Vegan cheese sticks!

When I heard rumor these were hitting freezer shelves, I was immediately on the hunt. It’s been decades since I have had a mozzarella stick, and I wanted to see if this new vegan option was as tasty as I envisioned.

Farm Rich was the first to produce frozen mozzarella sticks in the 80’s, so it makes sense they would be the first to create a vegan version of the traditional appetizer. I remember the first time I tried a mozzarella stick as a child. I remember the sights and sounds and even the location- it was love at first taste. I am happy to report that the Farm Rich Plant-Based Mozzarella Sticks offer the same satisfaction, although next time I would like to try deep frying them in my countertop fryer for a more authentic tasting experience.

For my review taste test, I kept preparation simple by air-frying my sticks and pairing with the included marinara sauce. I was a fool and walked away rather than keeping an eye on my sticks, so most were oozing with vegan mozzarella when it was time for serving. Ah, nostalgia- ha!

I was surprised at how melty the mozzarella cheese was since the snack went from frozen to hot in only a few minutes. The cheese is melty and sticky, but not super stretchy. The outer crust is crunchy and crispy but not overly seasoned, reminding me of a grilled cheese but with pizza mozzarella. The sticks are almost decadent when eaten alone, but the flavor becomes balanced when dipped in the marinara sauce, as it adds both sweetness and tanginess.

I devoured my sticks in less time than it took them to cook, and will definitely be buying these again. I found my Farm Rich Plant-Based Mozzarella Sticks at Walmart, but they should be popping up anywhere Farm Rich is sold.

Is there a snack you are waiting on the perfect vegan alternative for?

PLANT-BASED MOZZARELLA STICKS INGREDIENTS: WATER, WHEAT FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, COCONUT OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, POTATO PROTEIN, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVOR, POTATO FLOUR, SUGAR, MALTODEXTRIN, SPICES, DEXTROSE, PEA PROTEIN, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DRIED GARLIC, DRIED ONION, FABA BEAN PROTEIN, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE), YEAST, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, GELLAN GUM, ENZYME MODIFIED SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, KONJAC GUM, MODIFIED CELLULOSE, CITRIC ACID, TRIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), PECTIN, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

MARINARA SAUCE INGREDIENTS: WATER, TOMATOES, S­OYBEAN OIL, SALT, SUGAR, DRIED ONION, GARLIC POWDER, OREGANO, BASIL, SPICES, TURMERIC (COLOR), WHITE PEPPER.

Walmart Location: 3848 McHenry Ave, Modesto, CA 95356

Farm Rich