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Keto mozzarella sticks are an easy kid friendly low carb snack or appetizer. Keep some of these gluten free cheese sticks in the freezer for a quick bite any time.
I’ve been working on creating more keto recipes for kids to encourage my whole family to eat healthier. Luckily, we have no special dietary needs to worry about which makes it easier.
My kids have always enjoyed fried breaded cheese sticks. But I have an issue with the high carb coating loaded with wheat flour. So I set out for a low carb alternative.
It took me a few tries to get the recipe just right. But, I believe I nailed these keto mozzarella sticks after the third try. And the reaction from my kids was enough for me to call it a success.
How To Make Keto Mozzarella Sticks
It’s super easy to make low carb cheese sticks at home. You just coat string cheese in a gluten free flour breading and fry until crisp. Of course, the flour you use will need to be keto friendly as well.
Here’s what I use for my coating:
- Almond flour
- Parmesan cheese
- Coconut flour
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
To coat the cheese, it’s dipped in a beaten egg first so the coating has something to stick to. However, you’ll want to double coat each piece for the best results.
The keto cheese sticks are then cooked in hot oil or an air fryer. They can also be put in the oven on a baking sheet, but I find the outside isn’t as crispy.
How to Prevent the Cheese from Melting Through the Coating
The problem I had in making these cheesy treats is that they kept melting when cooked.
It helps to freeze them for at least an hour first, but you may still ended up with a gooey cheese mess.
It was a conversation with one of my coworkers that finally led to solving the issue with how I was cooking the keto mozzarella sticks.
Apparently, I needed to make sure the temperature of the oil was just right.
On my first try, I used my deep fryer. The first couple sticks browned up nicely quick, but the centers were cold. The next few frozen sticks just melted in the oil.
After some thought, I figured the oil must have been too hot. So, I decided to try baking them in the oven for the next experiment.
Baking the Keto Cheese Sticks
I chose to bake the frozen low carb gluten free mozzarella sticks at 400°F for a few minutes on each side. Although the cheese didn’t melt like in the oil, the outside did not get golden and crispy.
Perhaps for baking, you’ll need to reduce the oven temperature and place under the broil to brown. However, I ended up going back to the frying method.
Getting the Right Oil Temperature for Frying
Then I remembered what my coworker said about oil temperature. So I decided I would heat up my oil in a small pan on the stove.
I set my electric stove burner to medium high and grabbed my meat thermometer.
When the oil got hot, I dunked a frozen prepared mozzarella stick in. It sizzled nicely, but looked to be getting brown too quick. So, I turned down the heat to the burner just a touch.
I threw a few more of the frozen keto mozzarella sticks into the pan with the hot oil. They were cooking nicely without any cheese oozing through.
I flipped each stick so that both sides got nice and golden brown. And, to my surprise, none of the cheese melted through the low carb breading. Success!
Since the sticks were cooking nicely at the current oil temperature, I grabbed my trusty meat thermometer. The temperature was about 375°F which is on the high end of the recommended oil temperature for frying.
The rest of the cooking went smooth. I cooked all of the keto cheese sticks in the hot oil with no cheese melting through. And, the cheese was melted inside with a nice crisp golden outside.
So, if you’ve ever had issues with making your own homemade low carb mozzarella sticks, check the temperature of your oil. If the oil gets too hot, it could result in the cheese turning into a melted gooey mess.
Notes on the Recipe
The great thing about this recipe is that you can make up a whole bunch in advance. Just bread the cheese sticks and keep them in the freezer until you are ready to serve them.
I made the keto mozzarella sticks in the photos the day before cooking them. And they came out beautiful going right from the freezer to the hot oil.
This cheesy finger food makes a convenient keto snack that you can make quickly any time you want a quick bite.
How to Serve Low Carb Mozzarella Sticks
I love to serve these with low carb marinara sauce. They also go well with my bacon wrapped chicken tenders. Both are quick and easy finger foods that are low in carbs.
For more keto snack ideas, check out my low carb appetizers collection. Or take a look at some of my favorites:
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings are always a crowd pleaser on game days.
- Almond Flour Low Carb Crackers have been enjoyed by everyone. Even those not on keto devour them.
- Baked Sea Scallops can be the highlight for any special get together.
- Low Carb Falafel is a terrific way to eat your greens!
