How to Make 4-Ingredient Southern Cheese Straws

With only 4 ingredients, this cheese straws recipe is perfect for the holidays. Whether you're looking for an easy appetizer to add to your buffet or a nibble to give as a Christmas gift, these are just the ticket. They're crispy, and they've got a hint of spiciness from cayenne pepper. You're going to love them!

We always had cheese straws around the holidays. Mom would make a batch and store them in little metal tins--some to keep for ourselves and some to give away.

My college bestie, Susie, is also well-known for her cheese straws. She makes them just like I do--with Old English cheese spread and her go-to cookie press.

Word to the wise: You'll want to use a heavy-duty cookie press to make these. I've tried using a piping bag and open star tip, and I think my muscles are still recovering.

The dough is really firm (which is what you want). A cookie press makes all the difference and will safe you a lot of hassle.

For a festive holiday buffet, these are also great served alongside this Christmas tree cheese board. Or, as I mentioned before, these are great for holiday gift giving.

I like to package some of these inside a basket along with my homemade Doo Dads snack mix, Southern chow chow, and Christmas pinwheel cookies for the ultimate homemade present. So, are you ready to make these delicious cheese straws? Let's do it.

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this best cheese straws recipe:

• salted butter
• Old English cheese spread
• all-purpose flour
• cayenne pepper

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

1. First, beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

2. Next, add the cheese spread and beat until smooth.

3. Then, stir in the flour and cayenne pepper and mix just until combined.

4. Finally, pipe the dough into 3 inch strips onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then bake at 350°F for 14 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden brown.

Hint: Be careful not to overwork the dough. If you do, it'll turn out really tough instead of crisp.

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some thoughts:

• Butter - If you only have unsalted butter, that's okay. Just add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to the dough.
• Cayenne Pepper - Out of cayenne pepper? You can simply omit it from the dough. Or, add a little crushed red pepper flakes instead.
• Gluten-Free - Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free cheese straws.

Variations

Here are some more ways to give this recipe a different spin:

• Spicy - Like more of a kick? Increase the amount of cayenne pepper to ½ teaspoon.
• Smoky - Add some smoked paprika to the dough to give the cheese straws a lovely smoky flavor.
• Cheese and Pecan Wafers - Instead of cheese straws, make cheese crackers. Roll the dough into a 1-inch log and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place a whole pecan into the center of each dough round. Bake until the cheese wafers are lightly browned and set.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:

• dry measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• large bowl
• hand mixer
• cookie press
• rimmed baking sheets

Storage

Store the cheese straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Freeze the cheese straws in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe

• Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.