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Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, these Homemade Baked Mozzarella Sticks are the perfect appetizer or smack for game days and parties. My homemade version is so much better than store-bought and is always a big hit with my family and friends. With about 20 minutes of prep, these come together quickly and easily.
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“This was such a fun recipe for my kids’ sleepover this weekend! Delicious!” – Sara
Gooey Baked Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are a staple when it comes to finger food—they’re fun to eat, and I haven’t met many people who don’t love them. I’ve found that buying them at the grocery store can be really hit and miss, so I decided to make my own, healthier, baked version.
All I do is bread cheese sticks in a few layers of whisked egg, flour, and breadcrumbs, freeze them so they don’t ooze out when I bake them, and then bake them for 20 minutes. What I end up with is a creamy, gooey cheese stick coated in crispy breading. It takes me just over an hour to make these cheese sticks, but 30 minutes of it is chill time, so I can tackle other projects on my to-do list. This recipe makes a small batch, but I always double it so I can have a bunch of cheese sticks on hand for my kids.
Tips for Beginners
- Serve immediately. For the best flavor and texture, these cheese sticks need to be served straight from the oven.
- Have fun with different flavors. I used mozzarella cheese sticks, but jalapeño would add a great spicy kick.
- Make sure to use panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs tend to absorb less oil than traditional breadcrumbs, so the cheese sticks turn out light and crispy after they are baked.
Baked Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 string cheese sticks mozzarella and jalapeno work well
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce warmed
Video
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Halve each cheese stick crosswise (so they're shorter).6 string cheese sticks
- 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.¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp water, 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter, 1½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp ground black 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.
- 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!1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
Becky’s Tips
- Serve the cheese sticks right away for the best texture.
- Change up the flavor of the cheese stick.
- Panko breadcrumbs will give you the best texture, so don’t substitute with regular breadcrumbs.
- Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Baked Mozzarella Sticks Step by Step
Get the baking sheet ready and dredging stations ready: Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each of the 6 string cheese sticks in half. Place ¼ cup all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat 3 eggs with 2 tbsp of water. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1 cup panko bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter, 1½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
Coat the mozzarella sticks: Roll the cheese sticks in flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings, pressing the coating into the cheese stick, so it adheres well. In total, you will coat the cheese sticks 5 times.
Freeze then bake: Place the breaded cheese sticks on the pan, cover, and freeze 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Heat the oven to 415°F and place the oven rack in the middle position. Take the cheese sticks out of the freezer while the oven preheats. Bake 10-20 minutes or until heated through, crispy, and golden. Turn halfway through baking.
Serve: Serve the mozzarella sticks with a side of marinara or spaghetti sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat
Reheat the cheese sticks in the oven until warmed through.
Make Ahead
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.
Freeze
Freeze the baked cheese sticks for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I find these baked cheese sticks go hand in hand with a warm, tart spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, but also taste great with a crisp, cool ranch dressing or a creamy garlic aioli. Perfect for game days, parties, and even lunch boxes, these crispy cheese sticks are always a crowd favorite. This recipe makes enough for a small crowd, but since my kids adore these, I usually make a double batch.
More Finger Food To Try
- Animal Style Fries feature crispy fries topped with gooey cheese, sweet caramelized onions, and a tangy homemade Thousand Island-style dressing.
- These Ham Rolls are creamy, salty, and have just the right amount of savoriness.
- For Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts, I take soy-marinated water chestnuts and wrap crispy savory water chestnuts.
Can i substitute vegan cheese and vegan butter, and use cornstarch w water?
I have two non vegan children, and one vegan child.
And freezing before baking, is a MUST!
Hi, We haven’t tested this with those substitutes but let us know how it turns out :)
=( I was getting frustrated, already did stuffed jalapeno and it was getting late, so annoyed as well. The egg was not actually sticking to the flour, there was patches of dry flour. So I figured let them soak a few minutes in the egg, ehh, only helped a little bit. Then the panko was just falling off. I didn’t have extra breading. So just started hand clumping it on them. Then read they had to go in the freezer =( Already discouraged. Any suggestions to get the egg to stick to the flour? Thank you
Hi Julie, make sure to shake off any excess flour before dipping in the egg mixture. If there is a lot of flour, sometimes the egg will stick just to the flour and fall off of the cheese. Make sure to gently press each mozzarella stick in the breadcrumbs, turning and pressing to coat. You can also sprinkle the breadcrumbs over top as you turn them to make sure they are fully covered!
I really Ike these. They tasted like bar sticks. Thanks for the recipe.
We’re so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Stephanie!
We’re sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work our for you, Sydney!
My daughter loves mozzarella sticks but has an egg allergy. Could I possibly substitute whole milk in place of the egg or could you recommend another substitution for the egg mixture. Than you
Milk should work, or a mixture of water and cornstarch!
Hi Sophia, if you had a lot of breadcrumbs left, you may not have coated the mozzarella sticks enough. For these to work properly (and for the cheese to not ooze out), you really need to do all 5 coats! You can definitely leave out the kosher salt if you found them too salty, as different brands of seasoned breadcrumbs have different salt levels. I hope this helps!
If you find your mozzarella sticks melting all over, you more than likely didn’t coat them 5x like the recipe calls for. I found 5x coating was too much. I only coated mine 3x and they were perfect
Thanks for sharing!
I am sorry this didn’t work for you, Henry.
Can I keep in the freezer for longer than 24 hours? Thanks.
I am sorry it didn’t work out for you, Malia!