Keto Cheddar Bay Biscuit
Published August 13, 2019 • Updated February 24, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
I make this keto cheddar bay biscuit chaffle when I want that Red Lobster flavor without leaving my kitchen. Sharp cheddar, garlic, and a quick garlic butter brush on top.
I started making this chaffle because I missed Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Not in some vague way. I mean I genuinely craved that sharp cheddar and garlic combination every time we drove past a Red Lobster. So I figured out how to get it in a keto chaffle, and now this is one of the recipes I come back to constantly.
The batter is simple: egg, sharp cheddar, almond flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. What makes it taste like the real thing is the cheese-to-flour ratio. I use a full quarter cup of sharp cheddar (not mild, not medium) because that’s what gives you the punchy, salty bite that Cheddar Bay Biscuits are known for. Mozzarella makes a fine chaffle, but it doesn’t have the flavor punch you need here.
The part most copycat recipes miss is the garlic butter. At Red Lobster, they brush melted butter with garlic and parsley on top of every biscuit right out of the oven. I do the same thing here. Melt a tablespoon of butter, stir in a pinch of garlic powder and some dried parsley, and brush it on the chaffle while it’s still hot. That one step takes this from good to “wait, this actually tastes like the restaurant.” I tested it side by side (with and without the butter) and the difference is obvious.
These freeze well too. I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, toss them in a freezer bag, and they keep for about a month. When I reheat, I use a toaster oven at 350 for a few minutes until the edges crisp back up. The microwave works in a pinch but you lose the texture.
For serving, I pair these with soup more than anything else. A bowl of keto cheeseburger soup or keto turkey soup with one of these on the side is a full low carb meal that actually feels like dinner. They’re also great alongside keto buffalo chicken meatballs or even just a simple Caesar salad. One reader told me she uses two of them as sandwich bread with sausage and bacon in the middle, and I’ve been doing that for breakfast ever since.
Each biscuit has roughly 2-3 grams of net carbs, so they fit into a keto day without any math gymnastics. I’ve been making variations of this since I started developing chaffle recipes, and this one stays in the rotation because it scratches a very specific itch. If you’ve been missing restaurant flavors on keto, start here.
How to Make a Cheddar Bay Biscuit Chaffle
Set your waffle maker to medium-high heat, not the max setting. I’ve burned more chaffles than I’d like to admit by cranking it all the way up. Medium-high gives the outside time to crisp while the inside stays soft.
Whisk the egg first, then fold in the cheddar, almond flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it looks too dry, your almond flour might be coarser than mine. Pour it into the center of the waffle iron and let it spread on its own. Don’t push it to the edges or you’ll get thin, brittle spots.
Cook for 3-4 minutes. I watch for steam to slow down, that’s my signal it’s close. The chaffle should release easily when it’s done. If it sticks, give it another 30 seconds.
The finishing move: melt a tablespoon of butter, stir in a small pinch of garlic powder and dried parsley, and brush it over the hot chaffle. This is what makes a keto Cheddar Bay Biscuit taste like the real thing. Skip it and you’ll wonder what’s missing.
Explore hundreds of keto recipe videos with step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to make keto easy.
Ingredients
1 egg -
¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese
-
2 tablespoons almond flour
-
½ teaspoon baking powder
-
½ teaspoon garlic powder
-
pinch of salt
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat waffle maker
Preheat waffle maker to medium high heat.
Mix ingredients
Whisk together egg, cheddar cheese, almond flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt.
Add to waffle maker
Pour chaffle mixture into the center of the waffle iron. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until waffle is golden brown and set.
Serve
Remove the chaffle from the waffle maker and serve.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
Your Macros. Your Recipes. Calculated in 60 Seconds.
Get personalized keto macros and instantly see which recipes fit your targets. No more guessing what to eat.
Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How many chaffles does this recipe make?
I get two chaffles from my mini Dash waffle maker (the small 4-inch one). If you have a full-size waffle maker, it makes one larger chaffle. I usually double the batch because my family goes through them fast.
Can I add Old Bay seasoning?
I tried this after a reader suggested it, and it works. I add about a quarter teaspoon to the batter. The Old Bay gives it a slightly different flavor profile (more seafood-seasoning territory), which makes sense if you're pairing these with shrimp or fish. I like it both ways.
Can I freeze these?
I freeze them all the time. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer bag for up to a month. When I reheat, I use a toaster oven at 350 for about 3-4 minutes until the edges get crispy again. The microwave works but you lose that crunch.
How do I make the garlic butter topping?
I melt a tablespoon of butter, stir in a small pinch of garlic powder and some dried parsley, and brush it on the chaffle right after it comes out of the waffle maker. This is the step that makes it taste like the actual Red Lobster biscuit. I don't skip it anymore.
