These Vegan Baked Tofu Nuggets are the perfect meat-free nugget for baby led weaning (BLW), picky toddlers and kids who LOVE the dip their food in sweet sauce 😉
I am always on the hunt for a good plant-based meal that I can share with my kiddos, and now that I am back on the baby led weaning train with my youngest son – it felt like we were due for some tasty vegan tofu nuggets that mama can enjoy as well!
I’ve made chicken nuggets before (and my kid LOVED those). I’ve also made everything bagel tofu nuggets for the grown ups who are OBSESSED with everything but the bagel spice like me. But these tofu nuggets are just PERFECTION and a must for any and all nugget lovers.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
If you love a good dippable nugget, then you have come to the right place because I guarantee that these baked tofu nuggets are about to be on heavy rotation in your household! Here are a few more reasons why this recipe is the bomb.com:
- Baked not fried
- Crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside
- Toddler friendly
- Great for baby led weaning
- Plant based
- Nutrition packed (high in protein and fibre!)
- Requires less than 10 ingredients!
Key Ingredients
Extra firm Tofu– If you’re not used to working with a lot of tofu, it’s really important that you SQUEEZE the excess liquid out. That means pressing the tofu on a baking sheet lined with towels and putting heavy items on top to get some of the excess moisture out. I also like to rip the tofu into pieces rather than cut them into cubes to make them look even more like REAL chicken nuggets.
Quick Cooking Oats – This is what adds a nice textural crunch on the outside along with some spices. If you only have rolled or old fashioned oats, you can give them a pulse in the food processor until they’ve been broken up a bit.
Ground Flax– This is your “egg”. By mixing the flax with the soy milk, and the flour, you’ll get a thick sticky paste that is perfect for adhering the oats.
Soy milk- You can swap in whatever your favourite non-dairy milk is but I prefer the thickness of soy milk over almond milk.
Oil in an oil atomizer- I do prefer to put my own olive oil into an oil atomizer since then you get a nice even coating of oil and you avoid some of the propellants and less quality oil in nonstick spray.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Break the tofu pieces into rough nugget size (about an inch each), place them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Top with another towel, and press down with heavy items. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients for the batter.
Step 3: Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Step 4: In another bowl, mix together the oats, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and salt.
Step 5: Dunk the tofu piece into the wet batter, then the dry oats, and transfer to the pre-heated baking sheet. Continue with the remaining tofu, then spray the tofu pieces with oil lightly. Bake for 12-14 minutes, then flip the tofu and spray again with oil. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes more, until browned and crispy. Immediately sprinkle generously with fleur de sel.
Expert Tips
If you want your nuggets to get crispy without frying them, you HAVE to get that moisture out by pressing it out with heavy objects and towels (or paper towel). Do not skip that step.
You also will want to make sure not to overcrowd the baking sheet. Make sure there is at least 1/4″ between pieces and if you need to separate the tofu nuggets into two baking sheets, it may be worth it.
Also, preheat your baking sheet IN THE OVEN. Yes, I know that sounds strange but I like to get it hot so the second you put those nuggets on, the bottom doesn’t get soggy while the tops get crispy.
Recipe FAQ
These will be good for about 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, I would pop them into a 400 F oven for about 10 minutes until hot and crispy again.
Yes, it’s very easy to freeze these. I would recommend allowing them to cool fully, then transferring them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freezing for an hour until solid. Then I would pop them in a freezer bag for up to 4 months.
We love dips in my house and my son LOVES to dip all of his nuggets and veggies into something. For those who like a classic, my no sugar added ketchup is a HUGE hit. And if you want to try some other combinations that are super toddler and kid friendly for these baked tofu nuggets, check out this post here.
If you’re serving these as a meal for your family, some potatoes (mashed or boiled white or sweet) would be great, along with some steamed broccoli or green beans for an easy veg option. Or you can try some of these recipes.
More Recipes You Might Like
We are huge nugget lovers in my house, so here are some more of my favourites!
- EVERYTHING BAGEL VEGAN TOFU NUGGETS
- MCDONALDS CHICKEN NUGGETS COPYCAT VERSION
- BUFFALO TOFU STICKS WITH RANCH DIP
What are some of your favourite meals for meatless Monday? Leave me a comment below!
Tofu Nuggets (Healthy, Vegan & Kid Friendly)
Ingredients
Wet batter:
- 1 1/2 cups soy milk
- 6 tbsp whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup ground flax
- 1/2 tsp fine salt optional for babies
- 1/2 tsp pepper optional for babies
Coating:
- 2 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Fleur de sel on top optional
- 1 pack extra firm tofu
- Oil in an oil atomizer for spraying
Instructions
- Break the tofu pieces into rough nugget size (about an inch each), place them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Top with another towel, and press down with heavy items. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425° and place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients for the batter. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, together the oats, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and salt.
- Remove the baking sheet and grease with olive oil.
- Dunk the tofu piece into the wet batter, then the dry oats, and transfer to the pre-heated baking sheet. Continue with the remaining tofu, then spray the tofu pieces with oil lightly.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, then flip the tofu and spray again with oil.
- Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes more, until browned and crispy. Immediately sprinkle generously with fleur de sel.
- Serve with your favourite sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you enjoy this baked tofu nuggets? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Cat says
I hesitate giving this recipe low stars because I may just not have done it correctly. It turned out super dry. I followed it to the letter except I used rolled oats, maybe that’s why.
fanny says
Can we replace soy milk with something else, or simply water?
Madinah Grill says
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Samantha says
I made this for the super bowl with Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo sauce and vegan ranch and it was soo yummy! I love this creative use of oats and flax 10/10 recommend 💕💕
Helena Ek says
It sounds delicious, I´ll try this for my skeptical kids! What I’m a little bit hesitative about is the use of ground flaxseeds. In Sweden where I live the Swedish food agency completely advise against the consumption of ground flax due to there ability to produce cyanide. Ground flax is not even sold in supermarkets here. What are your opinion as a dietarian? There is a diversity in food advice around the world, but this seems to differ a lot. Thank you for a lot interesting videos!
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Helena. Thanks for your comment! From what I’ve read, more research is needed in this area and it seems to depend on the manufacturing of flaxseed. According to the FDA, flax meal is safe for most people but, like you said, dietary advice may differ in other parts of the world.