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Baked Mozzarella Sticks

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Hot baked mozzarella sticks –  I can’t think of a more popular finger food for both kids and adults alike. My oldest daughter Karina LOVES them and these never disappoint!

Hot baked mozzarella sticks – I can't think of a more popular finger food for both kids and adults alike. My oldest daughter Karina LOVES them and these never disappoint! Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Serve them with my quick marinara sauce and you have yourself an appetizer everyone will love!Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Made lighter and healthier with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Serve them with my quick marinara sauce and you have yourself an appetizer everyone will love! This would go great along side Mini Burger Bites for a party!

Baking them as opposed to frying and using part skim cheese doesn’t effect how good these are. The cheese still melts, see for yourself! See here for more Super Bowl party food ideas.

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks – Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Weight Watchers Smart Points: 3 Calories: 87

Of course, you’ll want to serve them hot right out of the oven, because like any cheese, as they cool they harden fast.

It actually took me several attempts to get these perfect. I played around with different brands of light string cheese to see which yielded the best results. The winner was Sargento part-skim, low-sodium. Although it’s not the cheese with the least amount of fat compared to some other brands, it had the best flavor and wasn’t as salty as I found some brands to be.

Freezing Mozzarella Sticks

These are freezer friendly, in fact these MUST be frozen before you bake them or you will have one big cheesy mess in your oven so it’s best to make them at least a day ahead! The good news is you can bread them all ahead of time then place them on a tray with wax paper and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag, so anytime you want to bake a few I just pop them in the oven!

How To Make Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks – Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Weight Watchers Smart Points: 3 Calories: 87

More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love:

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Baked Mozzarella Sticks

4.60 from 10 votes
3
Cals:87
Protein:7.5
Carbs:7
Fat:5
The trick to making Baked Mozzarella Sticks in the oven, is to make sure they are frozen before you bake em! Make a batch and keep them frozen, so you can whip some up whenever you need a snack!
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Hot baked mozzarella sticks – I can't think of a more popular finger food for both kids and adults alike. My oldest daughter Karina LOVES them and these never disappoint! Made lighter with part-skim mozzarella then coated with crispy seasoned breadcrumbs and baked (not fried!) until hot and golden. Serve them with my quick marinara sauce and you have yourself an appetizer everyone will love!
Prep: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Serving Size: 2 pieces

Ingredients

  • 12 sticks part-skim, reduced sodium mozzarella string cheese (Sargento)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, or GF breadcrumbs
  • 5 tbsp panko crumbs
  • 2 tsp parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • olive oil cooking spray, I used my misto

Instructions

  • Cut cheese in half to give you 24 pieces. Place cheese in the freezer until cheese is frozen.
  • In small bowl, whisk the egg. Place the flour on another small dish.
  • In separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, panko, parmesan cheese and dried parsley.
  • Dip the frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs.
    how to make baked mozzarella sticks
  • Repeat this process with the remaining cheese placing them on a tray with wax paper.
    how to make baked mozzarella sticks
  • Place cheese back into the freezer at least 1 hour until ready to bake (this is a MUST or they will melt before the crumbs get golden).
  • When ready to bake preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with oil. Place frozen cheese sticks on baking sheet. Spray the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and bake in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Turn and bake an additional 4 - 5 minutes watching them closely so they don't melt.

Last Step:

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Notes

* There will be extra crumbs and flour after breading, I've deducted them from the nutritional info.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 pieces, Calories: 87 kcal, Carbohydrates: 7 g, Protein: 7.5 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 21 mg, Sodium: 168.5 mg, Fiber: 0.5 g, Sugar: 0.5 g

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335 comments on “Baked Mozzarella Sticks”

  1. Very simple and delicious! I forget to allow time to freeze the cheese sticks, so I prep them and put them in the freezer until ready to use.

  2. Can’t wait to try this one! I had Frigo Cheese Heads string cheese and froze them over night. I did the egg wash and breading this morning and had a hard time getting it all to stick to the cheese… On step 2 of freezing so hopefully they come out well because I love me some mozz sticks! 🙂 Thanks, Gina!

  3. These came out great for me and I am no chef!!! Made them in batches in my air fryer on 370 for 5 minutes, flipping them halfway. Agree with Gina that you have to keep an eye on them, but totally worth it in the end! Thank you, Gina! I love all of your recipes and this one did not disappoint!

  4. Love all your recipes, but this was did not fare well. Froze them for three weeks & they were still a cheesy mess. 🙁 Good flavor, but did not hold shape

  5. Avatar photo
    Lekisha Crouch

    I made these for a snack! My kid loves them! Put some in freezer bag for another day! Thanks again Gina! 

  6. These were great! I made them in the air fryer (370 for 5-6 min). I did not have regular panko so I just used Italian panko. Served with a salad and my husband devoured them. 

  7. how did you get a calorie count of 87 when just the two mozzarella sticks by themselves would be 90 calories? (45 each). that doesn’t even include the 2 types of breading, the parmesan cheese, the floor, OR the egg??

    1. Avatar photo
      Lynn Pipitone

      Because you are cutting each stick in half, so a serving is basically 1 whole stick, or 2 of the halves that you cut up.

  8. So good!  I did these in the air fryer, I sprayed them with a little Pam,  3 1/2 minutes at 400 degrees and they came out perfect!

