Southern Cheese Straws

Content… What Are They? Recipe Ingredients How to Make Them Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Easy Cheesy Recipes to Try Conclusion

What Are Cheese Straws?

These addictive cheese straws are enjoyed worldwide as appetizers or snacks. They’re made of buttery dough with cheese, seasonings, and flour and then baked into thin strips. They resemble traditional English biscuits but were reinvented in the South. Talk about pure comfort food.

Are Cheese Straws Southern?

They absolutely are! Just because they were invented in England doesn’t mean they’re not also Southern. The South’s high heat and humidity can destroy cheese fast. So a good cheese straw recipe was mamaw’s way of making sure cheese didn’t go bad. And, of course, she ramped it up with some heat from cayenne for an incredibly delicious treat.

Recipe Ingredients

These Southern cheese straws may be small, but they are BIG in flavor. As you can see from this ingredient list:

1. Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour and butter give shape and structure to these easy cheesy strips. And the baking powder keeps their texture light and airy. 
2. Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Of course, your cheese straw recipe wouldn’t be cheese straws without the cheese.😉 However, you can use whatever cheese you have on hand if you don’t have cheddar.
3. Butter – Did I hear butter? And did someone say it’s actually a healthy fat? Oh yeah! If you only have salted butter, simply reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
4. Seasonings – Garlic is a must-have savory flavor enhancer for this recipe. And you can’t go wrong with adding a classic kick of heat and a touch of Southern flavors from cayenne and paprika. Moreover, I couldn’t resist adding thyme for a fresh, earthy flavor.

How to Make Cheese Straws

Make the Dough

• Prep – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Mix Dry Ingredients – In a food processor, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix until all are combined.
• Add Cheese and Butter – Add the shredded cheese and cubed butter to the food processor. Pulse for 15-20 seconds until it resembles coarse sand.
• Pulse – Pour in the water one tablespoon at a time. Then keep pulsing until it forms a soft dough.

Shape the Cheese Straws

• Transfer – Place the dough onto the floured surface.
• Roll the Dough – Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Then use a fork to run through some lines on the dough.
• Shape – Cut the dough into strips, and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet on a single layer. Alternatively, you can use a piping bag and pipe it directly onto the baking sheet.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Take them out and let them cool first. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

1. Cheese Options – You can substitute the sharp cheddar with any cheese you have on hand, but hard cheeses or cheese that melts, like Gouda and Gruyere, will help your cheese straws hold their shape while baking.
2. Seasonings – You can use rosemary or parsley instead of thyme. Creole seasoning also makes amazing cheese straws.
3. Extra Flavor – Adding crispy bacon bits will make this cheese straws recipe more exciting and entertaining. Diced sun-dried tomatoes are another delicious variation.
4. Sweet Version – Replace savory thyme, paprika, garlic, and black pepper with a pinch of sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg for a sweet experience. Experimenting with flavors in the kitchen is always exciting, don’t you think?

Tips and Tricks

1. Experiment with different piping tips to create more textures and fun shapes. 
2. Use a pastry cutter or fork if you don’t have a food processor.
3. Refrain from overworking the dough because it may get sticky. But the extra flour from the working surface will firm it up. It will also come together once you flatten it with a rolling pin. 
4. Try combining cheese and puff pastry for a shortcut.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

You’ll enjoy this recipe more often than you think, especially after seeing how convenient they are to make ahead. Oh yes! You can make the dough as instructed and then store the unbaked dough for a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer. 

On the other hand, baked cheese straws will stay fresh in an airtight container for a week (if they even last that long because they never do at mine!). Or you can freeze them for three months.

There’s no need to reheat them, just let them thaw in the fridge and then bring them to room temperature. If they lose some of their crispness, just toast them in the oven for a few minutes.

FAQs

What to Serve With Cheese Straws

Cheese straws are already great on their own. Or you can serve them with a glass of wine, cocktail, or beer. But if you want a full spread of snackable, you can also prepare the following to go with it.

• Easy Deviled Eggs
• Fried Pickles
• Remoulade Sauce
• Bruschetta
• Beer Cheese Dip

More Easy Cheesy Recipes to Try

• Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Chili Cheese Fries
• Pimento Cheese
• Cheese Ball
• Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Conclusion

Delectably addictive cheese in a straw shape instead of a cracker makes a fun appetizer and snack! Would you love to have more exciting appetizer recipes? Then follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to find all my fave recipes! 

This blog post was originally published in September 2020 and has been updated with additional tips.