If you want your kids to eat and enjoy tofu, these crispy baked Tofu Nuggets are a great option to try. They’re super crunchy, perfect for dipping, and they’re loaded with plant-protein, iron, and calcium.
Crispy Tofu Nuggets
I know that tofu is not a food that everyone naturally loves, but as a former vegetarian, I happen to adore it—and it’s such an affordable protein source for kids. Plus, it has a totally mellow flavor that works well in all sorts of recipes. These crunchy nuggets are a nice mix of textures and they’re a fun way for the kids to eat tofu
We love them dipped in ketchup as a main dish alongside a grain and a veggie. They’re also really good on top of salads or in tacos.
Tofu for Kids
Baking tofu can transform the soft texture into one that’s pleasantly crunchy and in nugget form. And this baked tofu recipe doesn’t use any oil or frying to achieve the pleasant crunch, but instead relies on panko breadcrumbs and a simple baking method that allows the entire nugget to crunch up without ever having to flip them over. (I do love easy cooking methods!)
If you have a toddler who doesn’t eat dairy and needs calcium, or who doesn’t eat meat and needs iron, this is a great tofu recipe to keep in mind.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipes you’ll need:
- Extra-firm tofu: It’s usually sold in a package with water, so you’ll need to plan to drain it.
- Panko bread crumbs: These are extra crispy when baked.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour here.
- Eggs
- Garlic powder (optional)
- Salt
TIP: Extra-firm tofu is key to the final texture in this recipe. Other types will wind up soft and not as much like a nugget.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making these healthy baked tofu nuggets. Scroll down to the bottom of this post see the full information.
- Drain the tofu between towels. Dice.
- Preheat the oven and place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Set out your bowls for coating the tofu.
- Dredge the tofu cubes in the flour.
- Dredge the tofu cubes in the egg.
- Dredge the tofu in the panko.
- Place on the prepared rack. Bake!
TIP: Plan to start this at least an hour ahead of when you want to start cooking so the tofu has some time to drain.
Can I make these Tofu Nuggets gluten-free?
You absolutely can! Simply use gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free panko. They are delicious that way.
Can I make them without eggs?
I’ve heard that some people like to use mayo in place of eggs when dredging nuggets, so you can try that!
How can I reheat leftovers?
After storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, you’ll notice that they’ll be soft, not crunchy. To make them crunchy as they were when they were initially baked, warm them for 8-10 minutes in an 350 degree F oven. They’ll return to that crunchy exterior!
What should I serve these with?
We often have these with rice or pasta and a simple vegetable recipe. Or as the filling for tacos. We like to dip them in ketchup, ranch, and slightly warmed marinara sauce, so see what your family likes best!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm for 8-10 minutes in an 350 degree F oven.
Best Tips for Success
- Be sure to drain the tofu well on towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Use extra-firm tofu for the best texture inside each nugget.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and gluten free cup-for-cup flour.
- Egg-free: Sub mayo for the egg.
- Serve with your kid’s favorite dip.
- Serve warm to ensure they’re crunchy when eaten.
- You may also like Veggie Nuggets, Baked Chicken Tenders, Baked Tofu, and Sesame Tofu.
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe so please leave a comment or a question below!
Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets (SO Good and Easy)
Ingredients
- 14 ounce extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and place onto a towel-lined plate. Top with a second towel and a second plate. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. (This will absorb extra moisture.)
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Coat the rack well with nonstick spray.
- Add the panko to a shallow dish or pie plate and stir in the garlic powder and salt.
- Break the eggs into another shallow dish and beat lightly.
- Add the flour to a third shallow dish and sprinkle with salt.
- Dredge the tofu cubes in the flour, then the egg, and then panko and place on the prepared rack. Spray lightly with nonstick spray.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until completely cooked through and lightly golden brown.
- Serve warm with dip like ketchup, Ranch, guacamole, or anything the kids like if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm for 8-10 minutes in an 350 degree F oven.
- Be sure to drain the tofu well on towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Use extra-firm tofu for the best texture inside each nugget.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and gluten free cup-for-cup flour.