  9. loved this recipe. i had to make a few changes so that the mozz sticks wouldn’t turn into a melted mess in the oven though. i suggest doubling up or even tripling up on the breading (flour – egg wash – breading – egg wash – breading), that way, it prevents the cheese from exploding out of the coating. what also helped me was to freeze the unbreaded sticks for 24 hours, then AT LEAST 6 HOURS (another 24 hours would be best) after you’ve breaded them. they came out fully intact and super tasty!

  10. I thought these came out really tasty, thank you. I did have the cheese frozen and took them out when I was ready to flour, egg and bread while I was preheating the oven to 400 but the mozzarella sticks still did not stay in tact. I wonder if I did something wrong, or everyones ovens vary.

    1. The freezing is a 2 step process. Sounds like you forgot to freeze them for an additional hour after breading them. 

  11. I question the carbs listed as 666 mg. –  5T. of bread crumbs is 35 g. carbs and 5T panko is also 35g. carb. – please explain.

  12. Made these last night for my husband and me. His metabolism is different so he does not watch calories or points. We both enjoyed them very much and I felt pleased to find a recipe using pantry items and have it be so delicious. Did not serve with marinara though as he will not eat the same marinara as I will. Thus I made a simple dip from 2% fat yogurt and horseradish. Voila! This recipe is a keeper!

  13. Yum! These turned out great! I cut the recipe in half and followed the recipe, I did only use Italian bread crumbs not panko and Italian mixed, Delicious!

  14. Gina- Have you tried these in the air fryer yet? Love them in the oven, but wondering how they would work in my new air fryer.

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  19. I made these with sliced halloumi instead of mozzarella, it was rich delicious and perfect with a salad on the side.  The great thing about using halloumi is the high melting point, which means no freezing needed and the fact that due to the richness, a little goes a long way.  Can you tell that I just discovered halloumi?  Thank you for the awesome recipe!

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  24. We made these last night-easy and delicious! I triple coated these and was able to keep in the oven a little longer. I have no self control when it comes to cheese.

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  26. If I make them the day before and freeze them, do I need to thaw them before putting them in the oven or can I bake them right after I take them out of the freezer?

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  30. Some of these comments made me afraid to try these, so after I did I wanted to leave my 2 cents. They really turned out great for me, not as hard as I expected, and I only froze the naked cheese sticks for about 3-4 hrs and then the prepared ones for 1 hour (we couldn’t wait any longer). I saw a few comments complaining about them “needing 24 hours” but that’s all I did and to me it was plenty! I also have to say the ingredients all stuck to the frozen cheese fine in my experience-you just have to roll & pat with a little feeling. Watch them close right at the end of baking to prevent too much melting (2 or 3 may melt a bit, but they are still delicious!), and eat them right away like the article says. Don’t take them to a party, they must be served right away! Anyway I’m no kitchen prodigy but I had a good experience and came to say don’t let the negative comments scare you; try it for yourself! Great article and recipe, thank you!

      1. They are awesome!!!! My girls loved them! Your right about eating them right away! 

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  32. These were WONDERFUL! I did make some changes based on other comments and my own experience as I was in the process of making them. I chilled the cheese for approx. 4 hours prior to doing the breadcrumb mixture. I did not use the flour step. I found that they coated very nicely if you double coat them (egg – breadcrumbs – egg – breadcrumbs). I then kept them in the freezer overnight. They baked perfectly with only a couple less coated ones that semi 'oozed' out. Will definitely be making these again!!!! Thanks for the recipe!

  33. I made these as well; and they were fabulous! This is one of my favorite appetizers, and I made just enough for me, with a couple left over to bake at a later date.

  34. I prepared these today as an appetizer for my family prior to the big game. They didn't make it to the family room before they were gone. Easy to make and delicious. Can't believe they are healthy too! This website was mentioned in my weight watchers meeting. It is such a great resource. Thank you!

  35. Sounds delish, do they freeze well?

    Just making these for hubby and I and will be cutting the recipe in half and using egg whites instead.

    W

  36. I followed this recipe to a T, and they actually melted all over the foil and didn't work. Tried making them a second time EXACTLY as the recipe says, still didn't turn out. I compared the nutriotional info on this recipe to mozza sticks I bought from a health-food store, and the ones in the store were organic and better for you, and baked up well. Good try, just not worth it and cheese isn't the best thing to eat anyway, especially melted

  37. I had absolutely no faith in myself when making this recipe, but they turned out perfectly! I will be making these again for sure. Thank You.

  38. I made these the other night & they are delicious. I think they are better than what you buy in a restaurant. I have passed the recipe to several people to try them! Thx

  39. I just made these for the first time following the exact recipe, and they were delicious!!!! Thank you so much – this is one of my favorite foods! I'm so glad I have a way to make them healthy! My whole family loved them 🙂

  40. Avatar photo
    Party Snacks,Golden Lentils,Healthy Snacks,Organic snacks,Vegan snacks

    Worth trying …thanks for sharing!
    http://zouq.com/blog/page/2/

  41. This may be a silly question but I have a canister of "Italian Style Panko Crispy Bred Crumbs" (by Safeway Kitchens) in my pantry. Can I just use 10 tbsp of that instead of 5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 5 tbsp panko crumbs? Is what I have just a combination of the two?

