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? ›

It can be hard to tell when cheese straws are perfectly baked, but underbaking can lead to soft straws instead of crisp ones.

How do you keep cheese straws from crumbling? ›

Cheese straws can be a bit brittle when they're warm, so handle them gently to avoid breaking them in half. Cool completely before serving. Store for up to a week in an airtight container. If your cheese straws lose some of their crispness, re-crisp them briefly in a toaster oven and cool before serving.

How long will cheese straws stay fresh? ›

Cheese straws are best the first day or two after they are made, but will stay fresh in an airtight container on the counter for about 1 week. You can also freeze any uneaten cheese straws in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

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

The Oxo Cookie Press Is The Best For Making Cheese Straws.

How to keep cheese straws crispy overnight? ›

They're best eaten warm from the oven, but if you need to make them ahead, leave them to crisp up in a cool oven (100C) before removing to an air-tight container – they're less likely to soften.

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? ›

Cheese straws are a traditional food of England and the Southern United States. They are eaten as an appetizer or snack. They are made as cut strips, or by using a cookie press, from dough made with butter, flour, salt, cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Variations use different types of cheese, spices and nuts.

What do you eat with cheese straws? ›

Cheese straws are one of those classic Southern treats, something that no self-respecting hostess would be without in her culinary repertoire. They are usually served before a meal, though they are also delicious with soups, salads, wine, cheese and I have even been known to dip cheese straws into a bowl of queso.

Why doesn t store bought shredded cheese melt? ›

Pre-shredded cheese contains ingredients like potato starch and natamycin to keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag. That means that sometimes, pre-shredded cheese won't melt as easily as it would if you grated a cheese block yourself!

Why does shredded cheese not stick? ›

Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents such as potato starch and powdered cellulose. This keeps the strands from clumping together in the bag, but it also keeps them from melting together nicely during cooking. It gives the shreds a drier texture when served cold.

Does rinsing shredded cheese make it melt better? ›

We put washed shredded cheese to the test, against straight-from-the-bag and hand-shredded cheese. And there was no difference in how melty and gooey the pre-shredded cheeses turned in the cheese quesadillas we sampled.

How to store home made cheese straws? ›

Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. As these cheese straws are very delicate, roll them in kitchen paper before packing into a plastic container.

Why are my cheese straws soft? ›

Your cheese straws will last up to 5 days if you store them correctly, however, they will get stale and softer the longer you leave them. So they're best enjoyed within a day or two of baking them.

Can I eat a cheese stick that was left out overnight? ›

Though it's unlikely you'll face food safety issues if you leave cheese at room temperature for too long, for best quality, you should return it to the fridge after about 2 hours.

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.

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.

Why is string cheese rubbery? ›

You might be surprised to learn that the cheese making process is the key factor in the creation of your favorite stringy cheese. The stringiness of string cheese is naturally created by the cheese being stretched and pulled by an auger while simultaneously being heated to 140 degrees.

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