Classic Southern Cheese Straws

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Southern Cheese Straws are a timeless and highly addictive classic. Crispy and buttery, Southern Cheese Straws are amazing when paired with dry sherry or just by themselves. It's impossible to eat just one!

These homemade cheese straws make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season. In addition, these delicious cheese straws are a southern cocktail party staple and a crowd favorite for special occasions.

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Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need to Make These Southern Cheese Straws
Steps: Here's How to Make the Southern Cheese Straws
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Other Delicious Appetizers
Recipe

Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need to Make These Southern Cheese Straws

This classic cheese straws recipe uses ingredients you probably already have.

Unsalted Butter: These cheese straws get their buttery crispiness from unsalted butter.

Cheese: I like to use finely shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese for the cheese.

Dry Ingredients: I used all-purpose flour with the addition of baking powder, fine sea salt, and cayenne pepper.

Steps: Here's How to Make the Southern Cheese Straws

With just a few steps, you can make this amazing crunchy snack.

First, I added room temperature unsalted butter and room-temperature shredded cheddar cheese to a large bowl. I beat them on high with my electric mixer for several minutes to cream the butter and incorporate the cheese into the butter.

Beating butter and cheese together until fully incorporated.

I scraped down the sides of the bowl. Then, I added the baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper and beat the mixture until everything was fully incorporated.

Adding cayenne pepper to the butter/cheese mixture.

I again scraped down the sides of the bowl before adding the flour. I beat the mixture on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the cheesy dough was smooth and pipable.

Adding flour to the butter/cheese mixture.

I transferred the cheese straw dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1M star tip and piped 3-inch long strips onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Piping the cheese straws onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

I baked the spicy cheese straws in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until they were golden brown. After removing the cheese straws from the oven, I transferred them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cooling the cheese straws on a wire rack.

I ended up with about 12 dozen incredibly delicious Southern Cheese Straws.

These are the best cheese straws that I've ever tasted. They were buttery and crispy and totally addictive. The Master Taste totally agreed. Yum!

Frequently Asked Questions

What size baking sheet is used in this recipe?

I use a rimmed half-sheet pan for this recipe and most of my other recipes. You could, however, use whatever sheet pan you have on hand.

Is there a substitute for the extra-sharp cheddar cheese?

The most commonly used cheese for cheese straws is sharp cheddar due to its strong flavor. However, you can use any cheese that melts easily and has a good flavor profile, like Gouda or Gruyère.

Can cheese straws be made ahead of time?

You can make cheese straws ahead of time. Once baked, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week if they last that long.

What can cheese straws be served with?

Cheese straws can be served as a standalone snack, or they can accompany a variety of dishes such as soups and salads or as part of a charcuterie board. They're also a great party food for social gatherings.

Can this recipe be made with a cookie press?

The dough for this recipe works well in a cookie press. When I use it for a cookie press, I tend to make the buttery dough in the bowl of a food processor.

Can regular table salt be used in place of fine sea salt?

Feel free to use regular table salt if you don't have fine sea salt.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

This recipe calls for room-temperature butter and room-temperature cheese. Room temperatures can vary widely. For example, I generally keep my house at 73°F in the warmer months and at 68°F in the colder months. You want the dough to have the consistency of a thick buttercream. Therefore, you may need to warm the dough a bit before piping it. I like to do this in the microwave on power level 1 for several minutes. Watch carefully - you don't want to cook the dough; just warm it enough to be able to pipe it easily.

This recipe makes a lot of cheese straws. This is not a problem in my house because they don't last long at all. However, the recipe can be easily cut in half as follows: 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, ½ tablespoon of baking powder, ⅜ teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour.

I've learned through the years that weighing ingredients for a recipe is the key to consistent success. This recipe is no exception. I include butter, cheese, and flour weights in the recipe below. If you don't own a scale, do yourself a favor and get one. They are quite inexpensive.

The temperature and time listed in the recipe are based on a conventional oven. If you have a convection oven, you will need to adjust the temperature and time accordingly.

Other Delicious Appetizers

Appetizers are one of my favorite things to make. Here are some of my all-time favorites:

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