Baked “Honey” Mustard Tofu Tenders (Vegan)

Time to get your fingers sticky! These baked ‘honey’ mustard tofu tenders are deliciously sticky and flavourful! Made with really simple ingredients and coated with an easy homemade ‘honey’ mustard sauce, these are a perfect finger food.

'HONEY' MUSTARD SAUCE FOR THE TOFU TENDERS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 tbsp neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or avocado 
• 6 tbsp agave or maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup yellow or Dijon mustard 
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of pepper 

What to do: simply mix together all ingredients until well-combined. Feel free to adjust to your taste. Set aside.

THE TOFU

I used extra firm tofu for this recipe. It's the best to work with because it holds up really well and is easier to handle than less firm tofu.

Drain the tofu and wrap with a towel. Place the tofu on a flat surface and press the tofu for 10 mins.

You can place a heavy flat surface such as a chopping board or a few plates on top of it for water to seep out.

Afterwards, slice the tofu into 1” thick strips or in another shape of your choice.

PREPARING THE BATTER & COATING FOR THE TOFU TENDERS

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

FOR THE BATTER:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (75g) 
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (12g)
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp paprika powder, optional 
• 3/4 cup room temp. water + additional 1 tbsp, if needed

Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients until a smooth and thick mixture is formed. If you find your batter too thick, you can add more water and mix everything until it’s well combined.

FOR THE COATING:

• 1 -1 1/2 cup panko or japanese bread crumbs, plus more if needed

COATING THE TOFU TENDERS

• Prepare your set-up starting from the tofu, batter, and coating. 

• Place each tofu into the batter mixture. Coat well using your left hand. Using the same hand, transfer to the coating mixture and coat well using your right hand. Repeat these steps for the remaining tofu. 

BAKING THE TOFU TENDERS

• On a lined baking tray, brush or spray some neutral oil. Place each coated tofu on the lined baking tray. Spray or brush the top of the tofu with some more oil.

• Bake the tofu for 30-35 minutes or until crispy and lightly brown, flipping halfway through.

• Remove the tofu from the oven and coat with the sauce. You can simply dip each piece into the sauce or brush these with the sauce.

• Place the coated tofu back in the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes until the sauce has been absorbed.

• Feel free to dip the tofu in more of the honey mustard sauce or brush the leftover sauce. These are best enjoyed while hot!

OTHER TOFU RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Check out my tips on how to store tofu!

• Baked Peanut and Lime Tofu
• Fried 'Chicken' and Gravy
• Tofu Katsu
• Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
• Maple Hoisin Tofu
• Orange Tofu
• Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
• Tofu 'McNuggets'

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