Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits are a tropical spin on the crowd favorite, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. These buttery biscuits with savory shrimp and crispy coconut will have you feeling like you’re on a sun-kissed beach vacation. Topped with a sweet and spicy glaze, this will be the recipe of your summer!
If you haven’t heard the news, I regret to inform you that the beloved family restaurant from my childhood, Red Lobster, has filed for bankruptcy. But, with some basic ingredients, you can still enjoy a seafood-infused version of their delicious Cheddar Bay Biscuits at home.
Pair with Sleigh Ride Tea by David’s Tea. I love this tea because it has real chunks of coconut, almonds, candied pineapple, and hibiscus inside. The tropical fruity-nuttiness of the tea will be the perfect complement to these homemade biscuits!
Literary Baking Adventures
This literary baking adventure is inspired by It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. In this sequel to It Ends with Us, we get a glimpse into the main character, Lily’s love interest, Atlas Corrigan’s life. Not only is he an amazing chef he’s also just such a considerate guy. When his neglectful mother comes to visit him, you expect chaos to ensue. Instead, he wins her over by cooking her favorite food – coconut shrimp.
It Starts with Us was a perfect sequel for fans of the It Ends with Us. In my book review, I gave it three stars and recommend it to anyone who read the first book. Inspired by the book and it’s summery cover, I decided to turn Atlas’ mom’s favorite dish into a baked good!
What are Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits?
Imagine if Cheddar Bay Biscuits and coconut shrimp had a baby – you’d get Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits! It starts with fresh shrimp, sautéed in Old Bay seasoning. This is combined with a buttery drop biscuit dough. Finally, we add sweet and crispy toasted coconut for a tropical crunch.
After baking to golden brown goodness, these drop biscuits are topped with sweet and spicy apricot-chili glaze. Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits are warm, pillowy bites of goodness combining the spicy seafood taste with sweet coconut.
Chef’s tips
These Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits use a typical American buttermilk biscuit dough base. If you’ve had any experience making buttermilk biscuits, you’ll nail this recipe!
- Cold butter: Be sure to use cold butter, cut into small cubes. Cut into the flour until you see pea-sized crumbs. This technique is similar to making any butter-based pie dough, American biscuit, or scone recipe.
- Toasted coconut: Use a dry pan for toasting the coconut (no oil or water needed in the pan). Stir constantly so that it doesn’t burn. This recipe calls for sweetened shredded coconut, so the sugar will caramelize quickly, compared to unsweetened coconut.
You Will Need
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Not desiccated coconut. We want plump shreds, like this. You can find this type of baking coconut in the baking aisle of any grocery store.
- Shrimp: Any size, but they must be thawed and chopped into small cubes
- Seafood seasoning: I used Low-Sodium Old Bay seasoning, but you can use your preferred spice mixture
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, use the same volume of whole milk and add a squeeze of lemon juice
- Apricot jam: Peach also works!
- Red chili flakes: The kind you’d put on pizza. Also known as “crushed red pepper” or “crushed red chili”.
- Baking staples: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter
Tools
- Small frying pan
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Pastry brush
Coconut Shrimp Bay Biscuits
Equipment
- 1 Small frying pan
- 1 Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 8 oz shrimp thawed, and chopped
- 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning such as Low-Sodium Old Bay seasoning (affiliate link)
- Drizzle of vegetable oil
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ? cup cold butter cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the glaze
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- ½ tsp water
Instructions
For the biscuits
- In a small frying pan on medium low heat, toast the shredded coconut, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the coconut from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and allow to heat up. Add the shrimp and stir in seasoning. Sautee until shrimp turns pink and opaque. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400?.In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and toasted coconut. Stir on low to combine.
- Cut in the butter: Add the cold butter and beat on low speed until pea sized crumbs form. Without an electric mixer, you can accomplish this using a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Continue to cut the butter and combine into the flour mixture until you have pea-sized crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Stir in the shrimp along with any cooking liquid. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Spoon out dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, creating 12 drop biscuits.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes while preparing the glaze.
For the glaze
- In a small ramekin, combine the apricot jam, red chili flakes, and water. Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds and stir. The glaze should be thin and spreadable. If it is too thick, add another half teaspoon of water and microwave in 10 second increments until a thin, smooth consistency is reached.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over all 12 biscuits. Serve warm.
