Author: If you're craving the perfect mix of crispy, spicy, and sweet, this Vegan Hot Honey Tofu is calling your name! Inspired by the viral hot honey chicken recipe, this cornflake-crusted tofu is baked or air-fried to golden perfection and drizzled with a sweet-and-spicy vegan hot honey made from agave.
Serve it with a side of my air fryer sweet potatoes and you've got an easy dinner!
FEATURED COMMENT:
Made this last night and it was by far my favorite tofu recipe ever! I couldn't stop eating them. Had it with a side salad. This will be in my forever collection. - Steve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This vegan hot honey tofu is a showstopping dish that will convert even the biggest tofu skeptic. Plus, the recipe can be made oil-free or gluten-free without sacrificing that golden, crunchy coating. Yum! Serve it for dinner alongside rice, veggies, or mashed potatoes, or throw it on a bun to make an epic fried "chicken"-inspired sandwich-but be warned, it's so irresistible you might just eat it all straight from the pan!
Trust me, once you try this recipe, you'll be putting the sweet-and-spicy vegan hot honey on everything. It's that good! The tofu is crispy, golden, and packed with flavor, making it your new go-to for dinner, meal prep, or anytime you're craving something deliciously crispy and satisfying.
Got leftover vegan hot honey? Lucky you! Use it as a dip for vegan nuggets, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, pizza, biscuits, or cornbread. You can even swap it for preserves in my vegan baked brie dip, add a little sweet and spice to a homemade salad dressing, dip French fries into it, or serve it on your charcuterie board with vegan cream cheese and crackers. It's sweet, spicy, and guaranteed to become your new favorite kitchen staple.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN HOT HONEY TOFU:
Preheat:
- Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Air Fryer Method: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
Prepare the Coating: In a food processor, combine cornflakes, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse into fine crumbs. Alternatively, place cornflakes in a ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Transfer crumbs to a shallow bowl.
Make the Milk Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, cornstarch, and hot sauce until smooth.
Coat the Tofu: Dip each tofu slice into the coating liquid, then dredge in the cornflake mixture.
Tip: Place the soaked tofu into the crumbs and use your fingers to scoop crumbs overtop, burying the tofu. Gently press to adhere the crumbs (they will still be super crumbly). Carefully transfer the coated tofu to the baking sheet (or air fryer basket). Generously spray the tops with oil.
Bake the Tofu: Oven Method: Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp. No flipping required.
Air Fryer Method: Lightly grease the basket, place tofu in a single layer (work in batches), and air fry for 12-15 minutes until crispy. No flipping required.
Make the Vegan Hot Honey: While the tofu cooks, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together agave syrup, hot sauce, cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt over medium heat until bubbling. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
Assemble and Serve: Drizzle the hot honey sauce over the crispy tofu or serve it on the side as a dip. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 5-7 minutes or in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes to retain crispiness. Store leftover vegan hot honey in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the fridge for up to 3 months.
This Vegan Hot Honey Tofu Recipe is…
- crispy, crunchy, flaky, sweet, spicy, and incredibly delicious
- tasty enough to convert any tofu skeptic
- hearty
What to serve with this tofu recipe:
- Avocado Cashew Caesar Salad
- Easy Roasted Carrots
- Easy Vegan Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Soft Vegan Dinner Rolls
- Easy Smashed Potatoes
- Crispy Baked French Fries
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Hot Honey Tofu
Servings: -6 (makes 6 slices)
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Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 1 block (12 oz / 350 g) extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 6 squares about ½ inch thick (no need to press)
- 4 cups cornflakes, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, (optional for extra flavor)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Milk Mixture:
- ½ cup plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot, (or similar hot sauce)
For the Vegan Hot Honey:
- ½ cup agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot, (or similar hot sauce)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, (reduce for milder heat)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of salt, (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons cold water
Optional Garnish:
- Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat:Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and lightly grease a large baking sheet.Air Fryer Method: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Prepare the Coating: In a food processor, combine cornflakes, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse into fine crumbs. Alternatively, place cornflakes in a ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Transfer crumbs to a shallow bowl.
