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    Home » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Baked Tofu Nuggets

    April 30, 2019 By Melissa Huggins / 24 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

    Jump to Recipe

    These Tofu Nuggets are easy to make and call for 8 simple ingredients. They bake up super crispy and they're totally kid-approved! Serve them at parties, movie night, or snack time along with your favorite dipping sauce. They are irresistible! 

    Overhead view of baked tofu nuggets in a black casserole dish with a side of ketchup.

    How can anyone resist crunchy little bites that are perfect for dipping? It's impossible! Especially, when they are homemade and much healthier than deep-fried treats.

    You can make these Baked Tofu Nuggets without oil or just a minimal amount for a super golden crust. They are a favorite amongst kiddos and big kiddos too!

    My son is a super-fan and he requests these crispy bites at least once a week. How can I say no?

    You don't have to reserve them for an appetizer or snack, you can also serve them on the side of a light meal, with soup, or top them on a delicious salad!

    HOW TO MAKE TOFU NUGGETS

    (full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)

    4 process photos of cutting tofu into squares,

    First, you’ll want to press the tofu for at least 30 minutes (longer if you prefer) After it's fully pressed, pat dry and cut tofu lengthwise in half, then cut each half into four equally-sized squares.

    TO PRESS TOFU: wrap a block of tofu in a few paper towels and place it on a rimmed plate. Add a cast iron skillet on top (or something equally heavy) and let it drain for at least 30 minutes. When finished, pat dry to remove excess moisture on the surface. You can also use a Tofu Press to make it even easier or you can buy Pre-Pressed Tofu.

    6 process photos of breading tofu squares and baking them.

    Now preheat your oven to 450° F (230° C) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

    • Add Breadcrumbs to a bowl or rimmed plate. Combine with ½ teaspoon each of Garlic, Onion, and Salt.
    • In a large bowl, whisk the Flour and remaining Garlic, Onion, and Salt. Pour the Milk and Water in and whisk to combine. Add a splash of water if the batter is too thick.
    • Submerge a tofu square into batter and coat well. Gently shake off excess and place in the breadcrumbs. Roll around to coat well and place on baking sheet. Spray with oil if preferred.
    • Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until they turn crispy and golden. Flip over pieces at the halfway mark and spray with oil again if desired.

    Overhead view of dipping a tofu nugget into ketchup.

    INTERESTED IN MORE SMALL BITES? YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY THESE:

    • BBQ Cauliflower Wings
    • Crabless Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Vegan Mozzarella Sticks

    I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

    If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

    Recipe

    overhead view of dipping a nugget into dipping sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 15 votes

    Baked Tofu Nuggets

    These Tofu Nuggets are easy to make and call for 8 simple ingredients. They bake up super crispy and they're totally kid-approved! 
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 4 People
    Calories: 186kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs , more if needed
    • 1 14 oz block extra firm tofu , drained and pressed (*see note)
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup water , more if needed
    • ¼ cup non-dairy milk , unsweetened
    • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic , divided
    • 1 teaspoon granulated onion , divided
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt , divided. More to taste
    • Cooking oil spray (*Optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • To a large rimmed plate (or bowl), add the Breadcrumbs, and ½ teaspoon each of Garlic, Onion, and Salt. Combine well and set aside. 
    • Cut tofu lengthwise in half, then cut each half into 6 equally-sized squares. You should have a total of 12 squares. 
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the Flour and remaining Garlic, Onion, and Salt. Now pour in the Milk and Water and whisk to combine well. The batter should be thick, but still pourable. If it's too thick, add a few splashes of water.
    • Submerge a piece of tofu into the batter and coat well. Lightly shake off excess batter and place in the breadcrumbs. Gently roll around to coat well and place on baking sheet, leaving room in between each piece. *Optional: spray with oil for extra golden nuggets. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until they turn golden and crisp. Flip over pieces at the halfway mark and spray with oil again if desired.
    • Serve immediately with dipping sauces of your choice. Enjoy!

