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This spicy Baked Peanut Butter Tofu is baked to crispy perfection and then tossed in a spicy peanut butter sauce. It’s perfect for an easy and delicious weeknight meal!
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I love cooking and baking with peanut butter for it’s amazing versatility. From Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothies to Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, to Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles, peanut butter can truly do it all! Today peanut butter is being featured in this Baked Peanut Butter Tofu recipe that is easy to make, healthy, vegan, gluten-free and and also a favourite for kids and toddlers! (Just adjust the spice level if needed.)
Unlike many other tofu recipes, this Peanut Butter Tofu is baked, rather than fried but still gets super crispy thanks to the cornstarch coating.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Baked, not fried: This tofu gets crispy in the oven with less oil, making it a lower oil option than pan-fried tofu like this Pan-Fried Sesame Tofu. (Which is still delicious!)
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free: A great plant-based optoin that’s easy to adapt for different dietary needs.
- High in protein: Tofu is packed with plant-based protein, making this a satisfying and nourishing dish.
- Tossed in a creamy peanut sauce: The sauce is rich, flavourful, and so good you’ll want to drizzle it on everything, including this Soba Noodle Salad and Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad.
- Crowd-pleaser: If you’re tofu-curious, this recipe and my Gochujang Tofu are my top recommendations for anyone who thinks they may not like tofu.
Key Ingredients
- Tofu: use firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Anything softer won’t crisp up in the oven and you won’t get those beautiful crispy tofu cubes. If you love crispy tofu also try this Crispy Buffalo Tofu and this Sticky Tofu!
- Peanut butter: You can use natural peanut butter or regular peanut butter. Both work in this recipe. For a peanut-free option you can also use almond butter or tahini, or just try this Crispy Tofu Stir-Fry instead.
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
How To Make Baked Peanut Butter Tofu
Step 1: Cut the tofu into cubes and toss with oil, tamari and cornstarch.
Step 2: Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until crispy, flipping the cubes halfway through.
Step 3: Prepare the peanut butter sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 4: Sauté the scallions and garlic in the pan, then add the peanut sauce and tofu.
Step 5: Mix everything together until the tofu cubes are evenly coated.
Step 6: Serve as is or with rice, rice noodles or Asian Cucumber Salad.
How To Store
Store leftover tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan or the oven to bring back the crispiness. You can also reheat in a microwave, just keep in mind the tofu wont be as crispy.
Jess’s Tips
- Use firm or extra-firm tofu: Soft tofu is great for recipes like Korean Tofu Soup, but won’t hold its shape or crisp up well in this recipe. Stick to firm or extra-firm for the best texture.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch: This is the secret to getting that perfectly crispy exterior on the tofu without frying!
- Line your pan with parchment: It keeps the tofu from sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Flip halfway through baking: Turn the tofu cubes once during baking so they crisp up evenly on all sides.
- Let the tofu cool slightly before saucing: This helps keep the outside crispy while allowing the sauce to coat each piece.
- Double the sauce if you love it extra saucy: This peanut sauce is super versatile and great for drizzling over Peanut Tofu Bowls, Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles, or Thai Peanut Noodle Salad too!
Frequently Asked Quetions
Absolutely! Feel free to use almond butter, tahini or even soy butter in place of peanut butter.
Yes! Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F and bake the tofu for 10-15 minutes or until crispy, then proceed with the recipe. Follow my recipe for Crispy Air Fryer Tofu for best results!
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. The tofu will become mushy and won’t taste great after freezing. Enjoy this one fresh!
Try These Tofu Recipes Next!
If you tried this Baked Peanut Butter Tofu or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Baked Peanut Butter Tofu
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Baked Peanut Butter Tofu is crispy, saucy and perfect for an easy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 pack extra-firm tofu (35o grams or 12 oz)
- 1 tsp tamari
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (can sub arrowroot powder)
Peanut butter sauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (omit if you don’t like spice)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2-3 tbsp water
- salt and pepper to taste (if needed)
Other
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 green onion, finely chopped
- rice noodles or rice to serve
- Cilantro, green onion, and peanuts to top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using a couple paper towels, press down on the tofu and squeeze out as much water as possible. (*This step is important to help get the tofu crispy!)
- Chop the tofu into cubes then toss in a bowl with the tamari and olive oil and then the cornstarch until all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Spread out the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping the tofu cubes halfway through.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the garlic and green onion cooking on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the tofu and the peanut butter sauce tossing everything together until evenly coated.
- Serve with rice or noodles and top with cilantro and crushed peanuts.
Notes
- Use firm or extra-firm tofu for the best texture.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch, it makes the tofu crispy!
- Line your pan with parchment for easy cleanup.
- Flip tofu halfway through so it crisps evenly.
- Double the sauce if you want it extra saucy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 10g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
Excellent recipe. My husband said he wanted to eat it again!
I’m glad you both enjoyed!
excellent! made this for dinner last night, and it was so good. even better cold for lunch today! I did freeze my tofu first for a more meaty texture, and substituted lemon juice for lime, and it was perfect. definitely going in the rotation! thank you for the great recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Nancy!
This recipe turns out to be so good!!!!!
So happy you enjoyed it!
I am allergic to peanuts. Could I do this with almond butter?
Yes!
I have enjoyed this spicy tofu for a few years. I’ve shared the recipe with many friends. It’s hard to keep from eating more than I need. So so good. Thanks for sharing it here.
Hi Arlene, so happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!