Perfect Starbucks Grilled Cheese (copycat recipe)

This post contains links to affiliate websites, such as Amazon, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you using these links. We appreciate your support!

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.

What readers are saying...

“Amazing! The Parmesan butter and deli cheese is a game changer! Thank you for the recipe!

KATHERINE B.

Call me cheap…

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 have something….and magically the girl is in the hole $25.

So… I made my own and Starbucks crispy grilled cheese copycat recipe is honestly better than Starbs, if I’m being honest. The buttery Parmesan crust is GENIUS…it 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!

Cheers to being cheap, ya’ll!

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 A STARBUCKS GRILLED CHEESE {COPYCAT!}: 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 the butter mixture generously onto your bread.

Step 3: On the 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.

Casey’s Top Tip: Keep your heat on your skillet LOW to MEDIUM-LOW so the cheese gets melted without the sandwich browning toooo much. You can also cover your skillet with a cookie sheet for a minute or so to help the cheese melt!

QUICK 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.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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.

What do you serve with this amazing grilled cheese sandwich?

Tomato Soup (obvious), Caesar Salad, and a cold brew! Check out 22 more amazing sides in this post: 24 Easy Sides for Grilled Cheese!

In a Dinner Rut?

Grab your 7-Day Meal Plan + 3 Bonus Recipes!

Sceenshots for free meal plan.

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

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.
Save this recipe form

💌 Save to your inbox!

Enter your email and send this recipe straight to your inbox. As a bonus, you’ll receive more easy recipes every week!

Nutrition

Calories: 525kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 27gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 972mgPotassium: 113mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 1.8gCalcium: 378mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

4.51 from 65 votes (57 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




30 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.

    1. Garlic. Add 1/8 tsp garlic powder to the parm butter. Starbucks uses garlic in theres. Also, I get the cracked wheat sourdough at Trader Joe’s which I think most resembles Starbucks but any sourdough would work.

  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