برچسب: Pastry

Published: Apr 30, 2025 · Modified: Apr 14, 2025 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Using just two ingredients, these simple puff pastry cheese twists are always a popular savoury snack. Add them to your next cheese board, grazing platter, or simply enjoy as a lunchbox snack.

Quick, easy and perfect for entertaining, these buttery puff pastry cheese straws add a tasty appetiser on the side of a cheese board, served with dips, or simply as a crunchy snack that the kids will adore!

Puff pastry cheese twists make one of the easiest appetisers to enhance an antipasto platter or cheese board, so pop them next to some olives, a spicy tapenade and a soft blue cheese when entertaining – and then watch them disappear!

Yet so versatile, I also love them served on the side of a steaming bowl of soup or popped in a lunch box for a crunchy, cheesy snack for hungry kids.

Crisp and flaky puff pastry makes such easy work when you’re looking for simple finger food and definitely much more appealing then opening a box of store-bought crackers! Check out my mini ham and cheese pinwheels, ricotta and spinach tarts and the delicious brie and cranberry puff pastry bites for easy finger food recipes to feed a crowd!

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Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe

Simple to make and always a hit, you must try these crispy cheese straws!

• Only 2 ingredients – Just grated cheese and puff pastry sheets, that’s it!
• Perfect for entertaining – No-one can resist a flaky pastry twist when served as finger foods or part of a platter. Just the right snack to serve with drinks for happy hour too!
• So much better than store bought! – Dry and tasteless store-bought cheese straws truly cannot compete with these homemade fresh and crispy puff pastry cheese twists!
• Bake in just 15 minutes – You can even prepare puff pastry twists ahead of time, wrap in foil and store in the fridge, ready to bake just prior to serving!

What You Need

Here is the basic 2 ingredient recipe for these tasty cheese sticks. You can also check out my FAQ’s below for other variations you may like to try.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

• Cheese – Parmesan or hard cheddar or a mix of both, finely grated. These cheese sticks are all about the flavour so grate your own fresh cheese, rather than using pre-shredded cheese – which contain anti-caking agents.
• Puff pastry sheets – Defrosted. Ensure you use ‘all butter’ puff pastry sheets for best results, rather than some of the alternatives that add oil to the puff pastry. Of course, you could make your own puff pastry if you prefer, but for me, this is all about time saving convenience!

Equipment Required

Of course, you can double the quantities if you’re prepping for a party!

• Two flat baking trays – lined with baking paper.
• Grater – the cheese/s should be finely grated.
• Rolling pin.
• Knife or pizza cutter – a pizza cutter works very well for cutting the pastry strips.

Step By Step Instructions

Puff pastry cheese twists are best eaten fresh on the day, either served warm from the oven or within 1 – 2 hours of baking.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 – Prepare Trays And Grate Cheese

Line 2 flat baking trays with baking paper. Set these aside for later.

Finely grate the cheese and sprinkle about ⅙th of it onto a chopping board or bench.

Step 2 – Add The Pastry Sheet

Lay a sheet of defrosted puff pastry on top of the grated cheese.

Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry on to the sprinkled cheese (I leave the plastic film on the top of the pastry at this stage as it stops the pastry sticking to the rolling pin).

Remove the plastic backing now, and discard it.

Carefully lift the pastry sheet up and sprinkle another ⅙th of the grated cheese onto the board.

Turn the pastry sheet over and place it on top of the grated cheese again.

Once more, use the rolling pin to roll the pastry over the cheese.

Now you will have both sides covered with grated cheese.

Step 3 – Roll And Twist

Fold the pastry in half and sprinkle with the next ⅙th of the grated cheese.

Roll the pastry out until it’s very thin (about half a centimetre).

Cut the pastry sheet into 10 long strips.

Create the twists by gently turning the ends of each pastry strip in opposite directions. Place pastry strips onto the prepared trays.

Repeat this process with the remaining cheese and pastry sheet, then place the trays in the fridge for the pastry to chill for 1 hour.

Step 4 – Bake Cheese Twists

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius (fan forced).

Bake cheese twists for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden and crunchy.

Expert Tips

One of the most important tips for the flakiest puff pastry cheese twists is to keep the pastry cool, so once prepped, chill the twists in the fridge or freezer for an hour.

• Chilling the pastry ensures that it puffs up beautifully when baked. 
• If you want to make these ahead, cover unbaked cheese twists with foil and store in the fridge for up to 6 hours until ready to bake.
• Have your oven preheated to the right temperature before baking.
• Puff pastry cheese twists will firm upon cooling.
• Best served while warm on the day of cooking, however cheese straws can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Puff pastry cheese twists are not suitable for freezing. 

FAQs

Whether you’re preparing for a crowd, or just making a simple snack for the family at home, here’s some more quick and easy (and delicious!) recipes!

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