  42. Avatar photo
    sophieshaffer

    Do you think you could omit the panko? We live on an air force base and the commissary doesn't sell it! I'd hate to drive 40 minutes to Walmart just for panko haha

  43. Made these tonight…they were yummy! My husband wants them to have a little more kick so I'm going to try spicy panko. Love them <3

  44. My girls and I just made these today and my oldest said…."you needed to make more". Yep, they were that good. Thanks.

  45. I love all your recipes someone at a ww meeting kept mentioning this website every week and everything she would talk about sounded so delicious. My 2 year old loved these sticks and I'm sure they are way better then the ones you buy at restaurants or grocery store and taste even better!!! keep up the great work!!

  46. What are Panko Crumbs and where do I find them or how do I make them?
    Teresa
    raven1999 (at) cox.net

  47. Made these for Superbowl Sunday yesterday and while my Parents and hubby thought they were good I was dissapointed.
    They were frozen a total of 24 hours prior to baking…once after I cut them in half and again after doing the flour/egg/breadcrumb steps. A few of them melted out and the others didn't really get crispy.
    Overall this once was a dissapointment, but the other things I made (mostly from here) more than made up for it 🙂

  48. I made these last night for the Superbowl and they were NOT GOOD. I did not know until too late that you are to freeze them a whole day before, but I still had them in the freezer about 4 hours before (on superfreeze) and even after breading them I froze them and no go. The breading was hard to stick, I literally had to SHOVE it in the cheese. We took it to the party, nobody ate them and they looked horrible. haha!! I think even if they were froze a day before, they would not be good….

    1. I’m not sure how you can give a negative comment if you didn’t follow the recipe and instructions. It just seems unfair.

      1. I agree with Trevor. It’s simply unkind to leave a negative comment like this when you didn’t even follow the recipe!

  49. Delicious!!! I froze for a few hours before prepping. Easy and perfect with your Crockpot Italian Meatballs for a dinner of apps. 🙂

  50. Avatar photo
    Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking

    These were so amazing, Gina! Hot, gooey and perfect with marinara sauce for dunking. Great recipe, thanks so much!

  51. I just made these, they were ok, not sure if I will make them again…? I also used WW string cheese.

  52. Avatar photo
    Vanessa Hoper (mom of 3)

    I stumbled across your website while searching for a healthy lower fat muffin recipe going to give yours a try this afternoon, saw this recipe and flipped! You my dear are a genius! I thought I'd never get to eat motzerella sticks again though I love them, this recipe is genius! BTW your pics are very nice also!

  53. Disappointed. The recipe really needs to be revised to be more clear. No problems with the crumbs sticking or anything like that. But…. Freezing after coating seems to be required. Even if you bake them immediately after coating them, as I did, they must first be refrozen before baking. Baking immediately after coating the frozen mozzarella is NOT good enough – they must go back into the freezer. My interpretation was that refreezing was only if you weren't baking them right away. I'll be freezing my melted piles of goo and attempting to turn them into something another day. Enough time wasted on these. 🙁

  54. Making these rt now for a second time. Very good with ranch dressing to dip them in 🙂 Just one of the many recipes I've tried that your site has provided and they are always easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing!

  55. I made these for our New Years gathering and they came out good. Pretty easy to make. My only complaint is the bread crumbs chunking up on my fingers and in toe bowl from the flour and egg. It was getting a bit messy and the chunks weren't sticking to the cheese as good as I had hoped. But they came out good. I'd probably try again but maybe without the flour and a different brand of cheese.

  56. I made these tonight to take to a dinner and they were VERY good! Especially good with my homemade marinara! Although, I will admit, mine didn't look as pretty as yours!

  57. I must have done something wrong because mine melted in the oven. I followed all of the instructions and even stuck them back in the freezer for about 20 minutes before baking. What a disappointment 🙁 I'll have to give it another whirl sometime.

  58. Made these tonight and they were yummy! I did have some cheese leak on about half of them, but that happens even when i bake frozen bought ones. I actually made a bunch yesterday and then just pulled some out of the freezer for dinner tonight and i still have some frozen ones ready for another time. Definitely a keeper!

  59. do they have to be frozen before to be cooked ? I was wondering if i could skip the frozen step

  60. I LOVE this recipe. I just finished eating them. Lets just say this was my dinner…..
    :]
    By the way, I had no panko crumbs on hand and I used bread crumbs in place of them. Seasoned Italian bread crumbs to be exact. Didn't turn out totally crisp. But oh were they soooo perfect! My boyfriend enjoyed them too.

    This recipe is amazing. Thank you so much and please keep more coming.

  61. SOOO happy I found this!! 🙂 I did it over the weekend and it worked perfectly, they were a huge hit! 🙂

  62. I just pulled these out of the oven, along with some of your other recipes and thought they were great! Definitely making them again and sharing with all my friends.

  63. any suggestions on how to get the bread crumbs to stick?

    I froze them for 24 hours before I started and followed the directions exactly.

  64. I made this tonight and they turned out great! I didn't have any flour so I actually used some flax seed instead- you couldn't taste the flax at all! I also didn't have any panko, I just used regular breadcrumbs. My boyfriend loved them and he is pretty picky about his mozzarella sticks and loves them friend.

