This vegan brown sugar glazed tofu is the perfect substitute as a vegan glazed ham recipe. So much flavor and the perfect texture!
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For many people, Easter holidays, meant ham was on the table. Obviously we are vegan, so we no longer do that, but that doesn’t mean that people still don’t want that flavor or taste. This vegan brown sugar glazed tofu is the perfect substitute for a vegan glazed ham style of tofu.
Tofu, is neutral in taste and with the frozen tofu method that we use in this post, the texture is also amazing! It takes on the flavors of the brown sugar glaze so well and you’ll be absolutely shocked at how delicious this recipe is!
While we made this as an alternative to spring holidays, that doesn’t mean that it’s only for that time of year. This vegan brown sugar glazed tofu is delicious year round!
VEGAN BROWN SUGAR GLAZED TOFU INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make these the best vegan honey garlic oven fried tofu:
- tofu – used as the main component of the dish, tofu takes on any flavor profile that you build with it and we are using it for a spin on “honey garlic chicken” for this dish
- brown sugar– the base of the sauce, brown sugar is rich from the molasses which adds caramelization while cooking as well as moisture.
- agave – the liquid from the agave adds more sweetness while allowing for us to make a sauce
- pineapple juice – the flavor of pineapples with vegan ham are classic and go so well together
- dijon mustard – the tang of the mustard balances out the sweetness
- seasoning– we add cloves, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper for warming spices to the dish
- liquid smoke – this helps with that classic smokey taste that ham has
- vegan ham flavoring – while you could get awhile with omitting this ingredient, if you want a very similar profile to traditional ham, we highly recommend adding it. Purchase vegan ham flavoring on Amazon
- pineapple slices – again this is how traditional hams are often made and just helps to continue building that delicious caramelized flavor
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- tofu – swap tofu for jackfruit, seitan, cauliflower or even oyster mushrooms
- brown sugar– granulated coconut or date sugar would be a good substitute
- agave – try maple syrup, date sugar or a bee free honey
- pineapple juice – orange juice will also work
- dijon mustard – stone ground mustard would be the best swap.
- vegan ham flavoring – you can omit this, if you do, we recommend adding an addition teaspoon of liquid smoke flavor to the sauce
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT TOFU:
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF TOFU TO USE?
We prefer extra firm tofu for this recipe and would highly recommend using that.
This recipe will also work with firm tofu if needed.
We do not advise using silken or soft tofu for this recipe.
WHY SHOULD I FREEZE TOFU FIRST?
Freezing tofu gives it a more meat-like texture. While this isn’t a requirement, we highly recommend doing it this way.
Freeze to tofu in the store packaging. Then remove and let thaw completely before adding it to a tofu press to drain (see below)
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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Tofu is the main ingredient for this dish, but you could use it with other ingredients (listed below) to make top 9 free. The vegan ham flavoring also contains soy, so you could look for an alternative version that does not or omit as instructed in the substitutions above.
This is best served immediately, however, you can store in an air tight container after cooled for up 5-7 days in the fridge. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing
This dish is oil free as written!
You could make this recipe with oyster mushrooms, jackfruit, seitan pieces, or even cauliflower!
Yes! Just doubled all the ingredients listed.
Rice or vegan mashed potatoes, as well as our vegan lemon garlic butter asparagus, are great options!
What other vegan tofu recipes could I make?
If you love tofu, then you’ll love these other recipes as well!
- Vegan Honey Garlic Tofu Sheet Pan Meal
- Authentic Jamaican Jerk Tofu
- Vegan Chipotle Mango BBQ Tofu
- Vegan Garlic Soy Lime Tofu
- Tofu Parm (Vegan Chicken Parm)
- Vegan Sesame Tofu
- Crispy Fried Tofu
- Baked Tofu with Maple Blackberry Ginger Glaze
Pin this Vegan Brown Sugar Glazed Tofu for later!
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Vegan Brown Sugar Glazed Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 packages extra firm tofu, frozen then thawed and pressed (see post for details)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup agave
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 3-4 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon vegan ham flavoring*
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices fresh or canned pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add all the ingredients except the tofu into a medium bowl. Whisk together.(We prefer 4 tablespoon dijon – If you don't want as much of a tang add 2-3tbsp)
- Add ⅓ cup of the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish and spread evenly.
- Cut each tofu block in half for a total of 4 pieces**. Cut shallow crosshatch pattern over the tofu with a sharp knife only on the top side.
- Brush all four sides of each piece of tofu with the mixture. With the crosshatch side, gently brush some of the mixture into the slices. Then place into the casserole dish, pushing down gently for the bottom of the tofu to absorb some more of the flavor. Place pineapple slices on the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes, brushing every 15 minutes with more of the brown sugar mixture. After the last time brushing, turn the oven temp to 400 degrees F and bake for 15 more minutes.
- While waiting for the last 15 minutes, add any remaining mixture to a small pan and heat to at least 200 degrees F (this is so that the ham flavoring is not raw).
- Remove and drizzle remaining sauce over the tofu when ready to eat.
This is absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it at my family dinner. It really does bring back taste memories from before I went vegan! One thing is that I would recommend marinating overnight- I noticed it was better the next day, because then all the flavor had seeped through the Tofu. Or I will just cut it thinner. But seriously, 10/10 for flavor!
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! This is definitely a dish that gets better overnight so we totally agree with marinating it longer if you have the chance. We’re so glad the recipe reminded you of foods from your past!