Perfect Starbucks Grilled Cheese (copycat recipe)

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This Starbucks Grilled Cheese copycat recipe might be the most perfect grilled cheese on the planet…and it won’t cost you six dollars! Two cheeses are melted into this sandwich that’s coated with a butter and Parmesan spread then toasted to perfection. Ooey, gooey and melty…it seriously doesn’t get much better!

Copycat Starbucks grilled cheese on a cutting board with tomato soup with cheese oozing out.

I LOVE all Starbucks hot sandwiches, but I am super cheap and cannot STAND paying $6 (plus tax!) for something I know I can make at home. And of course, if you give a girl a Starbucks sandwich…she’s gotta have a drink….then her kids gotta to have something….and magically the girl is in the hole $25.

This Starbucks crispy grilled cheese copycat recipe is honestly better than Starbucks, in my humble option. The Parmesan crust is GENIUS and gets perfectly crispy and gives the bread an amazing little kick! It takes all of about 5’ish minutes to make, which is less time than I spend in the drive-through!

You can also make this grilled cheese in the air fryer! Check out my recipe for Grilled Ham and Cheese in the Air Fryer and just follow the cooking instructions. And if you need a side for your grilled cheese, look no further than my 24 Easy Sides for Grilled Cheese! Soooo……ready, set, MAKE THIS!! You won’t be sorry!

And if you need a sweet treat after this grilled cheese, try my amazing copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars!!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • It’s super easy and you can whip this up ANY time without having to run to Starbucks!
  • Won’t set you back $6 + tax!! (plus the fun drink you know you’ll buy!)
  • Two words: Parmesan Butter = perfectly crisp sandwich!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Starbucks Copycat Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

Ingredients needed to make a copycat Starbucks grilled cheese.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Cheese: Starbucks uses a combination of mozzarella and white cheddar cheese in their grilled cheese. I prefer cheese SLICES because I feel like it yields the most MELTY grilled cheese. But shredded cheese works well, too! I get White American Cheddar cheese at the deli counter at my chain grocery store. Provolone, havarti, fontina and yellow cheddar are also super melty and work great.

Bread: Just a plain loaf of sourdough bread, similar to this San Francisco bread is the closest to what Starbucks uses.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!

How to make a copycat Starbucks grilled cheese step by step.

Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together butter and Parmesan cheese.

Step 2: Spread butter mixture generously onto bread.

Step 3: On non-buttered side of the bread, layer your cheese.

Step 4: Brown in a skillet 1-2 minutes on each side. Cut in half and serve immediately.

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS

  • Keep your heat on your skillet LOW to MEDIUM-LOW so the cheese gets melted without the sandwich browning toooo much.
  • Cover skillet with a cookie sheet for a minute or so to help the cheese melt!

STORAGE & REHEATING

While this sandwich is best served immediately after cooking, you CAN store leftovers! Store in a Ziploc bag or air tight container in the fridge up to 2 days.

To reheat, a toaster oven works best! Pop the sandwich in for a couple of minutes. OR reheat in a skillet until just warmed through.

ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Starbucks uses a combination of mozzarella and white cheddar cheese, but provolone, havarti, fontina and yellow cheddar are all super melty and work great.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What kind of cheese is on a Starbucks grilled cheese sandwich?

Starbucks uses a combination of white cheddar and mozzarella cheese for the inside of the sandwich. The outside is slathered with a mixture of butter and Parmesan cheese.

How do you toast Starbucks grilled cheese at home?

Heat a large skillet to medium. Add sandwiches and brown 1-2 minutes on each side until cheese is melted. Make sure you keep the heat low to medium so the cheese has a chance to melt. Pro Tip: Cover the skillet with a cookie sheet to help the cheese melt faster!

What do you serve with this amazing grilled cheese sandwich?

Tomato Soup (obvious), Caesar Salad….and check out 22 more amazing sides in this post: 24 Easy Sides for Grilled Cheese!

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Two Copycat Starbucks grilled cheese on a cutting board with tomato soup.

