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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Classic Southern Cheese Straws

    By Chula King · May 29, 2023 · Updated June 18, 2023 6 Comments

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    Classic Southern Cheese Straws.

    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!

    Jump to:
    • 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 straw recipe uses ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

    Ingredients used to make cheese straws.
    • 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 these amazing Southern Cheese Straws.

    1. First, I added room-temperature unsalted butter and room-temperature shredded cheddar cheese to a mixing bowl. I beat them on high for several minutes until the cheese was fully incorporated into the butter.
    Beating butter and cheese together until fully incorporated.
    1. 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.
    1. I again scraped down the sides of the bowl before adding the flour. I beat the mixture on medium for about 5 minutes until it was smooth and pipable.
    Adding flour to the butter/cheese mixture.
    1. I transferred the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip and piped 3-inch cheese straws onto a parchment-lined baking pan.
    Piping the cheese straws onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
    1. I baked the cheese straws in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 about minutes until they were golden brown. After removing the cheese straws from the oven, I transferred them to a wire rack so that they could cool completely.
    Cooling the cheese straws on a wire rack.

    I ended up with about 12 dozen incredibly delicious Southern Cheese Straws. They were buttery and crispy and totally addictive. Yum!

    Classic Southern Cheese Straws.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What size baking sheet is used in this recipe?

    For this recipe, and most of my other recipes, I use a rimmed half-sheet pan. 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, salads or as part of a charcuterie board. They’re also a popular appetizer for parties and gatherings.

    Can this recipe be made with a cookie press?

    The dough for this recipe works well in a cookie press.

    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, â…ś teaspoon of salt, â…› 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:

    • Spinach Artichoke Tartlets
      Make Ahead Spinach Artichoke Tartlets
    • Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.
      Easy Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
    • Chicken Caesar salad Wonton Cups.
      Chicken Caesar Salad Cups
    • Food Processor Spinach Artichoke Bread Ring Dip
      Spinach Artichoke Bread Ring Dip
    • Ham and cheese pinwheels
      Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
    • Easy Holiday Queso Blanco Dip
      Easy Holiday Queso Blanco
    • Eating the shrimp cocktail spread.
      Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread
    • Garlic Parmesan Oyster Crackers
      Easy Parmesan Garlic Oyster Crackers

    I hope you liked this recipe for Classic Southern Cheese Straws as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Recipe

    Crispy and buttery, these highly addictive cheese straws are a true southern classic.

    Classic Southern Cheese Straws

    Chula King
    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!
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 16 minutes mins
    Total Time 31 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 144 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese at room temperature (See Tip 1)
    • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
    • Âľ teaspoon salt
    • ÂĽ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour (See Tip 1)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350° F.
    • With an electric mixer, cream butter and cheese until well blended. Add baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Add flour; beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until very creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. (See Tip 2)
    • Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1M large star tip. (See Tip 3)
    • Pipe 3-inch long cheese straws onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave at least ½-inch space between cheese straws. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.
    • Remove from the oven and transfer the cheese straws to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
    • Yield: 12 dozen.

    Notes

    1. To ensure consistent results with this recipe, weigh the cheese and the flour.
    2. The consistency of the dough should be similar to a thick buttercream frosting. Warm the dough in the microwave on power level 1 for several minutes if it seems too thick. 
    3. You can use a cookie press for this recipe in place of the piping bag.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 73mgVitamin A: 340IUCalcium: 93mgIron: 0.6mg
    Keyword Cheese Straws, Southern cheese straws
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @PudgeFactor or tag #pudgefactor

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    Filed Under: Appetizers, Christmas, Edible Gifts, Eggs and Cheese, Southern

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeni says

      December 30, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      Everybody loves these cheese straws. I only use salted butter and leave the addded salt out.

    2. Chula King says

      December 31, 2021 at 10:08 am

      I’m so pleased that the cheese straws worked out for you!

      Chula

    3. Laura says

      March 20, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      I was recently at a Baby Shower and they had really good Cheese Straws. I was on a mission to find a good recipe, and boy did I! The flavor and texture are perfect. I added a little ground up roasted pecan that added a little extra to this already perfect recipe! Thank you!

    4. Chula King says

      March 21, 2022 at 9:09 am

      What a good idea adding ground up roasted pecans. I’ll definitely have to try that!

    5. Angie says

      December 15, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      I am just wondering what I did wrong. Mine came out bitter. The only thing I can think of is that I used too much baking powder. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon. Is that correct?? And if that is correct, what else could I have done wrong to make them taste bitter? (In case you can’t tell I am a beginner cook! ) I am NOT trying to be ugly!! I am trying to learn!! Thank you so much!!

    6. Chula King says

      December 15, 2022 at 7:58 pm

      Angie,

      I’m so sorry that your cheese straws came out bitter. The 1 tablespoon of baking powder is correct.

      The only thing I can think of that would cause the cheese straws to be bitter is that you cooked them too long. For some reason, cooking the cheese straws too long can sometimes turn them bitter.

      Chula

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