Simplicity at it's best! With just two ingredients & 35 minutes of your time you could be tucking into this delicious Easy Coconut Tofu. Could it get any better? ....... Well yes actually.....Because it's gluten-free, oil-free, low fat and has 10 grams of protein per serving!
I was having a bad day today. You know those days when nothing goes right? After a rushed breakfast (thank goodness for make ahead Strawberry Baked Oatmeal!), I was hurrying around the dog park with Chester before work and on glancing at my phone which is never far away, happened to notice lots of notifications on Twitter wishing me congratulations. Congratulations? What did they know that I didn't?
Well, it turns out that A Virtual Vegan has been nominated and shortlisted for Best Food Blog in the Blogger's Blog Awards.
Say what?!?!?
I had no clue that I had even been nominated and it was such a lovely shock to find out that I was shortlisted amongst four others. The winner is announced on October 1st and I will be sure to let you know if I win, although I am sure that if it does happen, you will hear me screaming it from the roof tops well before I manage to type something here.......
Now back to todays recipe. I told you that I had some Hawaiian inspired recipes to come. My Garlic Pineapple Sauce was one of them and this Easy Coconut Tofu recipe is another.
These two recipes are a marriage made in heaven. They compliment each other so well. Pineapple and coconut have got to be one of the most well known flavour combos out there, right? But these recipes are also good in their own right too, hence the reason I published them separately rather than as one recipe.
If you make the Garlic Pineapple Sauce and the Easy Coconut Tofu together, they will be ready within thirty-five minutes and most of that time will be waiting for the tofu to bake in the oven rather than hands on time.
This Coconut Tofu is one of the simplest vegan tofu recipes on my website. it is quite literally child's play to make. Open a packet of tofu, cut into triangles, do not dry it, leave it wet, then dip in seasoned coconut flour. Put on a tray and bake. It really doesn't get any simpler than that does it?
You don't have to cut it into triangles. You could cube it but bear in mind that it won't take as long to cook then. The triangles look good though and they somehow feel heartier than eating little cubes.
The coconut flour that coats this Coconut Tofu turns a lovely golden brown colour when baked and takes on an almost nutty, slightly sweet flavour. It has a subtle flavour that works extremely well with really flavoursome sauces like my Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce and Peanut Sauce.
Just a word of warning. Don't leave this tofu lying around on a baking tray looking like it does in the picture above. There is a chance that someone will think it's shortbread, grab a piece and take a big bite before they realize.......I know from personal experience and it was so funny!
Recipe
Easy Coconut Tofu
Author:Ingredients
- 1 block extra-firm tofu , around 350g, (see recipe notes)
- 45g | ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A good grind of cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Put the coconut flour on a plate or in a bowl and stir in the salt and pepper so it is evenly distributed.
- Open the packet of tofu and drain off the liquid but don't dry the tofu.
- Cut the piece of tofu into ½ inch rectangular slabs. Cut each rectangle into two to make squares, then each square into triangles.
- Dip each triangle into the flour mixture and turn it all over until each side is covered.
- Put each triangle onto a baking sheet .
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown all over.
- Serve immediately.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Marcy says
Hi Mel,
what kind of tofu do you buy? There is some in the refrigerated section and some on the shelf in the asian foods section. I like the idea of freezing the tofu.
Melanie McDonald says
The shelf stable tofu is silken tofu. That's not what you want for this recipe. It's got a silky, custardy texture. You need extra-firm tofu for this recipe. It will be in the refrigerated section.
Abby says
Great, easy coconut tofu. Not the most flavorful, but that's what sauces are for!
Tammy Lynn says
I used medium firm tofu and just drained it for 10 minutes but did everything else the same. I was expecting something yummy but just found it to be... there. Does that mean all the deliciousness relies on the dip ?
