These super easy Vegan Puff Pastry Cheese Stars make for the perfect snack and New Years Party Food. They are also fantastic for savoury lunch box snacks and parties!
If you love New Year recipes, check out my Easy Vegan Berry Pie and Vegan New Years Celebration Cake.
Vegan Puff Pastry Cheese Stars
Cheese twists were one of my favourite snacks growing up. The light and flakey pastry paired with baked melted cheese is simply scrumptious. This vegan and gluten-free version combines the light, flakey pastry with dairy-free cheese and a light layer of pesto for a delicious pop of contrast flavour. They’re a super easy snack and should only take 10 minutes to make and bake! This will of course however vary depending on how many you are making. They’re also made into star shapes for a New Years, but you could use any shape you like!
What are Cheese Stars?
You might know cheese twists as puff pastry cheese straws. They make an incredible side dish or platter food and are great for any occasion. I specifically love making them into star shapes for Christmas and New Years – a taste of nostalgia and festivity. Puff pastry and cheese whats not to love!?
What makes these vegan cheese twists so good?
Cheese twists are made with puff pastry cut into strips and then twisted into “straw shapes.” The pastry I use is JusRol which is vegan and gluten-free, making this a gluten-free vegan recipe. The pastry bakes to perfection and is incredibly flakey, making this an ideal festive finger food recipe. I used two vegan cheeses in this recipe- Vegen red Leicester and a smoky white cheese from Violife. I picked out a few of my favourite cheeses from their Christmas Cheese Board. It’s a great way to use up some left over Christmas food! Just chose whichever cheese is your favourite.
What you’ll need to make these cheese stars
Serving cheese twists
Cheese twists are a great snack and appetiser. They can be served on their own, but they’re great as part of a festive spread with savoury dips, hummus, pickles, onions and other nibbles. I like to serve mine on a serving plate with a light sprinkle of black pepper, chilli flakes, chopped chives and my favourite dip.
How to make vegan cheese twists
These cheese stars are easy to make, delicious and perfect for serving with dips and sauces. You’ll love making these pastry party snacks!
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Un-roll a sheet of vegan & gluten-free puff pastry on greaseproof paper. Cut out stars using a star cookie cutter.
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Spread vegan pesto over half of the stars and top with vegan cheese. Spread dairy-free milk around the edges then press another star on top and crimp together.
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Place on a greaseproof paper lined baking tray, and space out (as they spread and puff out). Brush over dairy-free milk and grate over some more vegan cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes on 180 degrees c fan. Remove form the oven and sprinkle with black pepper and chilli flakes.
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Serve on a serving plate or platter with dips in separate bowls.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Puff Pastry Cheese Stars
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Cheesy Vegan Puff Pastry Stars make a super easy appetizer for New Years parties and a great festive snack for all to make & enjoy!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of vegan puff pastry (I use Jusrol vegan + Gluten-free ready to roll puff pastry)
- 1 jar of vegan friendly pesto
- Vegan cheese (see notes*)
- Dairy-free milk (for glazing)
- Chilli flakes (for serving)
- Black pepper (for serving)
- chopped chives (for serving) – optional
Instructions
Method (pastry and filling)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Unroll the pastry sheet leaving the baking paper in situ. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten out any wrinkles in the pastry.
- Using a star shaped cookie cutter, cut out the shapes. Roll out whats left and cut out a few more shapes. Transfer the pastry shapes to the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
- Spread a teaspoon of pesto into the middle of half of the pastry shapes.
- Grate a tablespoon of your favourite vegan cheese and add it on top of the pesto.
- Brush some dairy-free milk around the edge of the pastries, this will help the pastry stick. Tip: Don’t add too much filling or it will ooze out when baking.
- Lay the un-filled pastry stars on top. Make sure to use your finger to press the edges of the pastry together so that they don’t lift when they bake & puff up too much in the oven. You can even use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Brush the pastries with some dairy-free milk and sprinkle over some black pepper (optional).
- Place into the middle of the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden in colour and the pastry is flakey.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve with a sprinkle of chilli flakes, more black pepper and chopped chives. Add to a serving plate with dips and sauces and serve.
Notes
To store: These are best eaten the same day they are made. However, you can store them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days, although the cheese won’t be melty.
What cheese to use? You can use any of your favourite vegan and dairy-free cheese. I like to use a coconut based cheese as it melts easy. My favourites are Violife. I used their red Leicester and smoky cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Thank you for sharing this recipe for vegan puff pastry cheese stars. They seem like a tasty and straightforward snack to make for any occasion, but especially for a Vegan birthday party. The combination of vegan cheeses and a layer of pesto sounds like a delicious way to add extra flavor to the cheese twists. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Author
Hello, Aw thank you so much! They are extremely easy to make and are packed full of delicious flavour. Great for any occasion, parties or just as a simple tasty snack! You’ll love them! Happy baking x