✔ Updated · step photos, the Parmesan butter crust and air fryer method
This copycat Starbucks grilled cheese is sourdough, white cheddar and mozzarella with a Parmesan butter crust that fries up crunchy and golden. It's 15 minutes in one skillet, and honestly that crust is the whole reason to make it.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the heat at medium-low and put a lid on. The Parmesan crust browns fast, so low heat gives the cheese time to melt before the bread goes too dark.
Why You'll Love This Grilled Cheese
- That Parmesan crust, salty, nutty and crackly in every bite.
- Two cheeses, perfect pull, with sharp white cheddar for flavor and mozzarella for stretch.
- Café lunch at home, in your own skillet, in 15 minutes.
What Makes the Starbucks Grilled Cheese Different?
Three things: sourdough, two cheeses and that Parmesan butter. Sourdough is sturdy and a little tangy, so it holds up to a long, slow cook. White cheddar brings the sharp flavor and mozzarella brings the stretch. The Parmesan in the butter browns into a thin, crunchy, savory crust that's nothing like an ordinary buttered grilled cheese.
My copycat-style version builds each of those at home with grocery store ingredients.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Soft butter, not melted. Very soft butter mashes smoothly with the Parmesan and spreads in a thin, even layer. Melted butter soaks into the bread and makes it greasy instead of crisp.
- Grate the Parmesan finely. A rasp grater or the fine side of a box grater gives a crust that bakes into the bread. Pre-grated Parmesan from a tub works too; it's just a little less lacy.
- Low and slow. Medium-low heat plus a lid melts the cheese right through before the crust gets too dark. If the bottom browns before the cheese softens, I turn the heat down and give it another minute under the lid.
- Room-temperature cheese melts faster. I pull the cheese out of the fridge when I start the butter. Shredded cheese melts quickest of all.
- Soup night hero. Max asks for this every time there's tomato soup on the stove, and he always wants the crispy corner. Cut it on the diagonal and everyone gets a corner.
Copycat Starbucks Crispy Grilled Cheese
1
servings5
minutes10
minutes560
kcal15
minutesA copycat Starbucks crispy grilled cheese on sourdough: white cheddar and mozzarella melted between two slices of sourdough, spread on the outside with a Parmesan butter that fries into a golden, crunchy, savory crust. Cooked low and slow so the cheese melts all the way through.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, very soft
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 pinch garlic powder (optional)
2 slices sourdough bread, about 1/2 inch thick
1 ounce white cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded
1 ounce low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
Directions
- Mash the soft butter, Parmesan and garlic powder (if using) together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Spread the Parmesan butter evenly over one side of each slice of sourdough, right to the edges.
- Lay one slice butter side down on a board. Layer the white cheddar and mozzarella on top, keeping the cheese about 1/4 inch from the edges, then add the second slice, butter side up.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the sandwich, cover with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottom is deep golden and crisp.
- Flip carefully with a wide spatula, cover again and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the second side is golden and the cheese is completely melted. Rest for 1 minute, then cut in half and serve hot.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Cheese Swaps and Add-Ins
Stick with one sharp cheese for flavor and one great melter for stretch, about 2 ounces in total. Sliced cheese melts more evenly than shredded, but shredded is fine if you spread it in an even layer.
- Melters: mozzarella, provolone, fontina, Havarti, Monterey Jack or American.
- Flavor cheeses: white or yellow cheddar, Gruyère, Swiss or smoked Gouda.
- Add-ins: a few slices of ham or turkey, sliced tomato, baby spinach or a thin layer of pesto. Keep add-ins thin so the cheese still melts through.
- No sourdough? Any sturdy, thick-sliced bread works: Italian, country white or a seeded loaf.
More Starbucks Copycat Recipes
Make it a café lunch at home with my copycat Starbucks spinach feta wrap or Starbucks egg bites, and pour a homemade flat white on the side. You'll find the whole collection in my Starbucks copycat recipes roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cheese is in the Starbucks grilled cheese?
Starbucks describes its crispy grilled cheese as white cheddar and mozzarella on sourdough, with a Parmesan butter spread on the outside. This copycat uses the same combination: 1 ounce each of white cheddar and mozzarella, with a Parmesan butter crust.
How many calories are in a Starbucks grilled cheese?
The café crispy grilled cheese on sourdough is widely listed at about 520 calories, but recipes and nutrition can change, so check the Starbucks app for the current figure. This homemade version comes out around 560 calories, depending on how thick you slice the bread and how much butter you spread.
Can you get the Starbucks grilled cheese in the morning?
It depends on your store and what it has in stock that day, since menus and hours vary by location. The quickest way to check is the Starbucks app for your local store. Or make this version at home; I happily have it for breakfast.
Can I make this grilled cheese in an air fryer?
Yes. Assemble the sandwich as usual and air fry at 370°F for 4 minutes, flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until golden and melted. Pin the top slice with a toothpick so the fan doesn't lift it.
How do you reheat a grilled cheese?
Reheat it in a dry skillet over low heat, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or in a 350°F oven or air fryer for about 5 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch but makes the crust soft. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 2 days.
