30 Silken Tofu Recipes You’ll Love {Vegan + Dairy-Free}

Ever had a slice of vegan cheesecake? Chances are that it was made using silken tofu! Silken tofu is the softest type of tofu. It packs the highest water content, making it ideal for blending into dips, desserts and using in other creative silken tofu recipes. You can do so much with this tasty tofu—enjoy a silken tofu smoothie, vegan ranch dressing, or have a warm bowl of silken tofu soup!

What Is Silken Tofu?

There are many types of tofu. Super firm, extra firm, firm, soft, and one of our personal favorites—silken! If you’re wondering: what’s the difference between tofu and silken tofu? Here are the basics.

Silken tofu is the softest type of tofu. In fact it’s so soft it can easily be mashed or blended into a cream. It’s often used for puddings, custards, mouses, pies, smoothies, soups, and more. In Japan it’s often drizzled with a savory sauce and enjoyed plain—and it almost melts in your mouth.

Take a look at how tofu is made! Silken tofu is made similar to block tofu. All tofu starts with soybeans, which are blended into soy milk, but silken tofu is coagulated without curdling the milk. It’s also left unpressed, so every cake retains all of its moisture while cooling.

Where Can I Buy Silken Tofu?

Most grocery stores carry shelf-stable silken tofu packaged in aseptic containers, and it’s typically located in a different area of the store than firm tofu. It may be in the Asian foods section of the store or by other baking ingredients.

Even silken tofu comes in different styles—there is soft, firm, extra-film silken tofu. And occasionally you can find silken tofu packaged in water in the refrigerated section with the other tofus. All varieties can be blended into creams and sauces, and act very similarly.

If you’ll be eating the silken tofu plain, opt for the extra firm so it can hold its shape a bit better. Otherwise, any of these will work for nearly any recipe that calls for silken tofu, including all the recipe below!

Sweet Silken Tofu Recipes

Silken Chocolate Mousse

This velvety and indulgent plant-powered dessert astonishingly requires just four simple pantry items. It’s made with silken tofu, melted vegan chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt. That’s it! It’s the perfect choice for gatherings, meal planning, children, or a delightful treat anytime.

Vegan Lemon Custard

Our super silky lemon custard is tart, tangy, and has the perfect amount of sweetness. You’ll be hooked after a single spoonful. The texture is lovely, light, and creamy––absolutely perfect for prepping the night before a party. This protein packed treat is healthy, delicious, and with requires no baking! What more could you ask for in a delightful dessert?

Silken Tofu Smoothie

If silken tofu hasn’t made its way into your smoothies yet, prepare for a delightful surprise! Swap out yogurt for silken tofu to elevate your drink with a nutritious plant-based protein punch without compromising on creaminess. With just four straightforward ingredients, our cherry silken tofu smoothie is a treasure trove of antioxidants that tastes almost like a milkshake.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding

One of the easiest and yummiest silken tofu recipes you could ever make, this peanut butter chocolate pudding will have your taste buds dancing and your heart singing. Made with only five ingredients, this delicious dairy-free dessert will come together in a matter of minutes!

Chocolate Mousse

It’s hard to beat this amazingly creamy vegan dessert recipe for silken tofu chocolate mousse by Nutriciously. Filled with protein and antioxidants, this dessert only takes a few minutes to make but will win over hungry hearts and tofu skeptics alike.

Vegan Crème Brûlée

We have a fantastic vegan creme brulee recipe made with coconut milk, but you can also make it from silken tofu! This silken tofu recipe from Veggiekins is pure joy. Along with tofu, this vegan crème brûlée is made from ingredients such as cashew butter, vanilla extract, and is completely dairy-free and gluten-free. It’s also quite easy to make and comes together in just a few minutes. Don’t have a butane torch to caramelize the sugar? Just pop in the oven!

