Spicy Cheese Straws

These spicy cheese straws are a Southern party staple that are sure to be a holiday hit with your loved ones.

I love holiday traditions.

In our family, we have quite a few. Baking sandbakkels and my grandma Vera’s sugar cookies (a holiday traditional so steadfast that we traveled to Hawaii with everything we’d need to make them one December!). 

Taking in an annual performance of The Nutcracker. Fun fact, I was a snow tree angel in 1995 in the Joffrey Ballet’s performance at the Kennedy Center!

Going to church on Christmas Eve and belting carols, even if we are a little (or a lot) off pitch. My favorites are a tie between “Silent Night” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” 

Or, in more recent years, replacing church with eating Chinese food and a Christmas White Russian or Cranberry Bourbon Fizz on the couch while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

And, especially now that we’re parents, we always make time to participate in some of the Christmas activities in Charlotte, such as tree lightings and visits to Santa.

I may not have grown up here in the south, but I have become familiar with a lot of southern holiday traditions. And one big one is making a batch of homemade cheese straws.

What are cheese straws?

Cheese straws have been gracing Southern holiday tables and party menus well over 100 years. 

They’re made by pressing or cutting a cheese dough into strips and baking until crisp. They’re typically enjoyed as an appetizer or snack, but they also pair well with soups and salads, cocktails, and beer. 

Even better, they can easily be made ahead of time. As someone who loves prepping things like roasted jalapeño poppers and Bloody Mary mix ahead of time, I consider that to be a total bonus.

It is common for cheese straws to have a little kick to them, and this spicy cheese straw recipe really plays into that!  

This recipe comes from Rick Bell, former proprietor of Engadine Inn and Cabins, and is included in Morning in the Mountains, a cookbook from the Asheville Bed and Breakfast Association. I was gifted this book years ago during a Western North Carolina farm tour and immediately fell in love with Rick’s cheese straw recipe.

This recipe is Rick’s own version of his mom’s recipe and includes instructions for making them mild, medium, or extra spicy.

What you’ll need for this recipe

Ingredients

The base of any cheese straw recipe is a simple cheese dough. You’ll only need a handful of ingredients!

• Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: Make sure to use sharp cheddar for that perfect flavorful bite. You can use pre-shredded cheese or shred your own for this recipe.
• Margarine: Don’t clutch your pearls! Rick says you must use margarine and not butter in this recipe. 
• Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the binder in cheese straws.
• Salt: Don’t skip the salt! We want flavorful cheese straws, not flat-tasting ones.
• Paprika: You can use regular paprika or smoked paprika.
• Cayenne pepper: This is where most of the heat is going to come from! 

For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, make sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post.

Equipment

There are several ways to form your spicy cheese straws, so let’s talk through your equipment options:

• Cookie press: This is one of the most “traditional” ways of making cheese straws. You can use cookie presses to make other things like spritz cookies. For cheese straws, you’ll use the disk with the thin, ridged line cutout.
• Rolling pin & pastry wheel: You can roll the dough out on a clean work surface to about ¼-inch thick and cut it into rectangles with a pastry wheel. My friend and personal resident expert on all things Southern, Susannah, uses this method for her Southern-style cheese straws.
• Piping bag and wide star tip: This one will take a little more muscle than the other two options, but will give you more of a straw-shape option.

How to make these spicy cheese straws

If you can make a cookie dough, you can make these spicy cheese straws!

Start by adding the shredded cheese and softened margarine to a large bowl. Use clean hands to work these two ingredients into a paste.

If using your hands isn’t accessible for you, you can totally do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment!

Now add the dry ingredients to a separate large bowl: flour, salt, paprika, and cayenne. Whisk to combine.

Add the cheese mixture to the flour mixture and use your hands to mix until you get a firm and pliable dough. Again, feel free to use your stand mixer for this if necessary.

Now it’s time to shape the cheese straws. If you’re using a cookie press, add some of the dough into the press fitted with the disk with a thin, ridged line cutout. 

Pipe the dough into rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Space the rows about 1 inch apart. Use a butter knife to score the rows every 1-2 inches.

If you don’t have a cookie press, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness on a clean work surface. Use a pastry wheel to cut the straws into rectangles about ½-inch wide by 1-2 inches long. Transfer the straws to a lined baking sheet.

Bake the cheese straws at 325℉ for about 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet. 

If you used a cookie press, you can now cut the straws apart along the score lines.

Storage tips

These spicy cheese straws will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

I recommend lining the container with paper towels before adding the cheese straws. This will help keep the straws crisp for longer.