Honey-Chipotle Tofu Bites

These Honey-Chipotle Tofu Bites will become your new favorite dish with their soft, tender centers and delightfully crispy edges. Sweet honey complements the subtly smoky chipotle peppers in the sauce that is drizzled over the top of these poppable protein-powered bites. Keep reading for expert tips, including why you should use extra-firm tofu. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• When tofu bites are tossed in seasoning before baking, they end up with rough edges that help make the tofu crisp and delicious.
• Cornstarch works to dry out the exterior of the tofu, giving it a crust.
• Our tofu bites are baked in a super-hot oven. They won’t become as shatteringly crisp as they might in a skillet, but the oven method is easier, cleaner and safer (no oil splatters).
• You can skip the glaze and add the honey to the tofu seasoning before they bake.

Nutrition Notes

• If you’ve never had tofu, this is a great way to try it, as you’ll get a combination of textures—plus it soaks up all the flavors. Rich in plant-based protein, tofu is made from soybeans, which are one of the few plant sources of complete protein. You’ll also get some calcium and iron from tofu. 
• While the body breaks honey down like it does any other simple carbohydrate, honey has some potential benefits that other types of sweeteners typically don’t. Honey provides antioxidants, vitamins and minerals—albeit in small amounts, but they’re there. Honey also acts as a prebiotic, providing food for your beneficial gut bacteria. 
• Chipotle peppers are fully ripened jalapeño peppers that have been smoked. They’re loaded with antioxidants and capsaicin, a compound that gives chile peppers their spiciness. Regularly eating chipotle peppers and other spicy foods may help improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can reduce heart disease risk. There is also evidence that eating spicy foods that contain capsaicin, like chipotle peppers, may also improve the microbiome, which improves overall health, too.