Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu (vegan, gluten free, grain free, oil free)
Aug 07, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Easy Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu
If you’re looking for a delicious way to enjoy tofu, you’ve gotta try this Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu! It’s crunchy, crispy, flavourful and so versatile. You can enjoy as is, or toss in your favourite sauce, serve atop salads, in nourish bowls or noodle bowls. It’s high in protein, and a little more nutritious than a traditional breadcrumb coated tofu because it calls for nuts!
I typically like to bake these tofu cubes in the oven, however you can also deep-fry if preferred, or bake in an airfryer. There are a few steps involved, but it will seriously uplevel your tofu game. Trust me!
This Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu is vegan, gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free and oil free.
What’s in this Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu?
- Almonds and walnuts (but of course!)
- Extra firm tofu
- Rice flour (or arrowroot/cornstarch)
- Soymilk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- Seasoning like nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and gluten-free soy sauce
And to serve, I recommend rice noodles, bok choy and a delicious Asian style dressing like my Tamari Citrus Vinaigrette or Zaru Soba Sauce.
Secrets to success
I recommend using shallow, larger bowls when preparing your tofu so that it’s easier to coat tofu pieces evenly. If you’d like to take a shortcut, you can toss your tofu in flour in a larger bowl and shake to cover, but do not shortcut the plant milk dipping step.
To serve this tofu, you can actually bake a second time with a favourite sauce on top. After baking, toss in sauce then pop back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. This is especially delicious with sauces like:
- Healthy Buffalo Sauce
- Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- Gluten Free Gochujang Sauce
- Barbeque Sauce (by Simply Quinoa)
- Sweet & Sour Sauce (by Okonomi Kitchen)
If you like this recipe, try…
- Teriyaki Tofu & Broccoli Stir Fry
- Baked Tempeh Tenders
- Everything Bagel Crusted Tofu Sandwich
- Tofu “Chicken” Noodle Soup
- Tofu “Spam” Musubi
- Tempeh, Broccoli & Sweet Potato Hash
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Almond Walnut Crusted Tofu (vegan, gluten free, grain free, oil free)
Ingredients
- 1 package extra firm tofu roughly 15oz
- 1/4 cup rice flour arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/4 cup soymilk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 2/3 cups roasted almonds
- 1/3 cups roasted walnuts
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- to serve with
- rice noodles
- bok choy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F degrees while you prepare your tofu. If using an airfryer, please see notes below*
- Next, drain and press tofu using a tofu press, or wrapping your tofu in a kitchen towel and placing a heavy weight on top (a frying pan does a great job!).
- Prepare your nuts by dry toasting on a frying pan for a few minutes on medium heat. Continuously toss by shaking the pan, or using a spatula, so as not to burn. Even though nuts are already roasted, giving it a toast will help to bring out flavour and remove any excess moisture. You can skip this step but I highly recommend it! After toasting, let cool for a few minutes and blitz nuts in a food processor until mealy--don't blend too much or it will turn into nut butter! Think breadcrumb texture.
- Next, prepare 3 small bowls. In bowl 1, add rice flour. In bowl 2, add soymilk mixed with gluten free soy sauce. Finally, in bowl 3, add your ground nut mix with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt.
- Now take tofu and slice into cubes. I like to slice into thirds horizontally as I find the smaller the tofu piece, the more flavour and crust per bite!
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat and begin to coat tofu. Grab a tofu cube, coat in rice flour, quickly dip into milk mixture and finally toss and coat in the nut mixture. Transfer coated pieces onto baking sheet and repeat until all the tofu is coated.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping at the halfway point, until tofu is crisp and golden brown. If using an airfryer bake at 375F for about 12-15 min, flipping or shaking basket at the halfway point.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
