By Becky Hardin
Published Jun 24, 2019
This recipe for baked mozzarella sticks is a real treat! Crispy on the outside and gooey and stringy in the middle, these are perfect appetizers and great for game days and parties. So much better than store bought, this homemade version of a party food favorite will be a hit with the whole family!
Mozzarella sticks are a staple when it comes to finger food–they’re fun to eat and I haven’t met many people that don’t love them! I find buying them in stores can be really hit and miss though, so many times they’ve all oozed together to make one big cheesy slab!
That’s not going to happen with my baked mozzarella sticks! This recipe is a foolproof way of making your own crispy cheese sticks at home, you have to try them!
On the search for the ultimate Mozzarella Sticks that Henry could also enjoy, I decided to try my hand at BAKED Mozzarella Sticks. Just as cheesy, just as crispy, just as delicious, but better for you!
How to Make Baked Mozzarella Sticks at home – step by step
- Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Halve each cheese stick lengthwise.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and water together. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the seasoned bread crumbs, panko crumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper.
- For the dredging process, roll the cheese sticks in flour, roll in the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings, pressing the breadcrumbs into the cheese stick. There will be 5 coatings in all.
- Place the dredged cheese sticks on the prepared pan, cover and freeze 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- When Ready to Bake:
- Heat oven to 415°F and set the oven rack to the middle position. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer while the oven preheats. Bake 10-20 minutes or until heated through, crispy and golden. Turn halfway through baking.
- Serve with a side of marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping .
- Enjoy!
Homemade Baked Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
These awesome bites take just over an hour to make, but 30 minutes of that is chilling time so is inactive. They need to be served straight out of the oven, so only cook them when you are ready to serve, otherwise that gooey cheese won’t be so gooey! You can keep the uncooked mozzarella sticks in the freezer for up to 24 hours, so you can do all the prep before your guests arrive.
Easy to Make Finger Food Recipe
These appetizers are really straight forward to make, and it’s a great recipe for the kids to help with. When you are breading the cheese sticks, try to keep one hand wet and one hand dry so that you don’t end up in too much of a mess! This recipe for baked mozzarella sticks is easily doubled if you are expecting more guests.
Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks
You can get several flavors of cheese sticks, so have fun with experimenting! I used straight up mozzarella, but jalapeno would add a great spicy kick! The breadcrumbs are a mixture of seasoned and panko. Panko breadcrumbs don’t soak up much fat and stay crispy when baking. The seasoned add an extra level of flavor to each bite. Perfect results every time!
Are mozzarella sticks good for you?
Unfortunately, mozzarella cheese sticks are not the picture of health. But fortunately for all of us, this BAKED mozzarella sticks recipe is a much healthier version than the usual fried cheese sticks you find at restaurants. Less grease, less calories, and ultimately just a better option to serve.
Baked is always better than fried! So don’t feel guilty about eating these on game day, at parties, or whenever you need a bit of hot cheese in your life.
Top tips for making Homemade Baked Mozzarella Sticks
- Have fun with different flavors of cheese sticks!
- When coating the breadcrumbs, try and keep one hand wet and one hand dry so it doesn’t get too messy!
- Freeze the unbaked sticks for up to 24 hours before cooking.
- Serve immediately for the ultimate gooey sticks.
- Serve with a delicious marinara sauce for dipping or how about a Roasted Garlic Aioli ?!
Be sure to check out these other delicious finger foods perfect for entertaining!
- Easy Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Appetizer Recipe
- Creamy Spinach Dip Crostini Appetizers
- Copycat Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
- Bacon Wrapped Crackers Appetizer
- Avocado Fries (Baked Fried Avocado Fries Recipe)
- Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers
See the recipe card for details on how to make Baked Mozzarella Sticks. Enjoy!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 6 string cheese sticks mozzarella and jalapeno work well
- ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 3 eggs
- ▢ 2 tablespoons water
- ▢ 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ▢ 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ▢ 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ▢ 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce warmed
Video
Instructions
- For making the Mozzarella Sticks:
- Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Halve each cheese stick crosswise (so they’re shorter)
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and water together. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the seasoned bread crumbs, panko crumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper.
- For the dredging process, roll the cheese sticks in flour, roll in the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings, pressing the breadcrumbs into the cheese stick. There will be 5 coatings in all.
- Place the dredged cheese sticks on the prepared pan, cover and freeze 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- When Ready to Bake:
- Heat oven to 415°F and set the oven rack to the middle position. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer while the oven preheats. Bake 10-20 minutes or until heated through, crispy and golden. Turn halfway through baking.
- Serve with a side of marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Baked Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 string cheese sticks mozzarella and jalapeno work well
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce warmed
Instructions
- For making the Mozzarella Sticks:
- Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Halve each cheese stick crosswise (so they’re shorter)
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs and water together. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the seasoned bread crumbs, panko crumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper.
- For the dredging process, roll the cheese sticks in flour, roll in the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings, pressing the breadcrumbs into the cheese stick. There will be 5 coatings in all.
- Place the dredged cheese sticks on the prepared pan, cover and freeze 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- When Ready to Bake:
- Heat oven to 415°F and set the oven rack to the middle position. Remove the cheese sticks from the freezer while the oven preheats. Bake 10-20 minutes or until heated through, crispy and golden. Turn halfway through baking.
- Serve with a side of marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