OTHER COPYCAT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

I hope you love this Starbucks Grilled Cheese! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

Perfect Starbucks Grilled Cheese (copycat recipe)

Casey Rooney
This Starbucks Grilled Cheese copycat recipe might be the most perfect grilled cheese on the planet…and it won't cost you six dollars! Two cheeses are melted into this sandwich that's coated with a butter and Parmesan spread then toasted to perfection. Ooey, gooey and melty…it seriously doesn't get much better!
4.51 from 65 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dinner, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 525 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 slices sourdough bread
  • 2 slices mozzarella cheese See Note 1
  • 2 slices white cheddar cheese See Note 1

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, mix together butter and Parmesan cheese.
  • Spread one side of each slice of bread generously with the butter mixture.
  • Layer mozzarella and cheddar cheese slices on the non-buttered side of bread. You may have to tear the slices to get them to fit! Top sandwiches with remaining slices of bread.
  • Heat a large skillet to medium/low. Add sandwiches and brown 1-2 minutes on each side until cheese is melted. Make sure you keep the heat low to medium so the cheese has a chance to melt. Pro Tip: Cover the skillet with a cookie sheet to help the cheese melt faster!
  • Remove grilled cheese from skillet, cut in half and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Note 1: Starbucks uses a combination of mozzarella and white cheddar cheese in their grilled cheese. I prefer cheese SLICES because I feel like it yields the most MELTY grilled cheese. But shredded cheese works well, too! I get White American Cheddar cheese at the deli counter at my chain grocery store. Provolone, havarti, fontina and yellow cheddar are also super melty and work great.
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Nutrition

Calories: 525kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 27gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 972mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 1.8gCalcium: 378mgIron: 3mg
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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. Ok. Used the sour dough bread and i mixed the parmesan cheese and butter. Spread on the outside. Used mozzarella and white cheddar. While cooking in the pan, the butter stayed on the bread. The parmesan cheese separated and fell off bread. Those two flavors (mozz and white ched) were not very flavorful. Maybe I will just try butter on the outside and put the parmesan inside. If that does not work, I will try another combination of cheeses. Plenty cheesy.

  2. I haven’t made this recipe yet but I definitely know that there’s garlic in the butter spread. I would add garlic or garlic powder to the parmesan butter mixture.

  3. Sooo we just returned from a Pickle Festival and I had the most delicious pickle grilled cheese there. Decided to change this up to copy cat their recipe. If anyone loves pickles like us here is some changes. Add Heinz Dill Pickle Relish to the butter and parmesan spread (I added 3 tablespoons). Once bread is buttered sprinkle with garlic powder to taste. Add sliced dill pickles to cheese topped bread. Enjoy!! This recipe as a pickle grilled cheese is DELICIOUS!!

  4. 2 stars
    Amazing! The Parmesan butter and deli cheese is a game game changer! Thank you for the recipe!

    1. 3 stars
      Good grilled cheese, but lacking the kick that the starbucks sandwich has. Extra seasoning? Different brand of parmesan? Olive oil? There’s just something missing.

  5. 5 stars
    If you give a girl a Copycat Starbucks Grilled Cheese recipe, she’s gonna make it for lunch that same day! DELICIOUS!

  6. 5 stars
    This is a great idea for summer and picnic. thank you so much for sharing that.

  7. 5 stars
    This Perfect Starbucks Grilled Cheese looks so amazing! It looks so quick and easy to make! thank you so much for sharing

  8. 1 star
    This recipe is perfect. I used an English white cheddar from Trader Joe’s with shredded mozzarella Bc that’s what I had and it was soooo good. Thank you for the recipe.

  9. It’s good, but it didn’t taste like Starbucks. I know their website says they use Parmesan cheese on top, but it doesn’t taste like Parmesan to me at all lol

      1. Based on my research while testing this recipe, Starbucks says they use cheddar and mozzarella, so that is how I wrote the recipe….but man, smoked cheddar sounds amazing so GO FOR IT! Great idea! XO ~ Casey