Cheese Straws Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

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This Cheddar Cheese Straws Recipe is quick and easy made with everyday ingredients. They’re a delicious little savory snack for serving at parties and casual get togethers.

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Easy Cheese Straws Recipe

Cheese straws are a super popular appetizer in the South. In fact, I can’t remember a holiday season when they didn’t make an appearance with our other favorite holiday snacks. They’re a sort of savory shortbread a cross between a cheese stick and a cracker. How do you make Cheddar Cheese Straws?

  • Using a mixer you’ll cream together softened butter and finely shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Add flour sifted with salt, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder to form a stiff dough.
  • Load the dough into a cookie press with the star dish attached and pipe straws onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper around 3 inches long.
  • Bake per the recipe then and cool and enjoy!
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How to Make the Best Cheese Straws Recipe

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Cheese Straws Recipe: Shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated by hand), unsalted butter, all purpose flour, salt, cayenne pepper or chili powder, granulated garlic, onion powder and paprika.
  • Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, medium bowl and large bowl, a pastry bag with a jumbo open star tip or a cookie press with the star disc attachment, a wire rack for cooling, a spatula, sharp knife and baking sheet for baking.
  • This is one of those recipes where shredding your own cheese by hand is required. Grate the cheese while it’s cold using the fine grate side of a box grater, a rotary cheese grater or with a food processor. After grating the cheese, cover it and let it come to room temperature. This will ensure it combines with the butter properly and only takes 30-45 minutes or so of stand time to do.
  • When creaming together the butter and shredded cheese the cheese mixture should literally become more like whipped cheese butter and have a smooth and creamy texture. That’s why it’s important to use freshly grated room temperature cheddar cheese as it will break down and form the cheesy butter mixture much more effectively than pre-shredded cheese purchased at the grocery store.
  • If the cookie press you’re using doesn’t have a star disc, you can make this cheese straw dough into any shape you like. You can make them square, round or oval in the shape of a cracker. You may also be able to attach an open star pastry tip to some cookie presses that are made to be fitted with that attachment.
  • Please note: Depending on how the dough is divided, the yield may be greater. Likewise, when using a pastry bag that’s fitted with a tip that’s larger than a cookie press,it may be less. I’ve made this recipe using both techniques and find that a cookie press is easier and makes light work of piping the cheese straws dough.
  • How do you serve Cheese Straws? These can be added to your appetizer menu, served with dip or packaged and given as a delicious homemade gift for friends and neighbors.
  • Store baked Cheese Straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • You can freeze baked Cheese Straws for up to 2 months.
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More Easy Appetizers and Snacks to Make

These Southern cheese straws are guaranteed to become a family favorite. More snacks and appetizer recipes you may also like to try:

  • Homemade Breadsticks are ready for dipping in cheese fondue or pizza sauce.
  • Shrimp co*cktail with homemade co*cktail sauce and lemon dill sauce.
  • Easy Italian Meatball Bites.
  • Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Bites are ready for dipping in mustard or warm cheese sauce.
  • Candied Bacon Breadsticks are always the hit of the party.
  • Loaded Mashed Potato Spring Rolls are crispy handheld delights.
  • Simple to make Garlic Cheese Rolls.
  • Chili Lime Shrimp Bites from Barefeet in the Kitchen.
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Cheese Straws Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (5)

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5 from 4 votes

Cheese Straws Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Cooling time15 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheddar-cheese-straws-recipe, cheese-straws-recipe, easy-cheese-straws

Servings: 80 servings

Calories: 46kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese (finely grated while cold then covered and brought to room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

  • Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat together shredded cheese and butter. Beat for 10-15 minutes OR until creamy, fluffy and fully combined.

  • In a separate bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, salt, cayenne, paprika, garlic and onion powder.

  • Lower the speed of the mixer gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Beat until fully combined.

  • Using a cookie press with the star attachment OR a pastry bag with a jumbo open star tip, pipe into long strips on a piece of wax paper. Use a sharp knife to cut the stirps into 3 inch pieces and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is used.