- Keto Chicken Nuggets are always a hit with the kids.
Keto Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
My 4 year old daughter helped me make this batch of low carb gluten free mozzarella sticks.
You can see her doing the breading part of the recipe in the video below:
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Low Carb Mozzarella Sticks
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
- 6 pieces string cheese
- 1 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese the powdered kind in a can
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt coarse Kosher salt works best
Instructions
- Cut string cheese in half crosswise.
- Beat 1 egg in small bowl. Set aside.
- Place almond flour, Parmesan cheese, coconut flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt in zipper sandwich bag. Shake bag to blend.
- Dip each piece of mozzarella into the beaten egg and then coat by shaking in the sandwich bag. Freeze for at least one hour.
- Heat oil in small frying pan to at least half inch high. Temperature of oil should be about 325-375°F. Higher temperatures tend to brown too quickly with cheese melting out. Air frying works too using a temperature of about 370 to 400°F for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cook each coated piece of mozzarella in the hot oil until browned on all sides. Enjoy!
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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Jaiden
Is there a sub for coconut flour? I’m allergic to coconut!!
Lisa MarcAurele
You could try using more almond flour or another low-carb flour like sesame.
Raja
This is literally the BEST keto mozzarella sticks recipe I’ve tried. Sooooo darn good!
Thanks
Ashley
These were very good. I had taken a cursory glance at the recipe card and bought the ingredients, then when I went to actually make them I read the instructions and was a bit concerned from all the rambling about temperature and freezing it was going to be a lot of hassle. I didn’t have time to freeze them so I didn’t, but they shallow fried perfectly! I just turned it up so it was very hot but didn’t check the temperature. I used olive oil as I didn’t have avocado and thought coconut oil might spoil the savoury flavours. I double dipper and shook these as suggested to get a thicker coating and it made a big difference – there was also exactly the correct amount of dry ingredients for this, with the last stick I made using up the dregs. The only criticism of this recipe is that for me they were much too salty, next time I will do half the quantity of salt.
Ashleigh
I used the air fryer for 5 minutes for a
couple, and 7 for the rest. They both came out looking basically the same, only the edges were slightly darker on the 7min ones. I would recommend pan frying over air frying, and I will try that next time. I did think the flavor was a bit bland (I went with the 1/2 tsp salt) and would also change that next time I make them but this was a great start for me!
Jackie
What type of oil do you recommend to fry them in?
Lisa MarcAurele
I use avocado oil, but coconut oil should work too. I try to stay away from vegetable oils.
lev
i dont have coconut powder, only almond. Do you think I can get away with only using almond?
Lisa MarcAurele
It should work, but you may want to use a little more.
Maritta
Mine completely melted into a mess after following directions to a T
Lisa MarcAurele
You can’t keep them in the hot oil very long. It’s only a few seconds on each side.
Susan Riley
I have a question can you bread them all at once and leave them in the freezer at cook them a few at a time?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. You can prepare them ahead and only cook the amount you want from the freezer.
Patricia Gregory
Very Good! Thank you 🙂
Wendy Marshall
I would like to try this recipe, but need some measurements or amounts of the ingredients in the coating mix. Also what oil do you use? Can I use olive oil? Waiting for your reply. Thankswendy
Lisa MarcAurele
The amounts are listed in the ingredient list. I use a small amount of avocado oil or coconut oil for frying. But any high temp oil should work.
David
Nowhere do I see mention of the type of oil you are using to generate the resultant nutritional data.
Lisa MarcAurele
I use a thin layer coconut oil for frying.
Catherine
The video of your daughter making the cheese sticks is adorable 🙂 thanks for the great recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks Catherine! My daughter really loves making these mozzarella sticks. It’s her favorite appetizer.
Becky
Is there any way these can be baked?
Lisa MarcAurele
They can be baked but you’ll need to keep an eye on them so they don’t turn into melted cheese globs. I found frying was easier to watch and made a crispier outside.
Marilynn
What type of oil did you use? Did not see a quantity or type listed. How did these turn our in the Air Fryer?
Lisa MarcAurele
I used a thin layer of avocado oil. When using an air fryer, you need to experiment with the time/temp so they don’t turn into melted cheese blobs. I set my fryer to 360°F and checked after a 4-5 minutes.