Cheddar Chive Biscuits originates from my basic biscuit recipe as well.

I’ve made a few tweaks to the recipe, the best of which is the change to the yield. Instead of a 5 biscuit yield, this recipe will make 8-10 biscuits. Great for leftovers (but I don’t think you will have any).

Drop or Cut Cheddar Biscuits?

Do you have a preference? Drop biscuits are easier to make. No flouring of a work surface. No biscuit cutters. Less mess for sure. Drop biscuits have that rustic quality to them that makes them appealing. No two look exactly alike.

But the orderly, straight line, symmetry loving part of my brain loves cut biscuits. They are uniform and just look so perfect. They are also more versatile and can be used to make breakfast sandwiches. I also don’t mind a little floury mess.

The solution? Make both. That’s what I did here. I used the same exact recipe and am glad to report that both the drop and cut versions came out perfectly.

Shredded Cheese

I very rarely purchase pre-shredded cheese. I almost always prefer to buy a block of cheese and to shred it myself just prior to use. I find that most packaged, shredded cheese is dry and lacks the flavor that comes from freshly shredded cheese. I highly suggest fresh cheese in this recipe.

Cheddar Chive Biscuit Making Tips

Start with cold ingredients. Keep all of the fat (butter, cream cheese, cheese, and milk) in the refrigerator until you need it. Do not leave them sitting out on the counter.
Use your clean hands to mix the ingredients together. Never use a mixer to make biscuit dough. Your hands will tell you when the dough is where it needs to be. Forks, pastry blenders, and mixers will not.
Be patient. It will take several minutes to make the dough (like 4-5 minutes). The ingredients will begin as powder. As you work the fat into the dry ingredients, that powdery look will leave. If you only work the dough for 1-2 minutes you will be left with a dry dough that will not hold together. I guarantee it. Continue to press the dough together until it holds together and begins to get a bit tacky. If the dough begins to stick to your fingers a bit, you are on the right track. If not, keep on mixing.
When you add the milk and cheese to the mixture, you will simply keep turning the dough over until they are incorporated into the dough. You may need to lightly work the ingredients together in order to incorporate the cheese into the dough, but there is no need to knead. The lighter the touch, the better the biscuit.
Do not overmix. The perfect dough will not be a big old lump of smooth dough. It will be bumpy. There will still be chunks of butter. But, there will NOT be any loose flour or any sandy appearance at the bottom of your bowl.
If you are making drop biscuits, only use a seriously strong ice cream scoop. Do not use a cheap, flimsy one. Why do I caution you? Well, I broke my cheap ice cream scooper making these. The dough is dense. Instead of a scooper you may simply wish to use a 1/3 cup measuring cup.
Lastly, if any blogger tells you specifically what gluten free flour they used, use it. Not all gluten free flours behave the same. If you opt to use a different flour blend in a recipe, you must accept that your results may be different than the blogger’s. For biscuits I use King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour. Flour makes a difference.

Gluten Free Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits – buttery goodness full of cheddar and chive goodness

2 cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 tablespoons cold, salted butter; cubed
4 ounces cold cream cheese (block type, not whipped), cut into cubes
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, packed (I prefer to buy a block of cheese and shred my own)
1/4 cup cold milk (or milk alternative)

Butter Brush

2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place 2 cups gluten free flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder into a shallow bowl. Using a whisk or a fork, stir the ingredients together.
Cut two sticks of salted butter (1 cup) in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. You should have 4 long sticks of butter per stick. Next, cut each quarter into small cubes. Remember, take the butter out of the fridge just before you cut it. Place the butter in the flour.
Take 4 ounces of cream cheese and cut it into cubes. Again, cream cheese should be cold and taken out just prior to cutting. Place the cream cheese into the flour.
Add 2 tablespoons of snipped chives to the flour mix.
Using your hands or a handheld pastry blender, work the cream cheese into the flour completely, and at the same time, begin to break down some of the butter into the flour. You do NOT want to work all of the butter into the flour. For this step I like to turn the ingredients over and press down on them a bit, then turn them over and press down again. I continue this rhythm until my dough begins to hold together and gets a bit sticky. If the dough begins to stick to your hands, you have the right consistency. This will take several minutes to accomplish.
Add 1/4 cup of cold milk and the shredded cheese to the mix. Using a very light touch, turn the dough over and over until the milk and cheese are incorporated into the dough. The dough will be a bit more sticky than it was before. The dough will NOT be one smooth ball of dough.
FOR DROP BISCUITS use a spring loaded ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup sized measuring cup to measure the dough. Place onto the prepared baking sheet being sure to leave 2 inches between each biscuit.
FOR CUT BISCUITS: sprinkle a bit of gluten free flour onto a surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface. Press the dough together into a circle that is 1″ high. Using a round 2 & 1/2″ biscuit/cookie cutter , cut out biscuits. Place onto the prepared baking sheet leaving 2 inches between each biscuit.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Using a food grade brush, brush the tops and sides of each biscuit with the mixture. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with a pinch of freshly snipped chives.
Bake for 18 minutes.
Allow the biscuits to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Drop Biscuits

Cut Biscuits:

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