Tofu isn’t the first thing you’d associate with dessert (and yes, that includes taho—a breakfast staple). To most of us, bean curd belongs in soups and stews, or dishes made with sticky, sweet, and spicy sauces. The thing is, though, tofu is way more versatile than that. Aside from being inexpensive and nutritious, it can also act as a non-dairy, vegan-friendly substitute in a lot of our favorite sweets.
[READ: No oven, no dairy, no problem: Vegan desserts to try for Veganuary]
Here are just a few crowd favorite desserts that you can make with tofu.
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is one of the most popular desserts ever (but don’t quote us on that). While this iconic French classic is usually made with rich cream and eggs, this version doesn’t need any of that. The main ingredients here are (of course) tofu and coconut cream. It’s arguably easier to make than the original version, with next to minimal prep time.
Make sure to plan this dessert ahead of time, though. The custard has to be set for at least six hours or, better yet, overnight to get the most bang for your buck.
Chocolate peanut butter mousse
If you’re in a hurry and only have chocolate, silken tofu, and peanut butter in your fridge, you’re just a few steps away from dessert. All you’ll have to do is blitz up those ingredients plus some maple syrup and vanilla extract and you’re good to go. Versus the crème brûlée, the setting time on this mousse is around twenty minutes, so it’s a far shorter wait.
Tiramisu
Another classic recipe that got tofu-ized is tiramisu. For this recipe, you’re only going to need five basic ingredients: coffee, oats, tofu, the sweetener of your choice, and some vanilla extract. Instead of ladyfingers, coffee-soaked oats are the base of your tiramisu. For the cream, you’ll just have to blend the remaining ingredients together, then set in the fridge for about four hours.
Cheesecake
If you’re in a mood to exert a little bit more effort than just blitzing and refrigerating, this tofu cheesecake recipe will have you baking as well. The methods used in this cheesecake recipe are simple, but you’ll have to run to the grocery or specialty food store for a few of the ingredients (unless you have dates stashed away in your pantry, of course).
This cheesecake recipe is basic as far as recipes go, but it also leaves you some creative leeway in how you want things to come together. If you’re a fan of chocolates or cookies and cream, you can use this recipe as the foundation of the cheesecake of your dreams.