These crispy air fryer tofu nuggets are vegetarian, can be made ahead of time, and are a great source of plant based protein. Whether you are practicing baby led weaning, you have a toddler or a young kid, all of your littles will be sure to love this recipe! You can pair these tofu nuggets with a variety of foods to make a ton of different meals and the best part is, you can make these nuggets in SO many shapes and sizes!
I made these air fryer tofu nuggets for halloween! However, these are great to enjoy year round, and can easily be made into any shape you’d like using your favorite cookie cutters to make them more festive for your kiddos!
If you are looking for some more kid friendly recipes, you will love my Apple Chicken Meatballs.
These nuggets are great for kids lunch boxes as seen pictured below!
If you are serving these as part of a baby led weaning or toddler meal, you can cut the nuggets into small pieces to serve as pictured below.
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Ingredients
- Firm Block of Tofu
- Almond Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Egg
- Avocado Spray
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Press your tofu for 15 minutes to remove excess water. You can do this by wrapping your tofu block in paper towels or a clean dish towel and placing a slightly heavy object on top of the tofu to press out the excess water. You can also purchase and use a tofu press.
- Cut the tofu into four different “sheets” hamburger style. Use cookie cutters to cut the tofu into your preferred shape. You can also cut your tofu sheet into small squares using a knife and cutting the tofu sheet as you would a sheet pan cake or bar.
- Put the tofu on to a plate. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Flip and repeat on the opposite side.
- In a small bowl, whisk an egg. Use a basting brush to brush both sides of the tofu.
- Put the almond flour on a separate plate, put the tofu into the almond flour. Press down, flip it to the other side, press down again and repeat.
- Spray the nuggets generously on both sides with olive oil spray and place into the air fryer.
- Air fry at 400 F for 10-15 minutes depending on your desired level of crispiness. Enjoy with your favorite condiments for dipping. Serve with some vegetables or fruit for a balanced meal!
Hint: If you are using a cookie cutter to make a festive shape, save your tofu “scraps” in a plastic baggy and place in the fridge to use later in a smoothie as a protein source!
Substitution
- Almond Flour – Feel free to substitute with all purpose flour.
This recipe is already gluten-free and vegetarian.
Variations
- Spicy – Add a touch of smoked paprika and cayenne to give this recipe a kick.
- Adult Friendly– Feel free to add more salt to taste if you are not making this for children!
This recipe is already baby led weaning, toddler and kid friendly.
Equipment
This air fryer tofu nugget recipe requires an air fryer. As a general rule, you can increase the temperature by 25 F and cook for 20% longer if you are using an oven, although I have not personally tried this with this recipe.
If you’re in the market for an air fryer, here is the new air fryer we just ordered for our family. I love it so much and I promise you will too!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
You can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can microwave to reheat if you are serving to babies or toddlers. If you are serving to a kiddo or an adult, I would recommend air frying to keep the tofu crispy!
You can also freeze these nuggets for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Yes this recipe is gluten-free because we are using almond flour in the recipe.
If you don’t have almond flour you are welcome to substitute for regular flour, although this means the recipe will no longer be gluten-free.
Yes, the general rule of thumb is to increase the temperature by 25 F and increase the cooking time by 20%.
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian but it is not vegan because we will use egg.
Yes, this recipe can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Looking for Some More Toddler Recipes?
Try these:
Looking for Some More Baby Led Weaning Recipes?
Try these:
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Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets (BLW, Toddler & Kid- Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 Firm Block of Tofu Pressed
- ⅔-1 Cup of Almond Flour depending on the number of nuggets your cookie cutter or chosen shape makes.
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Egg Beaten
- Avocado Spray
Instructions
- Press your tofu for 15 minutes to remove excess water. You can do this by wrapping your tofu block in paper towels or a clean dish towel and placing a slightly heavy object on top of the tofu to press out the excess water. You can also purchase and use a tofu press.
- Cut the tofu into four different “sheets” hamburger style. Use cookie cutters to cut the tofu into your preferred shape. You can also cut your tofu sheet into small squares using a knife and cutting the tofu sheet as you would a sheet pan cake or bar.
- Put the tofu on to a plate. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Flip and repeat on the opposite side.
- In a small bowl, whisk an egg. Use a basting brush to brush both sides of the tofu.
- Put the almond flour on a separate plate, put the tofu into the almond flour. Press down, flip it to the other side, press down again and repeat.
- Spray the nuggets generously on both sides with olive oil spray and place into the air fryer.
- Air fry at 400 F for 10-15 minutes depending on your desired level of crispiness. Enjoy with your favorite condiments for dipping. Serve with some vegetables or fruit for a balanced meal!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Renee says
I’m not usually a fan of tofu but these nuggets were a great alternative to chicken and my kids loved them!