Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Baked to a perfectly crisp golden brown, you will absolutely love these Homemade Mozzarella Sticks. Making your own baked cheese sticks is easy, if you simply plan ahead.

Once you’ve made your own homemade mozzarella cheese sticks that aren’t fried, you’ll want to make them time and time again.

You can enjoy homemade cheese sticks as an appetizer on game day, to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, or any day of the week when you want a deliciously gooey, cheesy snack!

How These Homemade Cheese Sticks Came to Be

The story behind this recipe may be familiar to some, and you know who you are after reading this, or completely unrelatable.

For me, when I eat frozen mozzarella sticks, even at some restaurants, I can taste that they’ve been frozen. The way I’ve come to describe it is that they taste like cardboard. To date, only one store-bought brand is tolerable to me and that’s Petite Cuisine Mozzarella Sticks, usually sold at Costco.

I set out to figure out how I could make my own homemade mozzarella sticks where I control the ingredients. To complicate things, I also didn’t want to fry them. Not that there is anything wrong with frying, I just don’t have a deep fryer or air fryer.

Of course, I knew I would have to freeze the cheese sticks in order for them to hold up to baking. The question was, would they taste like cardboard? Given you’re reading the recipe here, and after many iterations, to my delight they were delicious!

The Right Bread Crumbs and Dredge Process for Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

I went through many iterations to get this recipe right. 

First I used just the fine bread crumbs and froze them for 2 hours, but they failed to hold up at all once baked. Another time I tried dredging in the order of flour, egg, fine bread crumbs, back in the egg, back in the fine bread crumb; they failed too. 

It was only after I decided to include both Panko bread crumbs and fine bread crumbs that I really got somewhere. After more trial and error, I found that dredging in the order of flour, egg, fine bread crumbs, back to the egg, and finally in the Panko, freezing for 4 hours and spraying with a little olive oil before baking, that this recipe finally turned out. The final result is crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, ⅔ cup - Flour provides one of the base layers of the dredge for this recipe. I use Jovial Einkorn flour, which is an ancient grain heritage flour that is easier to digest and, in my opinion, tastes better. You can find this flour at some grocers, including Walmart, Target and Whole Foods.
• Bread crumbs, 1 cup, plain - Lending the finer breading for the cheese sticks as another part of the dredge, use plain bread crumbs since you will be adding other seasonings. These bread crumbs are not to be confused with Panko bread crumbs, another ingredient in this recipe. These are much finer bread crumbs, such as 365 Organic Plain Bread Crumbs.
• Panko bread crumbs, 1 cup, plain - I like Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs, because they have very few ingredients. Panko bread crumbs will get crispier and act as a casing of sorts to better hold the cheese together when baking.
• Eggs, 3, beaten - A crucial part of the dredge are eggs to act as the binding ingredient that ensures the bread crumbs adhere to the cheese sticks.
• Water, 1 tablespoon - To loosen up the eggs before beating, add 1 tablespoon of water. It helps break apart the yolk while adding a bit more moisture to better adhere the bread crumbs to the cheese sticks.
• Mozzarella cheese sticks, 12 - The main star of this recipe, use whatever mozzarella cheese sticks you prefer. Some recipes call for cutting them in half lengthwise, but this one does not. You want full cheese sticks to yield that stringy, gooey, cheesiness you’ve been craving!
• Oregano,1 teaspoon dried, divided - Classically Italian, dried oregano gives the herby, punchy Italian flavor to these cheese sticks. If you like more flavor, increase the quantity in to ¾ teaspoon per each bread crumb mixing bowl, see instructions.
• Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon, divided - Another crucial seasoning to add, garlic powder can make or break this recipe. I only use California grown garlic, as it is arguably the best in the world and has incredible flavor. McFadden Farm Garlic Powder is by far the best I have found. You can easily get it on Amazon or direct via their website with a very small shipping charge in both cases. Trust me, it is worth it, and you’re helping support farmers. (No, I'm not affiliated, I just love their garlic!)

