Glazed and baked. Two of tofu’s favorite things to be.
November is here! That means, my mind is on Thanksgiving and holiday food, 24/7. Seriously, it’s all I think about, and I have some great stuff coming for you. Starting with this apple cider maple glazed tofu. It is the perfect main course for all your holiday parties. It is for sure to convert anyone who says they hate tofu. Because if you hate tofu, you have just never had it cooked properly.
This tofu gets crispy on the outside, firm on the inside and then glazed with a sweet but well balanced and super simple glaze. It is baked not fried and so incredibly delicious. I like to pair mine with all the proper Thanksgiving side dishes and it is perfection!
The tofu is just simply baked at a high temperature for a while by itself. Which gives you time to make the glaze. Then glaze is brushed on one side, bake a little longer, then brushed on the other side. It is basically fool proof.
The glaze is made from apple cider, maple syrup, a bit of brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. Then a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. It is cooked down and then thickened with a corn starch slurry. It is the best thing ever.
So, if you are struggling with what vegan eats to serve this holiday season, definitely put this glazed tofu on the list. Then follow along with me. I am going to be working really hard the next few weeks to add a bunch more recipes for you. Then to make things simple for you, I will have a vegan Thanksgiving round up the Friday before Thanksgiving with all of the recipes in one place for you! Still giving you enough time to plan and shop!
Vegan Apple Cider Maple Glazed Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 Blocks Extra firm tofu
- Salt and Pepper to sprinkle on tofu
- 1 1/2 C. Apple cider
- 1/4 C. Maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
- 1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp. Corn starch
- 1 Tbsp. Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Press the tofu, slice into desired shape. I cut mine into thick slices and then into triangles. Now place on paper towels, sprinkle with salt , then cover with more paper towels, then set something heavy on top. Press for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the better.
- When ready, spray a baking sheet with non stick spray. Then place the tofu on to the baking sheet. Spray the tops with non stick spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then bake on one side for 10-15 minutes, flip then bake on the other side for 10-15 minutes or until nice and crisp and firm.
- While the tofu is baking, make the glaze. In a medium sized sauce pan, combine the apple cider and maple syrup. Stir. Start heating on medium high.
- Now add the mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture has reduced slightly.
- Now make a corn starch slurry by whisking the corn starch and water together until fully combined. Now add to the glaze. Whisk until fully incorporated.
- Now simmer for about 5 more minutes or until the glaze has thickened a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a bit of salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat.
- Once the tofu is done, remove from the oven, brush one side with the glaze and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Then remove from the oven, flip and brush the other side with glaze. Bake for 5 more minutes.
- When the tofu is done, you can drizzle remaining glaze over, and serve immediately!
Ooh, I can’t wait to make it! It sounds like the perfect veg entree to bring to a omni-Thanksgiving meal and would go perfect with the usual sides. Two questions: do you know how well it holds up if you were to wait an hour or so before eating it? And what kind of apple cider do you use? I’m familiar with the refrigerated kind often kept in the produce section, then the dry mix you buy next to the cocoa mix.
My husband ate some, like hours later and said it was still delicious. It stays pretty firm! I used just regular bottled apple cider from Trader Joe’s. I recommend not using the mix. Just whatever you can find that is already in it’s liquid state. I hope you like it!
I made this alongside some stuffing, mashed potatoes, and veggies, and me & my fiance really enjoyed it! He’s also picky with spiced things, so I was surprised he liked it. I only made 1 block of tofu and used the leftover glaze to marinate tempeh, then baked it and it was also very good. Glad I came across this recipe, it’s a keeper! 🙂
Yay!❤
Just found your website and now can’t wait to try this tofu. I am not Vegan but do try to go mostly-meatless and eat as healthy as possible. By the way, your photography is awesome!
That was really good!! I really enjoy your blog!
I made the Apple Cider Maple glazed tofu for dinner as I had cider I wanted to use. It came out good.I added just a pinch of cayenne to the glaze and needed to cook my tofu a bit longer. A quick trip under the broiler helped. Next time, I would slice my tofu thinner. Your fall dish with cheesy grits gave me the idea to make cheesy grits for a side, and green salad. Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Delicious! I loved it 🙂 I made the glaze (minus the corn starch) and marinated the tofu for 24 hours. Then cooked in the air fryer 🙂
Can’t wait to make it again and incorporate it into other dishes!
Just came across this recipe and excited to try it! I don’t have corn starch—would it work to use the maple glaze as a marinade and bake the marinated tofu?