  65. can you please revise your recipe and include how long to freeze them? so many comments but no one ever said how long to freeze them!

  66. YUMMY, made them tonight didn't have panko so I used crushed rice chex, only had plain bread crumbs so I added itlaian herb seasoning, Everyone loved them. I agree you should put them back in freezer after they are coated for at least 15 minutes, then bake. No problem with coating coming off. (my husband thought they were from the store)

  67. HI, I just made these as directed. I froze them for about 4 hours before baking. They melted into a big pile of cheese before they were even slightly brown. Any suggestions? Did I need to freeze them longer?

  68. Absolutely worked for us. We made them gluten-free by using a GF flour mix we always have on hand and brown rice bread crumbs (with italian seasonings). We made "panko" by just running GF Rice Krispies through the food processor (I'm pretty sure any similar cereal, including any of the GF Chex, would have done the same thing). It was great; we loved them.

  69. These were really good! The only thing I had trouble on was getting the breaking to stick to the cheese before baking. I will be making again!

  70. I made these mozzarella sticks (with cheese head string cheese) along with the skinny baked chicken nuggets and my family absolutely loved them! My husband just called and asked if i could make more mozzarella sticks for tonight. Thank you for the recipe Gina!!

  71. Avatar photo
    {northern cottage}

    how is it that I've JUST found you? Happened upon some lovely recipes and pinned away!

    I'm a PINTEREST contributor for Better Homes & Gardens and have pinned your yummy moz sticks recipe as one of my new favs! You can see the pin here: http://pinterest.com/pin/56787645271792810/ on this board: http://pinterest.com/bhg/blogger-recipes-we-love/

    xo

    http://pinterest.com/northernc/ (pinterest)
    http://www.northerncottage.net/ (blog)

  72. My husband and I made these last night. We also had the problem of them melting totally, but after reading the comments, I understand that we should have put them back in the freezer for a while after breading.

    However, we were curious as to why you dip the sticks into the flour before the egg. The egg was washing off the flour that we just coated them with. Did we do something wrong?

  73. Mine were a disaster:(. I couldn't get the flour to stick to the mozzarella stick and then they got too melty in the oven. Maybe they weren't frozen enough?

  74. I had trouble getting the crumb mixture to stick to the cheese sticks… i def. couldnt get them evernly coated and some spots the mixture wouldnt stick at all… what did i do wrong? i got them in the freezer right now, waiting to put in oven, hoping they turn out ok…

  75. I tried it with the light Frigo string cheese – just letting you guys know I wouldn't really recommend it, I cooked them for at least 15 minutes and they still weren't very melty. I'll have to try Sargento next time like Gina suggested.

  76. I followed your recipe minus putting it in the freezer and it turned out amazing. I had to write a blog about it and posted a link below:

    http://www.simplistc.com/food/the-simple-things-1-trying-a-new-recipe-that-results-to-yummy

    Keep it YUMMY!

    Liza Mae

  77. I made these not too long ago and they were awesome! My husband keeps asking me to make them again. I hope you don't mind but I posted it on my blog.

    http://misadventuresinmaine.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-no-meat.html

  78. Love your website! So many low cal alternatives to my favourite foods. I think you just saved my diet! 😉

  79. I really wanted to try your tomato bisque recipe, and we always used to eat grilled cheese with our tomato soup. Now that we're trying to eat healthier (and i have really been looking for an excuse to make cheese sticks) i figured this would be a great alternative. Everyone in my family loved them so I went ahead and made some more for the kids to make as a snack. The Mozzerella Sticks and Tomato Bisque really was a great pairing, I highly suggest it. Thank you so much!

  80. Can you pan fry these do you think? I know it's not as healthy but our oven is on the fritz and I am trying to find stuff I can cook stove top or grill!

  81. Gina, these were amazing!! I needed a late night snack and made these in no time! No marinara sauce, I'll make that next time! But they were awesome without the sauce!!

  82. Love this! I wonder how many points the other ingredients (besides cheese) add? I know you deducted the remaining toppings but I'm not sure how much. I'm using reduced fat cheese sticks (1pp each. Any guesses? Thanks!

  83. I made these yesterday and I just want to say WOW were these amazing. I even got my sister to try AND like them and she hates anything remotely healthy. Great recipe. However next time I make it i'm not going to freeze the cheese because I think it made the cheese harder to melt/get gooey.

  84. Hi, I made these sticks on friday night, unfortunately they turned out like a pie of melted muzzarella… I had put the sticks the night before in my freezer, should I use another kind of cheese?
    Thx

  85. I have these breaded, but I haven't baked them yet. I found that freezing them before breading did nothing to help the breading stick. Must be the kind of cheese I'm using. At any rate, I'll bake these later today and see how they work. Thanks for the recipe!

  86. How long do these take to freeze? I'm ready to purchase cheese and make tonight. Should I just wait to bake tomorrow?

  87. I made these over the weekend and they got rave reviews! Also, found pepper jack cheese in single serve portions at Target and used those as well, yum 🙂

  88. I am an 11 year old girl, and I made these tonight for my family with no problem. At the end of its baking time, some cheese started to ooze out of the side, but that was it. I served it with some warmed-up marinara sauce and it was a hit! I will definitely make again. The great thing about these was that I did them a few hours in advance, so when it came time for dinner, I just popped them in the oven. This is a great recipe!

