healthy mozzarella sticks

Yes, mozzarella sticks can be healthy! Who says our favorite cheesy foods have to be off limits?

Mozzarella sticks are awesome for every occasion, and make for a delightful snack that most of us have been accustomed to since childhood. Now that we’re mature college girls who are more health conscious, we can still have the cheesy snack we all love, guilt-free!

Read on for instructions on how you can DIY these delicious healthy mozzarella sticks!

What you need

  • 12 sticks of string cheese in your choice of cheese, go for the low sodium kind if you want to be extra healthy
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp of flour
  • 5 tbsp of bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
  • A dollop of olive oil, or cooking spray

Preparation

  1. Cut the cheese sticks in half, making 24 slices, then freeze the slices in the freezer until completely frozen
  2. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Use a separate bowl to combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese
  3. To bread the cheese sticks: First dip the frozen cheese stick into the flour, then into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture
  4. Once all of the 24 sticks are coated, place them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil coated with a few drops of olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray (this will keep cleanup to a minimum, and keep the sticks from sticking!)
  5. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 4 minutes, or until crisp. They need to be watched closely so they don’t melt completely!

What makes these mozzarella sticks healthier? They’re home cooked with less butter, they’re baked instead of fried, and cheese sticks are a naturally lower calorie cheese snack. You can also add Italian spices or herbs to the recipe, adding them into the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture. Serve with marinara sauce and enjoy!

Have you tried this mozzarella stick recipe?

What do you think? What are your favorite healthy substitutions to make while cooking? Leave us a comment below!

85 Comments

  1. avatar Jake says:

    I finally got around to trying this recipe, Anna! Delicious! Thanks for posting!

  2. avatar Margielynn says:

    I am going to try this in my new kitchen gadget, air-fryer. I am sure they will be delicious! Thanks!

  3. avatar Rodario says:

    How are they mozzarella sticks if you don’t use mozzarella?

  4. avatar Tina Basu says:

    These look great. I have also tried air frying mozzarella sticks and they come out pretty well too.

  5. avatar Tina says:

    They look so inviting. I’m going to try these very soon

  6. avatar familyhomerecipesru says:

    Just gorgeous recipe, I do very much, and cooking description and photo of the finished dish, thank you, continue in the same spirit.

  7. avatar CookElite says:

    Can’t wait to try this! Great ideas! Thanks:)

  8. avatar sara says:

    I’ve made these several times with just the blocks of cheese. The are square but that almost seems “more real” i guess idk… Any how to the question up top, I usually dredge mine flour, egg, flouregh… And then to breadcrumb. And leave them set covered in bread crumbs in fridge for a but….They go about 6 mins in a 400 oven

  9. avatar Jane says:

    These look soooo delicious!

  10. avatar Tanya says:

    People like Jade make me happy I am Pleasantly Plump! I would hate to be so rigid I couldn’t enjoy some of the goodness God gave me in the form of food. I make my own Mozerella from a cow’s milk, which a farmer milks for me daily. My eggs are from our chickens. Our bread from fresh grains we grind by hand. These are things found in nature, how bad can they be? I personly work with a nutritionist and my diet includes a healthy dose of dairy! People have gotten too far off the path of what is natural and why women’s bodies are starting to look like sticks (some fat in your diet will make your skin plump and glow – that from a “seasoned professional” as I have been a licensed Cosmetologist for 33 yrs and I also work in the medical field. Life is too short to be without tasty food! That is why this site is for “FOODIES”. Jade, I think you need another site, maybe one called “Secret Eater”? Thank you for the foodie site with the great recipes! There are still people out here that love to eat!

    • avatar Emma says:

      She does love food and this is how its expressed because maybe she wants to be healthy because, im not saying you are,but being obese is unhealthy and personally im a vegetarian and i try to stay away from grease so this was good for me

      • avatar SB says:

        The concern trolling was unnecessary…you didn’t need to jump on this other person’s comment and essentially proselytize your lifestyle/beliefs when it was unwarranted and unasked for. You could have just said that you enjoyed unnecessary recipe without putting your opinion on people’s bodies into it.

  11. avatar Corina says:

    Great tip about freezing them before coating in breadcrumbs and baking.

  12. avatar Carole says:

    These look so yummy, I’m going to make them for my Oscar party tomorrow. I’m going to use Italian bread crumbs for the flavor.
    I’m a Weight Watcher member and am sure that they fit in with our points just fine.

