These vegan cheese straws are a delicious party appetiser. They’re flaky and quick to make.
Cheese straws was always my go to savoury party snack recipe before I became vegan, so I was determined to come up with a satisfying vegan alternative. These flaky and more-ish straws are the ideal finger food.
At first I simply tried swapping out the butter and cheese in the original recipe for their plant based alternatives, but there was something missing. So to pump up the flavour we found that a sprinkle of nooch and some seeds does the trick!
Ingredient tips
Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegan cheese straws:
A sheet of vegan puff pastry. A lot of puff pastry is naturally vegan, just look for one that doesn’t contain butter or other dairy products. In the UK, we often use Jus-Rol. And if you are in the US, Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is suitable for vegans.
If your pastry is frozen, defrost according to the instructions on the packaging, or overnight in the fridge.
Vegan cheese. You’ll want a hard type of vegan cheese suitable for grating. We tested the recipe with three different types, and Applewood Smoked vegan cheese was our favourite.
Nutritional yeast. This vegan staple ingredient is great for adding a savoury and cheesy note.
Sesame seeds and nigella seeds.
You can also add some optional extra seasonings like salt and pepper or cayenne.
Step by step
You’ll find the full recipe card at the end of the post, but here’s a visual guide to show you how to make these vegan puff pastry cheese straws.
Step 1 - Cut the puff pastry sheet in half.
Step 2 - Brush one of the halves with a bit of water to help the vegan cheese stick.
Step 3 - Sprinkle on the grated vegan cheese and firm it down with the rolling pin.
Step 4 - Cover the cheese with the second half sheet of puff pastry, firm down again with a dusted rolling pin.
Step 5 - Brush again with a bit of water and sprinkle with seeds, nutritional yeast flakes and a bit of salt and pepper. Firm down once again.
Step 6 - Cut into about half inch (1.25 cm) strips. Using a pizza cutter is the best way to do this.
Step 7 - Twist the puff pastry cheese strips a few times and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Step 8 - Bake the vegan cheese straws for 12 - 15 minutes at 200℃ (390℉) until golden brown.
Variations
If you want your straws with a bit of heat, a light sprinkling of cayenne pepper is a nice addition.
You can also add some freshly chopped herbs with the vegan cheese.
Serving
These vegan puff pastry cheese straws are a great finger food for parties on their own, but also go fantastically with dips.
They are best served fresh and crispy when they have just come out of the oven. We like to serve them upright in a glass.
You can then store leftover cheese straws in an airtight container. Let them cool down completely to prevent condensation. They will keep for several days, but can get less crisp over time.
More vegan party recipes
If you are planning a vegan celebration or buffet, these are some of our fave recipes to serve alongside these vegan cheese straws:
This soft and garlicky Vegan Sunflower Seed Cheese, which goes great with our Homemade Vegan Crackers
This Vegan Mushroom Pate which is herby and full of flavour.
These sweet and crisp Cinnamon Palmiers (which are ideal if you have any extra puff pastry to use).
And for the ultimate party snack, we love these Sweet and Spicy Nuts!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 1 sheet vegan puff pastry
- ¾ cup (75 g) grated vegan cheese
- ½ tsp sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp nigella seeds
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
- On a flour dusted board or surface, cut the sheet of puff pastry in half and brush one side with water or non-dairy milk.1 sheet vegan puff pastry
- Top the brushed half of the pastry with the grated vegan cheese. Firm down the cheese by rolling over it with a flour-dusted rolling pin.¾ cup (75 g) grated vegan cheese
- Place the other half sheet of puff pastry on top. With the dusted rolling pin, firm the two sheets together.
- Brush the top with water or non-dairy milk. Evenly sprinkle on the sesame and nigella seeds. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on the nutritional yeast.½ tsp sesame seeds, ¼ tsp nigella seeds, 2 tsp nutritional yeast, salt & pepper
- Firm down the toppings a final time with the rolling pin. Then cut the the rectangle into long strips about 1cm wide with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
- Twist the straws and set them down on a lined baking sheet with space between them to allow for puffing up.
- Bake the cheese straws for 12-15 minutes at 200°C (390°F) until golden brown. To keep them crisp, let them cool down on a wire rack.
Notes
Blocks of puff pastry are often more pastry than a sheet. To keep the proportions the same, use about 250g or half of the puff pastry block, or scale up the toppings. For helpful step by step pictures of how to make cheese straws, see the post above!
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
Leave a Comment & Rating