  89. While these tasted AMAZING, they oozed and melted on me. I followed the recipe to a T, and the sticks were frozen solid when I breaded them. After 4 minutes on the first side, when we went to flip, they were so flimsy and started to fall apart. After only 2 minutes on the reverse side, we had to take them out because they were going flat and the cheese was going everywhere. Again, they tasted delicious and we had no trouble eating them, but I would love to use these at an upcoming party and I would love for them to look like yours. Did you use your fingers to bread? Could that be where I went wrong? Any suggestions?

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Did you put them back in the freezer after breading them to make sure they were frozen before hitting the oven?

  90. I'm lazy and cheap, so I used Italian Shake & Bake seasoning instead of breadcrumbs, panko, and parsley; and I thought it was delicious!

    I prepped it, then froze it for an hour… then baked for 10 minutes. YUM 🙂

  91. This is looks absolutely wonderful! I wonder how much flavor would be added if one added a packet of Good Seasoning Italian Seasoning mix.

  92. Hey, Gina! Do you think it will still come out good without lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil?

    1. I would use foil just in case some happen to melt a little more than you expected..the cheese came right off the foil..might be harder to get off the baking sheet?

  93. OMG!!! These are amazing!!!!!! I used reduced fat Sargento cheese sticks (thats all my store had) They were amazing!!!!!

    1. So the cheese doesn't melt immediately as soon as it goes into the oven. You want to get the nice brown crisp from the breading on the outside and have the cheese a bit melted on the inside.

  94. Hi! I made these for dinner last night and they are delicious! I almost didn't feel guilty for eating them. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I wrote a post in my blog about this post, see here: http://www.luuux.com/food/day-four-skinny-baked-mozzarella-sticks. Thanks for a great recipe!:)

  95. These are so delicious! I served mine with fat free ranch…..You must eat them straight out of the oven or they will get very rubbery. But hey even rubbery and cold they still tasted amazing! Next recipe to try is the baked onion rings!!!

  96. OMG!! I made these Gluten Free and they were fabulous!!! Haven't had a mozzi-stick for years!!!! YUM!!!!!!

  97. These were great! I used the new tomato and basil string cheese because my roommate wanted those ones. They spilled a little out of the breading, but I'm not sure if that's because I left them in too long or if it's due to the type of cheese. I also didn't have any cooking spray to coat them with.
    Despite them falling apart, they tasted wonderful!

  98. Hi Gina, as a self-identified domestic diva in training, I want to thank you for your easy to follow, great recipes. I've made it a new years resolution to learn how to cook this year, and your website is helping me a lot. I made these mozzarella sticks as an appetizer for a dinner party for some of my girlfriends and they LOVED the dish! Of course, they already follow Skinny Taste, but I at least got some cooking street cred with these–they were delish! Thanks!

  99. Didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but I'll try again with Sargento. I used WW brand bc I had a coupon and forgot about spraying them. They didn't get crispy or stay hot. They also spilled out of the breading. In the 2 minutes from oven to plate, they were solid cheese again. 🙁 I'm going to try again with Sargento, spray, and I'm going to do as a reader commneted, and coat them twice. 🙂

  100. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I'm so glad you all liked them. You have to follow the recipe exact, any changes can effect the results.

  101. OMG these were GREAT! So easy and so good. We used egg beaters in place of the egg and I found panko crumbs seasoned with parmesan and herbs. So we just added a hint of italian seasoning. Amazing and perfectly gooey.

  102. Gina, YOU ROCK!!! We made these for the Superbowl and my husband and I just LOVED them!! they came out exactly as you have pictured…. all ooooey-goooey, YUM! thank you!!!!

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      Where they frozen when you dipped them in the egg? They should be. Also a whole egg works better than egg whites.

    1. Avatar photo
      Gina @ Skinnytaste

      You baked them too long. You really have to keep an eye on them, they melt quick. They also must be frozen before they go in the oven.

  103. I made these at a superbowl party I went to and they were a big hit. So yummy, can't wait to make it again.

  104. Avatar photo
    Laura @Wylde Thyme

    Was wondering what I could make the kids tomorrow for a 'special' valentine's treat. I'm going to throw the cheese sticks in the freezer right now! Thank you!

  105. I used water, left out the flour, and used panko italian style bread crumbs and panko plain bread crumbs…turned out amazing!! Saved some calories by not using the egg and by not using the flour 🙂 Excellent recipe! Thank you

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    Stephen, FeedingMyFolks

    I didnt even know I was craving mozzarella sticks until I saw this on Pinterest! I'll be whipping up a batch of these tonight to snack on during the Grammys

  107. Avatar photo
    Jolie Bourgeois

    Gina,

    I just tried this and had to take them out after just 6ish minutes total since they started oozing… when I was breading, I left a few fingerprint spots where the breading came off on my fingers, and that's where the cheese oozed. Would you recommend a double-breading? Maybe freezing after the first egg bath, then dipping in egg again?

    Other than that, they were great 🙂

  108. Gina,

    This website is amazing! For the past 3 weeks now I have ONLY used recipes from your site and they have all been delicious!

