If you have never cooked or eaten tofu before, you HAVE to try this recipe! This Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara was the first tofu recipe I tried when going plant-based and it is STILL one of our family’s favorites. We eat it almost every week and I have to make a double batch.
It has a nice crispy outside and soft inside, so it actually reminds me of fried mozzarella cheese sticks.
Don’t be afraid of tofu! It’s really easy to work with and hard to screw up. This is a great beginner recipe to try that you will love! It took me a long time to try tofu, I’m not sure what I was waiting on, but this one was a winner.
Check out the video of me making the tofu fingers
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This recipe is adapted from Dr. Fuhrman’s End of Dieting book which I highly recommend reading!
What about soy & breast cancer risk?
This myth needs to be put to bed once and for all, but so many people think that by eating soy you are raising your risk of breast cancer. ACTUALLY, all the studies have shown that the OPPOSITE is true. Women who consume the most soy vs. those who do not eat soy at all, have LOWER breast cancer risk.
The reason is believed to be due to the isoflavones found in soy that are phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptors in the body and BLOCK real estrogen from binding. This lowers the amount of estrogen in your body not increases it. High estrogen levels in women is associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
The confusion came several decades ago because of the chemical structure of the phytoestrogens was similar to estrogen. So the assumption was it would increase estrogen levels. But since then, science has discovered the opposite to be true, but unfortunately the early incorrect theory persists.
Furthermore, breast cancer survivors should NOT be discouraged from eating soy, because those who do consume soy (10 mg/day or more) had a 25% decrease in tumor recurrence from 3 large cohort studies – https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/soy-isoflavones
What to serve these crispy baked tofu strips with
These baked tofu marinara fingers are vegan, gluten free, & no-oil so they are a healthy rotation for weekly dinners.
We serve them with a bowl of marinara dipping sauce and usually another vegetable side dish like steamed broccoli, carrots, or peas. You can even cut these into nuggets for younger kids.
This Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara makes a great party appetizer as well!
Tofu doesn’t have a flavor, so it makes the perfect blank slate for whatever spices you want to use. These crispy tofu marinara sticks are full of flavor and my kids request them all the time. I even put leftovers in their lunch bento boxes for school.
Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons yellow corn meal
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Drain tofu and wrap in a clean dish towel to soak up moisture. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.
- Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone making mat.
- In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, garlic powder, & cayenne pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce into a separate medium sized bowl.
- Once tofu has drained, set block on a cutting board and cut into 12 equal slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Dip each tofu slice into the marinara sauce, shaking off excess. Then coat in the almond flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place on the baking sheet in rows. Repeat for each slice.
- Bake for 45 minutes, flipping twice after 15 minutes.
- Serve with a bowl of marinara for dipping!
More whole food plant-based recipes you might like:
- Easy Vegan Spinach Lasagna
- Southwestern Potachos
- Healthy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Healthy Vegan Chef Boyardee Pasta
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Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons yellow corn meal
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Drain tofu and wrap in a clean dish towel to soak up moisture. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.
- Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone making mat.
- In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, garlic powder, & cayenne pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce into a separate medium sized bowl.
- Once tofu has drained, set block on a cutting board and cut into 12 equal slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Dip each tofu slice into the marinara sauce, shaking off excess. Then coat in the almond flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place on the baking sheet in rows. Repeat for each slice.
- Bake for 45 minutes, flipping twice after 15 minutes.
- Serve with a bowl of marinara for dipping!
Notes
Nutrition
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This sounds amazing, can’t wait to try it!! Have you ever cooked this in an airfryer? I have a Ninja airfryer, and would love to cook it in there if at all possible!!
No, but if you try it let me know how it turns out! That sounds like it might work!
We tried this tonight and even my tofu- hating husband loved it! We will be having this again!
Wow, that is great! We are glad you and your husband enjoyed it.