These crispy, cheesy, oil-free mozzarella sticks are made from hearts of palm — not ultra-processed vegan cheese — and they’re a total game-changer.
Ingredients
1 tin hearts of palm
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
Oil free breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Dry the hearts of palm thoroughly.
Pat them dry with paper towels or a clean towel.
Let them sit 10–15 minutes if possible. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll become.
Make the batter.
Mix the chickpea flour, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.
Whisk in the water until you have a pancake-batter consistency. If it’s too thick, add 1–2 teaspoons more water.
Coat the sticks.
Dip each heart of palm into the batter.
Roll in the oil-free breadcrumbs, pressing gently so they stick.
Arrange on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet if you have one. This lets hot air circulate all around. If you don’t have a rack, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake
Bake 15 minutes.
Turn each stick over.
Bake another 10–15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.
Optional extra crispness
Turn on the broiler for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully so the crumbs don’t burn.
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Modified Recipe:
You can make these in the air fryer without breadcrumbs. The chickpea flour batter will act as the coating, though the outside will be softer and less crunchy than a breadcrumb version.
Low-SOS Air Fryer Hearts of Palm “Mozzarella Sticks”
Ingredients
- 1 can hearts of palm, drained and patted very dry
- 1/3 cup chickpea flour (slightly more than the original recipe for a thicker coating)
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder (optional)
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/3 cup water (add gradually until it becomes a pancake-batter consistency)
- 1–2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, for a cheesy flavor)
Instructions
- Pat the hearts of palm very dry with paper towels.
- Mix the chickpea flour, seasonings, and nutritional yeast.
- Slowly whisk in the water until you have a thick batter that clings to a spoon.
- Dip each heart of palm into the batter, coating well.
- Let them sit for about 5 minutes so the chickpea flour hydrates.
- Place in the air fryer basket lined with parchment made for air fryers (or on a lightly greased perforated liner if you use one).
- Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 8 minutes.
- Carefully turn them over and cook another 6–8 minutes, until golden and firm.
For extra crispiness without breadcrumbs
Try one of these:
- Sprinkle a little dry chickpea flour over the wet batter before air frying.
- Dust lightly with oat flour if you have it.
- Crumble plain unsalted rice cakes into coarse crumbs and use those as a coating.
- Pulse old-fashioned oats in a blender or coffee grinder for a rustic coating.
Dipping sauce (SOS-friendly)
Mix together:
- 2 tbsp unsalted tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup or date syrup (optional)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Water to thin to dipping consistency
This version stays very close to a whole-food, low-SOS diet while taking advantage of your air fryer. The nutritional yeast is optional but really helps give a more “mozzarella stick” flavor without using processed vegan cheese.