  13. avatar Jennifer Rybeck says:

    The problem here is that these are labeled healthy. Most things are healthy in the right quantity given you actually get up and exercise. That’s right ladies, losing weight is as simple as burning more calories than you intake. So start keeping track of approximately how many calories you are taking in per day and how long you are exercising for. Then you step on the scale ad often as possible to track progress. Your lightest weight is generally in the morning after you pee, so dont feel bad when you see your weight going up all day. You have to spend ten minutes doing an exercise before your body starts to burn fat. So jogging for 15 min isnt going to do much for you. If you can’t make yourself uncomfortable then you will never improve.

  14. avatar Ginny says:

    Do you have a link/pin to a good marinara recipe??

  15. avatar Raven says:

    Trying them now….sure wish i did double dip to get more of a coating with the bread crumbs but still looking good. Cant wait for them to finish!!!!

  16. avatar Phô mai que says:

    Cheese sticks are always my favorite. Here we usually fry it rather than baking. It talkes nice with mayonaise and chili sauce.

  17. avatar Anonymous says:

    LOL, why is everyone worked up about if this recipe is healthy or not? Ya’ll just need to stfu and eat some carrots instead of going on the internet because I hate people who think that everybody cares what they have to say. THEY DON’T. Go choke on an eggplant or something; I’ll be eating mozzarella sticks.

  18. avatar Erin says:

    eh. you can attach the word ‘healthy’ to anything these days. it’s basically meaningless. healthy cheesecake. healthy pizza. healthy cupcakes. healthy grass fed ribeye… oh wait. nvm. personally, I wouldn’t touch these with a 5 meter pole as I have been bread/grain free for several months now and enjoying my newly found health and vitality. But I do like Angela’s idea of using mac nuts instead of bread crumbs. that sounds heavenly! thanks for the idea! also, would use real, fresh mozzarella. I would probably fry them in coconut oil instead of baking with cooking spray. and definitely needs basic s/p and probably parsley or basil. perfect! THAT is how you enjoy your food, ladies :)

  19. avatar Cathy says:

    Great. even my entire family loved! yummy!!!!

  20. avatar Angela says:

    I think I’m going to try this recipe, BUT, because I’m eating lo carbs and bread crumbs aren’t allowed, and nuts are, I’m going to try crushing up some macadamia nuts instead of the bread crumbs! :)

  21. avatar s. kearns says:

    i made these using zucchini. Even healthier. Yummers

  22. avatar Elmer says:

    I made these tonight and I used Italian Style Bread Crumbs and they had a very good Flavor, however, I had to cook them longer than 4 minutes and they got just a little too melted but they were still good

  23. avatar Special K says:

    These were horrible, they only cooked on one side, melted quickly in the oven and the breading had no flavour….they would be better pan fried…I will NOT be making these again!

  24. avatar Ginia.Maria says:

    If you really really want to make these super skinny or healthier just use fat free mozzarella, Substitute other things like, skim milk, egg whites, whole wheat flour. Try to look for low calorie low sugar bread crumbs. Make your marinara sauce home made. Don’t eat more then 5 at a time.

    To all you extreme “amg its not healthy wah wah” out there, enjoy your strict diets and glad I’m not in your shoes and restricting myself from enjoying food the best way I can while watching my intake.

  25. avatar DeJa Harper says:

    Yummy! Yes watch out for 4 min.

  26. avatar brittany.oskey says:

    This may be a silly question ,but do you use the fresh block of parmesan ? Or do you use the grated one Kraft makes ?

  27. avatar brittany says:

    This may be a silly question ,but do you use the grated parmesan that Kraft makes. Or do you buy a block of fresh parmesan cheese?

  28. avatar Jennifer says:

    I’m making these for my little buddy (My 18 month old) and myself tonight. It’s a junk food kind of night since my husband deployed and this sounds better than going and buying fried, so it’s not AS bad. Plus it’ll be a lot faster than the rest of the stuff I have set up for the month.

  29. avatar Bethany reininger says:

    Just tried them and they are yum!!

  30. avatar Allison says:

    Can I freeze these after doing the bread coating? I’d like to make them ahead of time for a party. Thanks!!

    • avatar Anna Patrick says:

      I haven’t personally tried it myself, I’m sure you could and then just microwave them for minute? Not sure how the cheese would hold up, you might want to experiment with this beforehand!

  31. avatar Meg says:

    These were great…used panko and wheat crumbs.

  32. avatar Anna Patrick says:

    Thank you Ella, that was precisely what I intended with the “health” tagline!

