Cheese Straws Recipe
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.
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!
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.
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 Cocktail with homemade cocktail 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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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Cheese Straws Recipe
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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Can I use the pre-shredded cheddar cheese, if that is all I have? Will it still turn out good? I hate to waste 3 cups of pre-shredded cheese if not.
The dough for these cheese straws is stiff by nature even when using freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents added which isn’t ideal in this application as it could make it even drier. I highly recommend using fresh.
Wow, this dough is really stiff. Using a piping bag is almost impossible. I just rolled it out and used a pizza cutter to score the dough. I highly recommend using a press of some kind.
That being said, they are really good. I will make them again.
This cheese straw dough is supposed to be stiff in order to hold its shape while baking. In the narrative it’s discussed that you could use a pastry bag with a jumbo tip but using a cookie press is the ideal way to make these. From the narrative: 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.
Do you chill the dough?
It’s not necessary.
These were really great! Made them twice I researched many other recipes to see the cheese/ flour proportions because I shredded a 8 oz block of cheese, and another 1/2 block of 8 oz cheese, thinking I would get 3 cups of shredded cheese but got 4 full cups, so I wasn’t sure if I should go with the wt or cups measurements Dough was easy to work with and they tasted great and I punted and used 10 oz of extra sharp white cheddar cheese. Taste was fantastic but I thought they melted down a little even tho I chilled the dough before baking , so perhaps 8 oz would’ve kept the shape better. Idk
Do you freeze these before baking or after?
I would bake them and then freeze.
This recipe is uncomplicated and produces excellent results! I’ve made these cheese straws twice now after using other recipes and I’ve decided this one is my favorite although I double the amount of cayenne pepper. A keeper!
Are they freezeable?
You can freeze cheese straws, yes.
Which cookie press do you use for your cheese straws? I usually make cheese coins because I don’t have a cookie press that will make straws, but would like to get one.
Thanks!
My cheese press has a star disc that creates the shape for these cheese straws. If you already have a cookie press, look for that disc it’s quite common.
I’m very interested in making these. Do you have a favorite cheddar for this recipe? Also, I find cup measurements for cheese to be very inaccurate and much prefer weight measurements. Does the “standard” of 4 oz cheese equals 1 cup shredded hold here? Thanks so much! I have a new cookie press I can’t wait to try. 🙂
I don’t have a favorite cheddar but always grate this myself. You should be able to measure this in a cup with no issues, if you’re more comfortable then yes, 4 ounces (1 cup shredded) will work.
Thanks so much for your quick response! I’ll be sure to post a review once I’ve made them.
My pleasure.