Rejeanne says
Hello Mel
I am trying these definitely. The link for the coconut flour takes me to a Bob's Red Mill flaked coconut page. I imagine it is Bob's Red Mill coconut flour, so I'll be using that. Maybe it is because I am in Canada and purchase stuff from amazon.ca :)
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I'll do with the pineapple sauce which looks fantastic as well :)
A Virtual Vegan says
Most of my readers are in the U.S so the links are based on Amazon.com not .ca. I do have something installed that tries to take you to the same thing in all of the other Amazon stores, but if that product isn't available there it chooses what it thinks is something similar. Sometimes it gets it wrong like with this. At least it got the coconut bit right though. Sometimes it will choose something completely random!
Any coconut flour will do though. In the shops here on Vancouver Island a brand called Coconut Secret is commonly found. It's in a blue pot. Maybe you'll find that locally to save you ordering online. I can't get the Bob's red Mill one here for some reason.
I hope you enjoy it. it's so good with that pineapple sauce!
Lane says
I made this for breakfast this morning (without black pepper). It was amazing! I'm on a vegan ketogenic diet and these are a perfect low carb meal option. For other ketoers, if you use 0 net tofu (I used Trader Joe's Sprouted) and Arrowhead Mills Organic Coconut Flour (coconut flour varies widely in net carbs), half the recipe is 4 net carbs. Satisfying and delicious! Felt like dessert to me. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Perfect! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Lynda Birch says
So simple and easy to make. Made them an hour ago and they are all gone! Wanted to take a picture but too late! Served them with a honey garlic BBQ sauce. So happy to have found your blog and Facebook page.
A Virtual Vegan says
Finding it's all eaten before you get to take a picture is always a good sign! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Natasha Wolf says
Hi, Mel!
First of all, congratulations! You most defintely deserve the praise and recognition! Your blog is amazing and you are helping so many people all over the world recognize the Art of Being Vegan; or, the art of making vegan food absolutely delicious.
And plus you have blogs like there, where you take it to the next level, making them oil-free, gluten-free... you are just great!
Keep up the wonderful work,
Natasha
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Natasha! ????
Amber says
Only just found your blog through the bloggers' blog awards! I'm so happy to see a vegan blog in there :D:D:D followed you now on bloglovin and insta of course! This recipe looks nice and simple and so so tasty to make. Thanks so much for sharing it :D I'm always trying to find new ways to cook the tofu. Will it not be too spongy if I don't press it? xo
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi and welcome Amber! I am glad you found me through the Blogger's Blog Awards and yes it's great to be the only vegan blog there! I am keeping my fingers crossed :O)
This recipe is so, so simple to make. I do usually press my tofu but for this recipe if you press all the water out the coconut flour won't coat properly. I wanted it to be super simple hence the reason it is as it is. If you freeze your tofu first it does wonders for the texture so if you are worried about texture issues you could freeze it. Just literally throw it in the freezer in it's packet. Then defrost and follow the recipe. I don't find it spongy when cooked this way though.
If you really want to press it, you could, then you could dip it in a bit of non-dairy milk or aquafaba before coating in the flour but then you add an extra step. Totally up to you though!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sarah says
Yum—we made this last week! Love tofu!!! Leftovers were great chopped up on top of a salad!
A Virtual Vegan says
I had some on salad for lunch yesterday! Glad you enjoyed it Sarah and thanks so much for letting me know :O)
A Virtual Vegan says
I laughed so much I cried! It was so funny. It was my husband and he hates tofu too which made it even funnier!
RP says
Is it necessary to grease the baking sheet?
A Virtual Vegan says
Good question. I should have mentioned that! I never do. Because no real moisture comes out of tofu when its baking there's nothing really to make it stick. You could lay it on parchment paper or a silicone mat if you are concerned or if your trays aren't too reliable but it should be fine without. I try to avoid greasing anything if I can!
Uma says
Delicious! Love tofu!
Molly says
I'm a fan of both Tofu & Coconut so this was perfect!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it is like breading and it's incredibly easy. The flour sticks so easily to the damp tofu. Thanks Rebecca :O)