  33. avatar Ella says:

    Healthy is used as in “healthier than the store bought kind”! Lighten up, ladies. If all you have to do in your day is sit around and critique a fun, easy recipe, than you need… more to do… That is the nicest way I can put it. If people can’t use their own judgment that this is a “sometimes food” and not an every day snack, then that’s their own issue.

    But I will make them and enjoy them and not feel the least bit guilty!

    Enjoy your carrots and celery, you healthy people.

  34. avatar sarah says:

    Healthy Mozz sticks…low sodium string cheese and baking instead of frying…really? That’s suppose to be healthy? Lets get real ladies, this may taste amazing but its certainly not guilt free.

  35. avatar Tonya says:

    I made these tonight…. Yuck! They melted before they got crispy, Its hard to explain but the egg wasnt cooked all the way. I followed the recipe to a T. Maybe i did somthing wrong who knows but they were not good.

  36. avatar Jessie says:

    I used reduced fat cheese it doesnt melt as easily and you can leave them in the oven longer so they get really crunchy!!

  37. avatar Maya says:

    I just love this! It worked out great and I added rosemary crushed leaves to the bread crumb mixture. I will be making this a lot.

  38. avatar Monique says:

    These were ok for my first try. I did double coat them (After the first coat in the crumbs i passed it in the egg again and back in the crumbs) and that helped but I cooked them too much :) oops! I didn’t like my breadcrumbs so I am going to try a different kind when I go shopping. But overall this was simple.

  39. avatar Hannah says:

    Mine didn’t turn out too well. The cheese started melting too much before the bread crumbs were browned. Maybe because I used Panko breadcrumbs?

  40. avatar Keri says:

    The whole family loved! YUM!!!!

  41. avatar Dylan says:

    “How To… Cook Healthy Mozzarella Sticks”

    Carrot Stick. Seriously. Healthy Chunk of cheese? Riiiigghhhttt…

  42. avatar Kate says:

    I’m not sure how this qualifies as healthy or guilt free! It’s more than 1100 calories if you eat all 24 sticks. Even if you share with someone else, that’s incredibly high. Misleading headline, misleading your readers, it’s no wonder you didn’t put the nutritional information on this. Not even kidding, there are less calories in movie theatre nachos.

    • avatar Caitlin says:

      Why are you eating 24 cheese sticks! Or even 12 for that matter! If you eat 2 or 4 which is a much more sensible amount then it is way less calories. It is about 70 calories for 2 cheese sticks. This is not meant to be a main meal.

    • avatar Keri says:

      Are you kidding me? Who would sit and eat 24 of them??? Anything can be made unhealthy if done in excess. Did you know that one serving of grapes is considered 15 grapes. That’s it- 15. Use some common sense. There are no bad foods, only bad portions and combinations. The food pyramid is set in place for a reason. This recipe is wide open for however you want to make them. There are lots of low fat, low sodium cheeses out there. Some people amaze me.

  43. avatar Rebekah says:

    I tried this and they were very good! But for some reason anytime I make anything with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven it’s always dry anyone know why?

  44. avatar ATasteOfMadness says:

    Oh my goodness. What a great snack! I think I found what I’m going to make tonight!

  45. avatar Crystal says:

    These look great! I can’t wait to try them out!

    Wow it’s amazing that something as simple as a healthier (and yes Jade, cooking it with cooking spray or a dab of oil instead of deep frying is obviously healthier) cheese sticks would bring out the jerks. Are people so bored with their lives that they have to get their panties in a bunch over everything. The arrogance is beyond me. HOAG, honestly you sound like a jerk. You seem to think that you’re a great catch. I can’t imagine many women seem to agree. Jade, you seem to be jumping on the latest bandwagon that wheat is evil. Whole grains are great for you. How long have people been eating breads? How, suddenly in 2012, is it now a problem? Dairy has also been proven to be beneficially, especially in weight loss. If you are not lactose intolerant or allergic, dairy will not harm you. Take all things in moderation and you will be fine. Getting so worked up over something so small is by far worse for your health. People like you make this world much harder to live in, both of you.

  46. avatar Heather says:

    How did you get yours coated so well? What is with the person judging whether these were healthy?! Crazy. I think they looks and will taste great :) Thanks for sharing!

  47. avatar Kat says:

    @ Jade: How are breadcrumbs and mozzarella fake ingredients? I’ve yet to figure this out. I have, however, figured out that the ONLY unrealistic & misleading issue at hand is your “seasoned professional” advice. I’d like to think if you were a professional of ANY sort that you’d behave like an adult without resulting to erroneous criticism and backwards, unwarranted, snide comments. If I were you, I’d drop the cavalier, narcissistic attitude and go do your “trolling” elsewhere.

