Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks (Video)

Baked Sesame Tofu is made into sticks and served with a tasty peanut butter and tahini sauce that’s so delicious! And some readers tell me that even the kids will gobble these up.

PIN Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks to try them later!

Even in families who are committed to plant-based meals, I’m guessing tofu can be a tough sell sometimes. And the idea of convincing people who think they don’t like tofu to try it as a snack might be even harder! 

But don’t give up on getting your family to enjoy tofu unless you’ve tried pressed and  baked tofu, because pressing out the water and baking the tofu makes it firmer and more chewy, and that should make it more appealing to people who don’t like the texture of softer tofu. And if you have a delicious peanut buttery sauce to dip those tofu sticks into, I think that makes it even better.

I tried three versions of these Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks to get one I thought was just right.  The tofu sticks were delicious warm, and I even liked the leftovers that had been in the fridge for a few days!

What ingredients do you need?

What makes this Baked Sesame Tofu so flavorful?

The tofu in this recipe is marinated in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar,Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, Sriracha Sauce, and ground ginger paste (or minced ginger), which gives the tofu so much flavor.

What kind of tofu do you need for this recipe?

Extra-firm tofu will be best for this recipe where the tofu is cut into sticks after the water is pressed out.

What is Tahini Sauce?

Tahini Sauce is the ground sesame paste that’s used in middle eastern cooking, and it’s the distinctive flavor in hummus.

What if you don’t have Tahini Sauce?

The Tahini Sauce adds a lovely flavor to this sauce. But if you don’t have Tahini and don’t want to buy it for this recipe, just use more peanut butter and it will still be delicious!

How to Make Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. I used this tofu from Costco, but be sure to get extra firm tofu if you can.
2. Put tofu into a colander  let it drain for a few minutes.
3. Then cut the tofu in half to make two thinner pieces.
4. You need to press out most of the water. Lay the two pieces on a double layer of paper towels.
5. Put another double layer of paper towels on top of the tofu pieces, and put something heavy (like a big cast iron pan) on top of the towel.
6. Let tofu press about ten minutes (you can see how much water was pressed out.) 
7. Then replace with fresh towels and press again for about 10 minutes more. (Or longer is even better if you’re not in a hurry!)
8. While tofu is pressing, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar,Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice, Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link), and ground ginger (affiliate link) or minced ginger root to make the marinade.
9. Cut each piece of tofu into ten strips, about 1/2 inch wide and lay them in a large baking dish.
10. Pour marinade over the tofu and let it sit 10-20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
11. When tofu has marinated, sprinkle 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds over each side.
12. Brush a small baking dish with oil and lay out the tofu strips so they aren’t touching.
13. Bake 20 minutes in preheated 400F/200C oven.
14. While the tofu is baking, use a food processor (affiliate link) or the bowl attachment of your Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to mix together the ginger, peanut butter, Tahini sauce (or more peanut butter), soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or other sweetener of your choice, rice vinegar, and water to make the sauce.
15. After 20 minutes the tofu will be getting lightly browned like this. Turn each piece over and put back in the oven to cook the other side, 10-20 minutes depending on how firm and browned you’d like it.
16. I cooked mine about 20 minutes more, and here’s how it looked when it came out. 
17. Serve hot or room temperature, with Peanut Butter and Tahini Sauce for dipping.

More Tasty Tofu You Might Enjoy:

Spicy Vegan Peanut Butter Tofu with Sriracha ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Sesame-Crusted Tofu ~ Love and Olive Oil

Stir-Fried Tofu with Scallions, Garlic, Ginger, and Soy Sauce ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
With approved sweetener, this Baked Sesame Tofu will work for low-carb diet plans. Tofu is a good low-glycemic choice for any phase of the South Beach Diet, but for Phase One limit to 1/2 cup serving size. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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