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.

Cheese Straws Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (1)

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 long will homemade cheese straws last? ›

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.

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 many calories in a homemade cheese straw? ›

Nutrition Facts

1 cheese straw: 77 calories, 6g fat (3g saturated fat), 16mg cholesterol, 113mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.

How do you make cheese more elastic? ›

Make sure that you use a high quality cheese. Bagged Kraft isn't high enough quality and won't provide stretch. Go for something you have to shred yourself and get the full-fat version of it. Make sure to shred it into fairly large pieces - the smaller your cheese shreds, the more likely they are to burn or brown.

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

Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions and fit with the star-shaped disk. Holding the cookie press at an angle on an ungreased or Silpat-lined cookie sheet, press the trigger twice, dragging the press away to make straws 3 inches long.

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.

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.

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.

How do you refresh cheese straws? ›

Cheese straws are easy to make ahead. You can either complete the recipe to serve up to a day ahead and serve at room temperature, or make the cheese straws up to two days ahead and refresh them on baking trays in a hot oven for 5min to crisp up again (a trick which works for refreshing stale/softened cheese straws).

How to use a cookie press for cheese straws? ›

For straws: Place the dough into a cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Push the dough into one corner of the bag and press the air out. Snip the tip and pipe them into 3” long strips about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom and edges.

Why doesn't bagged 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!

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.

What are cheese straws made of? ›

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.

How do you eat with cheese straws? ›

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 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? ›

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.

Why are cheese sticks rubbery? ›

If your mozzarella sticks are rubbery it's probably because they are starting to cool down. Once the cheese melts and then starts to recongeal, the mozzarella sticks can get rubbery instead of stretchy and molten.

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.

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