Silken Tofu Recipes

Soft tofu adds creaminess to vegan recipes

Tofu Cheesecake

 Kristina Vanni

While firm or extra-firm tofu will hold up best in vegetable stir-fries and baked tofu dishes, silken tofu has its own place in the vegetarian kitchen. From creamy sauces to vegan desserts, many recipes use silken tofu to add character to the dish without overpowering the flavors you want to enhance. It provides a creamy texture and protein to smoothies, pies, and sauces; acts as an egg replacer in meatloaf, and can be used in place of ricotta or mascarpone in pasta dishes and bakes.

Get inspired to use this softer type of tofu by exploring some of our favorite vegetarian and vegan silken tofu recipes.

  • 01 of 11

    Tofu Peanut Butter Pie

    Vegan peanut butter pie made with silken tofu

    Steven Gorgos / Getty Images 

    Silken tofu can transform a traditional pie recipe into a dessert that can be prepared in minutes. In recipes like chocolate pies or pumpkin pies, the silken tofu serves as the base which carries the other flavors. Instead of creating a rich and fat-filled base out of cheese, dairy, butter, or eggs, use tofu instead.

    This tofu peanut butter pie just needs 5 ingredients and 2 hours in the fridge. Simply blend peanut butter, silken tofu, sugar, soy milk, and vanilla. To decorate, use vegan chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate shavings, or chocolate chips and whole peanuts. Ready in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

  • 02 of 11

    Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

    Vegan pumpkin cheesecake

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

    Silken tofu is an essential ingredient in just about every dairy-free cheesecake recipe you'll find, including this vegan pumpkin cheesecake. This quick preparation will put a fully baked pie on your table in under an hour. Simply process silken tofu, vegan cream cheese, canned pumpkin, sugar, flour, and spices and pour into a vegan pie crust. Bake, cool, and serve!

    Some people find that tofu cheesecakes aren't quite as rich as dairy cheesecakes, but a quick fix is to top it off with a fruity or chocolatey topping, like strawberry marmalade or a vegan chocolate ganache made with coconut oil or nut butter. Ready in an hour and five minutes.

  • 03 of 11

    Tofu Cheesecake

    Tofu Cheesecake

     Kristina Vanni

    This tofu cheesecake comes together easily when you make the crust and the filling in the food processor. Both vegans and non-vegans enjoy this luscious dessert, which uses silken tofu, cashews, and coconut cream in place of the dairy and eggs in traditional cheesecake recipes.

    Plan ahead as the cashews require a one-hour soak before you can use them. Top each slice with fresh fruit or a chocolate drizzle and whipped coconut cream before serving.

  • 04 of 11

    Vegan Artichoke Risotto

    Vegetarian artichoke risotto
    alexpacha / Getty Images

    Silken tofu is a great addition to Italian pasta and rice dishes. Our artichoke risotto can be vegetarian when using real butter and parmesan cheese, or totally vegan by using vegan margarine and vegan cheese like this vegan artichoke risotto recipe.

    Cook the rice in vegetable broth, continuously stirring in the Italian way, and make a mixture of tofu, onion, and garlic to add to the rice after it's fully cooked. Decorate with artichoke hearts and serve. Ready in 35 minutes.

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  • 05 of 11

    Vegan TVP and Tofu "Meat" Loaf

    Vegan meatloaf recipe

    ​The Spruce Eats / Ulyana Verbytska

    Silken tofu is a fantastic addition to vegan bean-loafs (and bean burgers, too!) because it gives texture, acts as a binder, and adds great protein with very few grams of fat.

    Turn an American favorite like meatloaf into a vegan dish like this vegan TVP and tofu "meat" loaf by using silken tofu and texturized vegetable protein (TVP). Rehydrate the TVP in vegetable broth and combine with veggies, tofu, spices, and flour. Bake for 45 minutes and serve.

  • 06 of 11

    Vegetarian Lasagna

    Vegan lasagna
    Nedim_B / Getty Images

    A little silken tofu makes a great ricotta cheese substitute when making a vegetarian lasagna. Try it out in this dairy-free sweet potato lasagna. You still get all the good flavors.

    This unconventional lasagna comes courtesy of the Engine 2 cookbook, in which author Rip Esselstyn presents a varied, fabulous collection of plant-based recipes, like this one. Use sweet potatoes, spinach, Roma tomatoes, and silken tofu to layer a casserole of goodness. Herbs and spices complement the Italian flavors, while cashews add protein and crunch. Optional nutritional yeast on top adds a tangy cheese flavor. Ready in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

  • 07 of 11

    Vegan Ranch Dressing

    Vegan tofu ranch dressing

    Iani Barbitta / Getty Images

    Use silken tofu as a base for your favorite dairy-free sauces and dressings. From a creamy alfredo to a zesty tartar sauce, it's rather easy to make vegan-friendly staples from scratch. 

    For this beautiful creamy vegan ranch dressing, blend silken tofu, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, spices, and fresh parsley. Depending on the preferred consistency, add soy milk to make it thinner. This great mixture can be used as a salad dressing, to dip crudités, to make a cold potato salad or even a pasta salad. Ready in just 10 minutes.

  • 08 of 11

    Blueberry Tofu Smoothie

    Blueberry Tofu Smoothie

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

    Pureed silken tofu makes the perfect base for smoothies, shakes, or lassis. It's a quick substitute for yogurt or milk that works in any recipe, adding a thick fat-free protein boost.

    For our blueberry tofu smoothie, you need blueberries, soy milk, silken tofu, and honey. Use agave or maple syrup for a vegan version. If you happen to have frozen bananas already in your fridge, make this smoothie in just 5 minutes. Otherwise, peel and freeze a banana for at least 15 minutes before blending it with the rest of the ingredients.

    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Vegan Chocolate Banana Pudding

    Chocolate Pudding in a Glass Dish

    Food Image Source / Getty Images

    Silken tofu allows vegans to avoid milk or cream in plenty of desserts. Enjoy custards, mousses, popsicles, or even make super moist chocolate brownies or vegan frosting using this secret weapon.

    If pudding is what you're craving, few recipes can beat this quick, easy and tempting vegan chocolate banana pudding. Blend bananas, silken tofu, cocoa powder, and sugar, chill and enjoy. Prep in 5 minutes and refrigerate until set for at least 1 hour.

  • 10 of 11

    Vegan Banana Coconut Pudding

    Banana Pudding

    HighImpactPhotography / Getty Images 

    This fast vegan banana coconut pudding uses silken tofu to add creaminess to a banana and coconut cream mixture. Use full-fat coconut milk: discard the liquid, conserving the full-fat layer to make the base of your pudding. Add bananas, tofu, maple syrup, vanilla and salt, blend and chill.

    This preparation is a great base to add other flavors to and experiment. Use powdered semi-sweet cocoa or chocolate chips to make a chocolate version. Add beet powder to make it bright red and add mixed berries to decorate. Use matcha powder to make it green and top with coconut flakes. Ready in 5 minutes, chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

  • 11 of 11

    Apple Pecan Pancakes

    Vegan Apple Pancakes

    Bartosz Luczak / Getty Images

    Give your Sunday pancakes a twist by using silken tofu to make a thick and creamy batter. Mix tofu with vegetable shortening, flour, spices, apples and pecans and cook on a griddle until golden brown on both sides. Use coconut oil to cook for a nutty flavor or more neutral canola oil if you'd prefer.

    Use any non-dairy beverage, like soy or oat, and replace the pecans for almonds or pine nuts if you want to experiment with other flavors. Serve these apple pecan pancakes with a side of berry marmalade and fresh fruit. Ready in 20 minutes.