Butternut Squash Puff Pastry Tart

A recipe with amazing flavor and texture that’s beautiful to boot, this butternut squash puff pastry dish by Lovely Jubley is great for a snack, breakfast, or even dessert! Made with tofu ricotta and roasted butternut squash, this may quickly become one of your favorite things to make, especially around the holidays.

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Sweet, slightly tart, and oh-so comforting, this vegan chocolate cherry cheesecake recipe from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen comes together quickly and will last throughout the week! This is also a gluten-free vegan dessert thanks to the flourless crust made from dates, walnuts, cocoa powder, and sea salt! Top off with some vegan whipped cream and thank us later.

Tiramisu

There’s nothing like a little tiramisu to end your day on a high note. This deliciously decadent no-bake recipe from Rainbow Nourishments calls for firm silken tofu (which you can get through brands such as Mori-Nu) and only a handful of other ingredients such as strong coffee, canned coconut milk, and vegan cookies. You’ll love how easy it is to make this amazing vegan dessert at home!

Creamy Cannoli Dip

Say what?! Vegan cannoli dip?! Why, yes! This amazingly sweet and simple recipe from Veggie Fun Kitchen is an amazing dairy-free and gluten-free treat that will have you dreaming of it for days to come. Made from silken tofu, cashews, and other sweet and creamy ingredients, this awesome silken tofu dessert takes just a few minutes to bring to life.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

What’s better than regular vegan cheesecake? Why, this vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake by Plant Based RD! Using silken tofu, rolled oats, pumpkin puree, and more, this decadent silken tofu dessert will lift your spirits and impress your loved ones while showing them that tofu is one awesome ingredient!

Vegan Noodle Kugel

This traditional vegan Jewish recipe is typically made with lots of dairy but this version calls for silken tofu along with other dairy-free ingredients instead. Your loved ones will never be able to tell that silken tofu is the secret ingredient here!

Key Lime Pie

What’s tangy and sweet and needs silken tofu to be complete? This vegan key lime pie recipe from This Healthy Kitchen! Made with silken tofu, cashews, avocado, lime juice, and sugar, this pie comes together in just a few minutes but is recommended to freeze for at least four hours before serving.

Caramelized Banana With Silken Tofu Cream Sauce

Silken tofu can be blended into the creamiest sauce—and you’d never guess this sweet spiced cream sauce is made from tofu! This caramelized banana recipe with cream sauce is called “Banana Bliss” for a reason. It’s delightful, and surprisingly simple to make!

Savory Silken Tofu Recipes

Vegan Buffalo Queso

Made from silken tofu, cashews, buffalo sauce, and just a few other simple ingredients, this buffalo queso is a most delicious and easy silken tofu recipe. Enjoy on a sandwich, make a vegan mac and cheese, or just devour on its own!

Creamy Dairy-Free Carbonara

Plan to have your tastebuds blown away by this velvety smooth pasta recipe! The combination of an egg-y cream sauce (without eggs or dairy) with the crispy crunch of coconut bacon is out of this world. This Carbonara dish can be a simple, satisfying meal or made special for a heavenly date night experience. Quick to make and pretty much foolproof, it’s one of our favorite go-to dinner recipes.

Easy Miso Soup

This comforting and nutritious miso soup from Happy Kitchen will warm your heart and soul with ingredients such as silken tofu, mushrooms, seaweed, and scallions. Have it alongside other tofu dishes or as a main course served with rice or noodles!

Cheesy Vegan Crab Dip

This incredible silken tofu recipe for cheesy vegan crab dip by From My Bowl truly has it all: texture, flavor, and zero animal products! Cashews, oyster mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and more combine to make an incredibly unique and delicious vegan crab dip that you won’t be able to stop dreaming of.

Cold Silken Tofu Dish

Inspired by Liangban Tofu (aka spicy cold tofu), this silken tofu recipe by The Viet Vegan is refreshing, delicious, and super quick to make. Want to make more of a meal? Just serve alongside a bowl of rice, cucumber salad, or noodles!