    How long will these mozzarella sticks keep for in the freezer? I was thinking of making them today and then freezing them for use at a later date.

  109. Made these last night for some friends in a weight loss competition with me, and we all LOVED them — so tasty and encouraging that I can make one of my favorite snacks skinny-style. Thank you!!

  110. Made these tonight and OMW….After the first initial breading of panko, I redipped in egg and redipped in panko for a better coating..The first coating didn't seem to grab all that well…

    My son LOVED them…

  111. I just started really dieting. I went out to dinner the other night and my hubby ordered cheese sticks. It was not until I ate 2 and went to put my calories into fat secret that I saw how high the fat content and the calories were. It was 43% of my RDI just to have cheese sticks!!! Needless to say, this recipe looks amazing and its nice to know that I don't have to go without cheese sticks for the rest of my life!!!

  112. These were SO GOOD! I made theses for dinner tonight with some other appetizers and these were a hit!!

  113. These were SO yummy, even though I had problems with the breading. I had to keep re dipping into the egg mixture to bread it all the way. They were more time consuming than I thought, but I also doubled it to make cheddar sticks for my hubby. Those didn't come out though. It was a puddle of cheese and breading. But mine were definitely worth it!!Thanks for the recipe!!!

  114. Gina, my family LOVES this recipe!!! I made these and the zucchini sticks, and they were big hits. I have a question though . . . I must be 'breading challenged'. For both recipes I had to use at least twice the breading and egg. I'm missing something in the technique – I even tapped off excess at every opportunity. Help!!!!

  115. I made these for the Super Bowl. They turned out very good!! They did tend to get cold really quick so next time I will only bake a few at a time to keep them fresh. Otherwise, great recipe!!

  116. Avatar photo
    Lydia Nichole

    Hi, I found your recipe from Pinterest! Unfortunately, mine didn't turn out quite like yours! They were a goopy mess! They still tasted good though; not sure what went wrong! :/

  117. Mine melted everywhere and I don't know why :(. Everything else I've tried has been phenomenal though! I'm not even on weight watchers but I use recipes from here at least twice a week!

  118. Made these for the super bowl last night and they were a HUGE HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  119. Made these for pre-game, PuppyBowl snacks. Before I blinked the boyfriend had eaten 9 of them! Total hit, thanks again and again!
    I counted and made 7 of your recipes last week alone.

  120. Avatar photo
    Tina Dashiell

    Thanks thanks thanks!!! made these for superbowl and everyone loved them and I am super happy that they were low cal snack 🙂

  121. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I'm so glad you all liked them!!

    Soozay, yes you need to re-freeze AFTER breading. They should go into the oven in a frozen state.

    Jessica, were they frozen before you dipped them in the egg? They need to be frozen first, this also helps everything stick nicely.

    Aviva, yes you should watch these close, 4 minutes on each side for your oven might be better but keep an eye on them so they don't melt.

  122. These are SO delicious! I made these to serve at a Super Bowl party and everyone raved about them. They were gone within minutes of coming out of the oven. Totally curbed my junk food craving!

  123. Avatar photo
    Aviva Goldfarb

    I made these last night and the breading did stick, but they all melted after I flipped them onto the second side. Are we supposed to watch them carefully on the second side? I just set the timer for 5 minutes.

  124. I made these last night and they were very tasty! But…can someone help me out a bit? The breadcrumb mixture did NOT stick to the cheese. Did anyone else have this problem?

    I dipped them in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and then froze them again.

    Don't get me wrong, they tasted great anyway, but I was sad they didn't bread like I wanted them to. Any tips?

  125. I must have done something wrong…they all melted. :(. I froze the cheese & followed the directions precisely. Should I have froze them again after "breading" them? Will definitely attempt them again.

  126. Made these tonight and my husband's friend asked where I bought them 🙂 They were delicious!

  127. Avatar photo
    Michelle in WA

    These were amazing!!! The tip of refreezing after they were breaded did the trick, they skept their shape and tasted great!

  128. Hey Gina – I have made so many of yr recipes that I am addicted to looking thru all yr recipes. So, I just got out of the hospital and wanted to make a little something for my husband to snack on during the game. I just followed yr recipe for the mozzarella sticks but I used egg whites and whole wheat flour instead hoping to cut the calories a little bit more – they are in the freezer now and guess I will see how they come out later. Thanks, Connie

  129. Avatar photo
    brighteyedbaker

    I am OBSESSED with Mozzarella sticks and love that you made a healthier version! Looks to die for!!!

  130. Just made these and my whole family loved them! Much healthier and way better tasting than the deep fried version. I also used WW cheese for mine and it turned out GREAT! I am loving all recipes I see on here. Thanks!

  131. Avatar photo
    Inspired by eRecipeCards

    Great timing for super bowl night!

    And just LOVE the photos, amazing work!

    Dave
    Thanks for sharing eRecipeCards.com

  132. These mozzarella sticks are fabulous! They were so easy to make and have way better flavor than the unhealthy version. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

  133. Yummy – I made them gluten free by using crushed cornflaes (very finely crushed) and they were delish! Thanks!

  134. Avatar photo
    Gina, A Hungry Teacher

    Gina, these looks fabulous! I love how you used string cheese, great idea! I think I'll serve these with marinara and a side of pesto, yum! thanks

  135. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Make sure you put them BACK in the freezer after you bread them. They need to go into the oven completely frozen, if you don't they will melt quicker.

