Puff Pastry Cheese Straws
These Puff Pastry Cheese Straws are perfect for a crowd-pleasing party appetizer. Flavored with Gruyere and Parmesan, they’re really easy to make and disappear in a flash!
This is pretty much the perfect party appetizer, combining two of the most glorious ingredients on earth into the ultimate finger food. Enjoy them on their own, or add them alongside an Antipasto Platter, cheese board, or Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs.
The puff pastry is flaky and buttery, and a combination of Gruyere and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses gives the pastry sharp flavor.
Add these cheese twists to a cheese board to compliment an assortment of olives and fruits, or bake off a few trays and serve them as the main event appetizer.
Either way, it’s a total party win, not just because they’re delicious, but because they’re SO easy to make. I have a habit of loading up too much party prep onto my plate, so easy prep is always welcome.
Though I’ve selected gruyere and parmesan cheeses as my main flavors here, know that you can switch it up.
These puff pastry twists are one of the best ways to let cheese shine, and you could try other kinds of melty cheeses like havarti or cheddar.
How to Make Puff Pastry Cheese Straws:
Start by rolling out a sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle. Make sure to get the all-butter pastry, not the cheap one made with hydrogenated oil. I’ve made puff pastry myself from scratch, but I usually buy it frozen (I recommend Dufour brand).
Brush the pastry with egg wash:
Sprinkle the puff pastry lightly with cayenne pepper and paprika:
The cayenne adds a bit of spicy flavor, and the paprika adds a gorgeous color.
Now sprinkle plenty of freshly grated gruyere and parmesan cheese all over, pressing gently:
Cut the rectangle into long strips, using a knife or a pizza cutter:
Lay the strips on a sheet pan, then twist:
Bake until puffed and golden:
Add them to a cheese platter with this Tapenade, or pair with some lighter appetizers like this Tomato Burrata Salad or Stuffed Mushroom Caps. Enjoy!
More Cheesy Appetizers:
Puff Pastry Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 14 ounce box puff pastry (thawed from frozen)*
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- cayenne pepper**
- paprika**
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper if desired (it's not necessary, there is enough fat to prevent sticking).
- Roll out the puff pastry about 1/8 inch thick. Whisk the egg with the water and brush the puff pastry with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle the entire surface with the cheeses, cayenne, and paprika. Press the cheese and spices into the puff pastry.
- Cut the pastry into 3/4 inch thick strips using a pizza cutter or knife. Twist each strip and lay it on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in November 2019. Originally posted March 2011.
20 Comments on “Puff Pastry Cheese Straws”
I thought these were delicious. Some of my guests weren’t a fan of the cayenne pepper so next time I will swap it for garlic powder. Will definitely make these again.
I want to make these for Thanksgiving; how far ahead of time can they be made, and how long will they keep?
I gave them 5 stars because I know they’ll be yummy!
I am literally in the kitchen making a third batch of these… the first and the second just disappeared down my family’s throats..this is a very yummy snack . Thank you sooo much JoAnne.
Will they still be flaky if made 2 days in advance and kept in airtight container?
If you make a lot of puff pastries how long will they keep
These cheese straws are the BOMB! The cayenne was a little spicy but it worked with the butteriness of the puff pastry
I make mine using pizza dough and vary from a dinner stick to a snack stick using cinnamon and sugar (always use real butter )
This would bea great little recipe for my girls to help with but for them the cayenne might be a bit much. Can these be made with just the butter and cheese or maybe with a butter, cheese, garlic mix? Has anyone tried anything similar? Would love to know
This is such a simple and delicious recipe! My husband loves all thing cheesy, so this is definitely a hit for him. Thanks for the recipe!
Love the little kick of spice in these!
I love cheese straws. I have never thought of making them with puff pastry! Mmmm…
These look so good, Joanne!
Our fridge just went kapoot and I lost everything – including a bucket load of cheese in my dedicated cheese drawer 🙁 Saddest thing ever.
I’m obsessed with cheese too! LOVE these!
They look lovely, but I’ve never been able to twist my cheese straws. Have you any tips? May it be the pastry is too thick?
Hi Emma, are you using the premade frozen kind of puff pastry or homemade? Sometimes the storebought kind can be really rigid and less pliable than homemade. If you roll it out thinner then it will be easier to twist.
Never hear of gruyere or parmigiano regiano, where do you get yours?
Love the addition of cayenne pepper to this recipe!
Thanks! I love cayenne pepper, because sometimes you want some heat but red pepper flakes are too big for something like this.