- Egg-free: Sub mayo for the egg.
- Serve with your kid’s favorite dip.
- Serve warm to ensure they’re crunchy when eaten.
Can you sub corn meal for the panko? I’ve seen that in other recipes but wasn’t sure it would work here.
Sure, it just won’t have the same texture.
This recipe looks awesome and I’m excited for my little girl to try it. I’ve read it a few times and I’m not seeing the step on cubing tofu, are there any suggestions for that part? It jumps straight to “Dredge the tofu cubes” in step 6. Thank you for all the yummy recipes!
Can I use whole grain flour? That’s all I have on hand.
Sure
Great recipe but your website is a complete spastic headache to deal with due to all the ads. Impossible to maneuver and just makes it not worth it.
You are welcome to close any ads you dislike. Thank you for the feedback.
Thanks Amy for making these recipes accessible and free! The ads come with the territory folks.
Appreciate that!
Looks great! How can I make these egg free? The egg free tip says to use Mayo but Mayo is made of eggs. Should I try vegan Mayo, will that work? Thanks!
Yes, opt for vegan mayo.
This looks amazing, Amy! Any tips if I’d like to try to freeze these? I know it’s not ideal with the breading but thought I’d ask. Thanks!
Hi- You can freeze them after baking, then to reheat they’ll be best in the oven or an airfryer at 375 F for about 4-6 minutes.
I typically do not prepare tofu for my family because I didn’t know how to make it in a yummy way… until today! These are really crispy cuz of the panko and the flavoring is simple but delicious. It was easy and I love that you shared this recipe, toddler and adult friendly!
Oh yay!
I did exactly what the recipe says and used my air fryer. Came out great!
Another great recipe! I even threw in some frozen wild blueberries (leftover from the blueberry yogurt cake) into some of the muffins before baking and they were a great addition. Both my 1 year old and 4 year old really like them (and me too!)
Everyone loved this. Super crispy after air frying for 10 min at 375ish
this is the air fryer comment i was hoping for! thanks!!
Will this be a disaster if I don’t have a baking rack? Thanks so much!
No, it will work, they just won’t be quite as crispy on the under side.
They can be flipped over ,half way through. Cooking
Came out great! Thank you!
These came out perfect! My 6 and 3 year old helped with the whole process and gobbled them up. One kid is very, very selective and cautious about new foods and he was happy about these. I also ate… a lot of them.
I am so glad to hear that! (I eat a lot of these too:)
This is the first tofu recipe that I’ve made that my kids actually liked!!! Thank you! It was really good, and we used ketchup and BBQ sauce for dipping.
I was a little skeptical about these but they were a huge hit! Even without any dip, my 14 month old really liked them and kept asking for more.
I am glad!
Would these freeze ok?
I believe so. To crisp them up, you could follow the reheating instructions in the recipe. It might just be another minute or two longer from frozen.
Thanks! Trying them today for my baby and toddler!
Just made these for my 10 month old – big hit! Let’s hope my 3 year old feels the same ?. Easy and delicious!
For an egg free alternative (mayo has egg!) I used ground flaxseed watered down. I also added shredded coconut to the panko.. Sauted in coconut oil. Cooking now!
I should have said “vegan mayo”. Your version sounds delish!
My kids gobbled them up!!
Making these for the kids (and us!) tonight. What a great idea!
I hope everyone enjoyed them!
This turned out great! I used Chia seeds ground up with water for egg replacer, and also ground up tortilla chips for “bread” crumbs with a little corn meal added to be GF, and also used Pillsbury all purpose GF flour for dredging. They are very bland, but usually that is best for little ones. Mine didn’t even want dipping sauce, so yeah! Thanks for the idea, Amy!
Awesome!
Thoughts on how to make these if we have an egg allergy?
I have heard people using mayo or milk. If you do milk, don’t let them sit in the milk for long (get them in and out as fast as you can) since you don’t want them to absorb the liquid, just coat the tofu so the breadcrumbs have something to stick to.
Try vegan Mayo.