  48. avatar Jade says:

    I never once said above having a treat once in a while is a bad thing. But the use of the word healthy is not accurate. It’s actually not even any healthier than a deep fried option, so why not go for the deep fried option if you are looking for a treat? Once in a while that deep fried mozza stick isn’t going to kill you and I constantly tell my clients so. But my issue is with the description of this. Many people don’t know the different between the words ‘healthy’ and ‘treat’. Many people would take healthier and low calorie to mean they can eat it every day.

    I’d also like to point out that the fact that you are using fake ingredients (bread crumbs and fake cheese) makes the nutritional content even lower than that of normal mozza sticks.

    Honestly my issue is more with the title than anything else. It’s extremely misleading based on what it is. Lower calorie? Yes. Not flash fried? Correct. But healthy? No. Don’t fool people. If you have it once in a while that’s fine. But don’t claim that it’s healthier. Because it’s not.

  49. avatar deliilah0819 says:

    @everycollegegirl – These look great! I’ll definitely try these out.

    @Jade – I’m sure that anyone wanting to eat healthy isn’t going to make mozzarella sticks everynight for dinner. This is just a healthier alternative to deep frying.

    If you eat in a healthy way, then it’s ok to have a treat every now and then. Get over yourself and your so-called “seasoned professionalism”. Any real health professional will tell you that even a cheeseburger is fine every once in a while – as long as your daily diet is healthy.

    Ugh – people like you make it hard to live in this world. No flexibility and you think you know everything… boooooo!

    To everyone else – enjoy this recipe! (Just don’t eat it every day)

  50. avatar Jade says:

    This is NOT healthy. Not in the slightest. You want recipes for healthy foods look for ones that don’t contain dairy or wheat, and has some amount of real food product and isn’t fried. The amount of sodium in eating jsut a couple of these alone is enough to create fat deposits, artery clogging, cholesterol jumps and lord knows what else. This is nothing but nutrient devoid food-like products. The use of the word ‘healthy’ in this actually offends me.
    I’m not sure what you’re learning in college but it’s obviously nothing about nutrition. Take it from a seasoned health professional.

    • avatar Nikki says:

      Compared to regular mozzarella sticks, these are celery…

    • avatar prettygirl says:

      Stop being an asshole… God.

    • avatar Kristina says:

      Wow, if something like THIS offends you, I would hate to be around you in the real world. Not eating dairy or wheat is a life-style choice and not usually something a college student can do on a budget and if only food in dorm eating halls are available. How about you lighten up. This recipe does have “some amount of food product” such as eggs and cheese and the whole point is that it is NOT fried. Get a life.

    • avatar Caitlin says:

      Dear Jade,

      As a fellow healthcare professional, I would hope that you know health doesn’t mean cutting out dairy, oil, and carbs. I would suggest that you take another look at your food pyramid and repeat to yourself “everything in moderation” daily. There’s no such thing as a “bad” food, just excessive. You can have a few french fries, but not every day and buckets at a time. I would suggest that you allow everyone to make their own distinction about what healthy and unhealthy is. I’m sure you could agree that someone that is morbidly obese and eats 20 pizza daily, this recipe would, in fact, be a healthy alternative for them. Is it not?
      I’m actually offended that I, as a healthcare professional, am being represented by someone as ignorant as yourself. Have fun going to other blogging websites and incorrectly categorizing their recipes as “unhealthy” as well.

      PS. These look delicious and I will be making them myself at home soon :)

    • avatar Lorelai says:

      We are obligate omnivores. We NEED animal products in small quantities, and women in particular need calcium, which is best supplied in dairy foods. The calcium in even the most calcium rich plant foods isn’t adequate to the task. Low-fat diary *is* an excellent and healthy choice. As for the current “wheat is bad” fad, if you are a celiac, then yes, by all means, avoid the wheat gluten which makes you ill. If you are NOT a celiac, then avoiding wheat, especially whole wheat, does nothing but cut you off from a good source of fiber and nutrition. We as a species survived mainly on wheat products for centuries (“give us this day our daily bread”) as both a protein source and a complex carbohydrate source. Jade, you need to be educated by someone who actually *knows* about nutrition, and if you are really a “seasoned health professional” (which is a category broad enough to include paid faith healers, btw), then you should know better. Take it from a scientist who has actually read the literature.

