Our Best Restaurant Copycat Recipes

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Cinnamon-Honey Butter Recipe

Texas Roadhouse’s buttery-sweet rolls are cherished far and wide for good reason—they’re delicious. And now, you can enjoy a fresh, warm batch at home, anytime you please.

Copycat Bo-Berry Biscuits Recipe

Enjoy the Bojangles favorite whenever the craving strikes with our easy-to-follow copycat Bo-Berry Biscuit recipe. These indulgent blueberry biscuits feature freeze dried blueberries rather than fresh because the freeze dried berries provide a perfect pop of blueberry flavor without bursting and adding excess juices to your dough. (You can find freeze dried berries at grocery stores like Whole Foods and online.) To make your Bo-Berry biscuits ahead of time, simply prepare the dough, cut into circles, and freeze the unbaked biscuits for up to one month. 

Copycat Milano Cookies Recipe

For a cookie that’s sure to impress, look no further than our homemade take on the classic Milano cookie. These copycat cookies are crisp around the edges and slightly softer in the center than the store-bought variety, but we found them to be the perfect dunker for a cup of hot coffee or cold milk. Pro-tip: Use a microplane to shave the edges of the baked cookies (if needed) to shape or resize for perfect sandwiching. For other favorite filling flavors, be sure to try our takes on Mint Chocolate and Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies.

Copycat Waffle House Hash Browns Recipe

Enjoy your favorite breakfast spuds—scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked—in the comfort of your own kitchen with our copycat version of Waffle House's iconic hash browns.

Copycat Mint Chocolate Milano Cookies Recipe

For a cookie that’s guaranteed to impress this holiday season, look no further than our homemade take on Mint-Chocolate Milanos. In order to keep the filling easy to make, we simply melt Andes chocolate mints into a rich mint-chocolate ganache. Alternatively, you can add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to the chocolate filling we use in our take on the classic Milano Cookie. And for another filling option, be sure to give our Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies a try.

Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies Recipe

For a cookie that’s sure to impress, look no further than our homemade take on Milano Cookies with a buttery-sweet dulce de leche filling. We tested using Nestle brand canned dulce de leche, but you can also make you own if you have a can of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry. For other favorite fillings, try our DIY take on classic Milanos as well as our Copycat Mint Chocolate Milano Cookies. 

Copycat Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Recipe

The famously cheesy, kid-friendly side item on the Panera Bread menu has garnered popularity among customers of all ages. Now, you can enjoy the rich and saucy goodness of that white cheddar mac and cheese anytime, and in the comfort of your own kitchen. No need to crank up the oven either, this easy-to-prepare mac and cheese is made entirely on the stove top—in under thirty minutes. The cheese sauce is made with a combination of white cheddar and white American cheese that melt together to form a decadently thick and smooth sauce. We opted to use Dijon mustard instead of dried mustard for a subtle hint of spice to balance all the rich creaminess of the sauce. Even the pickiest of eaters in your family won’t be able to resist this simple mac and cheese recipe.

Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Skip the drive-thru line and enjoy your favorite seasonal Starbucks baked good right in the comfort of your own kitchen. These copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones are the perfect companion to a hot cup of coffee and a brisk fall morning. 

Copycat Starbucks Turmeric Latte Recipe

Skip the coffee line and make your own trendy golden latte at home. 

You don't need to leave home to cozy up with your favorite Starbucks drinks. If you’re a fan of the Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, make this copycat recipe at home. It's convenient, cheap, and delicious. Even though it's not made using the same exact method as the topless mermaid's original, the flavor is still very much there. At Starbucks, the White Mocha starts with a few pumps of white chocolate syrup. Then it's topped with espresso and steamed milk. Instead of building the base with syrup, we melted ¼ cup white chocolate chips with 1 cup milk. Feel free to use as little or as many chocolate chips as you’d like, depending on how sweet you want it. Then combine the white chocolate milk with espresso, pour it into your mug, and add whipped cream on top. It’ll hit the spot when you’re craving Starbucks but feel too tired to put on real pants and leave your house.