Vegan Egg Sandwich

Ever crave a vegan version of those egg sandwiches from when you were a kid? Well luckily this amazing recipe using silken tofu from Vegan Punks will hit the spot! Made with both firm and silken tofu along with a variety of other tasty ingredients, this egg-free sandwich comes together in just a few minutes.

Fried Rice

Super simple and simply delicious, this vegan fried rice recipe from My Goodness Kitchen is a quick and efficient meal for any time throughout the week! For an eggy texture, kala namak is recommended to add to the tofu but is absolutely not necessary. Naturally gluten-free, this recipe is also an excellent go-to for serving large groups of people!

Artichoke Dip

Whether you’re throwing a party or just love a good spread, this spinach artichoke dip from Sweet Simple Vegan is the answer to your dip dreams. Silken tofu, vegan cream cheese, and other flavorful ingredients come together to make a deliciously dairy-free and creamy masterpiece.

VBLTA Grain Bowl with Vegan Soft Boiled Eggs

Vegan soft boiled eggs?! Why, yes! This incredible recipe from Hot for Food features a way to turn silken tofu into a super realistic vegan egg to enjoy with a fully flavorful grain bowl.

Silken Tofu Dressing

Creamy, tangy, and 100% tasty, this vegan ranch dressing from Connoisseurus Veg is great for pouring onto any salad, dipping fries into, or pouring onto a colorful wrap. You may never want to buy pre-made vegan dressing from the store again!

Tzatziki Sauce

Great for spreading onto a falafel sandwich or dipping your favorite veggies into, this vegan tzatziki sauce recipe from Running on Real Food is creamy, comforting, and just what you need to take your lunch game to the next level. Made from silken tofu, grated cucumber, and a variety of herbs, it’ll come together in just a few minutes and last for up to five days in the refrigerator!

Oil-Free Vegan Macaroni Salad

This oil-free vegan macaroni salad from Vegan Yack Attack uses silken tofu as the base for a super tasty vegan mayo! Along with cashews, white vinegar, agave, and salt, you’ll have an amazing vegan mayo recipe to smother over cooked macaroni and quintessential mac salad ingredients such as chopped red onion and red bell pepper.

Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta

Perfect for a cozy night in, this dynamic vegan garlic pasta by Delightful Adventures uses silken tofu as the secret ingredient for a perfectly creamy garlic sauce. Super easy to make and so ridiculously satisfying, you’ll have a delicious dinner to enjoy in just about 20 minutes.

Quiche

This beautiful vegan quiche recipe by A Virtual Vegan makes a bangin’ breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Using silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and vegan cheese, this dish can easily be adapted to fit your culinary desires with additional veggies such as asparagus, spinach, or peppers!

Sour Cream

From Bree’s Vegan Life comes this awesomely simple and versatile silken tofu recipe for vegan sour cream! Once you whip this up, you may find yourself unable to eat a potato or sandwich without it!

We hope this roundup of silken tofu recipes gives you some serious motivation to get out there and give some new dishes a try! Be sure to let us know below what you decide to fill your belly with and happy cooking!

More Terrific Tofu Recipes to Explore (Using Other Types of Tofu)

There is no limit to what you can cook up with tofu. Here are some of our other favorite recipes using firm, extra-firm, and super-firm tofu. Enjoy!

• Best Vegan Tofu Recipes
• Classic Tofu Scramble
• Tofu Ricotta Lasagna
• Indian Palak Tofu
• Tofu Skewers
• Sweet & Sour Tofu
• Tofu Feta Cheese

The post 30 Silken Tofu Recipes You’ll Love {Vegan + Dairy-Free} appeared first on World of Vegan.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I eat a diet that is plant-based and still eat eggs?