      • avatar Erin says:

        I would love to know where you get your information from, because I wholeheartedly disagree with your views of gluten and grains in general. Also, plenty of people have lactose and casein intolerances and allergies and would benefit from avoiding dairy.

  51. avatar Anna Patrick says:

    Fingers have been the best method I have found… embrace the mess! I just washed my hands every few sticks. As for getting the crumbs to stick better, coat with more egg, or try to repeat the breading step twice on the same stick. Messier but more efficient

  52. avatar Jerrika says:

    My husband and I live in an older townhouse and everything we seem to make doesn’t quite turn out like the recipe, even though we follow them to the T, our burners and oven may not be up to par. These probably would have been okay, regardless of it taking double the time, except they were such a mess on my hands, is there an easier way to dip them besides with your fingers? lol. Also, I couldn’t get the bread crumbs to stick once it got down to the last 8. Any suggestions?

  53. avatar Emily says:

    These were so easy and delicious! I’ll definitely be making these more!

  54. avatar BBGG says:

    The word “healthy” in the title is really misleading. Mozzarella is loaded with saturated fat.

    • avatar Caitlin says:

      That is why is says you can use any kind of mozzarella, I actually used reduced fat which only has 2 grams in it and they turn out great. That is in fact much healthier than what normal cheese sticks are.

    • avatar lindsay says:

      Actually weight watchers sells string cheese and they’re 1 point each. thats what i use

    • avatar Erin says:

      yes, artery-clogging, heart attack provoking saturated fat. guess it’s just a coincidence that I haven’t died yet from all the bacon, grass fed beef, and eggs I consumer on a weekly basis :)

  55. avatar Marie @ Healthy Living Now says:

    Yours look palatable! I am probably not using enough flour or too much but they do not turn out so presentable. They taste delicious though! I will keep trying until I get them to look the way I want them.

    Thanks for sharing :)

  56. avatar Kendall says:

    Does anyone know how to tweak the recipe to cook them in a microwave so I can make them in my dorm room, thanks! Great recipe, I can’t wait to try it!!

  57. avatar Anne says:

    These were yummy but I would def recommend double-dipping in the eggs and crumbs to make a thicker batter or being sure to use Panko crumbs for a nice crunchy batter. I used regular bread crumbs out of the can and dipped as per the recipe and the coating turned out very thin and not crispy. Of course I still devoured a plate of them in record time :)

  58. avatar Hoag says:

    I would like to believe that “healthy mozzarella sticks” was sarcasm, but the site design indicates otherwise.
    I’d also like to believe that “mature college girls” was entirely a joke, but the tone and the comments indicate otherwise.
    Hey, here’s some unsolicited advice: I know most of you wouldn’t be interested in dating a guy in his mid-to-late-30s. But those of you who would must understand that if a guy in his mid-to-late-30s is interested in dating a girl in her early 20s, it’s not because she is mature. It is because he is not.

  59. avatar Stacy says:

    These look delicious! I have all the ingredients on hand except the bread crumbs. I’m guessing you mean the tiny dried kind you buy in the box and not regular bread crumbled up? I know they sell some that already have italian seasoning in them, so that’d make it super easy. Can’t wait to try!

  60. avatar Heather says:

    Elizabath – you could maybe double dip them? Meaning dip them once in the egg and crumbs and then again. I do this with my chicken parmesan and it works really well.

  61. avatar Sandy says:

    Can’t wait to try this!!! Thanks so much

  62. avatar Sandy says:

    This sounds easy and great!!! Thanks

  63. avatar Marisa says:

    I believe I’ll be making these this weekend, yes I will. Thank you!

  64. avatar Lisa @ A Little Slice of Life says:

    These look so good and easy to make. Thanks.

  65. avatar Connie says:

    Oh my! So quick and easy – I’ll be making these soon!

    Thanks!

  66. avatar Elizabeth says:

    These are really good. I was wondering how I could make the breading thicker. Also, they took about six minutes but I could have left them in longer.

    • avatar Ben says:

      In order to make your breading thicker use another egg or just add some milk to the egg, then “double dip” your cheese sticks. Go in this order. Flour, egg, breading, egg, breading, pan. This may also require a slightly longer cook time, probably another 30 seconds to 1 minute. I hope this helps and that you enjoy. I just realized this is a girls cooking site … I stumbled, here sorry that I’m a boy lol.

      • avatar Andujar says:

        I was wondering the same thing, in case I needed the option for that. Thanks.

  67. avatar DawsonAshley says:

    Omg, this sounds great! Thanks for posting im def. going to try this!

x

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