Copycat Panera Bread Summer Corn Chowder Recipe

Panera Bread’s delightful seasonal chowder features sweet corn kernels that are balanced with a creamy base and spicy accents. Its popularity grows every year, and fans can’t wait to indulge in one of the few warm soups that you’d actually want to eat on a summer day. The vegetarian-friendly chowder pairs perfectly with a vibrant green salad or a thick slice of crusty bread. It is loaded with a handful of vegetables to give you a wonderfully chunky bite with each spoonful. The smoked paprika adds a subtle smokiness that enhances the kick from the jalapeño and cayenne peppers. Finish the soup with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for brightness. 

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup  Recipe

This copycat version of Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup makes the fan-favorite dish easy to enjoy anytime. Plus, this simple-to-follow recipe rivals the original in terms of flavor, and at a fraction of the cost. The roux (a thickening base made of flour and butter) is used to create the soup’s signature smooth, rich consistency. The addition of turmeric brightens the natural yellow tint of this cheesy soup and adds a subtle depth of flavor. Meanwhile, the white pepper and ground nutmeg lend the soup a gentle warmth that balances out the richness of the dairy ingredients. The chicken broth and cheddar cheese provide a good amount of saltiness in this recipe, but be sure to give it a taste before serving, and stir in an additional pinch of salt if desired.       

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sandwich Recipe

Your favorite fast food sandwich just got a little bit better. Soaked in a tangy, pickle juice solution, the chicken is then dredged in flour and tossed in an egg mixture. After a hot pan sear, the chicken breasts acquire a crispy, crunchy outside, while maintaining a succulent, flavorful interior. Served with toasted buns and adorned with pickle chips, this sandwich will make you seriously wonder why you'd ever go back to the drive-thru.

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Honey Mustard Recipe

Chic-Fil-A honey mustard… it’s distinct, it’s addictive, and now you can make it at home (with ingredients you can actually pronounce and find in any grocery store). 

Copycat Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonade Recipe

Love the Chick-fil-A’s signature frosted lemonade? With our DIY take on the genius summertime treat, it’s incredibly easy to enjoy (and customize) it at home. This sweet and tangy lemonade milkshake is as refreshing as it is decadent, and easy to mix up for a group. Put your own spin on it by using a different flavor of ice cream (strawberry would be delicious) or adding another cooling kick of flavor with fresh mint leaves. You can also make give this creamy frozen lemonade the “grown-up” treatment by adding in a splash of vodka. 

Copycat Chili’s Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Next time you want your baby back ribs, take matters into your own hands with this copycat recipe for Chili’s famously succulent pork ribs.  

Copycat Wendy’s Ranch Sauce Recipe

Rich, creamy, and tangy—just like the signature Wendy’s ranch sauce, but without the preservatives. Easy to mix up and perfect for all kinds of dipping, this copycat Wendy’s ranch is the perfect homemade condiment to prep ahead and use all week long. 

Copycat Arby’s Sauce Recipe

Sweet, tangy, and a little spicy—just like your favorite signature sauce from Arby’s, but with ingredients you can actually pronounce. 

Copycat Doritos Locos Tacos Recipe

These cheesy nacho- and ranch-flavored tacos are, dare we say it, even better than the fast-food version. Pro-tip: If you can’t find cheese powder in your local grocery store (not surprising), no worries; you can use the packet of dry cheese mix from a box of macaroni and cheese (such as Kraft brand). You should only need 1 package for the amount of cheese powder called for in the recipe below.

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks Recipe

The secret to your favorite soup, salad, and breadsticks combo is yours for the taking—and enjoying at home, anytime you want. 

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Recipe

The secret to your favorite soup, salad, and breadsticks combo is yours for the taking—and enjoying at home, anytime you want. 

Copycat Nutella Recipe

Containing a fraction of the sugar found in store-bought chocolate-hazelnut spreads, our DIY take on Nutella strikes a divine balance of intensely rich, purely chocolatey, and not overly sweet. In fact, our test kitchen staff preferred this homemade Nutella over the real deal.  

