Southern Cheese Straws
These light and crispy cheese straws take finger food to the next level! Cheesy, buttery, crunchy snacks are simply irresistible! And they’re quick and easy to make, so you can prepare dozens at a time. Even better, they go perfectly in any care package for family and friends!
During the quarantine, I missed my family and friends so much that I would send them care packages to cheer them up and tell them how much I loved them. And this cheese straw recipe was the perfect treat to include because it’s easy, cheap, and portable.
But now that we’re back to parties and gatherings, these babies are still hands-down the most requested snack and appetizer. And I can’t blame them because they are oddly addictive. Imagine chatting with loved ones while nibbling on a classic Southern cheese straw. Oh yes, let the good times roll!
What Are Southern 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.
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.
How to Make Cheese Straws
- Mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper until combined. (Photo 1)
- Add the shredded cheese and cubed butter to the food processor. Pulse for 15-20 seconds until it resembles coarse sand. (Photos 2-3)
- Pulse in the water, one tablespoon at a time, until it forms a soft dough. (Photo 4)
- Roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Then use a fork to run through some lines on the dough. (Photos 5-6)
- Cut the dough into strips, and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. (Photos 7-8) Or use a piping bag. (Photos 9-10)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Take them out and let them cool first. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you want to use a piping bag, you may want to make the dough a little softer and pipable. Experiment with different piping tips to create more textures and fun shapes.
- Hard cheeses that melt, like cheddar, Gouda, and Gruyere, will help your cheese straws hold their shape while baking.
- Crispy bacon bits will make this cheese straws recipe more exciting and entertaining. Diced sun-dried tomatoes are another delicious variation.
- Use a pastry cutter or fork if you don’t have a food processor.
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. Or you can freeze them for 4-5 months. If they lose some of their crispness, toast them in the oven or an air fryer for a few minutes.
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 snackables, you can also prepare easy deviled eggs, fried pickles, and bruschetta with remoulade sauce and beer cheese dip.
More Easy Cheesy Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in September 2020 and has been updated with additional tips and gorgeous photos.
Southern Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (1g) thyme, minced
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) garlic powder
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 cups (280g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces (226g) butter, chilled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) ice water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper until combined.
- Next, add the shredded cheese and cubed butter to the food processor. Pulse for 15-20 seconds until it resembles coarse sand.
- Pour in the water one tablespoon at a time. Then keep pulsing until it forms a soft dough.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to about ¼ inch thick. Then create lines on the dough with a fork.
- Cut the dough into strips and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Alternatively, make the dough a little softer and use a piping bag to pipe it directly onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let them cool, and enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- A pastry cutter, two butter knives, or a fork will work fine if you don’t have a food processor.
- Avoid overworking the dough because it may get sticky. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them.
- Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
I would like to pipe these onto a cookie sheet. It seems like the dough would be too thick to go through a piping bag tip. Please let me know if you have piped these successfully.
Hi Wanda. I have never tried piping them. If anyone has tried, please comment:) I honestly don’t see why it wouldn’t work if you added just a little more liquid to the dough. However, I don’t know if the final product would be as crispy. And they may take longer to bake because of the higher moisture content.
Searching all around the web I landed here & I’m glad I did. Great recipe and tips & tricks, you covered it all. Very well done, thank you 🙂
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Can these be put in an air fryer?
Yeah, absolutely you can make it in an air fryer as well. Can’t wait to know how it turns out for you.
I have used this recipe for several years and I think it’s the best! I usually get my recipe for sausage balls out and make both for snacks or appetizers for Super Bowl celebration!
Great! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Can you use Self-rising flour?
Yes you can. Omit the baking powder.
Should the cheese be kept cold? Or should I bring it to room temp before mixing?
Bring it to room temperature before mixing. Helps make it easier to mix.
How do I do them without a food processor?
You can mix them by hand or use a pastry cutter.
These sound so good! I have never made these, but it so simple!!! Will be making soon!
Thanks!!
Did you make these?
What date please??
How did they come out.
Pls respond.
Thanks