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Puff pastry cheese straws are an easy and satisfying hors d’oeuvre or snack made with just a few ingredients. Great with wine, beer, and a wide variety of cocktails.
Why we love this recipe
Puff pastry cheese straws are one of those recipes that borders on a magic trick. With very few ingredients (none perishable) and very little time, you can conjure easy, casually elegant finger food that’s substantial enough to take the edge off a strong cocktail, fend off hunger, and keep everyone happy while you wrangle dinner.
This recipe is:
- Buttery and savory
- Crisp outside, tender inside
- Classic and crowd-pleasing
- Vegetarian
- Quick to make and prep-ahead and freezer-friendly
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Dufour is my favorite brand of puff pastry by far. It’s just so much more buttery and delicious than any other brand I’ve tried. (Plus, the company is proudly run by women.) That said, it’s more expensive and sometimes less available than supermarket brands. You can use whatever brand you like. Dufour comes in a 14-ounce package that’s a single sheet. Some other brands come in a 17-ounce package that contains two sheets. Either is fine.
- Extra-sharp cheddar melts well but still packs a super-savory, creamy punch. Shred it on the large holes of a box grater.
- Small amounts of ground cayenne and ground nutmeg add nuance to the flavor profile and really elevate these little bites.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a gorgeous batch of puff pastry cheese straws. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll roll out the puff pastry.
- Sprinkle on the spice mixture, and then the shredded cheese. Fold and roll out again.
- Slice and twist.
- Brush with egg wash and bake. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
Puff pastry is at its best shortly after emerging from the oven, so I don’t recommend going out of your way to make this recipe in advance.
That said, it is definitely prep-ahead friendly and freezer-friendly, too. You can make the cheese straws through the twisting stage up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate right on the baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and bake right before serving.
Or prep though the twisting stage, freeze until solid on baking sheets then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to a year. Brush with egg wash and bake right before serving, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
More favorite puff pastry recipes
- Leek and feta puff pastry cup appetizers
- Grape tarts (sweet or savory)
- Cinnamon rolls
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Puff Pastry Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen puff pastry, see note 1
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces (85 grams) extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Defrost the puff pastry according to package instructions — typically in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F with two racks close to the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and flour the top, too.
- If you're using one 14-ounce sheet, roll it out into a 16-inch square. If you're using two 8 1/2-ounce sheets, roll each out into a 12-inch by 14-inch rectangle.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, cayenne, nutmeg and black pepper. Sprinkle over puff pastry.
- Next, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the puff pastry. It's best if you vaguely aim for even distribution but inevitably don't achieve it, which will make each bite a little different in a good way.
- Press down lightly with your hands to stick the toppings to the pastry.
- Fold each sheet in half (if using the two puff pastry rectangles, fold over the longer side to make 12-inch by 7-inch rectangles), then roll out again until the short side reaches 12 inches.
- Slice each sheet into 1-inch by 12-inch strips.
- Twist the two ends of each strip in opposite directions a few times and place twists on baking sheets with a little space in between. Press the ends down to secure.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.
- Brush each twist with a little bit of egg wash.
- Bake for eight minutes, then rotate pans and switch their positions on the racks and bake for eight minutes more, until puffed and golden brown.
Notes
- Dufour is my favorite brand of puff pastry by far. It's just so much more buttery and delicious than any other brand I've tried. (Plus, the company is proudly run by women.) That said, it’s more expensive and sometimes less available than supermarket brands. You can use whatever brand you like. Dufour comes in a 14-ounce package that's a single sheet. Some other brands come in a 17-ounce package that contains two sheets. Either is fine.
- Extra-sharp cheddar melts well but still packs a super-savory, creamy punch. Shred it on the large holes of a box grater.
- Puff pastry is at its best shortly after emerging from the oven, so I don't recommend going out of your way to make this recipe in advance. That said, it is definitely prep-ahead friendly and freezer-friendly, too. You can make the cheese straws through the twisting stage up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate right on the baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and bake right before serving.
- Or prep though the twisting stage, freeze until solid on baking sheets then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to a year. Brush with egg wash and bake right before serving, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
