These almond coconut crusted fish sticks are so much healthier and tastier than packaged varieties since the crust is made from almond flour and unsweetened coconut. Plus, they take less than 30 minutes to prepare, so they’re easy enough to make any night of the week! {Paleo, keto & gluten-free}
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Easy Coconut Fish Sticks
Those frozen, breaded grocery store fish sticks have nothing on these! Instead of the traditional breadcrumb coating, each one is dipped in a seasoned mixture of almond flour and shredded coconut.
You still get a crispy, crunchy texture, but it has so much more flavor (and way fewer carbs). We find ourselves eating these almond flour fish sticks all the time (they’re SO good), and I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way, too!
For more mouthwatering fish recipes, you’ll also love this Baked Parmesan Crusted Cod!
Why This Recipe is Dietitian-Approved
- The almond flour incorporates some healthy fats rather than the typical refined carbohydrates (and whole host of other not-so-healthy ingredients) that come along with packaged fish sticks
- They’re baked and not deep fried, which means they make a more heart-healthy option
- White fish is an amazing source of lean protein and B vitamins
- These fish sticks are super easy to prepare! With less than 10 ingredients, you can pretty much make this recipe by memory.
- They take less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish!
Ingredient Notes
- White fish: Use any type of mild white fish you like! Tilapia, cod, sole, haddock, halibut, mahi mahi, sea bass…they all turn out great! Fresh fish is great, but you can also thaw and use frozen fish.
- Breading: Blanched almond flour and unsweetened shredded coconut make the perfect low carb breading for fish. No bread crumbs needed.
- Seasonings: Give these paleo fish sticks extra flavor by seasoning them with paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Egg: To help stick the breading to the pieces of fish. Whisk the egg together or use liquid egg whites for less prep.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut fish into pieces that resemble fish sticks.
- In one shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut, paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat an egg.
- One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the egg mixture and flip until well coated. Next, transfer the egg-coated fish stick to the dry mixture. Flip until both sides are well coated with the almond, coconut and spice mixture. Continue until all of the fish sticks have been completed.
- Place fish sticks on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Turn up the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for five more minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- Pat the fish with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, which may prevent the breading from adhering well.
- Coconut shreds and flakes can both be used in this recipe, but I recommend using unsweetened coconut to avoid any extra sugar. However, I have heard from readers that this recipe works great with sweetened coconut flakes, too!
- For a finer coating, pulse the coconut shreds in a food processor.
- Although it may be tempting to replace almond flour with coconut flour, they bake differently and are not interchangeable in this recipe. You can, however, replace almond flour with other types of nut flour.
Recipe FAQs
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any type of white fish that you prefer. In the past, I’ve used haddock, cod, sole, tilapia, and halibut, and each time, they turned out equally delicious!
Once they’re breaded and dipped, the individual fish pieces need to cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Absolutely! Frozen fish is a great way to eat more fish without the high cost of fresh. For the best results, make sure the fish fillets are totally thawed first. Otherwise, any extra moisture inside of the fish can cause the coconut mixture to fall off in the oven.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
To store: Once baked, allow the fish fingers to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To reheat: I highly recommend baking them in the oven or air fryer to crisp up the breading mixture. Just pop them in at 375 F again for 5-7 minutes or until crisp and warmed through. Easy!
What to Serve with Fish Sticks
I’ve tried these low carb fish sticks in a number of different ways and each time, they were really tasty. Here are my top recommendations for serving up these fish sticks!
Serve them along with:
- Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon
- Healthy Roasted Potatoes
- Cranberry Coleslaw {No Mayo}
- Make fish tacos with with lettuce or cabbage, your favorite taco toppings, Pineapple Mango Salsa, and Avocado Creme
- Dipped in Roasted Garlic Spread
- Squeeze some fresh lime juice for a tropical flair
Recipe Variations
- Add some heat: Shake some cayenne pepper or chili powder into the breading mixture for a spicier flavor.
- Pan fry on the stovetop: Instead of heating up the oven, feel free to cook your fish sticks on the stove! You’ll want a large skillet, like cast iron, and warm it over medium heat with some coconut oil. Once the oil is fully heated, pan-fry the fish sticks for 2-4 minutes per side. Then, let them dry off on a paper towel-lined plate before serving like normal. This method is higher fat but handy in a pinch.
- Adjust the size: Cut the white fish fillets however you’d like! If you don’t want small fish sticks, cut fish tenders or larger sections. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time. (Note: Most fish should be cooked to 130-135 F.)
More Tasty Fish Recipes
- Blackened Cod Recipe
- Healthy Lemon Sauce for Fish
- Mayo-free Tuna Lettuce Wraps
- Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Almond Flour Coconut Crusted Fish Sticks {Low Carb, Paleo}
Ingredients
- 1 lb white fish (i.e. haddock, cod, etc.)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut fish into pieces that resemble fish sticks.
- In one shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut, paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat an egg.
- One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the egg mixture and flip until well coated. Next, transfer the egg-coated fish stick to the dry mixture. Flip until both sides are well coated with the almond, coconut and spice mixture. Continue until all of the fish sticks have been completed.
- Place fish sticks on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn up the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for five more minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Pat the fish with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, which may prevent the breading from adhering well.
- Coconut shreds and flakes can both be used in this recipe, but I recommend using unsweetened coconut to avoid any extra added sugar. However, I have heard from readers that this recipe works great with sweetened coconut flakes, too!
- For a finer coating, pulse the coconut shreds in a food processor.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in January 2016 and was updated in June 2024 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Can’t wait to try this. What is your dipping sauce, it looks yummy in the pics.
I made some type of homemade tartar sauce to go along with the fish sticks, but it was a while ago, so unfortunately I can’t remember which recipe I used. I’m so sorry! Next time I make the recipe, I’ll try to remake it and post the recipe for the dipping sauce too :)
Definitely trying this week! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Dumb question…are flakes and shredded 2 different things? Just look on Amazon
Sorry typo .. I meant I am just looking on Amazon
Not a dumb question at all! Generally, flakes and shredded coconut are the same thing. You just want the finely shredded coconut — not large pieces of coconut. Here is an example: https://amzn.to/2NMG0DA
Let me know how it goes! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was amazing, we loved it! I used fresh coriander instead of dried parsley which worked super well!
I can’t wait to try this! Do you think that coconut flour would work just as well in place of the almond flour?
That’s a good question! I haven’t personally tried subbing in the coconut flour, but I’d be interested to see what it tastes like. Coconut flour is a little bit finer in consistency than almond flour so I’m not sure if the breading would be quite as crumbly, but please report back if you try it out!
Delishious using sweetened coconut too! I will make this again and again.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Jan! I bet it was pretty tasty with the sweetened coconut as well! Happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Very tasty! Love this recipe. It’s a go to for tilapia at our house.
Thanks so much Anne! So glad you’re loving this recipe!
These look amazing! Combine healthy with extremely tasty, and you got me! Gonna make them with the dip you have shown.
Thanks so much Sally! This is definitely one of my favourite ways to eat fish. Hope you enjoy the recipe if you have a chance to try it out!