• Salt, ½ teaspoon - Keep in mind cheese contains plenty of sodium on its own. A little salt goes a long way in this recipe. I also find that each brand contains slightly different levels of salt. If you find it needs more, increase to ¾ teaspoon.
• Black pepper, ½ teaspoon coarse, divided - Adding a bit of bite, coarse, fine ground or cracked pepper should all work well here. For fine ground, start with ⅛ teaspoon as it’s more potent.
• Marinara sauce, for dipping - Traditional marinara sauce is a staple dipping sauce to have on hand with baked cheese sticks. You can also use ranch dressing or any other dipping sauce or create a dipping station with all three!

Kitchen Supplies and Equipment

Since homemade mozzarella sticks require creating a dredge, I recommend a few kitchen supplies and equipment to make the whole process easier. 

You may already have these on-hand, but I’ve included links to my favorites if you need suggestions.

• Mixing bowls - A nice set of glass mixing bowls can be a lifesaver when it comes to everything cooking and baking. I recently invested in a 10-piece glass mixing bowls set made of tempered glass. I love that they have a charming glass band around the top that adds character.
• Baking sheet pan - For best results, and in order to fit 12 cheese sticks on one pan, use a half-sheet pan. I talked about my favorite baking sheet pan set in the Best Kitchen Gift Ideas you should read now, but they also carry a great 3-piece baking sheet pan set if you’re only looking for sheet pans.

• Parchment paper - For both the purpose of freezing as well as baking, line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. You can find parchment paper at most grocery stores. Sur La Table has compostable parchment paper sheets or unbleached parchment paper at Target and Kirkland Signature parchment paper at Costco. 
• Whisk/Fork - Since you only need to effectively blend the eggs together, any whisk will work. It’s better than using a spoon but not as effective as an immersion blender.
• Serving tray - Why not make simple baked cheese sticks look a little fancy by serving on a tray? I used a timeless white porcelain tapas dish. It lends just the right amount of formality without being stuffy. Also, I think food looks even more delicious when served on white dinnerware or serveware.
• Sauce dish - For serving dips and sauces with the cheese sticks, you can use ramekins or a white porcelain sauce dish I used here.

Instructions

1. You’re going to start by creating a system to dredge the cheese sticks. In the first mixing bowl, add ⅔ cup flour. Set aside. In a second mixing bowl, add 1 cup fine bread crumbs with ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼  teaspoon coarse black pepper. Stir well to combine. Set aside. In a third mixing bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside. In a fourth and final mixing bowl, add 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but no salt, and stir well to combine.

2. Dredge each mozzarella stick in the following order: flour, eggs, fine bread crumb mixture, back in the eggs, Panko bread crumb mixture, and place each one on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze for 4 hours.

3. Remove from freezer and bake at 475 for 8 to 9 minutes or until just as you see the cheese start to run. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Caution as the cheese may be hot!

4. Serve with marinara sauce, ranch dressing or any other dipping sauce you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

One of the best foods to serve at parties, on movie night or anytime you need a gooey, cheesy snack, are homemade mozzarella sticks. Be it appetizer, snack or side dish, you can’t go wrong!

• Appetizer - Is there any appetizer quite as comforting as baked mozzarella sticks? Crispy on the outside, gooey and cheesy on the inside, make a dipping station with traditional marinara sauce, ranch dressing and other dipping sauces. Or, try Homemade Caesar Dressing as a dip!

• Snack - Baked in the oven to a golden brown, homemade mozzarella cheese sticks make a great mid-afternoon snack.

• Side Dish - You can always count on baked cheese sticks to complement buttery garlic bread, a bowl of Buttered Noodles with parmesan or a hearty plate of Fettuccine with Tomato Sauce.

How to Store Leftover Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

You can place any leftover homemade mozzarella sticks in a covered dish for up to a few days in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing them, but you can try it and see how it goes.

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