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    Home » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

    July 6, 2016 By Melissa Huggins / 29 Comments

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    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe

    Looking for a dairy-free alternative to the most popular appetizer around? Well, you've landed in the right place, because these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks are crispy, tangy and delightful.

    Overhead view of fully fried hearts of palm with sauce in the middle.

    Mozzarella sticks were my favorite junk food growing up. I'm sure I am not alone with this one. They were crunchy, stringy and yummy!

    Every restaurant that I visited had them and I ordered them religiously. They were quite addictive and filling and I'd usually get full before my meal arrived.

    Now, I can still enjoy these fun snacks without dairy with these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks.

    For this recipe, I used hearts of palm as the cheese substitute. I know it sounds crazy, but it works well, I promise. When breaded & fried, they get a little stringy inside.

    No, it's not exactly like cheese, but it's just as delicious. Also, they have a hint of tang, just like cheese.

    When I purchase hearts of palm, I look for labels that say "sustainably harvested". This way, I won't be contributing to knocking down whole trees.

    Hearts of palm can be cultivated from a base plant... it has many branches & can be cut without killing the tree. This allows other branches to continue growing.  I buy Native Forest, but there are other companies using the same practices.

    Side view of vegan mozzarella sticks on a white plate with sauce in the middle.

    How to make Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

    Process photos of setting up breading station.

    Prepare your breading station by placing ¼ cup flour in a bowl or a plate & set aside. In another bowl, place ¼ cup flour and ½ cup water together, mix well & set aside. In a third bowl or plate, mix bread crumbs and salt together, set aside.

    Dredging the hearts of palm in flour.

    Dry the hearts of palm with a hand towel to remove excess moisture. Next, place a heart of palm in the flour bowl and dredge.

    Dredging the hearts of palm in milk and flour mixture.

    Then place it in the batter mixture and cover all sides with batter. (allow runoff batter to drip back into the bowl when removing).

    Coating hearts of palm with breadcrumbs.

    Next place the battered heart of palm into the breadcrumb bowl. Roll around and press, until completely covered in breadcrumbs.

    Frying hearts of palm in oil.

    Place oil in a large pan over medium heat, until hot. You can test it by placing the edge of a breaded heart of palm in the oil, to hear if it’s ready. If it sizzles, you are ready to start frying.

    Put each breaded heart of palm in the pan, and fry evenly on all sides, until golden brown. (to fry the ends, you can tilt the pan to one side & get all the hearts of palm to the edge & submerged in oil. When they're golden brown, repeat for the other side)

    When done, place on a large plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Enjoy!

    Side view of fried hearts of palm on a white plate. A small bowl of sauce in the middle.

    If you make these vegan mozzarella sticks or one of my other recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me, Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs.

    Recipe

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    4.58 from 14 votes

    Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

    Looking for a dairy-free alternative to the most popular appetizer around? Well, you've landed in the right place, because these Vegan Mozzarella Sticks are crispy, tang
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 230kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup coconut oil , more if needed (or any frying oil)
    • 2 14 oz can/jar hearts of palm , drained (about 10-12 hearts of palm)
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour , divided (GF if preferred)
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt (or preferred salt)
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    Instructions

    • Prepare your breading station by placing ¼ cup flour in a bowl or a plate & set aside. In another bowl, place ¼ cup flour and ½ cup water together, mix well & set aside. In a third bowl or plate, mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder and salt together, set aside
    • Dry the hearts of palm with a hand towel to remove excess moisture
    • Next, place a heart of palm in the flour bowl and dredge. Then place it in the batter mixture and cover all sides with batter. (allow run off batter to drip back into the bowl when removing)
    • Next place the battered heart of palm into the breadcrumb bowl. Roll around and press, until completely covered in breadcrumbs. Repeat until all hearts of palm are breaded.
    • Place oil in a large pan over medium heat, until hot. You can test it by placing the edge of a breaded heart of palm in the oil, to hear if it’s ready. If it sizzles, you are ready to start frying
    • Put each breaded heart of palm in the pan, and fry evenly on all sides, until golden brown. (to fry the ends, you can tilt the pan to one side & get all the hearts of palm to the edge & submerged in oil. When they're golden brown, repeat for the other side)
    • When done, place on a large plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *If the batter is too thick, a little more water can be added. One teaspoon at a time.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.58 from 14 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Suzanne

      October 26, 2021 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      I made these yesterday and they were so simple to make and they tasted so good!!!! Thanks for this one!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 30, 2021 at 1:59 am

        My pleasure, Suzanne.

        Reply
    2. Amee

      February 25, 2020 at 6:26 am

      Can't wait to try these! I think they would work in an air fryer? Has anyone tried?

