Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe - Simply Plant Based Kitchen (2024)

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Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe - Simply Plant Based Kitchen (1)

If you have never cooked or eaten tofu before, you HAVE to try this recipe! This Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara was the first tofu recipe I tried when going plant-based and it is STILL one of our family’s favorites. We eat it almost every week and I have to make a double batch.

It has a nice crispy outside and soft inside, so it actually reminds me of fried mozzarella cheese sticks.

Don’t be afraid of tofu! It’s really easy to work with and hard to screw up. This is a great beginner recipe to try that you will love! It took me a long time to try tofu, I’m not sure what I was waiting on, but this one was a winner.

Check out the video of me making the tofu fingers

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This recipe is adapted from Dr. Fuhrman’s End of Dieting book which I highly recommend reading!

Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe - Simply Plant Based Kitchen (2)

What about soy & breast cancer risk?

This myth needs to be put to bed once and for all, but so many people think that by eating soy you are raising your risk of breast cancer. ACTUALLY, all the studies have shown that the OPPOSITE is true. Women who consume the most soy vs. those who do not eat soy at all, have LOWER breast cancer risk.

The reason is believed to be due to the isoflavones found in soy that are phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptors in the body and BLOCK real estrogen from binding. This lowers the amount of estrogen in your body not increases it. High estrogen levels in women is associated with increased risk of breast cancer.

The confusion came several decades ago because of the chemical structure of the phytoestrogens was similar to estrogen. So the assumption was it would increase estrogen levels. But since then, science has discovered the opposite to be true, but unfortunately the early incorrect theory persists.

Furthermore, breast cancer survivors should NOT be discouraged from eating soy, because those who do consume soy (10 mg/day or more) had a 25% decrease in tumor recurrence from 3 large cohort studies – https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/soy-isoflavones

What to serve these crispy baked tofu strips with

These baked tofu marinara fingers are vegan, gluten free, & no-oil so they are a healthy rotation for weekly dinners.

We serve them with a bowl of marinara dipping sauce and usually another vegetable side dish like steamed broccoli, carrots, or peas. You can even cut these into nuggets for younger kids.

Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe Ingredients:

114 ounce blockextra firm tofu
2cupsmarinara sauce
1cupalmond flour
2tablespoonsyellow corn meal
2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoondried basil
1teaspoongarlic powder
1/8teaspooncayenne pepper

Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe - Simply Plant Based Kitchen (3)

Instructions:

Drain tofu and wrap in a clean dish towel to soak up moisture. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone making mat.
In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, garlic powder, & cayenne pepper until well combined. Set aside.
Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce into a separate medium sized bowl.
Once tofu has drained, set block on a cutting board and cut into 12 equal slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
Dip each tofu slice into the marinara sauce, shaking off excess. Then coat in the almond flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place on the baking sheet in rows. Repeat for each slice.
Bake for 45 minutes, flipping twice after 15 minutes.
Serve with a bowl of marinara for dipping!

More whole food plant-based recipes you might like:

Crispy Baked Tofu Marinara Recipe - Simply Plant Based Kitchen (4)

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Print Recipe

This tofu fingers recipe is one of our favorites each week. It's easy to make, so perfect for someone who has never cooked with tofu before! This recipe is gluten free, oil free, and whole food plant based compliant. You can even make these into nuggets for kids!

This recipe is adapted from Dr. Fuhrman's "End of Dieting".

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Drain tofu and wrap in a clean dish towel to soak up moisture. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain.
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone making mat.
In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, garlic powder, & cayenne pepper until well combined. Set aside.
Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce into a separate medium sized bowl.
Once tofu has drained, set block on a cutting board and cut into 12 equal slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
Dip each tofu slice into the marinara sauce, shaking off excess. Then coat in the almond flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place on the baking sheet in rows. Repeat for each slice.
Bake for 45 minutes, flipping twice after 15 minutes.
Serve with a bowl of marinara for dipping!

Notes

Make sure your marinara sauce is not chunky – you want it smooth so it is better for battering & dipping.

If you can’t find extra firm tofu, firm tofu will work.

Cut the strips in half before breading to create nuggets for kids!

To lower the fat content, use whole grain bread crumbs instead of almond flour.

Serve with a side of vegetables. This is also great for party appetizers!

Nutrition

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