This easy baked tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze is so simple to make but loaded with delicious flavors that will make anyone think you bought this!
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Sometimes you want a meal that just wows! Look no further than this baked tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze. You only need 9 ingredients!
Even though you want something the wows, you also likely don’t want to spend a lot of time or energy on it. So many recipes take hours to make or are labor intensive. By the time you work long days or have kids to deal with all day, the last thing that you want to do is spend hours making dinner now. Even if you are hosting people over.
This easy baked tofu dish takes little effort from you with maximum flavor.
Baked Tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze Ingredients:
I know that most of the ingredients are listed in the title, but below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this vegan baked tofu:
- Blackberries – These sweet berries add a unique spin on flavor. They make for exactly sauces, especially in savory dishes. For best results, use fresh, in season berries. If it’s not berry season, use frozen ones since they have been picked at the optimal time for sweetness.
- Ginger – Ginger is not only a powerhouse of food when it comes to health benefits, but it’s also amazing in sauces for it’s peppery taste and high notes of flavor.
- Lemon Juice – Add the acid from lemons helps cut the sweetness of the blackberries in the dish to level out all the ingredients to the perfect amount.
- Maple Syrup – Just a touch of sweetness brings the whole dish together perfectly without being a super refined or overly processed sugar source
- Tofu – Our main source of protein in this dish is one that is easy to use, cost efficient, and takes of the flavors of our sauce beautifully
Substitutions and Variations:
- Berries – While we use blackberries and think that even if you don’t like blackberries on their own, you’d still like this dish, we understand some people may want to swap. If that’s you, we’d recommend blueberries first and then raspberries.
- Sugar – Maple Syrup is magnificent in bringing all these flavors together; however we know that it’s expensive for some people depending on where they live. You can substitute agave, brown sugar, or coconut sugar for the maple syrup. If using brown or coconut sugar you want to make sure that you let it melt completely in the dish.
- Acid – Lemon juice is our preference, but you could use limes as well if that’s what you have on hand.
- Protein – Tofu takes on flavors wonderfully since it’s so plain by itself and soak up sauces and liquids like no other. However, many people don’t do soy. If that’s you, you can swap the tofu for seitan, cauliflower, jackfruit and more.
Frequently Asked Questions for Baked Tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze:
Can I make this dish Top 8 Allergen Free?
I know you looked at the title and saw tofu and were like nope. But as always, we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy this dish. The only top 8 allergen in this dish is the tofu.
You can still make this dish and swap out the tofu for cauliflower or jackfruit. Seitan would also work if you are not allergic to wheat. Another option would be to use Pumfu (pumpkin seed tofu).
If you are using cauliflower, we would recommend cutting it into 1.5 inch slices, but florets would also work. It will take longer in the oven to cook cauliflower than we cooked the tofu for. Cook the cauliflower until fork tender.
Jackfruit would also need a longer amount of time to cook – we’d recommend at least 20-30 minutes.
Can I prep this baked tofu dish ahead of time?
Yes! This dish heats back up well either back in the oven until warmed or in the microwave until desired temperature. Consume within 2-3 days for best taste and texture.
Alternatively, you can make the sauce and store in an air tight container for 5-7 days ahead of time and then proceed with baking the tofu when you are ready.
Can I grill this instead of baking?
Yes! We recommend that you use a grill mat on your grill so that your tofu doesn’t stick and is easily removed. Grill each side for 8-10 minutes at 425-450 degress F.
Can I sear this tofu first before baking?
Absolutely. Add a little oil to a pan (a cast iron works great here since it can go directly into the oven) and sear each side for 2-3 minutes and then proceed with the remaining steps of the recipe.
Can I cook this without oil?
Yes. We realize that many people are oil free. We would recommend using a non-stick baking dish or a baking mat on the bottom of a baking sheet and then baking the tofu without the oil.
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF TOFU TO USE?
We prefer extra firm for this recipe and would highly recommend using that.
