Gluten Free Mozzarella Sticks
Posted: 03/16/21
Updated: 04/03/25
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Gluten free mozzarella sticks are the best, easiest way to cook up a classic snack that won’t aggravate a gluten sensitivity. Perfectly crispy outside, perfectly melty inside.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- They’re every bit as delicious as traditional mozzarella sticks, but totally gluten free!
- Looking for a make-ahead option? These are perfect! Make them as instructed, including freezing them for 2 hours. After 2 hours, take them off the baking sheet and toss them in a sealable freezer bag or another airtight container, then freeze them up to 3 months. When you’re feeling hungry for some hot, cheesy, gluten free goodness, just grab a few from your cheese stick stockpile and fry them up!
- Any leftover mozzarella sticks will keep in the refrigerator up to three days if they’re stored in an airtight container. I recommend reheating them in the oven or the air fryer rather than the microwave – that way your breading stays crisp!
Key Ingredients
Mozzarella – Mozzarella string cheese is the absolute easiest base for gluten free cheese sticks! If you don’t mind a little extra work, you can buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into thick strips. Make sure they’re the same size, though, or they may not cook evenly.
Gluten-Free Flour – The light base coat of flour creates a textured surface for the egg wash and breadcrumb mixture to cling to, so don’t skip this step!
Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are crucial for crispy, classic mozzarella sticks. Panko comes out much lighter than a full-flour breading.
Chef’s Tips
- If the breadcrumb mixture in the bowl gets too wet from the egg wash, it’ll clump together and won’t stick to the mozzarella sticks well. Try to coat the string cheese as lightly as possible in the egg wash. You might also try starting out with only half the egg wash and half the breadcrumb mixture, then use a little of the remaining mixtures to refresh your dips after every few mozzarella sticks.
- It’s important that your oil is the right temperature before you drop in any gluten free mozzarella sticks. Too cool, your food will just soak up the oil. Too hot, the breading will crisp up fast but the cheese won’t melt. 350° Fahrenheit is a good rule of thumb for the oil, but you can also try the flour trick! Sprinkle a little of your gluten-free flour on top of the oil, and if it sizzles, you’re good to go!
- If the cheese oozes out of your mozzarella sticks during frying, that means they’re being overcooked. Lower the temperature on your stove a little so the oil cools slightly, then try again.
- Dipping the mozzarella sticks in the egg wash and breadcrumb coating twice is super important, so don’t skip this part. If you only do it once, there won’t be enough breading to contain the melted cheese when you’re frying, and you’ll just end up with a mess.
Enjoy These Other Gluten Free Recipes
- Gluten Free Mug Cake
- Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Peanut Butter Pancakes (Gluten Free)
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
- Best Chocolate Paleo Cupcakes Ever with Dark Chocolate Frosting (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
- Gluten Free Fried Chicken
- Gluten Free Potato Soup
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Gluten Free Mozzarella Sticks
Gluten free mozzarella sticks are the best, easiest way to cook up a classic snack that won't aggravate a gluten sensitivity. Perfectly crispy outside, perfectly melty inside.
mozzarella sticks
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 cups gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks
- oil for frying
- chopped parsley optional, for garnish
- marinara sauce optional, for serving
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- medium bowls
- Freezer
- Tall pot or Dutch oven
- Deep fry thermometer
Instructions
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place flour in one bowl.
- In second bowl, whisk eggs and milk until combined.
- In third bowl, thoroughly combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, basil, and oregano.
- Take one mozzarella stick. Dip in flour and roll until lightly coated. Don't forget to coat ends of cheese stick in all steps.
- Immediately dip flour-coated mozzarella stick into egg wash. Roll until coated.
- From egg wash, immediately dip mozzarella stick into breadcrumb mixture. Roll until coated. Gently press the panko onto mozzarella stick.
- Dip panko-coated mozzarella stick into egg wash again.
