A lighter twist on a classic favorite, these baked mozzarella sticks are crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and pack 10g of protein per stick.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly mist with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, flour, garlic powder, oregano, and basil.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with water until combined.
Set up a breading station: one bowl with the beaten eggs and water, and the other with the breadcrumb-flour mixture.
Dip each string cheese half into the egg mixture, then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure to fully cover each cheese stick with the breadcrumb mixture.
Place the breaded cheese sticks on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze the sticks for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from melting too quickly while baking.
After freezing, lightly mist the tops of the mozzarella sticks with cooking spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden and crispy.
Serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
For extra crispiness, you can turn the mozzarella sticks halfway through baking.If you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs, you can season plain breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan.To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.