Nutritional Yeast Baked Tofu – Gluten-Free & Vegan Recipe

Salad topped with nutritional yeast baked tofu

I love nutritional yeast, and I’m also a big fan of baked tofu.  Many years ago, I decided to combine the two and came up with this tasty recipe.  I love it as a boost of protein in a Buddha bowl, tossed on a salad like croutons, or served alongside rice and veggies for a complete meal.  Adding potato starch to the coating gives these a nice crispy outside that feels much more indulgent than it is!

Preparing the tofu

Tofu cut to make croutons

A lot of recipes for preparing tofu will have you pat the tofu dry before using.  Do not do that for this recipe.  We are using the moisture from the tofu to adhere the coating (in place of an egg dip in a traditional breading recipe).  You do not want your tofu to be dripping wet, however, it should dry off enough during the cutting process to be just wet enough to create a great surface for the nutritional yeast coating to stick to.

In theory, you could press your tofu to shorten the baking time, however, you want to make sure your tofu retains enough moisture on the surface to capture the coating.  I prefer to skip this step and allow my tofu to bake a little longer which also results in a nice crispy outside.

Seasoning

Nutritional yeast seasoning mix with a little dried oregano and basil added in.

Nutritional yeast baked tofu is awesome just as is, however, feel free to add in some dried herbs and spices to help customize it to match with the meal you are serving.  I would suggest adding no more than a teaspoon or so of dried herbs and spices, but use any combination that fits with your dish.

This is not a place to add fresh herbs or other ingredients.  Between the long baking time and the goal of pulling out moisture, you are much better off using dried seasonings.

I do not add salt to my nutritional yeast baked tofu.  First, I find nutritional yeast to be a little salty on its own.  Second, I try to limit the added sodium in my diet, I prefer to season a meal to taste once cooked instead of adding a lot of salt while preparing the meal.  Make the decision that is right for you, your family, and your dietary needs.

Make ahead notes

Before baking – they will look pretty much the same after baking but will be a little more scrunched up due to the tofu drying out.

While most of the recipes I make can be prepared (in full or in part) ahead of time, this is one that is best prepared right before you are planning to serve it.  When the nutritional yeast baked tofu is stored, the coating becomes soggy from the moisture left in the tofu.  You could try crisping it back up in a toaster oven before serving, but I would suggest you plan it for a meal when you have the time to prepare it from start to finish.

You can easily cut the recipe in half or in quarter in order to make only what you need.  Reduce the nutritional yeast seasoning mix accordingly and cut what you need off the block of tofu.  Refrigerate the remaining tofu in water in a sealed container and be sure to use open tofu within a few days.  Often when I am making nutritional yeast baked tofu to use as croutons on a salad or a Buddha bowl, I will prepare a half or quarter recipe.