Desserts and Snacks, Lunch\ Dinner

Kid-approved Crispy Baked Vegan Chicken Finger Recipe

11 comments

Tired of the same old tofu recipe, have a tofu skeptic at home, or need a healthy no-fuss tofu recipe for kids? Well, you have come to the right spot! This gluten-free vegan chicken finger recipe is by far our most kid-approved meal! Made with only a handful of simple ingredients this crispy baked tofu recipe is the perfect busy parent meal. And as always our recipes are always gluten-free and vegan. So you can add one more recipe to your easy family meal arsenal!


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Birds eye view of tofu fingers being dipped in ketchup. Easy gluten free recipe for a healthy vegan recipe

I hope you enjoy this one! I love creating easy and healthy vegan family recipes for you so that you can feed your family right without having to slave over a hot stove!

Picking the right tofu firmness matters

The most important thing when making this vegan tofu finger recipe is choosing the right tofu firmness. For this recipe, you can use either a firm or extra firm tofu. However, I will mention that the brand you use does matter!! And yes I bolded that because it really does MATTER! I have found that some brands seem softer when compared to other brands.

NOT TO FRET! When in doubt press it out!

The great thing about tofu it that it is pretty forgiving. The best result I have gotten for this recipe is when I take the time to press my tofu. Not a mandatory step but one that helps create a nice texture. Just remove from the package, wrap in a tea towel and then place a book or two on top. This will help remove some of the liquid from the tofu. That way it can soak up some of the marinade flavor and get nice and crispy. It really does help to create a crispy baked tofu recipe.

Firm tofu, second from the bottom
FROM TOP: soft, medium firm, tempeh, form, extra firm

How to make a crispy baked gluten free tofu finger recipe

Making this crispy baked tofu recipe is actually very easy, even gluten-free! So you can have a delicious gluten free family meal! And it is a great tofu recipe for kids too. My older son is not a big tofu lover but he really enjoys these.

For this recipe, I use to only use almond meal but I have found a way crispier result when I mix in either a bit of yucca flour, cornmeal or gluten-free bread crumbs. So feel free to play around or swap for those if you like. Either way, you will get a great vegan chicken nugget recipe with any of these flours.

Uncomplicated tofu recipe

NO SOAKING, NO FREEZING, NO LONG PRESSING!

As a busy mama you know I love to create easy uncomplicated vegan family recipes and cooking with tofu is no different. Especially when trying to create a tofu recipe for my kids! For this recipe, there is no need to do a boggy dance over the tofu to get it to cook right! I literally took the tofu out of its package, placed it on a plate, photographed it and then cut it into fingers. The goal of my recipes is to make them as delicious as possible but easy and attainable so you can get dinner on the table! If you don’t have time to press out the tofu, then pick an extra firm variety and get cooking. You also do not need to spend an hour soaking the tofu in a marinade!

Birds eye view of vegan tofu fingers with a almond crust for a gluten free recipe. Fingers are being dipped in Ketchup.

1.Wrap your tofu in a towel:

I do suggest that you gently press the tofu with your hands to get some of the liquid out. Or you can wrap it in a towel and press slightly but please don’t feel like you need to spend more than a few minutes on this. If you want to press it then go right ahead. But it is not necessary for this recipe as long as you use firm tofu.

2. Mix the ingredients for the almond crust:

While your tofu sits in the towel, mix together the wet and dry ingredients. For the almond crust, you will add almond meal, garlic powder, paprika, and salt to a bowl. DO NOT use almond flour or you won’t get such a crispy texture. If you can not find almond meal just process some raw almonds until you get a rough almond flour consistency.

Then for the wet mixture, you will mix in soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup and spices. I experimented using aquafaba to see if it would make a difference in texture and it didn’t. So I scratched that to make an even easier recipe.

Top down view of a marble table with tofu being battered in an almond crust
Bowl of almond flour with pieced of tofu inside

3.Toss the tofu in the almond crust then bake:

Then add the tofu to the wet mixture. Let them sit for a few seconds on each side to soak up some of the liquid. Then place them in the almond meal mixture and gently toss with your hands to coat each side. Shake off any extra and place onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes flipping halfway. You should get a nice crispy texture and moist flaky (ish) texture on the inside.

Close up of easy healthy crispy tofu fries, a gluten free recipe for a great vegan tofu meal.

A great vegan party appetizer or family meal

This easy gluten-free chicken finger recipe makes a super fun and popular vegan appetizer too. A real crowd-pleaser at your next get-together. It is a fun tofu recipe for kids and a perfect plant-based beginner recipe!

We have started eating these tofu fingers as fries lately. Dipped with some ketchup or spicy mayo! As much as we have enjoyed them as a vegan chicken nuggets recipe, I think I prefer them as fries!

They keep very well in the fridge so go ahead and add these to you vegan meal prep!

And now on to the recipe! I hope you enjoy these easy vegan chicken nuggets recipes. For more fun and healthy recipes be sure to check these out:

If you are looking for more tofu recipe for kids, then be sure to check out:

I hope you enjoyed this vegan and gluten-free chicken finger recipe! If you make this recipe be sure to tag me (@at.my.table) with your re-creations so I can share it over on Instagram!

Until next time, tchau

Kid-approved Vegan Chicken Finger Recipe

Kid approved crispy vegan chicken fingers. A fun and easy family recipe for easy weeknight meals. A oil-free, gluten-free and vegan recipe. Easy to batch make for easy meal prepping. These vegan chicken fingers also make a great party food. A simple delicious recipe for anyone looking to eat more tofu!
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-free, Vegan, vegetarian
Servings 24 fingers
Calories 24 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 blocks tofu firm

Wet ingredietns

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp maple syrup

Crust ingredient

  • ¾ cup almond meal
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Then wrap your tofu in a towel to remove any moisture. Meanwhile, in shallow dish mix together the wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl mix together the crust ingredients.
  • Then cut your tofu into fingers. Then place each one in the wet dish. Let it sit for a few seconds on each side so that it is fully coated. Then place into the almond flour mixture. Toss lightly with your hands. Shake off any excess and then place onto a lined baking pan. Repeat with all the tofu fingers.
  • Bake in the oven for 25 minutes flipping half way. It should be nice and golden. Do not over bake or the tofu may become dry on the inside. They pair well with some marinara or BBQ sauce to dip in!
Keyword gluten free recipe, tofu recipe, vegan chicken fingers, vegan family meal
Pinterest pin with text and photos of crispy gluten free vegan chicken fingers

11 Comments

  1. The crust is to die for 😊

    • Thank you! It’s a pretty delcious crust! And super easy to make!

      • I will definitely try with chicken or cottage cheese, as I am not a big Tofu fan 😊

      • For sure. But you should try this with tofu, you may change your mind

      • Alright this one with tofu 😊🤞

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  6. Hannah Grist

    How long do these keep for?

    • In the fridge, they last about 3 days. You can try freezing them but the texture may change slightly.

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