These cheddar cheese straws with black caraway seeds are great as a snack or appetizer. Perfect to be served with beer on a Sunday night game.
Why Do I Like This Recipe
I’ve made cheese straws for years, each recipe bringing a different texture or twist. They’re a cross between breadsticks and a flaky pastry, perfect with beer or as a quick snack.
They might be known as a Southern staple, but in Romania, cheese straws are just as beloved. I grew up enjoying them at every gathering, and they still remind me of those festive childhood moments.
Try them once, and you’ll see why I only bake them on special occasions—because I can’t stop eating them until they’re gone.
Ingredients
The recipes for cheese straws are usually very basic and use ingredients most people already have in the pantry. Flour, butter, cheese, sometimes sour cream, sometimes mustard, all kinds of seeds, like poppy seeds or caraway, herbs, etc.
- All-purpose flour
- Cheddar cheese: I chose cheddar cheese for this recipe, but a mixture of Parmesan and Cheddar is also excellent. Even a mixture of Gruyere and Parmesan works well. Hand-grated cheese is preferred over packaged pre-shredded cheese.
- Butter: The butter needs to be unsalted and at room temperature. If you choose to use salted butter, skip the salt.
- Sour cream
- Large egg: for brushing the dough.
- Salt
- Black caraway seeds: I used black caraway seeds in this recipe. If you don't find black caraway seeds, you can use regular caraway, sesame, or poppy seeds.
Yes. The dough is usually rolled out on the table and cut into strings. If you prefer other shapes, use cookie cutters or a pizza/pasta cutter to shape the dough as you wish.
Coins, triangles, hearts, or unique shapes for special occasions are definitely fun to try.
Store them at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze them for up to three months. You can also freeze the dough for later use for up to three months. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the freezer, thaw it until pliable, and proceed with the recipe.
It is an excellent way to make the dough in advance for emergencies, such as when people come over and you need a snack.
Serve them with a cold beer (great for watching a game on a Sunday afternoon) or a glass of wine.
Some more recipes to love
- Cheese straws with feta and poppy seeds
- Easy Cheesy Crackers
- Cheddar Cheese Straws with Cumin
- Cracked Black Pepper And Ham Scones
- Quick Easy Beer Bread Recipe
- Blueberry Bread Pudding With Cheddar
- Chicken Stew With Black Olives
📖 Recipe
Black Caraway Cheddar Cheese Straws
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons organic sour cream
- 1 large egg for brushing the dough
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black caraway seeds or regular caraway, poppy or sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, butter at room temperature, shredded cheese, sour cream, and black caraway seeds.
- Mix well until all the ingredients come together as a dough.
- Cut the dough into three parts.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to ¼ inch or 5 mm thick. Brush the surface with egg and cut straws with a pizza or a pasta cutter, about 3x½ inch or 7.5x1cm strips. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake them at 350F/180C for about 20 minutes until nice and golden.
- Serve cold.
Tatiana Popescu says
How thick should the layer of dough be when you start cutting the sticks?
Gabriela says
It should be about 5mm thick.
Tatiana Popescu says
Merci, Gabriela! Also since we don’t use cheddar cheese in Romania, which other kind of cheese do you think I can use? Regards! Tatiana
Gabriela says
Hi Tatiana, The article tells you exactly what kind of cheese to use if you do not have cheddar. Also, I know for a fact that there is cheddar in Romania, as I have used it before. Carrefour, Mega,Kaufland, also Lidl, they all have it. Keep in mind that the recipes on my blog are adapted for the American market, as this is where I am, so for this reason, you will find an abundance of ingredients that are available in the US. You can make this recipe instead, if cheddar is not available in your area: https://www.thebossykitchen.com/cheese-straws-feta-poppy-seeds/ It is made with Feta or telemea. Or this one: https://www.thebossykitchen.com/easy-cheesy-crackers-recipe/ Please read the articles, before you jump to the recipe, otherwise you will miss valuable information.