Vegan Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
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Vegan Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
In this article you will find a tasty, picky eater approved, Vegan Mozzarella Sticks Recipe! Use it as an appetizer, a light meal, or even a snack!
Getting kids to eat healthy can be hard! Am I right?
Sometimes getting our vegan kids to eat tofu, you know, for the protein, can be a challenge!
Even I hated tofu when I was little!
I still remember my mom trying to put tofu in a smoothie once. She tried to hide it in there, and I got upset because she had tricked me.
So, I’m not calling this recipe ‘mozzarella sticks’ and telling you to try to trick your kids into thinking they are eating ‘real’ mozzarella sticks.
Nope.
Go ahead, tell your kids these use tofu!
Better yet, have them help you make them!
I’m calling this recipe a mozzarella stick recipe because my oldest daughter, the pickiest eater of all three of my girls, absolutely loves these and told me they remind her of mozzarella sticks from before she started to transition to a vegan diet!
My other two girls wouldn’t have anything to compare them to.
This recipe quickly became my oldest daughters favorite school lunch, granted, everyone is home for school, so it’s a bit easier to meal prep a few batches of these and then warm up the amount we need when we need them!
If you’re looking for more delicious recipes that use tofu, try out this kimchi jjigae, which is a Korean stew using tofu and other ingredients.
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How to Make Tofu Mozzarella Sticks
This recipe is a great one for kids to help prepare for!
Freeze and Thaw the Tofu
The first thing you need to do is make sure that you put your tofu in the freezer the night before you want to make them!
This part is very important. You cannot skip this step or they will not turn out right!
In the morning, after you froze your tofu, take the tofu out of the freezer to thaw, either in the fridge or on the counter.
If it’s not completely thawed by the time you need it, try running hot water over it in the sink and then letting it sit in the hot water.
That is what I usually end up doing as I’m a bit impatient when it comes to making these, usually because I’m trying to quickly get them done before I have hangry kids on my hands! (Which is why I usually make more than one batch at a time!)
Cutting the Tofu
Once the tofu is thawed; it’s time to cut it into strips!
If the tofu is not 100% thaw, it’s alright, but be prepared to have some of the strips fall apart into 2 or 3 pieces. For younger kids, like toddlers, this might even be a good thing.
First cut it right in half.
Then cut each half into 4 sections; you should have 8 pieces now.
Cut each one of those pieces in half; now you’ll have 16 pieces, which is how many we want.
Set aside.
Coating the Tofu
Now it’s time to make the marinade.
Add all ingredients for the marinade together in a container with a secure lid that will fit all of the tofu strips, the ingredients you’ll need for the marinade are;
- cornstarch
- sugar
- rice vinegar
- water
- soy sauce
- lime juice
Stir well, measure out 1/2 tablespoon of the marinade and put in a separate bowl for later, then add the tofu strips.
Gently turn the marinating tofu upside down in the container, then right side up and so on. Be sure all pieces of the tofu get covered with the marinade, then let marinade for 30 minutes.
In the mean time, go ahead and take a break, or start getting the bowls for the coating ready.
Get three bowls and start adding ingredients to them.
For bowl one you’ll need to stir together flour and black pepper.
Bowl two will be the bowl you saved a 1/2 tablespoon of marinade in; add soy milk and stir.
Then add together breadcrumbs, paprika, and garlic and stir well.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
Once the 30 minutes of marinading is up; take one strip and dip it in the first bowl, completely cover it with the flour mixture.
Then dip it into bowl two with the liquid.
Finally place in bowl three and coat with the breadcrumb mixture; place it on the cookie tray.
Follow the steps for dipping the strips into the three different bowls until you run out of strips.
Baking the Vegan Mozzarella Sticks
Once all tofu strips are on the tray, sprinkle nutritional yeast over all pieces.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and flip each piece over; sprinkle more nutritional yeast over the tofu strips.
Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy with some marinara sauce!
Vegan Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
Shawna ClapperIngredients
- 16 oz firm tofu (freeze overnight)
- nutritional yeast to sprinkle
- Marinara Sauce for serving
Marinade
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce (or sub tamari)
- 2 tsp lime juice
Bowl 1
- ½ cup flour (I use all purpose)
- ½ tsp black pepper
Bowl 2
- ½ cup non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- ½ tbsp marinade from above
Bowl 3
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic
Instructions
- First. be sure to freeze your tofu overnight.
- Thaw tofu and cut into 16 strips.
- Mix together all marinade ingredients in a container that has a secure lid and is big enough to hold all of the tofu strips.
- Place tofu strips in well mixed marinade and gently turn upside down and right side up a few times to try to evenly coat all of the tofu. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- In three separate bowls, make the bowls described in each bowl ingredient list.
- After the tofu has marinated for 30 minutes, take one strip and dip into the first bowl, coating the strip.
- Then take the same strip, dip it in bowl 2, then coat with ingredients in bowl 3 and place on lined cookie sheet.
- Do the last 2 steps for every strip of tofu.
- Sprinkle on nutritional yeast and place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, flip, sprinkle more nutritional yeast on the opposite side from before and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Let cool and serve with some marinara sauce!
Notes
Want more vegan recipes that taste like they have cheese in them? Check out:
Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram for my newest recipes! I tend to post them there before I have a chance to write up the full article for them!
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