    Notes

    * PRESSING TOFU: wrap a block of tofu in a few paper towels and place it on a rimmed plate. Add a cast iron skillet on top (or something equally heavy)and let it drain for at least 30 minutes. When finished, pat dry to remove excess moisture on the surface. You can also use a Tofu Press to make it even easier or you can buy Pre-Pressed Tofu.
    * Prep time doesn't include pressing the tofu. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3Nuggets | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 15 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nancy

      March 06, 2023 at 7:38 pm

      5 stars
      Easy to make and tasty--dipped in peanut sauce

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 08, 2023 at 9:56 am

        Sounds yummy indeed! Thanks Nancy. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Stacey

      March 04, 2023 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Ultra crispy is right! These nuggets are simple & delicious. I don't have Granulated onion or garlic, but powder worked just fine. We dipped in a sweet chili sauce with sauteed veggies.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 08, 2023 at 9:55 am

        Hi Stacey, thanks for the great review. I am happy you enjoyed the tofu nuggets. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Angela

      February 16, 2023 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      I have to say, I have been using your recipes and recommending your site to my friends and family for years. This is my first review. Just had to say my picky eater husband - who doesn't like tofu much - LOVED these! Couldn't get over the crunch, the light texture of the tofu. Just delicious in every way. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and creativity.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        February 17, 2023 at 11:58 pm

        Hi Angela,

        Thank you so much for the support and referrals, this is very much appreciated!

        Glad to hear you husband enjoyed them. Cheers for more to come. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lorri

      July 03, 2022 at 10:35 am

      5 stars
      Made these last night and they were delicious!
      Used Grama’s Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping (Whole Foods carries it) Yum!!!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 05, 2022 at 10:31 am

        I am glad you tried and liked this recipe, Lorri! Thanks for dropping by. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Rachael S

      June 17, 2022 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      Finally, crunchy tofu nuggets that stay crunchy! Only thing I changed is to add 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast powder to the wet mix and 1/8 cup to dry mix. My family can’t stop raving about this. I also used tofu that had been previously frozen then thawed out and pressed/squeezed out extra water. Next time going to toss in Buffalo sauce!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 23, 2022 at 8:51 am

        I am glad you all enjoyed the Tofu Nuggets Racheal! Nice touch with the nutritional yeast. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Angela

      July 20, 2020 at 7:18 am

      I do not see how much milk and water to add. Did I miss it somewhere?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 20, 2020 at 10:12 am

        Hi there, it's in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Were you able to find that? There may be a glitch. As for the milk and water amounts, you'll need 1/3 cup water (more if needed)
        and 1/4 cup non-dairy milk. I hope this helps. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kay

      April 18, 2020 at 7:37 am

      How long can you keep tofu beyond the expiration date?

      Reply
    8. Nicole

      April 13, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! My whole family gobbled them right up! I accidentally cut into 16 pieces and they were perfect nugget size. I recommend this size more. I'd actually even go smaller next time like popcorn chicken. Also, 2 cups seemed like a lot of Panko so I did 1 and 1/4 cup for all the nuggets and it was the perfect amount. I kept the same amount of spices.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 02, 2020 at 5:14 pm

        Hi Nicole, I'm so glad you liked them. I'll have to try the smaller pieces too. Thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Anastasiia

      March 24, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for such a good recipe, Melissa! It worked really well. I think I had to bake them longer like around 30 mins (flipped them 2 times) because I was baking potatoes, ,too. Taste plain but with ketchup was awesome. I think, I like them plain ,too.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 28, 2020 at 9:36 am

        Thank you, Anastasiia! So glad you liked them. 🙂

        Reply
      • Cory

        April 26, 2020 at 5:46 pm

        Hi! Any idea how to change the temp and cooking time if I were to air fry these little nuggets? Thanks!

        Reply
    10. Millican Pecan

      February 27, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      Thank you for your recipe. I love tofu and look for new recipes all the time. And I love crunch! This definitely fulfills a craving!

      Reply
    11. Betty Gabriel

      May 15, 2019 at 3:10 am

      These tofu nuggets look so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 24, 2019 at 10:59 pm

        Thank you, Betty! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Alocasia

      May 04, 2019 at 11:18 am

      This sounds great. My parchment paper and silicone liners both say no temps above 428F. How much time would you add for the lower temperature?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 04, 2019 at 11:34 am

        I would just watch them closely. They probably would only need 5-7 minutes more. You can also skip the parchment/silicone mats and just lightly spray with oil. I hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
    13. Renee T

      April 30, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      I'm making the for my vegan dinner partsas appetizers tomorrow night!

      Reply

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