What can I serve these with?
I pair mine with soup most often. Keto cheeseburger soup and keto turkey soup are my go-to combos. They're also great with a Caesar salad, alongside keto chicken casserole, or next to a keto skillet lasagna. Basically any low carb dinner that needs bread on the side.
Can I use a different type of cheese?
I've tested mozzarella and pepper jack in place of the sharp cheddar. Mozzarella makes a milder chaffle that's perfectly fine but doesn't have that signature Cheddar Bay punch. Pepper jack adds a nice kick if you like heat. My preference is still sharp cheddar because that's what makes this taste like the original.
What can I use instead of almond flour?
I've subbed coconut flour, but you only need about 1 tablespoon since it absorbs way more liquid. The texture comes out a little denser and less biscuit-like, so I prefer almond flour for this one. If you're nut-free, coconut flour is your best bet.
Can I use these as sandwich bread?
One of my readers started doing this and I picked it up immediately. I put a slice of sausage or bacon between two chaffles and it holds together perfectly. They're sturdy enough for a keto cheesesteak-style filling too. I make extras specifically for this now.
Cheddar biscuits came back and I wasn't ready.
Gave up on cheddar bay biscuits a year and a half ago. The garlic butter on top changed my mind, 3.6 carbs and I'm making these every week now.
239 calories and it keeps me full till lunch, which I didn't expect from something waffle-sized. Made six on Sunday, toast them all week and the garlic butter smell comes back every time.
14.8 grams of protein was the number that finally made me pull out my waffle iron for this. Tip from someone who learned the hard way: spray the entire iron surface, not just a quick center spritz, even if it's marketed as nonstick. My first chaffle was half gone before I got it out. Second batch I added a pinch of smoked paprika alongside the garlic powder and it really rounded out the seasoning. That's the version I'm making from now on.
3.6 carbs. Red Lobster crisis averted.
That's the whole reason this exists. I keep a freezer bag of these ready for exactly that moment.
A little undersalted, but the sharp cheddar picks up the slack.
My son's request: double the garlic butter.
old bay in the batter and I'm not going back
Quarter teaspoon is where I landed when testing it. The second you pair these with chowder that Old Bay makes total sense.
Didn't think garlic powder alone could carry this. Wrong.
The garlic butter is what tips it. Garlic in the batter plus garlic in the brush, it compounds.
Six batches in and I just figured out the garlic butter needs a full minute to absorb before eating.
That window is real. The chaffle holds heat for a while and the butter actually pulls through instead of just sitting on top.
Six batches in and I started adding a tablespoon of cream cheese to the batter, which gives them this pillowy center that I didn't know I was missing. The garlic butter brush at the end is still the part I refuse to skip.
Six batches before cream cheese clicked. Worth it. That pillowy center is hard to undo once you've had it. Garlic butter last, always.
Made these for a spring dinner and a friend who doesn't eat low-carb kept coming back to the biscuit plate asking what I brushed on top. The garlic butter finish is no joke. Next time I'm making triple.
Triple was the right call. Non-keto guests have no reason to pace themselves. I make extra garlic butter when the batch goes up.
Batch seven and I finally dialed in the timing on mine (4 minutes flat, not the full 5, and the edges come out with this deep golden crisp that I love). The garlic butter brush at the end is what makes it. I grew up going to Red Lobster constantly and this is the first thing in two years on keto that actually took me back there. Making a double batch tonight.
4 minutes is exactly right, at least in my mini Dash. That last minute pushes the edges past crispy into tough. The Red Lobster thing was literally what I was going for when I made this.
Tried probably four or five other keto biscuit recipes trying to chase that Red Lobster thing and none of them really got there, but this one actually did it. The garlic butter brush on top is what I kept skipping in other recipes thinking it was optional (it is not optional). I'm pretty new to chaffles so I wasn't sure I'd pull it off, but the sharp cheddar comes through. Honestly tastes like the real thing. The others just didn't.
Batter alone gets you a cheese waffle. That garlic butter step is what makes it taste like a biscuit. Not optional. Glad the sharp cheddar came through on the first try.
Added a teaspoon of cream cheese to the batter on a whim and now I can't make them any other way. The center gets this almost custardy softness while the outside stays crispy, which is freaking perfect. The other thing I'm telling everyone: don't hold back on that garlic butter at the end. Really brush it in while it's hot. That's what actually gets you to Red Lobster territory.
Cream cheese in the batter. That custardy center while the outside stays crispy is exactly what these need. And the garlic butter has to go on while it's steaming or you lose half the flavor.