      Reply
    3. Scarlett

      January 05, 2020 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      Really tasty! The smaller ones definitely work best!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 07, 2020 at 10:35 pm

        I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you for giving them a try 🙂

        Reply
    4. Ann

      October 15, 2017 at 8:07 pm

      I have actually made these before!! They are so yummy!
      I commented on hearts of Palm years ago to my friend saying they taste just like string cheese and texture. I'm not veagan or anything but she is and she took the thought and breaded and fried the suckered and they were great!
      Ingredients different but amazing! She has a blog with it her recipe too. Thanks for sharing. I'll have to taste test and compare.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 16, 2017 at 7:30 pm

        Hi Ann, thank you for stopping by. Hearts of palm are my fave too. Such a great replacement for string cheese. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Beverly Ellis

      October 11, 2017 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      I have to say these were amazing! I think cheese was the hardest thing to give up when I started my plant based lifestyle and now with these Mozzarella Sticks I feel like I can make it. Thank you for this recipe. I have already shared with other family members who have also changed to plant based.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        October 13, 2017 at 2:45 pm

        Thank you, Beverly! I'm so happy you enjoyed them! Cheese was so hard for me to give up too. I love all the healthier and kinder alternatives now. So much to choose from! Have a great weekend! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jasnin-Veeatcookbake

      May 18, 2017 at 1:16 am

      5 stars
      I am speechless. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Who wasn't addicted to mozzarella sticks?! I need to find out where I can buy or order the hearts of palm in Germany.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 19, 2017 at 3:51 pm

        Hi Jasnin, Ahh, thank you for the kind compliment. I used to big a fan of mozzarella sticks too. These are a fun replacement. I hope you can find them in Germany. Can you order from Amazon?

        Reply
    7. Melissa

      May 07, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      If you are newly vegan and remember the taste of mozzarella sticks you might be disappointed with these. But if you aren't trying to directly compare, these are a tasty treat! Such a good flavor and even though fried, much healthier than mozzarella! They look so pretty, too! I fried these in my deep fryer and they were quick to make!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 08, 2017 at 9:29 pm

        Hi Melissa, yes, this is true...a newbie might expect something different. I'm actually working on a melty-cheese version right now. Fingers crossed. Thank you for making them, and for your feedback. Have a great week! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Tiffany

      March 08, 2017 at 1:12 pm

      Would they bake well? I don't use oil.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 12, 2017 at 9:02 pm

        Hi Tiffany, I've never tried baking these, but I think they would bake just fine. Just use parchment paper to prevent sticking. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Beatriz Herrmann

      January 07, 2017 at 12:49 pm

      hi, I am really curious to try this recipe. However, I do no t get how the " cheese" flavors introduce to the recipe to call them Mozzarella...maybe we can add notch to the crumbs?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        January 07, 2017 at 3:49 pm

        Hi Beatriz, thank you for stopping by. This recipe doesn't replicate cheese flavor exactly. However, there is a slight "cheesy" tang from the brine that the hearts of palm were soaking in. Also, the hearts of palm get slightly stringy after being fried. They are really good. I haven't tried it with nooch, but I'm sure it would be delicious. I'd love to hear how they work out for you. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Sophie

      November 23, 2016 at 10:36 am

      These were so good! Super easy to make. They didn't taste like mozzarella but they had a wonderful taste of their own. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        November 23, 2016 at 10:41 pm

        I'm so glad you liked them. I love how easy they are, too. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    11. Karen

      August 08, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      I just wanted to thank you for the recipe. A huge hit, even with my 12 year old. I always enjoy finding recipes I don't have to alter in regards to food allergies). In the panko crumbs, I added garlic salt & Italian seasonings. I also decided to slice each piece lengthwise to double the amount. I used avocado oil and an iron skillet. They were great with just a little lemon squeezed on them or marinara.

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        August 09, 2016 at 11:01 pm

        Hi Karen, you're very welcome. Thank you for making this recipes and for your lovely comment. I'm so happy that you guys liked them. Cutting them in half is a great idea! I'm going to try that next time 🙂

        Reply
    12. Lee

      August 01, 2016 at 1:11 pm

      Looks delicious! Where can I buy hearts of palm? I live in Massachusetts? Thanks!

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        August 01, 2016 at 7:04 pm

        Thank you so much! You should be able to find Heart of palm in most grocery stores. You'll usually find it in a can or jar, near the pickles & artichokes. I know for sure that Trader Joe's & Whole Foods carries them. Good luck finding them. It will be worth it 🙂

        Reply
    13. Anna

      July 16, 2016 at 8:33 am

      WOW!!!Wow and wow!!! I'm also with you guys on mozzarella sticks, I swear I was addicted to them at some point! And heart of palm...that's something I've never tried, so I'm off to do some research! 🙂 great share Melissa! x

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        July 23, 2016 at 4:11 pm

        Thank you, Anna! Heart of palm is also great on salads 🙂 You've got to try them.

        Reply
    14. Krista

      July 15, 2016 at 11:35 am

      These are interesting and look yummy. They have officially been Pinned :). I can't wait to try them! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        July 31, 2016 at 11:29 am

        Hi Krista, Thank you so much! They are really easy to make. Let me know how they turn out for you. Thank you for your comment 🙂

        Reply
    15. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit

      July 06, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      This is such a clever cheesy makeover!! I used to love mozzarella sticks too, although honestly just thinking about them now I can't imagine why, but this heart of palm version I am totally on board with. Especially dunked in that adorable little pot of marinara 🙂

      Reply
      • mhuggs

        July 08, 2016 at 11:43 pm

        Thank you, Natalie! I agree, the vegan version is so much tastier. My taste buds really have changed and for the better 🙂

        Reply

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