15 Silken Tofu Recipes You Need to Try (Sweet & Savory!)
Silken tofu is the plant-protein you should be cooking with. Check out this collection of fifteen sweet and savory silken tofu recipes to find out why!
Tofu is pretty amazing stuff! It’s one of my favorite plant proteins, it’s super easy to cook with, and can make some truly delicious dishes.
You’re probably pretty familiar with firmer varieties of tofu at this point. (If not, check out my guide to tofu.) But what about silken tofu, also known as Japanese-style tofu? If not, you need to start cooking with this type of tofu!
Silken is a super soft variety of tofu that has a silky, creamy texture. It cooks up differently from regular tofu. Silken tofu is available at most grocery stores and may be sold as firm, extra-firm and soft silken tofu, but all of these varieties are significantly softer and smoother than cotton tofu.
Fun fact: Conventional (non-silken) tofu is often referred to as “cotton” tofu, which makes sense! The texture of silken tofu is smooth, kind of like silk fabric, whereas the texture of cotton tofu is comparable to cotton fabric.
You might notice that silken tofu is sometime sold refrigerated, near the regular tofu, but you can also find it on the shelf in aseptic packages, at room temperature. This variety of shelf-stable silken tofu can typically be used interchangeably with the refrigerated type, unless a particular recipe specifies otherwise.
(And to learn more about tofu storage and shelf-life, check out my tofu storage guide.)
Now that you know what it is, it’s time to learn what to do with it! Go pick up a block of silken tofu. These vegan silken tofu recipes will give you some delicious inspiration!
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The smooth texture of silken tofu is perfect with the light broth of miso soup! This vegan version is super easy to make. Just dice up your tofu and stir it into your miso broth, along with some green onions!
Silken tofu can be the magic ingredient in lots of creamy desserts, like this chocolate pudding! It can be blended up super smooth and mixed with sweet flavors so you’d never guess you were eating tofu.
Silken tofu makes a great egg substitute. This pecan pie uses it to create a custardy filling that you’d never know was vegan!
Silken tofu can replace eggs in savory recipes too! It’s the perfect base for sauces in pasta dishes. This vegan spaghetti carbonara blends it up with raw cashews to replicate the classic creamy sauce you’d find in traditional carbonara.
How do you create the perfect eggy batter for French toast sticks, without the actual eggs? Silken tofu does the job in this delicious recipe from Make It Dairy Free.
Raw cashews make a great dairy-substitute, but they can sometimes blend up overly dense and heavy. The fix: combine them with some silken tofu, like in this vegan French onion dip recipe.
These overnight oats are a great way to get some protein early in the day, thanks to the addition of silken tofu! Pair them up with some fresh fruit for a scrumptious and high protein vegan breakfast. Recipe from My Quiet Kitchen.
Most vegan cheese recipes use blended nuts as a main ingredient. But silken tofu is the perfect option for anyone with nut allergies. Plus it’s a lot easier to work with and doesn’t require a high-powered blending device. Give this creamy cheese sauce from A Virtual Vegan a try!
You wouldn’t want to make a smoothie with…say…extra firm tofu. It would be way too chunky! But silken tofu blends up smooth and is the perfect addition to this vibrant smoothie from Grateful Grazer.
Looking for the perfect vegan cheese for your next pizza night? Give this silken tofu-based mozzarella from The Throbbing Eggplant a try!
One really nice thing about silken tofu is that it’s as delicious cold as it is hot! Along with tomatoes, cucumbers and sesame seeds, cold silken tofu is the perfect addition to this refreshing Japanese-style salad from Veggies Save the Day.
Silken tofu makes an excellent base for a creamy dairy-free mascarpone filling in this decadent vegan tiramisu recipe from Rainbow Nourishments.
Silken tofu is an awesome protein-rich ingredient that’s great for replicating the texture of eggs! This silken tofu scramble from Rescue Dog Kitchen takes advantage of their soft texture and adds seasonings for flavor, for a delicious savory breakfast that can be on the table in a flash!
Silken tofu has a creamy texture, making it perfect as a cheesecake base…without any eggs or dairy!
Eggs are the main ingredient in hollandaise sauce, so it must be near impossible to create a vegan version, right? Not when you have silken tofu on hand!
Looking for more ways to cook with tofu? Check out my collection of over 25 delicious vegan tofu recipes!
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