A plant-based diet does not allow eggs. This diet excludes meat, fish and poultry as well as eggs. Many vegan options exist for traditional egg-centric dishes, and they offer the same texture and flavor without using animal products. Tofu scrambles, omelets, and chickpea flour are excellent breakfast dishes that look and feel like eggs. However, they also contain plant-based proteins. You can use aquafaba (the liquid found inside a can chickpeas) to substitute eggs for vegan egg whites when making meringues. Flaxseed meal and chia seeds can be used to replace one large egg in non-vegan recipes without compromising taste.

Are plant-based foods environmentally sustainable?

Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular for their health and environmental benefits. Plant-based foods are more sustainable than those derived from animals. They also cause less pollution and emit fewer greenhouse gases. Plant-based diets also use less resources, as they are usually grown using fewer inputs than animals. Furthermore, animals raised in commercial farms often consume large amounts of water and land as well as fossil fuels. Because some environmental impacts of livestock production are linked to global warming, it's possible to reduce your carbon footprint by including more plant-based foods in your weekly rotation.

Can I eat meat on a plant-based diet?

While plant-based diets don't allow for meat, fish or poultry, some food items can be made with limited animal products. People on a plant-based lifestyle can still eat eggs and dairy in moderation. For those looking to move to a plantbased diet, there are many options. Plant-based diets are primarily based on fresh fruits and veggies, legumes like beans and lentils as well as nuts and seeds such as oatmeal, quinoa, and soy products. They also include fortified foods such as non-dairy almond milk or coconut milk.

There are many grocery stores that sell vegan products. Soy-based meats like tofu (wheat gluten), seitan (wheat protein), tempeh, fermented soybeans, and mock duck made of mushrooms can all be replicated in the taste and texture. There is an ever-growing selection of vegetarian burgers made out of black beans or quinoa that come pretty close to the taste of beef burgers.

People who prefer plant-based meals to their carnivorous favourites will find many alternatives. Vegan substitutes include tofu mayo and coconut bacon strips; eggplant bacon bits or coconut bacon; vegetable hot dogs with seasoned texture soy protein; faux chicken strips made from wheat gluten; and veggie hot dog recipes. Even though some processed forms, such as mushrooms and coconut bacon, may taste similar to pork or steak, when cooked well, they can still have similar sensory properties to meat but are far less environmentally impactful than livestock production. The best part about switching to a plantbased diet is that meat that was once consumed can be replaced by these alternatives.

Statistics

• According to research published, going plant-based can cut grocery bills by $750 a year per person, Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. (forksoverknives.com)
• A study found that livestock provides just 18 percent of calories consumed globally but takes up 83 percent of farmland. (forksoverknives.com)

External Links

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• PubMed: Type 2 diabetes: How beta-cell function is affected over time - Long-term Model


• A 16-Week Randomized Clinical Study - PubMed - Plant-Based Dietary Insights Improve Beta-Cell Function and Insulin Resistance among Overweight Adults

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• Scientific Reports: The relationship between risk of breast cancer and plant-based dietary habits: A case-control analysis


• Nature Sustainability

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• Plant-Based Diets for Personal, Population, and Planetary Health - ScienceDirect

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• Weight Loss


• Plant-Based Diets & Omega-3 Fatty acid

How To

How can you make the transition to a plant based diet without feeling overwhelmed?

It can seem overwhelming to make the switch to a plant-based diet. However, education and preparation are key. You can start slowly by taking small steps and gradually changing your diet. Whole foods are better than processed ones, and they tend to be healthier and more satisfying.

When it comes to meal prep and planning, dedication yields maximum results - consider mapping out meals in advance so that you know what to shop for and how much time to allocate for each dish. It is a good idea to invest in kitchen appliances like multi-cookers, slow cookers, and multi-cookers. Batch cooking makes it easy to have multiple meals ready at once.

Keep trying new flavors and try them out. Experimenting with different cuisines can help you add variety to your vegan diet. Instead of shopping impulse at the grocery store, create a grocery plan that is based on recipes. With the right ingredients to prepare, the transition will be smoother.

Resources:

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