Mozzarella sticks are a go-to appetizer option for those who enjoy melty cheese wrapped in breaded goodness. Dinner party hosts and those who have thrown kid’s parties know they can be the easiest crowd-pleasers, but only if the quality is truly up there. The best mozzarella sticks are crispy on the outside, insanely gooey on the inside, and hold together with each bite. A soggy mozzarella stick is nothing short of a crime (and probably would’ve been spat out on the spot by the French inventors of this iconic cheesy snack). When you’re in the mood to throw together some comfort or party food, there is no room for disappointing mozzarella sticks, which is why Chowhound ranked the best and worst frozen mozzarella stick brands. There was one brand of frozen mozzarella sticks that couldn’t hold its own (literally): Avoid Snapps’ take on this cheesy snack.
The thing about Snapps’ mozzarella sticks is that they were a pretty all-rounded low scorer. The rankings kept in mind stringiness, bread to cheese ratio, and flavor, and the Snapps’ appetizer flopped in all categories. Maybe the biggest shocker was the lack of gooeyness (which is surely the main event of mozzarella sticks). Rather than offering desirable stringy mozzarella, the cheese oozed out while in the oven, splitting through the outside. The cheese used in these Snapps sticks is Wisconsin Mozzarella, which seemed promising, but unfortunately even the reputation of America’s Dairyland couldn’t save these appetizers. The mozzarella sticks got worse (read, soggier) over time, which is a huge indicator that they aren’t the type of snack you can trust to leave on the table for hungry guests, unless you want to be embarrassed. Yikes.
What went (so very) wrong with Snapps’ Mozzarella Sticks?
Snapps’ mozzarella sticks are generally considered to be on the scale from bad to mediocre, and they’re truly only worth buying if you’re on a budget, since a box of seven mozzarella sticks goes for about $1.24 depending on your location. The other mozzarella sticks in the rankings offered a much better cheese to bread ratio, which is key. In some cases, Snapps’ version actually separated entirely from the breaded shell or, just as oddly, they snapped in half — which is the opposite of what they’re supposed to do. While you can make mozzarella sticks in an air-fryer, these ones were oven-made as per the recommendations on the box, and they still didn’t offer up the restaurant-worthy, crunchy mozzarella sticks that they promise.
Beside the lack of quality cheesiness, the mozzarella sticks also proved to be flavorless. There wasn’t much seasoning in the breaded coating, which definitely lost it some marks. Brands that ranked highly include Farm Rich and TGI Fridays, both of which managed to get the right amount of salt or seasoning to bring out the flavors that put mozzarella sticks on the map. It’s also clear that some of the other brands know what they’re doing in terms of sauces. Mozzarella sticks are often paired with a delicious marinara dipping sauce, which this brand didn’t include, making its shortcomings even harder to disguise. Whether a marinara sauce would’ve saved these mozzarella sticks is another question, but it is firmly placed in last position in our books.