This recipe will also work if it’s just firm tofu. We do not advise using silken or soft tofu for this recipe.
HOW DO I PRESS OUT TOFU?
The easiest way to press out tofu is to use a tofu press. We use this tofu press because it’s easy to use and works great.
However, if you don’t have a tofu press then you could wrap the block of tofu in a kitchen towel, place it on a plate, and then put something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet.
Should I freeze my tofu first?
This step is totally optional. Freezing tofu in the package, then thawing, then pressing following the steps above actually gives tofu a more “meatier” texture. We prefer doing this method, but have tried this dish both ways and it’s still great either way. Not freezing first would provide a much softer texture inside.
What side dishes should I serve with this vegan baked tofu dish?
You have the main course, but what to serve with it? We got you!
We love serving it with this vegan lemon garlic butter asparagus shown above.
But here are a few more ideas:
- Vegan Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
- One Pot Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
- Easy Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Vegan Cilantro Lime Rice (can swap the cilantro for parsley too)
- Vegan Arugula Salad with Chickpeas, Avocado, and Cherry Tomatoes (can sub with spinach or spring mix)
What other vegan dinner ideas could I make?
We think you’d also love these dishes:
- Vegan Sesame Tofu
- Vegan Kung Pao Cauliflower
- Chickpea, cashew and broccoli dish in garlic sauce skillet.
- Vegan Walnut Meat Cheese Fries
- Dairy Free Taco Casserole
- Vegan Italian Meatballs
- Dairy Free Alfredo
- Easy Dairy Free Spinach & Walnut Pesto
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Baked Tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze
Ingredients
- 12 oz blackberries fresh (in season) or frozen
- 1 cup water
- 1 inch ginger, sliced into coins
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (see notes above for substitutions)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (see notes if oil free)
- 16 oz extra firm tofu, pressed
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Over medium-high heat, add blackberries, water, ginger, and lemon juice to a small pot. Mix together and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes or until blackberries begin to break down.
- Remove from heat and pour through a sieve. Push down on the berries with the back of a spoon until you get as much juice as possible out.
- Pour the mixture back into your pot, add the maple syrup, and bring to a boil. Then reduce to simmer until mixture has reduce by half (about 15-20 minutes – may need longer).
- Remove from heat and let cool. Will thicken more as it cools.
- Slice tofu in half and half each again to end up with 4 tofu fillets.
- Lighly coat a baking sheet or oven safe pan with oil. Lightly coat each piece of tofu with oil. Sprinkle each side of tofu with salt and pepper to taste.
- Brush cooled blackberry sauce over all sides of the tofu. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove, brush with mixture again and then broil for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve.
I really enjoyed this recipe, but I wish the sauce had soaked into the tofu more. I’ll definitely try again. Wasn’t hard to make and looked really pretty on my plate.
Thanks for the feedback Erika. You can make the sauce and let it cool, then place it in a container with a lid with your tofu pieces and allow it to soak as a marinade overnight. This may be better for you.
I appreciate you guys and love your recipes.
I think you might want to say “stick” here. (From your question/answer section for blackberry tofu). I am happy to proof any of your recipes, for free, if you would find it helpful.
Yes! We recommend that you use a grill mat on your grill so that your tofu doesn’t still and is easily removed. Grill each side for 8-10 minutes at 425-450 degress F.
You’re so sweet. Thank you so much!
So pumped to try this tonight. If it comes out I’ll tag you and post. Making it with pumfu as I don’t soy ☺️
Hope you loved it!
Okay so I was a little harsh on this recipe the first time and decided to make this for a second time because I felt like the first time didn’t do it justice. I was a bit more patient with the cooking process this time and really let the glaze soak into the tofu. It turned out a lot better than the first time and now I’ve officially fallen in love with this recipe. Thank you!
While not the most spectacular dish I’ve had, I have to admit that it was tasty. I only tried it because the combination of blackberries and tofu surprised me, and I was unsure what to think. But it was good and I will be making it again.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking time to leave a review!