Vegan Brown Sugar Glazed Tofu (Vegan Glazed Ham)

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!

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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:

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

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