    Also, all ovens may vary so keep an eye on them.

  136. I have made many of your recipes and I have loved them all so far, but was slightly disappointed tonight when I made these. Even though I followed the directions exactly, froze the cheese, then the prepared mozz sticks, they still melted flat in 6 minutes. I even used the exact cheese that you did. Still ate them with the marinara though and they tasted GREAT! Love your recipes — keep them coming!

  137. Avatar photo
    Chelsea Chabreck

    These were delicious!!! The Sargento cheese had great flavor and they tasted better than others I've had before. Freezing the cheese before you bake them is definitely a must because they melt so fast in the oven. I limited my time after you flip them to about 2-3 minutes because the cheese was already oozing out, but regardless they were awesome. I also paired the dish with your marinara recipe and it was great! Thank you for a great, healthy recipe 🙂

  138. Seriously….I am drooling on my computer looking at the picture to these. These will be a big hit with my family…thank you so much!!!

  139. I also found your site from Pinterest. It has some great, regular, recipes. I just made the broccoli mac & cheese the other day. Very good. I will be making this over the weekend. I have tried it before but not freezing the sticks. I bought some store brand, so we will see how that goes.

  140. Avatar photo
    Jennifer Quinn

    These look so delicious! I found this on Pinterest – and your website will definitely be bookmarked! What a great resource. Thanks! @JennyQ

  141. Avatar photo
    Sue Kauffman

    My teenage daughter will join me in the kitchen IF the recipe is easy and it's something she likes. This will lure her in for sure!

  142. YUM! My friends and I decided to have a Skinny Taste party next month. Everyone is to bring their favorite recipe from your website. I am sure everyone will have the same problem – to pick just one or two!

  143. Thanks for all your recipes! They are great and I feel like I can finally cook some great things for my family. Cooking the Bangin Shrimp again tonight!

  144. Wow….no more telling my daughter NO to cheesesticks! With this 'healthified' recipes I can't wait to make them for Super Bowl.

  145. Just wondering if I could make these Friday afternoon and bake them on Sunday before the game? The recipe looks awesome, on par with many of my Gina favorites. thanks for all you do!

    1. I prepped them on Saturday and baked them on Monday..I just kept them frozen the 2 days and popped them right into the oven. They came out perfect.

  146. OMG I am so excited to have found this site.I love everything about it and the pictures so I know how it's supposed to look at each step.
    trying baked rice and peas and chic.mush.in garlic wine sauce tonite.

  147. Avatar photo
    Heather @ Kids in the Sink

    My husband loves mozzarella sticks, but I hate the greasy fried version. These look so good and cheesy. I love ways to make his favorite foods better!

  148. If you can't find Panko breadcrumbs by the other breadcrumbs, check the Asian food section of your grocery store. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese style breadcrumbs….and yummy!

  149. I just made the chicken, escrole, white bean with whole wheat past and it was great! I'm trying to cut out the WHITE and just bought the 4C's brand of Italian bread crumbs but guess what…WHOLE WHEAT! I'm gonna use these for the recipe! Thank you for your great recipes Gina!!!!!
    Signed,
    An Italian Foodie!

  150. These sound delicious! I don't have mozzarella string cheese but I have the regular Sargento ball – so I figure I'll try making these tonight and just cut the ball up into strips – so we'll see how it goes!

  151. Avatar photo
    suzann from nj

    Hi Gina- these look great and will def be making for Super Bowl. My son and I made the Empanadas with your recipe last night and they were fabulous! Making those too! thanks for all your ideas and hard work. We are loving the food and it is really helping this foodie stay OP. Suzann

  152. Gina – I can't wait to try these. I was looking for more apps for super bowl… and you definitely don't disappoint. Thank you for your time and diligence in creating these!!

  153. Gina, I love your site and I can't wait to try these! I was wondering if you had a skinny version of fried pickles?

    1. I know this is a little late, but here's a link to a recipe for baked "fried" pickles!
      http://www.thevanillatulip.com/2011/11/cilantro-garlic-ranch-fried-pickles-and.html
      I made these at superbowl and they were super delicious! I served them with a zesty hidden valley ranch packet mixed up. It was a little thick so I would maybe add some milk to the sour cream to make it a little thinner, but other wise it made a delicious pair!

  154. I loooove cheese sticks and haven't had one in a very long time. I have found my Super Bowl snack. Thanks for sharing.

  155. Avatar photo
    Tip Top Shape

    This is pure genius. I am not having a superbowl party but I will definitely be making these 😀

  156. Every time I think I couldn't love you and your recipes more, you post something like this and I fall in love even more. I have Celiacs and eat gluten free and can make almost everything on here with just a few changes. I'm not sure what I ate for dinner before I found you! Thank you for making WW and weight loss easy and delicious!

  157. Avatar photo
    Elina (Healthy and Sane)

    I actually planned on making something like this on Sunday (already bought string cheese and all). I love your addition of herbs. Fantastic!

  158. OMG, how I love cheese sticks! Your pictures of the stringy, melty cheese are practically food porn! 😉 I'm making these ASAP (and maybe I'll share with the hubby and kid).

