Creamy cashew cheese is breaded, pan-fried to golden, crispy deliciousness, and served with zesty marinara sauce to make these mouth-watering vegan mozzarella sticks.
This isn't a New Year's resolution recipe. I feel like I have to put that out there or else somebody will lose their mind over the oil and the frying.
This is Super Bowl food. But. It's vegan Super Bowl food, and you've got to admit it's a heck of a lot better than a lot of the other options out there.
Every year I look forward to the Super Bowl, not because I'm a big football fan, but because I'm a big food fan. And I kind of love veganizing all the greasy finger foods people love to eat while watching sports.
Most years I'm all about Buffalo sauce, but this year I only got around to one Buffalo sauce recipe which is actually a remake/rephotograph of a really old Buffalo sauce recipe I posted back in 2014. There's still some time before the big game, so I can theoretically squeeze in a Buffalo sauce recipe before then, but time will tell. So far I've got zilch, but you never know when inspiration will hit.
Mozzarella sticks were my favorite greasy finger food back when I first went vegetarian. In fact, I don't even think I considered them finger food. I made a meal of these things at so many chain restaurants back in the nineties! So of course I'm obligated to create a vegan version for this site.
My vegan mozzarella sticks are made using the same basic mozzarella recipe I used in my eggplant Parm and French onion soup. I had to adapt a bit though, because mozzarella stick cheese needs to be a bit sturdier for frying and eating with your hands. Coconut oil helps firm the mixture up in the fridge, just like it does for a cheesecake, and then to firm it up even more you stick the cheese in the freezer for a short period before frying.
Because I know I'll get questions about baking these sticks, I gave it a try, and the results were both good and bad. The good news: they crisp up just as nicely in the oven as in the skillet. The bad news: due to the extended cook time they don't retain their shape as sticks. Just as tasty, but more along the lines of oval-shaped mozzarella blobs. If that doesn't bother you, then bake away! 10 minutes on each side at 425° should do it!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
For the Mozzarella
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened soy or almond milk
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (use refined if you want to avoid any coconut flavor)
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Batter
- ¾ cup unflavored soy or almond milk
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Breading
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Frying
- Canola oil (or another high heat oil)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the mozzarella into a food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Heat while whisking constantly. The mixture will become thinner at first, and then begin to thicken up. Keep heating until it become elastic and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Line a small box or container with parchment paper (I used a 6 inch x 6 inch square leftovers container). Distribute the cashew mixture in the container, smoothing out the top with a spatula, and chill for at least 4 hours, or until fully set.
- Transfer the mozzarella to the freezer while you prep the remaining ingredients. Stir the ingredient for the batter together in a shallow bowl, and stir the ingredients for the breading together in another shallow bowl.
- Remove the mozzarella from the freezer. Transfer it from the container to a cutting board, and cut into 12-16 strips (1 inch by 3 inches is a good size).
- Very generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil (at least ⅛ inch high) and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place a cheese stick into the batter to coat, then transfer it to the breading, carefully rolling it around to coat. Place it in the skillet. Repeat for as many sticks will fit in the pan without crowding (leave a good 1 ½ inches between them). Cook until browned and crisp on the bottoms, about 5 minutes, gently flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer the cooked mozzarella sticks to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Serve with marinara sauce.
Notes
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These sound incredible! Do you think they would work in an air fryer?
I think so, but I haven't tried it myself so unfortunately I can't give you instructions on how to make it work. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you give it a try!
This looks great! 2 questions: 1) would air frying these have the same flattening results as baking, and 2) would this cheese work for other uses of mozzarella, such as pizza topping, tacos, etc?
I don't have an air-fryer, so I'm really not sure! Based on what I know about them, I think the results would be the same as baking. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you try! This cheese works great as a pizza topping or in a sandwich. It's very soft though, so if you were thinking of shredding it for taco that probably won't work. It's more like a fresh mozzarella than block style.
How necessary is the oil in the recipe? I don’t use oil of any kind.
I think you could get away with omitting it. It helps the cheese firm up while you chill it, and also gives it a more realistic flavor (because cheese is so fatty), but I think the recipe would work without it. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!
hi alissa,
have you tried to add grounded Psyllium seed husks? i think it could help the sticks to keep their shape during frying/baking..
vegan love,
caro
I haven't! But thanks so much for the idea. I'll experiment with that next time I make these. :)
hey Alissa would it be a good idea to substitute the miso for tahini?
I wouldn't recommend that! The miso adds salty and savory flavor, so you could try soy sauce or liquid aminos instead if you like. :)
these look insanely good!
Thanks so much!! My husband and I found them to be pretty addictive. :)
These look great for super bowl Alissa! I've been drooling over your recipes lately. I keep asking my daughter why she has to be allergic to nuts (except for almonds). She told me it's my fault haha.
Aw, thanks so much Dawn!! :) I'm trying to do more nut-free recipes because I get so many requests for them - so many nut allergies!
They are a little bit of work but worth it. My two year grandson loved them.
The kid test never fails! :) I'm glad they were a hit! Thanks Nonna!!
This is truly a genious idea! I love mozzarella sticks, and this vegan version sounds amazing...like you said, perfect super bowl vegan food!
Absolutely!! Thanks Albert!
Wow, these look so good. I just bought some raw cashew nuts so I have to try this recipe.
Thanks Joyce!! I hope you enjoy it!