- After second egg wash, dip mozzarella stick into panko mixture a second time and gently press panko onto mozzarella stick.
- Place fully coated mozzarella stick on parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat process for remaining mozzarella sticks. When all 12 are coated, place baking sheet in freezer for 2 hours.
- After two hours, heat enough oil for frying (approximately 2 inches deep) in tall pot. When oil reaches 350° Fahrenheit, add 2 to 3 mozzarella sticks.
- Fry approximately 2 minutes, until breading is golden brown and crispy. Transfer cooked mozzarella sticks to paper towel to drain oil. Repeat process for remaining mozzarella sticks.
- Garnish finished mozzarella sticks with parsley (optional) and serve with marinara (optional).
Notes
- Oil: Any oil with a high smoke point will work.
- Timing: Fry times can vary depending on how long your cheese sticks are in the freezer. You may need to add an additional minute or two in the oil if your mozzarella sticks have been frozen for a while.
- Temperature: The oil will cool slightly with each batch of mozzarella sticks. I recommend leaving your deep fry thermometer in the oil throughout the process or at least rechecking the oil after each batch. You may need to wait for it to come back up to temperature.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1mozzarella stick | Calories: 181kcal | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Total Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 18g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 22mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose blend with Rice Panko and OMG! I loved how crispy the coating is compared to what I remember of the gluten breading. I’ve so missed mozz Stix since dx’d with Celiac. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
So glad you loved them!
Delicious and easy recipe. All the steps and suggestions are clear, ensuring a good outcome. Mine came out great in taste and appearance! Will surely keep making them.
Thank you so much, Raquel! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Ours did not look that pretty, but they were easy and delicious. I split the breadcrumbs into 2 separate bowls because the egg gets into them and makes them ick. I find it is nice to have fresh breadcrumbs halfway through.
So glad you enjoyed them, Heather. And great tip for the breadcrumbs! Thank you for sharing!
These are amazing! My family eats mozzarella sticks all the time and I can never have them. Now they’re complaining because mine taste better than theirs! Thank you so much!!
HA! Love to hear that, Amanda! Thanks so much for sharing!
Definitely cured my craving. I used the GF Italian bread crumbs also instead of panko. I have 3 left in the freezer. I think next time I will try the flour, then egg wash, then flour, then egg wash and finish with crumbs. Might be lighter? Also, I used egg beaters since I can’t eat egg yolks. Worked fine.
So thrilled you enjoyed them, Allison, and thank you for letting us know about the Egg Beaters alternative!
Would it be possible to bake these?
Absolutely!
Can you cook them in an air fryer instead of deep frying?
Sure! Just make sure to coat them well so the cheese doesn’t leak out.
These were AMAZING!!! My husband who is not gluten free & I both thought they tasted just like the real thing. Tip: the gluten free Panko crumbs are too chunky & fell right off. The first stick was a mess. I blended the panko crumbs & added 1 piece of Trader Joe’s gluten free white bread to the mixture. Worked perfectly. Will definitely make again!
So glad y’all enjoyed it! 🙂
Don’t waste your time . There’s no way to make as directed . Impossible to coat as directed
Hi Will, we’re sorry you had this experience. We strive to create recipes that are easy to make at home after being tested by our staff many times. Regardless, we’re sorry you had trouble getting the coating to stick and appreciate your feedback.
Use aleias gluten-free Italian bread crumbs works much better than Panko and is already seasoned. I add a little salt and pepper
Glad you made it work for your taste!
They’re okay. Though using a deep fryer with pure olive oil, 2 mins is too long even after 2 hours frozen at 350°F. I had to reduce to 1.5mins, seems better. The directions are fine, if your panko doesn’t stick then you’re doing it wrong. I eat all organic/corn/gluten/soy/sugar/nut free so this is ideal for me. My only issue is cook time and the double layer of panko isn’t needed, too much breading in my opinion.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Tyler. We’ll definitely keep this in mind when we revisit this recipe in the future.