These Cheese Straws are SO easy to make, and you just need 3 ingredients. Crispy and flakey puff pastry, cheese and egg all twisted together for these delicious straws. Perfect for party food or kid's snacks and they are ready in just 20 minutes too. This recipe for cheese straws is easy to adapt with different flavours, these are a MUST make during the festive season.
Cheese and pastry - what's not to love about that? You really need to try these cheese straws to see just how easy they are to make. A sheet of ready made puff pastry (always a time saving hack for us), sprinkled with a mixture of cheeses, twisted up and brushed with egg to make them crispy. Seriously, it's that easy!
We always make this cheese straws recipe at Christmas time as they are perfect for serving up to guests. These always go down well at a party, so make a double or triple batch of them, because they won't last long.
They look far more fancy than they actually are and they are easy to adapt with different flavours to make them a little more special. More on that below. But, my kids also love them in their lunch box for school.
If you are looking for other ways to use puff pastry, why not try our delicious Cheese and Onion Pasty, easy Tomato Puff Pastry Tart, impressive Vegetarian Vol au Vents, quick Asparagus Tart, tasty Cranberry and Brie Bites or our amazing Christmas Sausage Rolls?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Puff pastry - Yes, we admit it, we made it easier for ourselves, and use store bought puff pastry. We have tried making it ourselves and honestly it didn't taste much different for the amount of effort that went into making it. What we love about this recipe is how quick and easy it is to make, and that is partly because of the ready made pastry.
- Cheese - The star of the cheese straws recipe. We used a mixture of mature cheddar and Parmesan as we love the flavour combination and the Parmesan helps them to crisp up. You could use any cheese that melts well though.
- Egg - This helps to add a lovely golden colour to the pastry and make them nice and crispy too.
Variations
What we love about these cheese straws is how easy they are to adapt. There are so many different flavours you can add to them, that you never have to have them the same way twice. Here are our favourite things to add:
- Pesto
- Marmite
- Cranberry sauce
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Chutney
- Fresh herbs
- Mustard
- Mango chutney
- Pizza sauce
- Caramelised onions
How To Make Cheese Straws - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Roll out the pastry leaving it on the paper. Whisk the egg and brush half the pastry with it.
- Step 2: Sprinkle half of both cheeses over the egg washed side.
- Step 3: Fold the pastry over so that the cheese is encased (a). Press the edges down to seal and brush with more egg (b).
- Step 4: Sprinkle over the remaining cheeses, gently pressing the cheese into the pastry.
- Step 5: Slice the cheesy pastry once across the centre, then five times in the other direction to make 12 individual strips.
- Step 6: Hold each strip down at one end and then twist the other end through 360° to make a spiral.
- Step 7: Put on a lined baking sheet, brush with more egg.
- Step 8: Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Serving Suggestion
These make a great snack or served up at a party. However we also love dipping these into soup. Why not try them with our Creamy Vegetable Soup, Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup or Tomato Basil Soup.
Cheese straws are so 80s and I always remember them being served up at dinner parties. So, why not keep with the 80s vibe and serve these with our Epic Prawn Cocktail.
Extra Tips
- For some extra flavour, add some marmite or pesto.
- You can use homemade puff pastry if you like, but we really can't taste the difference and using store bought makes this much quicker.
- These are quite fragile, so try not to load them up too much. If you are adding a chutney, or caramelised onions, then you will only need a few otherwise the cheese straws will struggle to rise and won't hold together as well when held.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep these in an air tight container and they will keep for up to 3 days - if you don't eat them all before that.
Yes, these freeze really well. Individually wrap them and then you can store them all in a freezer bag. You can then just take out as many as you need at a time.
If you buy gluten free puff pastry, and make sure there is no cross contamination, then these can be a delicious gluten free party food.
More Cheese Recipes
If you’ve tried this puff pastry cheese straws recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 375 g (13 oz) Puff pastry
- 70 g (0.75 cups) Parmesan - grated
- 70 g (0.66 cups) Cheddar cheese - grated
- 1 Egg - whisked
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6. Roll out 375 g Puff pastry leaving it on the paper.
- Whisk 1 Egg and brush half the pastry with it. Sprinkle half 70 g Parmesan and half of 70 g Cheddar cheese over the egg washed side.
- Fold the pastry over so that the cheese is encased. Press the edges down to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with more egg.
- Sprinkle over the remaining cheeses, gently pressing the cheese into the pastry.
- Slice the cheesy pastry once across the centre, then five times in the other direction to make 12 individual strips.
- Hold each strip down at one end and then twist the other end through 360° to make a spiral.
- Put on a lined baking sheet, brush with more egg. Put in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Recipe Tips
- For some extra flavour, add some marmite or pesto.
- You can use homemade puff pastry if you like, but we really can't taste the difference and using store bought makes this much quicker.
- These are quite fragile, so try not to load them up too much. If you are adding a chutney, or caramelised onions, then you will only need a few otherwise the cheese straws will struggle to rise and won't hold together as well when held.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Josh T William says
Hi I don’t know how to twist these well. Recipe looks good though, maybe I’d add some stronger cheese too.
Dannii says
Hi Josh! Have you watched the video in the post? It shows you exactly how to twist them. We think the combination of mature cheddar and parmesan gives it a strong flavour.
Nathan says
It's a little dangerous how simple these cheese straws are to make... So yummy, will definitely be making these again and again!
Maayke says
My kids will love these cheese straws! Can't wait to try them.
Teodora Grujic says
Perfect for game or movie night! Thanks for sharing
Rika says
The perfect after-school snack. I definitely love easy recipes like this.
Kushigalu says
Love pastries and this looks so flaky and perfect. Thanks for sharing
Jamie says
Easy indeed! I love savory snacks like this especially if they're simple to make!
Toni says
This is seriously good! And so quick and easy to make!
Pam says
I'm all about easy recipes with just a few ingredients and these were delicious as well!
Beth Sachs says
The ultimate party snack and so easy to make!
Gloria says
I happen to have some puff pastry in the freezer. What a fun appetizer for a birthday celebration this weekend.
Jenn says
This is my kind of recipe! Easy, tasty and impressive - I will be eating a lot of these!