Keto Mozzarella Sticks

Name: Keto Mozzarella Sticks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese); 1/4 cup almond flour; 2 eggs; 1 1/2 cups pork panko

by KetoFocus.com

4.8 Stars (5 Reviews) 8 Comments

Crispy low carb mozzarella sticks fried or baked to perfection for that gooey cheesy center. No parmesan, coconut flour or homemade breadcrumbs needed!

a plater of mozzarella cheese sticks and sprigs of parsley

two cheese sticks side by side with cheese coming out

a big plate of crispy pork rind coated cheese sticks with a dish of pizza sauce inside

plates of cheese sticks with napkins and dipping sauce in the center

12 Mins

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
2 mozzarella sticks

Servings

138

Calories

10.3g

Fat

11.3g

Protein

0.4g

Net Carb

0.8g

Total Carbs

Sometimes you need a low carb recipe that will stop you from eating something you should. Similar to my corn dog recipe, these keto mozzarella sticks feels like you are cheating but you’re not! Each fried cheese stick is only 0.2 grams of carbs – practically zero carbs. Ready in under 12 minutes, get your ranch and marinara sauce ready for this restaurant favorite appetizer.

mozzarella cheese sticks on a white plate with marinara sauce and parsley flakes

You will be shocked at how easy it is to make your own keto mozzarella sticks with just a few simple ingredients (only 4 ingredients) and a few minutes of your time. So I know exactly what my kids are eating and I can feel good about it. Plus I don’t have to spend a ton of time preparing a snack for them to eat.

Table of Contents [ click to toggle ]

What makes this recipe different?
Recipe Details
Similar recipes others love
Freezing mozzarella sticks
Substitutions
Mozzarella sticks keto dipping sauces
How to make a keto mozzarella stick?
FAQs
Nutrition information: facts & macronutrients

What makes this recipe different?

No parmesan cheese, coconut flour or homemade breadcrumbs – Many of the most popular mozzarella cheese stick recipes call for a combination of grated parmesan cheese, coconut flour or require you to make your own breadcrumbs. The problem with using grated parmesan is that it changes the cheese flavor of your fried mozzarella stick. Instead of a mild, creamy cheese, you will be tasting notes of nuts and salt. The problem with using coconut flour is that coconut flour has such a strong underlying coconut odor which will give your cheesy appetizer a hint of coconut flavor. And there is no need to add extra time making your own breadcrumbs.
Uses ground pork rinds – Instead this recipe uses a combination of almond flour to act as the initial binding agent and pork panko (aka ground up pork rinds) to coat giving an irresistible crunchy exterior. Pork panko has zero carbs, so we are able to keep the carbohydrate count low in this recipe.
Lowest carb recipe – This keto mozzarella cheese stick recipe has the lowest carbohydrates with only 0.2 g net carbs per stick and 0.4 g total carbs.
Prioritizes flavor – Since we aren’t adding in ingredients that muddle the authentic flavor of cheese sticks, like coconut flour or other cheeses, you get a crunchy, gooey appetizer that tastes like they came right out of the fryer from your favorite restaurant.

KetoFocus fans agree it’s the best!!

” The kiddos loved the mozzarella sticks and so did I! They taste better than the store bought, frozen mozzarella sticks.”

➥ from YouTube subscriber @SallyG

Keto Mozzarella Sticks Recipe Video

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Keto Mozzarella Stick Ingredients

8 mozzarella cheese sticks (string cheese)
1/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups pork panko

Keto Mozzarella Sticks Directions

STEP

1
Cut the string cheese

Cut each mozzarella string cheese stick in half. Set aside.
Ingredients

8 cheese sticks
STEP

2
Prepare the coating

Using three shallow bowls, add almond flour to one bowl. Whisk 2 eggs in the second bowl. Add ground pork rinds to the third bowl.
Ingredients

1/4 cup almond flour (finely milled)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups pork panko
Quick Tip
Can make your own pork panko by grinding pork rinds in a food process or blender.
STEP

3

Cover with almond flour mixture

Working with one halved cheese stick at a time, first dust with almond flour.
STEP

4

Dip in egg

Then dip in egg wash.
STEP

5

Now the pork rind bread crumbs

Next dredge in ground pork rinds. Repeat with remaining cheese sticks. Do a second dip in the egg wash and dredge in ground pork rinds for each cheese stick.

Quick Tip
Repeating the egg wash and pork rind coating will ensure a crispy coating and help the coating stay on during cooking.
STEP

6

Add to baking sheet and freeze

Place each cheese stick on a baking tray and freeze for 2 hours or until hardened. This will prevent the cheese from melting before the outer coating is cooked.
STEP

7
Fried mozzarella stick instructions

Instructions for frying (preferred): Add avocado oil to a small skillet. Heat over medium heat. Once oil is heated, drop in a few mozzarella sticks and fry for about 30-45 seconds. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.
Ingredients

Avocado oil
Quick Tip
Olive oil is an acceptable alternative to avocado oil, just be careful to not get it too hot!
STEP

8

Baked mozzarella stick instructions

Instructions for baking: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 6 minutes or until golden brown and cheese starts to melt out.
STEP

9

Air fryer mozzarella stick instructions

Instructions for air fryer: Air fry at 390 degrees for 3-4 minutes.