Copycat IHOP Strawberry Banana King's Hawaiian French Toast Recipe

A partnership between IHOP and King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread led to the creation of the ultimate breakfast mashup—Hawaiian sweet bread French toast… Yeah, we are just scratching our heads wondering why we hadn’t thought of this first. This dish has transformed the classic, cult favorite dinner rolls into a morning must-have, that may just replace basic sliced bread forever. The pillowy rolls are dunked in a rich vanilla custard and pan-fried with butter to golden perfection. The French toasts are then topped with a simple strawberry syrup made from fresh berries and sugar, simmered for just a few minutes, followed by a handful of banana slices for a sweet finish.

Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits  Recipe

With the help of store-bought baking mix, you can whip up a fresh batch of these cheesy biscuits whenever the craving strikes. No real baking expertise is required, simply combine Bisquick with milk and cheddar cheese and stir. You can easily commit this recipe to memory and volunteer yourself as the resident biscuit maker for holiday and celebratory gatherings with friends and family. If you’re feeling adventurous, try different varieties of cheddar in your biscuits, such as white cheddar or a smoky aged cheddar. 

Copycat McRib Sandwich Recipe

The recent return of the McDonald’s McRib (to select locations only) inspired us to create our own rendition of the iconic fast food sandwich, consisting of a pork-based patty, shaped into the shape of a miniature slab of ribs. If you can’t get your hands on the “real” McRib (or even if you can), rest assured that this copycat version is well within your grasp—not to mention, a totally viable option to feed the family for dinner. Our Copycat MicRibs are easy to make and taste better than most anything you’ll find at a drive thru. 

Lucky You, This Copycat Shamrock Shake Is Perfect for Breakfast Recipe

You’ve been waiting all year, and now the McCafe Shamrock Shake is finally here. The green peppermint milkshake makes an annual appearance at McDonald’s around St. Patrick’s Day and has a cult-like following that dates back decades before Starbucks’ PSL stormed the beverage scene. This year, McDonald’s is rolling out four new chocolaty flavors, but we’re still obsessing over the original, because it’s just that good. But you could make your own copycat Shamrock Shake recipe at home that tastes pretty close to the real deal and might help you save cash, an ice cream coma, and yet another trek through the Mickey D’s parking lot. 

The base of our copycat recipe is yogurt rather than ice cream, so the end product is a little more like a lassi than a milkshake. Lassi is an Indian yogurt-based drink that’s cool and refreshing without being too heavy, which means you can sip through the whole thing without feeling like you need a nap afterward. Also, because we are who we are, we’ve breakfast-ified the heck out of this slightly lighter Shamrock Shake by adding Lucky Charms cereal milk into the mix. The minty milkshake is traditionally topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, but in our version, the glass is rimmed with marshmallow fluff and adorned with clover marshmallows from your Lucky Charms box. Food coloring is optional, but delightful. If you prefer to have your shake with booze, swap peppermint extract for two tablespoons of creme de menthe. Blend a batch of minty shakes for St. Patty’s, or enjoy all year round.

A Breakfast-Friendly McDonald’s Copycat Shamrock Shake

Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe

You can make this Panda Express menu favorite at home in less time than it’d take you to load in the car and hit the drive thru. Even better, you can customize our copycat chow mein easily by adding in any favorite veggies you have on hand. If you want to bulk this easy noodle dish into an entree, add your protein of choice—leftover chicken, shrimp, or a freshly fried egg would all make great additions (and they won’t cost extra). 

Make Copycat Bailey's Irish Cream in 5 Minutes for Cheap Recipe

Since an unfortunate overindulgence incident in my early 20s, Bailey's Irish Cream is a once-a-year treat. Today, St. Patrick's Day, is the one day every year that  wander over to the sweet delights of Bailey's, usually in coffee but sometimes just with ice. It's delicious! It's slightly milky! But if I ever buy a bottle, like Kahlua, it goes unused for the other 51 weeks of the year. Also, I am lazy, and I don't want to schlep to the liquor store in the I-guess-seasonable-but-still-enough-already late winter tundra that's been happening in the Northeast. But as with Kahlua, it turns out that Bailey's Irish Cream does not spring from an Irish cream font somewhere near Galway. It's just a liqueur that you can make a reasonably good facsimile of at home, for cheap, using hot cocoa powder and non-dairy creamer. Seriously. 