  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

  • Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

  • This recipe requires shredding your own cheese by hand. Grate the cheese while it’s cold using the fine grate side of a box grater or with a food processor, then cover it and let it come to room temperature. This will ensure it will break down and combine with the butter properly.
  • If the cookie press you’re using doesn’t have a star disc, you can make this cheese straw dough into any shape you like. You can make them square, round or oval in the shape of a cracker. You may also be able to attach an open star pastry tip to some cookie presses that are made to be fitted with that attachment.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Cheese Straws Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

Why are my cheese straws not crispy? ›

They are like cheesy, crunchy flowers and bake in the same amount of time as the regular cheese straws. Don't underbake. If anything, you might want to slightly overbake these a bit so they are crunchy. I underbaked a batch and didn't love the softer texture nearly as well as the crunchy ones.

How do you make James Martin's cheese straws? ›

To make the straws, roll out the dough again to 40cm x 30 cm, brush all over with beaten egg then sprinkle over the Parmesan, Cheddar and thyme. Cut into 2 cm strips, twist them several times and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then serve warm or at room temperature.

How long will homemade cheese straws last? ›

Cut into 1cm strips, then twist the strips 3-4 times. Lay on a baking sheet, scatter over more cheese and bake for 12 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

What kind of press do you use for cheese straws? ›

Press out straws:

Use a cookie press with a star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons, following manufacturer's instructions, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

How do you keep homemade cheese straws fresh? ›

Cheese Straws aren't something I think keep for a long time. Once they're baked, they really are best eaten within two days. After this they will start to get a little softer and loose their crisp texture. Keeping them in an airtight container helps prevent this.

What pastry are cheese straws made from? ›

Our cheese straws are made with puff pastry, which is cut into strips and then twisted into “straws.” Puff pastry is made of hundreds upon hundreds of thin layers of dough and butter. In the heat of the oven, these layers puff dramatically and become incredibly crispy.

What country did cheese straws originate from? ›

Some food writers argue that the cheese straw was invented in England, inspired by British biscuits and cheddar cheeses. Others point to France, although Southerners would say cheese twisted into puff pastry mocks a true cheese straw.

Do cheese straws need to be refrigerated? ›

Serve at room temperature. Cheese straws will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for two days. They will not last an hour at a party.

Do cheese straws go bad? ›

Most recipes make it a point to share that these treats can be kept for up to a week, when sealed in an airtight container.

What herb goes with cheddar cheese? ›

Cheddar cheese, one of the most common and delicious cheeses in American cuisine, is beautifully partnered with sage. This earthy herb is brilliant against the nuttiness of cheddar cheese, especially sharp cheddar, without losing its uniqueness against the strongly flavored cheese.

Why are my cheese straws spreading? ›

If the dough is too soft, the straws will spread out too much and not keep their shape, so it needs to be stiff enough to be picked up in a clump as shown above. I used my old Wearever Super Shooter with the star attachment and made long lines. Bake at 325ºF for 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Why are they called cheese straws? ›

We'll just admit we have no idea why cheese straws are called straws. You certainly can't drink anything through them. We can only guess it's because of their traditional long, narrow shape. Or, it's possible they were named by the Brits who often have creative names for things.

How long can you keep cheese straws in the fridge? ›

Stored in an airtight container, baked cheese straws will last up to 1 week. Unbaked dough can be stored in the fridge for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. To crisp up stored cheese straws that have gone slightly stale, bake them in a 350° oven for 3 to 4 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't burn.

Why are my cheese crisps not crispy? ›

If you find your cheese crisps are soggy once they've cooled, you likely didn't bake them enough. The edges should be brown before they are removed from the oven. Alternatively, you may have used a soft cheese that won't harden properly when it cools.

Why are my cheese straws soft? ›

Bake cheese straws at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes. To see if they are ready, lift one cheese straw and look at the bottom. It should be slightly browned and they should be slightly crisp. Don't cook too long or they will burn, but you also don't want to under cook as then they will be soft not crunchy.

What makes some cheese crunchy? ›

In cheeses like Cheddars, those crunchy bits are more commonly calcium lactate. This is where lactic acid and calcium combine to form calcium lactate crystals. Whilst this crystalline texture is not historically found in cheddars, there has definitely been a rise in its popularity.

Why is my cheese ball too soft? ›

Remove cheese ball from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the cheese has time to soften and become more spreadable. Why is my cheese ball too soft? A cheese ball can be too soft if reduced fat or nonfat cream cheese is used. Stick to regular, full fat block-style cream cheese.

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