One of the most stereotypical Super Bowl snacks out there, made gut healthy! These cheese sticks are air-fried, grain-free, gluten-free, SCD-friendly, and SO easy to make!
Easy Air Fried “Mozzarella” Sticks!
Mozzarella sticks seem to be an almost universal crowd-pleaser. Its hard not to love breaded gooey cheese! Mozzarella sticks are one of those guilty pleasure foods that I only seem to crave once or twice per year… but when I crave them, I CRAVE them.
The weekend of the Super Bowl is always one of those times! There’s something that absolutely screams “game day snack” when it comes to fried cheese. So as my family plans out what snacks we want for the game every year, some version of breaded fried cheese always makes the cut.
P.S. Does anybody else’s family treat big football weekend like a national holiday orrr…?
A Snack Idea for the SCD
In case you’re new here, SCD is my lazy shorthand for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I closely follow the SCD to manage my ulcerative colitis symptoms- the SCD focuses on removing inflammatory carbohydrates from the diet.
Throughout the past year with UC, one of my favorite hobbies has become creating SCD-friendly versions of all of my old favorite foods! Even though mozzarella cheese (along with other soft cheeses) is considered to be “illegal”, I’ve been able to find some aged, sharp white cheddar alternatives that don’t seem to upset my stomach:
Because grains, processed sugar, and inflammatory oils aren’t allowed on the SCD, this meant almond flour cookies, honey-sweetened pancakes, and cashew-encrusted cheese sticks!
My rule of thumb for cheese: AGED/SHARP = YES. SOFT/CREAMY = NO.
It took me a long time, but I feel like eating this way has become second nature to me. Over the past couple months, I’ve been able to add a few minimally processed “SCD Illegal” foods into my diet, but I still closely stick to the SCD for the most part!
Whether you’re suffering from a GI disorder or not, the types of foods that the SCD promotes are minimally processed, whole, natural, and full of nutrients. In my opinion, recipes based on a whole-food ingredients list can be a healthy option for anyone!
These healthier cheese sticks are:
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Low-Carb
- Oil-free
- High protein
How to Make Air Fried Cheese Sticks
Step 1: Combine the cashews, walnuts, and Italian seasoning into a food processor. Pulse on high for 20-30 seconds.
Step 2: Cut 6 white cheddar cheese sticks in half and prepare the egg wash and “breading”. Whisk together the egg and almond milk. Place the coconut flour in a separate bowl. Transfer the cashew/walnut mixture into a third separate dish.
Step 3: Roll the cheddar cheese sticks in the coconut flour, followed by the egg wash, and finally the seasoned “breading”. Place the breaded cheese sticks on a baking sheet and freeze 1-2 hours.
Step 4: Air fry the frozen cheese sticks and serve warm!
I recommend pairing them with no-sugar-added marinara sauce!
What You’ll Need:
More of My Favorite SCD Snacks:
- SCD Pumpkin Seed Protein Bars
- Air-Fried Cinnamon Sugar Bread Bites
- SCD No-Bake Lemon Coconut Cookies
- Paleo Cookie Dough Bites
- Air-Fried Mediterranean Tuna Cakes
SCD Cheese Sticks
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- Yield: 12 mozzarella sticks 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
SCD-friendly grain-free, oil-free cheese sticks made with aged white cheddar, a healthier version of a classic crowd-pleasing party snack! Grain-free, Gluten-Free, Oil-free, High Protein, Low Carb, SCD-friendly.
Ingredients
- 6 extra sharp white cheddar cheese sticks, cut in half
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. almond milk
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Place the cashews, walnuts, and Italian seasoning in a food processor. Pulse on high until the nuts are finely ground, about the size of bread crumbs.
- Prepare the breading and egg wash in 3 separate dishes: Place the coconut flour in the first dish. In the second, whisk the egg with the almond milk and set aside. In the third bowl, pour the finely ground nut mixture from the food processor.
- Roll the cheese sticks- one at a time- in the coconut flour dish followed by the egg wash and finally the cashew/walnut “bread crumb” mixture. Place the breaded cheese sticks on a baking sheet.
- Freeze the breaded cheese sticks for 1-2 hours to prevent them from melting too much in the air fryer.
- Air fry the frozen cheese sticks for 8 minutes at 375F. Serve hot!
- Category: easy snacks
- Method: air fry
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese stick
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 0
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 5
Keywords: specific carbohydrate diet, SCD, gut health, easy snack, healthy snack idea, mozzarella sticks, grain-free, gluten-free, high protein, low carb, air fried cheese sticks, oil-free