- Make the Milk Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, cornstarch, and hot sauce until smooth.
- Coat the Tofu: Dip each tofu slice into the coating liquid, then dredge in the cornflake mixture.Tip: Place the soaked tofu into the crumbs and use your fingers to scoop crumbs overtop, burying the tofu. Gently press to adhere the crumbs (they will still be super crumbly). Carefully transfer the coated tofu to the baking sheet (or air fryer basket). Generously spray the tops with oil.
- Bake the Tofu:Oven Method: Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp. No flipping required.Air Fryer Method: Lightly grease the basket, place tofu in a single layer (work in batches), and air fry for 12-15 minutes until crispy. No flipping required.
- Make the Vegan Hot Honey: While the tofu cooks, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together agave syrup, hot sauce, cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt over medium heat until bubbling. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Assemble and Serve: Drizzle the hot honey sauce over the crispy tofu or serve it on the side as a dip. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired.Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 5-7 minutes or in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes to retain crispiness. Store leftover vegan hot honey in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Notes
Tips and Variations:
- Oil-Free Option: Skip the oil spray entirely. The tofu will still crisp up nicely. For extra crunch, transfer the remaining milk mixture to a spray bottle and lightly mist the coated tofu before baking or air frying.
- Customize the Heat: Reduce the cayenne and hot sauce for a milder flavor or add more for extra spice.
- Serving Suggestions: Pair with rice, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or a fresh green salad. Or place it on a bun to make an epic fried chicken-inspired sandwich.
- Got leftover vegan hot honey? Lucky you! Use it as a dip for vegan nuggets, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, pizza, biscuits, or cornbread. You can even swap it for preserves in my vegan baked brie dip, add a little sweet and spice to a homemade salad dressing, dip French fries into it, or serve it on your charcuterie board with vegan cream cheese and crackers. It's sweet, spicy, and guaranteed to become your new favorite kitchen staple.
Laura says
My family loved this recipe! The crispness of the tofu was perfection!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay!! So happy you loved it, Laura! 🙂
Lisa says
This is a fun and tasty recipe! Even with all the steps in the recipe it still comes together pretty quickly. I did cut the hot sauce in half to accommodate family preferences, but this was still really good. I think the only other change I would make next time would be to pull back on the chili powder in the honey sauce a bit as we found the taste of it a bit too forward. That could have been due to the brand of chili powder I used though. And since we ate this on sandwiches, I would try cutting the tofu in to thin, full size slabs next time before air frying. Overall, it was delicious!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Lisa! Thank you for the review 🙂
Bonnie says
The Hot Honey Tofu is wonderful. Made it for dinner along with Roasted Veggies. I let the cubed Tofu marinade for a few hours and loved it! Thank you once again for another fantastic recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! We're so happy you enjoyed it and thanks for your review!
Jenn says
Can the corn flakes be replaced with anything? Or does it not quite have the same crunch/texture?
Thanks in advance!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Jenn! Great question. I do recommend cornflakes for the best crunch, but you can definitely try other options! Panko breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free) are the next best thing, though they’re a bit less crispy. Hope you love it! 😊
Jenn says
Thank you so much! I can't wait 🤩
Kai says
I just made this and it was delicious! Definitely going to reuse that hot honey sauce for other things. yummy!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes! I have been drizzling the hot honey on everything!!!! I'm so happy you loved the recipe 🙂
Elena says
So good! The hot honey was really easy to make and absolutely delicious!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! I'm so happy you loved it Elena, thank you for the review 🙂
Steve says
Made this last night and it was by far my favorite tofu recipe ever! I couldn't stop eating them. Had it with a side salad. This will be in my forever collection.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww that's amazing!! I am so thrilled you loved it so much Steve. Thank you for the great review! I'm going to post it as the featured comment 🙂
Kat Newman says
These were amazing! My non vegan husband said they reminded him of the spicy wings in a famous Florida wings place. I made 1 small change. I re-dipped & double breaded the tofu squares before baking them. This made a nice, thick breading that really stuck. We loved every delicious bite!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you loved them and great tip! Thank you so much for leaving the first review 🙂