I grew up eating tofu, so for me, tofu=delicious. For a lot of my friends, tofu meant gross. I mean, they hadn’t actually eaten it before, but they knew that tofu was gross because, tofu. But that seems to be changing these days doesn’t it? People are becoming more adventurous and wanting to try foods from different cultures. Well, lets not forget that vegans and vegetarians have always loved tofu… But today, your average food eater will have eaten it a number of times too! So I’m hoping when you saw the name “tofu donuts” you didn’t automatically think- “ew” or “ooh healthy”. Although, if you thought “ew” then you probably wouldn’t be here. On the other hand, if you think that donuts are healthy, well… yeah. I don’t know if I’d say HEALTHY, but maybe we can say, “a little healthier than your average fried donut”
Actually, tofu donuts are a thing in Japan. We took a family vacation to Japan last year and my husband skeptically bought a couple and he loved them so much that he went back and bought 2 more! He was on the lookout for the rest of the trip, and even after we got back he kept talking about it. I thought he’d forgotten about it, but then a few months would pass and he’d suddenly say, “hey remember those tofu donuts we had in Japan? So good…” I decided I needed to make some so he’d stop talking about it. I looked up some recipes online and tweaked them so that anyone could make some with the things they already have in the pantry. Most of the recipes I saw called for cake flour, but I used all purpose, which worked great. It was a toss up between silken and regular tofu, but I used regular since that’s what I usually cook with.
These donuts are great not because of the “slightly healthier” factor, but because of the great texture and bite they have. They definitely have a different texture than regular donuts. More dense and chewy. I love it. I won’t say there is no tofu flavor. I personally don’t think there is, but I’m used to tofu so it doesn’t taste out of the ordinary. If you never eat tofu, then these might have a flavor you aren’t familiar with. But I think you’ll like them. Simple and yummy.
They’re also great because of how easy they are to make! You could whip up a batch with your kids after school or after dinner. It’s only 4 ingredients (3 of which you have in your pantry already), and all you have to do is mix it up and fry. The easiest way to mix it is by hand… extra fun for your kids, if you’re willing to put up with that mess. I personally told my kids to stand aside while I threw it together (in like, 3 minutes!).
All you need to do to make these yummy donut holes is: mix the dry ingredients, smoosh the tofu up and mix it in until the dough is combined, roll into balls, fry in some oil. You can drizzle it with chocolate, dust with powdered sugar, eat it plain (it’s not very sweet but sometimes that’s just what you’re feelin), or sprinkle some sugar over the top. The last method is what I like best because it’s yummy and the least amount of work. Just grab a pinch of sugar and sprinkle it on the still-hot donuts while you are frying the next batch. Easy peasy. Start fryin!
Tofu Donut Holes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 6 T sugar
- 1 t baking powder
- 145 g firm tofu
- melted chocolate optional garnish
- powdered sugar optional garnish
- oil for frying
Order Supplies Online
Instructions
Mix
- Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in medium bowl1 cup all purpose flour,6 T sugar,1 t baking powder
- Smoosh tofu and add to dry ingredients145 g firm tofu
- Use hands or wooden spoon to mix until fully combined
Shape
- Use hands to shape into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter
Fry
- Fry in oil set over medium heat until lightly brown and cooked throughoil for frying
- Place on paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with sugar, or wait until cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolatemelted chocolate,powdered sugar
Could these be baked instead of fried?
subbed 1/4 of ap flour for sweet rice flour. also used a little more tofu. used brown sugar.
Great and SO easy! Covered mine in a simple matcha glaze. Ditto about the previous comment on frying low and slow – my first batch was a bit underdone in the middle but once I adjusted the rest were perfect. I subbed out 1/4 cup of the flour for mochiko (rice flour). Not sure how it compares to the original recipe but mine were slightly chewy and had a hint of sweet rice flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello! Would I be able to air-fry these?
I don’t have an air fryer so I’m not really sure. Let me know if you give it a try though!
Which kind of oil do you recommend?
Any neutral frying oil will be fine! I believe I used canola!
AMAZING! There is a bit of a tofu aftertaste, but that’s fine. I dusted mine with cinnamon and sugar. The mixture was a bit sticky so I definitely suggest pressing the tofu beforehand, I used semi-firm. Made them for a vegan friend’s birthday and he loves em!
If I had to give any tips to people trying it out, use the ‘low and slow’ method while frying them since they brown quickly but can end up being a bit undercooked.
Hello, this sounds pretty good, I was wondering if I could use silken? Or does the recipe call for only medium firm?? I haven’t had tofu in a while so I was wondering which to buy for my next grocery trip. Does it matter which type of tofu I use?
They may not hold together well enough with silken, but if you try it, let me know how it turns out!
OMG THESE ARE AMAZING!!
They’re taste amazing. I never thought tofu doughnuts will be this good.