  159. Just made these yummy mozzarella sticks. But instead of using the regular string cheese we substituted kraft jalapeno string cheese with even lower nutritional values and it added just the right amount of kick!!! We will be making these again for sure, thanks Gina 🙂

  160. These look incredible! I love your chicken nuggets recipe, as well as so many others, so I know these will be superb! Thanks for taking time to create awesome, healthier recipes 🙂

  161. I can't wait to try these! Thank you so much for listing the old point values…Love your blog…

  162. This looks great! Actually all your recipes look great. I have tried several of them and they are delicious. Tonight I am making your spinach meatballs. They are cooking right now and smell wonderful. Thanks for sharing all your good recipes with us.

  163. Yum!!! Will make these this weekend. Won't be watching super bowl as it starts at half 11 at night and 49ers aren't in it!

  164. Avatar photo
    ashleymmorgan

    I was JUST talking with my family this weekend (as we sat and ate frozen…well, then, cooked, mozzarella stick) that I wanted to try making some! They laughed at me, but here is my solution! I was going to try and make up my own recipe but now I don't have to! Thanks!!!

  165. I literally had a craving for mozzarella sticks as I was opening this site – it was the most perfect moment! lol

    Any idea how long it takes for both freezing steps? I know I would be able to tell when they appear to be frozen but I'm asking for preparation timing purposes.

  166. These look amazing… I'd probably want to eat all 24 though. Could you use standard mozzarella? The shape would be a bit off of course but just wondering if you think that would work!

    1. Avatar photo
      Mama Ds Dozen

      I had the exact same thought. They look amazing . . . but there is no way I could stop at just 4.

      Laurel
      mama of 12

  167. Actually, I think cheese sticks are something I may like even more than my kids! These look delicious.

  168. Instead of coating them with egg, try lemon juice. I just made chicken scallopini this way and it worked great. Not sure what flavor the cheese might absorb though? I wonder if chicken broth would work?

  169. Avatar photo
    The Path Traveled

    Just added to my New Zip List. Thank you for adding that feature to your blogg. I will have to go back and tag all the ones I'v tried on your blog.
    Thanks again

  170. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I made them with WW cheese, I found them too salty but they still work fine and melt fine.

    Claire, too bad I didn't see yours after I attempted these like 4 times!

    I don't know how mustard would work to replace the egg? Maybe the buttermilk would work better as suggested.

  171. Julie for the egg allergy, I would substitute non-fat or low-fat buttermilk for the egg. I've done this for onion rings as well and had good luck with it. Looks like I have a new recipe for Super Bowl!

  172. Avatar photo
    Heidi @ Food Doodles

    I'm making these in the near future for sure! Probably not on Sunday, but SOON. They look so delicious, and not as complicated as I thought 🙂

    1. you can get them in the next to most of the breadcrumbs or by the flour in some stores… It's an Asian breadcrumb very fine texture.

    2. Ian's makes a gluten free panko for those with Celiac's or going gluten free it also comes in Italian panko!

  173. @ Julie, my grandmother used to use water instead of eggs for the breadcrumbs to stick to chicken cutlets when the healthy members of the family would come over for dinner. I'm almost positive it would work in this situation too. cheese is stickier than chicken!

  174. Avatar photo
    Katherine Ross

    My entire Superbowl Sunday is going to be lightened up and WW-friendly… thanks to your amazing recipes!!

  175. Do you think they would hold together if I substituted mustard for the egg? Or something else? We have an egg allergy here, but they look soo tasty!

    1. I would substitute non-fat or low-fat buttermilk for the egg. This will help keep it bound together

    2. Buttermilk or some plain nonfat yogurt/plain greek yogurt with a small amount of skim milk to water a bit could substitute for the egg!

  176. Yay! Cheese sticks are my favorite! I attempted to make mozzarella sticks in college once and they just turned out to be puddles of cheese on the pan after I baked them 🙁
    This recipe looks way better!

    1. Avatar photo
      Stephen, Feeding My Folks

      Make sure to freeze them before baking! They have to be fully frozen; when you bake them a crust will form and trap all that gooey cheese inside

  177. WOW, just in time for the superbowl!!! Thanks for this recipe! I love mozzarella sticks and tried someone else's ww recipe but they just didn't taste right. I know yours will be yummy.
    Can't wait to make some! Thanks again!

  178. You know the way right into my heart. These will be making an appearance at my dinner table this month.

    Did you choose Sargento purely because it was the flavor winner, or did it also melt better? I only ask because I have some store brand string cheese in my fridge already.

  179. Holy cow….these look amazing. My hubby and 4 year old LOVE mozzarella sticks. Wonderful way to do it. Now I can enjoy some with them without guilt!
    Thank you,
    Jessica

  180. Avatar photo
    Claire @ Live and Love to Eat

    I posted a nearly identical recipe a few weeks ago. Really simple and healthy.

    1. I used the WW string cheese. It worked just as well, and not as many calories! I reccomend using the WW cheese actually.

    2. Avatar photo
      Sallie Pfister

      I made these tonight with WW cheese left out the flour and only used the egg white……EXCELLENT!!!!

    3. I made them with WW string cheese…….AWESOME! I was looking for an alternative to McDonald's fried cheese sticks. My new go-to appetizer recipe! YUM!