This vegan hot honey tofu is coated in a cracker crust, tossed in a sticky homemade hot ‘honey’ glaze and baked until golden brown and crispy. Serve the tofu alongside rice and a simple mango avocado salad for a fresh spring or summer plant based dinner.
📝 Why You’ll Love This Hot Honey Tofu:
- Taste: The perfect combination of sweet and spicy with a touch of saltiness and richness from the cracker breading.
- Texture: The tofu is crispy and sticky. The mango salad is juicy and refreshing!
- Difficulty: Easy 🙂
- Customizability: Add this tofu to sandwiches, salads, rice dishes, power bowls and more.
- Time: Breading the tofu does take a bit of time, but the whole meal is ready in about an hour. The salad and rice can be be made in advance.
- Why We Love This Baked Tofu: The homemade vegan hot honey sauce is SO delicious. I love how it has the perfect amount of heat. I opt to use red pepper flakes instead of hot sauce (like in traditional hot honey), and add a touch of vegan butter for a better flavor.
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Tofu: Be sure to use extra-firm tofu or super-firm tofu for the best texture. If using extra-firm tofu be sure to press the excess liquid out of the block.
- Agave Nectar: To keep this recipe vegan, I used agave instead of honey. You could sub in maple syrup or vegan honey.
- Plant Milk: This helps the breading adhere to the tofu. I used almond milk but you can use your favorite dairy free milk like oat or soy milk.
- All Purpose Flour: I used all purpose flour to make the crust for the tofu. If gluten free, you can substitute in a 1:1 GF flour blend. Or you can try using more cornstarch.
- Round ‘Butter’ Crackers: These crackers make the best coating. I used a generic version of Ritz Crackers that were vegan. They make the breading crispy, crunchy and buttery. You can of course use regular breadcrumbs if you’d like.
- Red Pepper Flakes: I love using red pepper flakes vs. sriracha sauce or hot sauce in the homemade vegan hot honey. I find it provides heat without giving the sauce an overpowering flavor.
- Oil: I used olive oil to help make the tofu crispy when baked. You can use vegetable oil or avocado oil instead.
Helpful Equipment
- Clean Kitchen Towel or Paper Towels: To blot the tofu
- Baking Pan or Sheet Pan: To bake the tofu pieces
- Shallow Dishes or Bowls: For breading the tofu
- Parchment Paper: For baking the tofu and easy clean up
Step-by-Step Instructions
*Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: Drain and lightly blot the super firm tofu block with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Tear the block of tofu into 1” pieces.
📌 TIP: You can also make this recipe with cubed tofu (just cut the block into bite sized cubes) or tofu slabs (cut into 1/2″ thick rectangles).
STEP 2: Pour the almond milk into a small bowl. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to a large shallow bowl and mix. Pour the crushed round crackers in a third bowl.
STEP 3: Dip the tofu in the almond milk, then place in the flour mixture. Coat it well with flour and dip back into the almond milk. Once wet, dip the piece of tofu in the crushed crackers to coat.
STEP 4: Place the coated tofu on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces.
STEP 5: Make sure to tofu is in a single layer and drizzle everything with a little oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway until the tofu reaches a crispy texture.
STEP 6: Make the vegan hot honey by mixing the sauce ingredients together (agave, red pepper flakes and melted vegan butter).
STEP 7: Once done baking, toss the crispy baked tofu in the vegan hot honey.
STEP 8: Combine diced mango, corn, cilantro, green onions, lime zest, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well, then gently fold in the avocado. Then, serve the tofu with the salad!
Serving Ideas & Storage
I’m a big fan of serving this hot honey tofu over a bed of rice with the mango salad on top. It’s fresh, bright, sweet, spicy and a great warm weather meal.
You could also serve the tofu with brown rice and lots of fresh greens. Below are a few more recipes that would pair nicely with it:
The mango avocado salad will store well for 1-2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The lime juice in the salad will help prevent the avocado from oxidizing but it may still darken in color.