If you happen to have actual cream at your home then congratulations, your dairy game is stronger than mine. Since we were in fact making Irish Cream not even at home but in our office, I had, at my disposal, one of those pitchers of Nescafe creamer (non-fat, Vanilla, if you're keeping track) but it is my sincere belief that if you had to, you could cobble together an Irish Cream using those tiny creamer cups from a diner. The two big things that you need are a blender and some Irish Whiskey, the cheaper the better. You could use chocolate syrup instead of hot cocoa mix, or actual cocoa, I guess, if you're fancy like that. Either way, you should make Bailey's because it pays tribute to the irrepressible inventiveness of the Irish people, is mad cheap, and also counts as a pretty impressive party trick. Erin Go Bragh, cream-wise. 

Copycat Gingerbread Latte Recipe

Who needs to make a trip to the cafe when you can make your favorite holiday drinks at home? This gingerbread latte has everything you love about gingerbread and java in one delightfully caffeinated drink. If you can't steam milk at home, warm the milk slowly in a saucepan and froth the milk by shaking it in a tightly sealed jar, using a frother, or whisking thoroughly while heating.

How to Make Copycat RxBars Recipe

We’ve waxed poetic on RxBars before. Packed with protein, fats, and natural sugars, I bet at least one of your friends has an RxBar (or 3) in their bag at all times. Much as we love the packaged version of the energy bar, turns out that making your own isn’t that hard at all. Not only do you get full control of the flavors in DIY energy bars, they also won’t cover your teeth with the sticky residue that we’ve come to expect from the store-bought version. 

You probably already have everything you need to make DIY RxBars (OK, maybe not the egg white protein powder, but that’s easy to find online. And PS: you can use whey or plant-based protein powders if you don’t eat eggs.) Grind almonds, dates, and protein powder, then move on to flavoring: dried fruit, warming spices, maybe a handful of cocoa nibs or chopped chocolate. Press the mixture into a large rectangle, then slice the bars into individual sizes.

Copycat RxBars

Copycat Peppermint Mocha Recipe

Get that irresistable, chocolatey-mint coffee at home, anytime with this Peppermint Mocha recipe. Add more syrup for a sweeter, stronger mint flavor. If you can't steam milk at home, warm the milk slowly in a saucepan and froth the milk by shaking it in a tightly sealed jar, using a frother, or whisking thoroughly while heating.

Southwest/Tex-Mex Dressing (Copycat of Newman's Own) Recipe

Copycat Starbucks Bacon & Gruyère Egg Bites Recipe

All the cheesy goodness of Starbucks Sous Vide Egg Bites, minus the high price tag and long drive-thru line. 

Copycat Filet-O-Fish Recipe

Fry the fish at a lower-than-usual temperature to keep that trademark golden glow. 

Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe

Sure, they may be known for steak (being a steakhouse and all), but everyone knows that Longhorn’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken is the real MVP on their menu. Enjoy this cheesy chicken dinner any night you please with our easy copycat recipe. 

The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake Recipe

The Cheesecake Factory has more than 30 cheesecake flavors, but it's the original that makes us swoon. Try this copycat version, from the book Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2.

Dr. Pepper Milkshake Recipe

Inspired by the latest, limited-time release from Whataburger, we crafted our own sweet and creamy Dr. Pepper Shake to enjoy anytime.

Key Lime Pie Milkshake Recipe

Chick-fil-A’s Frosted Key Lime has nothing on this. This summery dessert is refreshingly tart and creamy, and the crunch and aroma from the graham cracker makes it taste just like Key lime pie. In other words, it’ll wow all your guests and is the perfect “light” way to round out barbecue or a backyard cookout. Look for Key lime juice in the juice aisle. If it’s not there, regular limes will do the trick. 

DIY Wendy’s Frosty Recipe

Our homemade Frosty tastes just like the real deal and is easier than going to a drive-thru. It’s soft and super creamy with the super small ice crystals that put the Frosty in an entirely different category than ice cream or milkshakes. Serve it to the kids for a treat or at your next backyard cookout.