Growing up in Japan, when I go the dessert and snack aisle in the supermarket, there are endless choices to pick from. One of my favorite dessert is pudding or flan. The smooth silky texture topped with a bit of caramel sauce is irresistible. Besides the traditional pudding that uses eggs and milk, the Japanese also make pudding out of tofu. Today I want to introduce you to this delicious and delicate Tofu Pudding!
Tofu is a pretty common ingredient in Japan, enjoyed by itself or used in savory and sweet dishes. If you haven’t tried tofu dessert, I hope today’s recipe will help you discover a new way to enjoy nutritious tofu!
What is Tofu Pudding
Tofu pudding, or sometimes called Tofu Blancmange, has a silky melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s made with simple ingredients: silken tofu, soy milk, almond extract, and a sweetener such as honey. I recommend to make a simple fruit sauce to go with the tofu pudding to improve both the visual and the taste of the dish. For today’s recipe, I made a delightful strawberry sauce, but feel free to try your own sauce and let me know what works!
What kind of tofu to use for Tofu Pudding?
To get the best texture for this dessert, please use silken tofu. Silken tofu is undrained, unpressed tofu that contains the highest moisture content of all fresh tofu. Silken tofu is available in several consistencies, including “soft”, “light firm” and “firm”, but all silken tofu is more delicate than regular firm tofu. For this recipe, I’ve used Mori-Nu silken tofu.
I recently saw Mori-Nu tofu in the vegetarian section of an American grocery store near my house and I was intrigued, because it’s by Morinaga, a Japanese food company with over 110 years of history. It’s unusual to see their products on the shelf. I did a bit of research on the product and learned that Morinaga Milk Industry Inc. developed the package technology where tofu can be stored without refrigeration over 40 years ago. In addition to no refrigeration required, it has a long shelf life without preservatives.
Knowing this, I now always keep a few packages of Mori-Nu silken tofu in my kitchen pantry so that I can make tofu miso soup anytime.
Plus, all of Mori-Nu silken tofu is made with non-GMO soy. Tofu is a great source of protein and is a versatile, reliable substitute for dairy and eggs. It is also gluten free so you can use in your gluten free recipes.
If you want to test out their products, make sure to enter the sweepstakes hosted by Mori-Nu at the end of the recipe.
Here’s the video on How To Make Tofu Pudding (Blancmange) on my YouTube Channel! Enjoy!
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- cup (100 ml) boiling water
- 0.4 oz (10 g) gelatin
- 6.2 oz (175 g) firm silken tofu
- 5 Tbsp. honey
- 1? cup (350 ml) unsweetened soymilk
- tsp. almond extract
- Strawberry Sauce
- lb. (227 g) strawberries
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- Juice from ? lemon
- Mint leaves for garnish
- Extra berries for garnish
- Combine boiling water and gelatin in a bowl (or measuring cup) and whisk together until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes and add them inside a food processor. Add honey and soymilk and puree all together.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the gelatin mixture and almond extract and whisk without making too much bubbles.
- If you like your pudding to have extra smooth texture, run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (optional).
- Ladle the mixture into individual ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator until set, for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile make the strawberry sauce. Cut strawberries into small cubes and mash with fork or potato masher. Add honey and lemon juice.
- When the pudding is set, run a knife around the pudding to loosen. Turn over onto a plate and shake gently to release the pudding. Pour the strawberry sauce and garnish with mint leaves and extra berries (if any) on top.
