Bacon-wrapped keto mozzarella sticks are amazing. They are delicious, decadent, and surprisingly easy to make.
When you go on a low-carb or keto diet, no doubt you have to deny yourself quite a few delicious foods. Fortunately, bacn and cheese are not on the list of “can’t have” on the keto diet. 🥓 🧀🙏
These keto mozzarella sticks are amazing. The combination of the flavorful bacon and the slightly melted cheese is phenomenal. They make a great party appetizer and are just perfect for game day. Plus, they are very easy to make!
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need two ingredients to make this tasty keto snack. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Mozzarella sticks: AKA “string cheese.” I once accidentally used low-fat cheese sticks when making this recipe and it just wasn’t the same. So I suggest you stick with regular cheese sticks – even those are usually made with part-skim mozzarella.
Bacon slices: The best slices for this recipe are medium-cut. I suggest you don’t use thick-cut bacon in this recipe, or you might have trouble properly wrapping the cheese sticks.
How to make keto mozzarella sticks
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Freeze the cheese. You do need to remember to freeze the cheese in advance. Otherwise, it will completely melt when you try to bake it (unlike halloumi cheese which stays intact when cooked) and you’ll just end up with a sticky (if delicious) mess in your oven.
Par cook the bacon. To make sure the bacon ends up fully cooked (since the cheese can’t stay in the oven for too long), you should partially cook it. I do it in the microwave, which works very well. I actually often make microwave bacon!
Wrap. Now take your frozen cheese sticks and wrap them with the partially-cooked bacon strips.
Bake. The last step is to briefly bake the keto mozzarella sticks – just 5 minutes at 400°F.
Can I sub anything for the bacon?
I have a similar recipe where I use prosciutto to wrap the mozzarella sticks. If you’d rather not use processed meats at all, you could possibly dip the frozen mozzarella sticks in a beaten egg and dredge them in almond flour or in crushed pork rinds. But I haven’t tried that so I don’t know if it would work or not.
Can I store the leftovers?
Not really. Keto mozzarella sticks are one of those dishes that you should really eat right away. But if you must, you can store the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
You’ll probably need to eat them cold (they’re actually pretty good that way!) because reheating them will melt the cheese.
More tasty bacon-wrapped recipes that you might enjoy
Bacon sure makes everything taste better. Another party snack that I love is bacon deviled eggs. They are wonderfully flavorful and decadent.
And this bacon-wrapped meatloaf is so good. The bacon does a really good job of keeping the meat from drying out.
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Keto Mozzarella Sticks
INGREDIENTS
- 6 part-skim mozzarella sticks, cut in half crosswise
- 12 slices uncured bacon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the cheese wrappers. Place the cheese sticks on a wax-paper-lined tray and freeze for at least four hours. I froze them overnight, the night before I made them.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Partially cook the bacon: place two paper towels on a microwave-safe plate. Place four slices of bacon on top. Cover the bacon with two more paper towels (to prevent splatters). Microwave for 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining slices. This renders some of the fat and will help the bacon crisp up faster, preventing the cheese from melting away during prolonged baking.
- Wrap each half mozzarella stick with a slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick.
- Place the wrapped cheese sticks on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cheese just starts to melt, 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.