Cheese Straws Recipe (2024)

These delicious Cheese Straws are from a treasured family recipe that is simple to make! Loaded with cheese and perfect for serving at parties, cheese straws are a classic Southern delicacy!

In addition to these decadent cheese straws, other scrumptious cheese recipes like Pimento Cheese and a Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball are favorites to enjoy at your next gathering!

My delicious cheese straw recipe is a treasure that has been enjoyed for generations in my family and shared with me by my mother long ago. They are seriously the best cheese straws I’ve ever tasted and are always a hit at parties, showers, and holiday gatherings! Full of rich cheese and a few simple ingredients, they are formed with a cookie press, baked in the oven, and ready in about 30 minutes!

Cheese Straws Recipe

I loved to watch my mama make these golden crispy treats. I’d perch on a barstool so I was tall enough to watch the magic happen as she mixed these and then began to press from her cookie press onto baking sheets. Sometimes, they’d become a bit squiggly as she’d make them, the cheesy dough deciding the shape it would take rather than staying in a straight line.

Usually, Mama would make her cheese straws before a big family shower, reunion, or a special holiday meal – like Easter or Christmas. They are truly special and delicious – and the aroma of these beauties baking in the oven is purely divine. I can’t wait for you to try them. Here’s how I make them.

How to Make Cheese Straws

To make these, you’ll need:

Ingredients

• sharp cheddar cheese – I recommend grating the cheese yourself for the best results. Store-bought shredded cheese usually has a coating to prevent the cheese from clumping together in the package, which makes the cheese not blend together as well as cheese that is freshly shredded from a block of cheese.
• butter – softened to room temperature
• flour – this recipe uses all-purpose flour
• salt and pepper
• Spices – This recipe uses cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. These spices are delicious in these cheese straws.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat and Prep

Preheat the oven and line the baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick silicon baking sheets. Set aside.

Shred Your Cheese

You can easily shred your cheese in a food processor or with a box grater, but I definitely recommend shredding your own cheese instead of using store-bought shredded cheese, as mentioned earlier.

Combine

Add the instructed amount of shredded cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer and cream with the butter until it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency, about 5-10 minutes.

Then in another large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Then add the flour mixture into the cheese mixture by large spoons full, making sure to fully incorporate the ingredients after each addition.

Finally, once all the flour mixture and cheese mixture are smoothly combined, stir in the final amount of grated cheddar cheese.

Pipe the dough

Put the dough into a cookie press or large piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip. Slowly pipe strands of cheese straw dough onto baking sheets. Then, cut into 6-inch lengths.

Bake and Serve

Bake cheese straws as directed until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

These cheese straws taste the absolute best the day they are made. But they will remain fresh for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.

Note – these are very delicate. It’s important to remember that these cheese straws may break easily. That’s part of the charm of this favorite delicacy.

Storage Instructions

Make sure the cheese straws have completely cooled before storing. As they are extremely delicate and may break easily, they should be carefully layered on parchment paper in an airtight container. They should remain fresh for up to 3 days when stored in this manner.

Cheese Straws – Southern Party Treat

Rich, decadent Cheese Straws and the South go hand-in-hand. And when they are as scrumptious as these are, they most definitely get requested often for parties, holidays, and celebrations! But they are easy enough to make any time just because.

This crisp cheesy delicacy is so perfect for holidays. They are impressive on any holiday table and are always a crowd favorite. Cheese straws are great on an Easter table alongside Deviled Eggs and taste delicious with Chicken Salad and other favorite dishes for a Mother’s Day luncheon.

I love to serve cheese straws along with other crowd-favorite foods when having parties, bridal and baby showers, and tailgates. They are perfect with dessert bars, cakes, cookies, salads, and more for showers and parties. And they’ve gotten devoured at every tailgate for which I’ve made them too. Cheese straws are a southern classic!

I enjoy making these now and had fun making them with my son when he was little, just as my mama did with me. It’s great to make memories while cooking and baking. Those memories are some of my very favorites.

More Southern Party Favorites

Sausage Balls

Southern Teacakes

Shrimp and Grits Bites

Sweet Tea and Lemonade

Mini Quiche

The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Here’s my recipe for cheese straws. I hope you love it as much as we do.

Enjoy!
Robyn xoxo