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Brown Sugar Glazed Tofu

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  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Marinating Time: 24 hours
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

The ultimate vegan main for your holiday table. This brown sugar glazed tofu is sweet and smoky and surprisingly easy to make!


Ingredients

Scale

Marinated Tofu

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
  • 3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce or tamari
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp brown mustard
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3035 whole cloves (the spice)

Brown Sugar Glaze

  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

Instructions

  1. Remove block of tofu from container and drain of excess liquid. Follow basic tofu prep method of pressing tofu by using a tofu press or placing tofu on a shallow plate and placing a heavy object like a pot overtop to help release as much water as possible over a 3-4 hour period.
  2. Once tofu is pressed, place tofu block on a clean cutting board and with a thin tooth pick or needle, poke holes halfway through into the tofu all over the surface of the tofu.
  3. Using a sharp knife, cut shallow crosshatch patterns over the top and bottom surface of the tofu.
  4. In a small bowl, add soy sauce, lemon juice, chili sauce, mustard, thyme, maple syrup, garlic, onion, paprika, and nutritional yeast and whisk to combine.
  5. Place block of tofu into a large reusable resealable bag or airtight container. Pour marinade into the bag, seal it and gently shake to completely coat tofu. Make sure marinade is concentrated all around the tofu and place into the fridge to marinate overnight.
  6. Preheat oven to 375F. Remove tofu and shake off excess marinade. Place marinated block of tofu on a lined baking sheet and place cloves at each crosshatch intersection on the top of the tofu. Place tofu into the oven to bake for at least 20-25 minutes to brown edges and dry the marinade.
  7. While tofu is baking, prepare brown sugar glaze by combining brown sugar and mustard. Once combined, place into the microwave for 15 seconds and continue to stir until a sauce forms.
  8. Carefully baste the surface of the tofu well. Place back into the oven for another 10 minutes. After baking, carefully remove cloves with a fork and then baste the tofu again with remaining sauce on all exposed surfaces of the tofu.
  9. Return tofu back into the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes until the glaze begins to caramelize around the tofu edges.
  10. With a sharp knife, cut tofu into individual slices and serve as desired.

Notes

If you are not sure how to prep your tofu, find my quick guide here. If you do not have time to press your tofu, you can also attempt this tofu using super firm tofu. Just note that it might be a little more challenging to get the marinade through especially since it is so dense.

Do not over pour the brown sugar mix on top of the tofu. Baste with enough sauce and continue to baste periodically to make sure the sauce stays on the tofu and doesn’t burn on your pan.

To make sure this dish is gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.