If storing the tofu, keep in mind the breading will lose some of it’s crispiness. It will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, bake at 425F for 10-15 minutes until the exterior is crispy again.
Helpful Tips For The BEST Hot Honey Tofu
❶ Use Super Firm or Extra Firm Tofu: This creates the best texture. Don’t use soft or silken tofu here.
❷ Divide the Breading into Two Batches: To prevent the crackers and flour mixture from going soggy, you can divide the breading into two. This makes sure the crackers stay crispy as you bread all the tofu.
❸ Use Shallow Yet Large Bowls: To make breading the tofu easier, I recommend using a large bowl that’s also shallow.
❹ Flip the Tofu Halfway: Don’t forget to flip the tofu for the crispiest texture!
More Delicious Vegan Tofu dishes:
- Vegan Tofu Egg Rolls
- Balsamic Tofu
- Garlic Lime Tofu
- Sesame Tofu
- Vegan Bang Bang Tofu
- Tofu ‘Chicken’ Nuggets
- Szechuan Tofu
Did you make this Vegan Hot Honey Tofu Recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Crispy Hot Honey Tofu
Ingredients
Vegan Hot Honey Tofu
- 15 oz super-firm tofu - or use extra-firm tofu
- 1 cup almond milk - or other dairy free milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour - 60g
- ¼ cup cornstarch - 35g
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 cups round crackers, like Ritz - 126g, finely crushed
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
- ½ cup agave nectar - 169g, or use maple syrup or vegan honey
- ¾ tsp red pepper flakes - 1g
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter - 28g
Mango Salad
- 1 cup fresh mango - diced
- ½ cup sweet white corn
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro - chopped
- 1 green onion - minced
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2-3 tsp lime juice
- ⅛-¼ tsp salt
- ½ large avocado - diced
Serving
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice - for serving
- 1 cup fresh basil or cilantro - for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Drain and lightly blot the super firm tofu with paper towels. Tear the block of tofu into 1” pieces.15 oz super-firm tofu
- Pour the almond milk into a small bowl. Add the flour, cornstarch and salt to a large shallow bowl and mix. Pour the crushed round crackers in a third large shallow bowl.1 cup almond milk, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, ¾ tsp salt, 2 cups round crackers, like Ritz
- Dip the tofu in the almond milk, then place in the flour mixture. Coat it well with flour and dip back into the almond milk. Once wet, dip the tofu in the crushed crackers and gently press the crackers into the piece. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with all the tofu.
- Drizzle the tofu with oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway.1-2 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
- While the tofu bakes, make the vegan hot honey by mixing the agave, red pepper flakes and melted vegan butter together. Once done baking, toss the tofu in the vegan hot honey.½ cup agave nectar, ¾ tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp melted vegan butter
- Optional: The tofu can be served immediately after tossing, or you can bake it for another 10-15 minutes until caramelized and crispy. Keep an eye on the tofu so the hot honey doesn't burn.
- For the salad: Combine diced mango, corn, cilantro, green onion, lime zest, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Mix well, then gently fold in the avocado. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.1 cup fresh mango, ½ cup sweet white corn, 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1 green onion, 1 tsp lime zest, 2-3 tsp lime juice, ⅛-¼ tsp salt, ½ large avocado
- To serve: Assemble bowls with rice, hot honey tofu nuggets, and the mango avocado salad. Garnish with fresh basil or cilantro and a drizzle of any remaining vegan hot honey.4 cups cooked jasmine rice, 1 cup fresh basil or cilantro
Notes
- Tip: Divide the breading into two batches to prevent the crackers and flour mixture from going soggy. As you coat the tofu, the moisture from the almond milk will make the flour and crackers a bit soggy. Dividing the breading ingredients into two batches makes sure the crackers stay crispy when coating all the tofu.
- Nutrition is an estimate and does not include rice or mango salad. For accurate nutrition info, input your exact ingredients in an online calculator.
Nutrition
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