Low Carb Keto Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Easy and delicious keto mozzarella cheese sticks are the perfect cheesy low carb appetizer or snack. They’re super kid-friendly and a tasty gluten-free snack. Who doesn’t love ooey gooey stretchy cheese with a tasty outer crunch?

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There was a time back in my rushed college days when I didn’t eat fabulously. Imagine that. Yes, trying to get through a study session I would grab a comforting order of mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce at a local drive-thru and drink continuous diet soda. This was not really so conducive to productive study or sleep but got me through.

Today, I don’t drink soda much at all except for a very occasional Zevia, and rarely eat any sort of fast food. Of course, there are options, I just prefer to make my own food and know where it comes from!

Who doesn’t love an ooey, gooey, cheesy mozzarella stick? My daughter is a huge fan of these little beauties so I thought, why not make our own gluten-free version?

🍽 Equipment needed for keto mozzarella sticks

• a spatula
• whisk
• knife
• measuring cups and spoons
• baking pan
• silicone liners (optional)
• air fryer (optional)

🥘 Ingredients in keto cheese sticks

• 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks
• 1/3 cup egg white protein powder (or coconut flour)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pork panko
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional: if cheese sticks are already salty leave this out)
• Avocado or coconut oil spray

🔪 Instructions on how to make low carb mozzarella sticks

First of all, get out all the equipment and ingredients needed to make the keto mozzarella sticks.

Then, remove twelve mozzarella string cheese sticks from the packages and cut each in half crosswise so you have 24 shorter sticks. Also, this can be done with a block of mozzarella cheese cut into similar-sized pieces.

Next, place the cheese sticks on a tray and freeze them for at least half an hour.

While the cheese is in the freezer, arrange three shallow plates or dishes. In the first, place the egg white powder (or coconut flour). Next, whisk the two eggs in a bowl with the salt and pour the mixture into the second dish.

After that, in the third dish, mix together the pork panko and dried oregano.

Wait a minute. What is pork panko you say?

What is pork panko

Pork panko is simply ground up or powdered pork rinds. They work amazingly well in place of traditional bread crumbs in recipes with a “bread” coating or in meatballs or keto turkey meatloaf.

These ground pork rinds are now more readily available already ground. However, I often keep a giant tub of pork rinds in my pantry and powder them myself in either a food processor or more often in a plastic zipper bag using a rolling pin to pound them down. It helps get some stress out and you move around a bit!

👩‍🍳 How to coat the mozzarella sticks

Keto cheese sticks are easy to prep.

First, arrange the three dishes together in order. Also, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer and coat them in the egg white powder. If you don’t have egg white powder, you can also use coconut flour instead. Sometimes when frozen, the powder will not stick as easily to the cheese. If it does not stick immediately, first dip the cheese in water and shake it off to remove any excess.

Once coated in egg white powder, dip the keto mozzarella stick in the whisked egg mixture. Then dredge it in the pork panko and oregano mixture.

Now, place the coated cheese stick on a baking tray and repeat the process with all the remaining sticks. It’s best to coat no more than two at a time. Once they’re all ready and coated, put the cheese back into the freezer for at least an hour or overnight. This is necessary for baking or the cheese may melt before the crumbs go golden and crisp.

⏲️ Baking time

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then remove the cheese from the freezer and spray the baking pan and frozen cheese sticks with avocado or coconut oil.

Next, bake the gluten-free mozzarella sticks in the lower third of the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is heated through and the crumbs are golden. Be sure to let them cool for about 3 minutes to set.

They can then be served warm with a sugar-free marinara sauce for dipping. You can buy a store-bought sauce (just check the ingredients!) OR get creative and make your own Low Carb Pizza Sauce, Low Carb Chipotle Ketchup, or even a Keto Ranch Dressing.

Keto mozzarella sticks are best enjoyed right away.

💭 Top tip – make ahead and freeze

I like to make batches ahead of time and freeze the mozzarella sticks. Keto cheese sticks can be prepared through Step 6 in the recipe card below, and frozen overnight.

For longer-term, transfer the frozen sticks to an airtight freezer bag and freeze for 1-2 months. Then it’s easy to cook them directly from frozen following the baking, air fryer, or pan-fry instructions.

Keto mozzarella sticks air fryer

Lately, I’m all about the ease of cooking anything and everything in the air fryer. These low carb mozzarella sticks are no exception.

Air fryer instructions: Prepare cheese sticks through Step 6 in the recipe card below and freeze. Then preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F for five minutes. Once preheated, quickly spray the air fryer tray with avocado or coconut oil, and then place the frozen cheese sticks on the tray/basket.

Also, spray the cheese sticks with oil. Now, air fry the frozen keto mozzarella sticks for 4-5 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden. Depending on the size of the air fryer, this may need to be done in batches.

How to pan-fry keto mozzarella cheese sticks

It’s also easy to pan-fry the mozzarella sticks. Prepare them through Step 6 in the recipe card below and freeze. Then place 1/4 cup avocado or extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan and preheat to medium-high. Fry on each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Again, it will be necessary to work in batches to fit them in the pan.

🥣 How to store

Store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. They will be good for up to about a week. I recently found these reusable silicone food bags that work great for storage in the fridge or freezer. Then reheat in one of the methods described above.

I do not recommend reheating these in the microwave as the coating can become limp and lack the crisp outside we so enjoy.

🧀 Keto appetizers

What are your favorite keto appetizers or snacks? I’m always a fan of a simple keto taco dip with veggies or my favorite sour cream and onion keto chips.

A keto trail mix is also another favorite snack of mine, and I have an easy recipe in the works for you for all your summer hikes or normal errand running.

I hope you make these keto mozzarella cheese sticks! I guarantee you and the kids will enjoy them more than a limp gluten-filled offering from the local fast food restaurant. Enjoy!

📋 Related recipes

1. Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini
2. Keto Asparagus Fries With Easy Garlic Dip
3. Low Carb Keto Tahini Dressing
4. Chunky Keto Blue Cheese Dressing

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📖 Printable recipe card

Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.