Quick Tip
Air fryer cooking times can differ per model since some models have baskets and some have trays.

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crispy coated cheese sticks on a baking sheet

Freezing mozzarella sticks

You may be wondering why we are freezing these mozzarella sticks after we coat them.

Why not just fry them right away?

You have to freeze them first because you want the cheese to be frozen. That way when you go to cook them, the cheese will slowly melt while cooking instead of melting right away before the crispy shell is done cooking.

This is a keto recipe you can batch prep ahead of time too.

If you want to meal prep some of these low carb cheese sticks ahead of time, then you can prepare them to the freezer step. Then place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze until ready to cook.

If you have hungry kids coming on from school or sports practice or want to have some on hand for entertaining, you will want to make these ahead of time.

Substitutions

In order to make these cheese sticks keto friendly and gluten free, we use a couple of different coatings. However, if you can’t use these suggested coating options here are some alternatives.

Alternatives to almond flour

In this recipe the cheese sticks are dusted with almond flour first. This will help give the egg wash something to stick too; otherwise, the egg wash slips off and now you have nothing for the final coating (pork rinds) to stick to.

In place of almond flour, you could use any of the following nut-free options:

coconut flour – easy to find, but will give your fried mozzarella a hint of coconut flavor
lupin flour – most grocery stores don’t carry, but adds a nice flavor
protein powder – if using zero carb protein powder, will lower carbs even more than almond flour
oat fiber – harder to source, another zero carb option

Alternatives to pork panko

The crushed pork rinds are the final coating on this breaded cheese stick and it’s what gives this low carb appetizer their crispy coating. I like to purchase my pork panko pre-ground, but you can make your own pork panko by adding pork rinds to a blender or food processor and pulsing until pulverized.

In place of ground pork rinds, try the following:

grated parmesan cheese – easy to find, but will add a slight salty, nutty flavor
lupin meal – most grocery stores don’t carry, the coating can dry out easily
keto flours – doing a double or triple coating of more almond flour, coconut flour or any of the flours above can work

three bowls filled with coating mixtures and two cheese sticks on a baking tray

Mozzarella sticks keto dipping sauces

Mozzarella sticks are delish on their own without any dipping sauces, but the standard dip for all cheese sticks is marinara sauce. That’s what comes in the box if you were to buy them in the store.

Most store bought marinara sauces are higher in carbohydrates because they contain added sugars. If you plan on purchasing a store bought marinara sauce, you have to be mindful about what sauce to buy. Here are some of my favorites:

Another option is to make your own keto pizza sauce. It’s very easy to make and less expensive as well.

My kids prefer to dip their keto mozzarella sticks in ranch. Luckily most ranch dressings are low carb. Some do contain added sugars or a small amount of carbs but as long as you stick to the suggested serving, you don’t have to worry about going over your carb count for the day.

How to make a keto mozzarella stick?

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make keto cheese sticks. This recipe only involves 4 ingredients – almond flour, egg, ground pork rinds and cheese, of course.

Cut your sticks in half to make them bite sized.
Dust with almond flour.
Dip in egg wash.
Dredge in pork panko.
Repeat egg wash and pork panko to get extra crispy coating.
Freeze.
Fry for 30 seconds.
Dip in your favorite sauce!

Keto Mozzarella Sticks: FAQS

What to serve with keto mozzarella sticks?

What's the occasion? If you are just making a snack, ranch or marinara sauce is a great option. If this is a larger event and you want a spread of appetizers, try my air fryer chicken wings and pizza meatballs.

How do you make air fryer keto mozzarella sticks?

If you want to air fry these keto cheese sticks, you will follow this recipe all the way through Step 6 when you freeze the cheese sticks. Remove the frozen cheese sticks and instead of frying in oil add the cheese sticks to a preheated air fryer @ 390 degrees for 3-4 minutes.

Are keto mozzarella sticks gluten free?

Heck yeah they are! We use almond flour and crushed pork rind in order to replicate the flavor and texture of a traditional mozzarella stick.

Is mozzarella cheese keto friendly?

Yes. Mozzarella in the stick or labeled as string cheese is low in carb and has about 1 gram of carb per stick. I would encourage you to avoid the low-fat string cheese.

How many net carbs are in mozzarella sticks?

There are lots of different types of mozzarella sticks, from commercially made to made from scratch. Traditional mozzarella sticks have about 8g net carbs per stick. Ouch! A low carb mozzarella stick has only .2g of net carbs per stick. (This recipe has a serving of 2 sticks so .4g of net carbs).

Nutritional information & Macros

Amount Per Serving
Calories	138
Fat	10.3g
Protein	11.3g
Total Carbs	0.8g
Net Carbs	0.4g

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