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Our vibrant flavor-packed baked tofu Buddha bowl is loaded with fresh colorful veggies, sweet mango, and a rich creamy peanut sauce.

A tofu nourish bowl is a delicious and nutritious meal that can be customized to fit any taste preference. Use quinoa instead of brown rice, shredded green cabbage instead of kale, or substitute the veggies with anything that pairs well with peanut sauce.
The tofu is baked with a combination of tamari, a little maple syrup, and nutritional yeast for a slightly sweet and savory combination. The peanut sauce combines the a sweet savory combination with peanut butter and red chili flakes to make a sweet, salty, creamy sauce with a hint of heat.
Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or simply looking for a satisfying plant-based meal, the peanut tofu Buddha bowl is sure to satisfy your cravings while nourishing your body.
These nourishing bowls are how my family and I eat many of our meals, hence the multiple recipes on my blog. For more vegan Buddha bowl meal ideas try my tofu burrito bowl, mustard tempeh Buddha bowl, and butternut squash Buddha bowl. For more tofu recipes, try oil-free crispy tofu, tofu meat crumbles, or oil-free marinated tofu.
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Recipe features
- Vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, and plant-based!
- Great for meal prep!
- Easily customizable!
- Includes a rich creamy peanut sauce!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The tofu Buddha bowl recipe uses simple ingredients but please see the recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.
Brown rice - The brown rice can be substituted with white rice, quinoa, or any grain that you think will pair well with a peanut sauce.
Extra firm tofu or super firm - The tofu bowls work best with extra-firm tofu or super firm tofu. If your tofu comes vacuum-packed and there’s barely any liquid to drain, you can probably skip the pressing (ex. super firm tofu). Both types of tofu will need to be patted with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.
Tamari - This can be substituted with low-sodium soy sauce. Use tamari for a gluten-free option, but check the label to be sure.
Maple syrup - Agave syrup can also be used.
Flake nutritional yeast - There is no substitution for nutritional yeast. If you don't like it or don't have it on hand, try cornstarch to give the tofu a crispy coating.
Natural peanut butter - I use natural peanut butter, the kind that’s just peanuts and maybe salt. It will have natural oil separation, stir it back into the peanut butter before measuring. If you substitute with regular peanut butter that has sweetener and oil, it may alter the taste and texture of the peanut sauce. If you substitute with peanut butter that has been sweetened, reduce the maple syrup in the sauce, taste, and add more maple syrup if needed.
Fresh lime juice - This can be substituted with rice vinegar.
Freshly grated ginger - My personal preference, fresh ginger tastes best. If you’re out, skip it, or try ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger.
Garlic powder - I prefer the flavor of garlic powder in this sauce. It's not as pungent as fresh garlic but the teaspoon can be substituted for 1 clove of freshly crushed garlic.
Crushed red pepper - Skip it if you don't like spicy food, or add more if you want a little more heat.
Mango - Fresh or frozen (thawed) mango can be used. If you opt for frozen mango, thaw the in the refrigerator (for several hours) or on the counter (for about 1 hour). When I’ve thawed mango in the microwave, its texture is much softer and mushy then compared to thawing it in the fridge or the counter. The mango is optional, skip it if you don’t want to add fruit to your tofu Buddha bowl.
Veggies - The vegetables can be substituted with anything that sounds delightful with tofu and peanut sauce. Try carrots either shredded or in ribbons, and raw or roasted broccoli (I would probably skip the mango for that substitution). Use spinach or shredded green cabbage instead of kale.
Tips
- The peanut sauce will most likely thicken after being refrigerated, add a splash of water to thin back out.
- When baking the tofu, spread it out so it isn’t touching other cubes.
- Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to keep the tofu from sticking without the need for oil.
- For natural peanut butter (just peanuts and/or salt), stir well before measuring.
How to make tofu Buddha bowls
If you are using frozen mango, thaw before starting the recipe.
If you use extra firm tofu, press the tofu for 20-30 minutes. Once it’s pressed, start the brown rice then proceed with baking the tofu. While the tofu is baking, make the sauce and prep the vegetables and fresh mango.
How to prepare the baked tofu
Tofu is very bland on its own, so in this recipe we’ll be cooking it with tamari and maple syrup and coating it in nutritional yeast. Tamari is my go-to for flavoring tofu. After pressing a block of tofu to extract the water it soaks up the tamari to flavor the inside and outside of the tofu.
The recipe calls for extra firm tofu, which will need to be drained and then pressed for 20-30 minutes. If you use super firm tofu it doesn’t contain much liquid, you should be able to drain it and skip the pressing part. I use paper towels to pat dry the outside of the tofu to get rid of any excess water.
Cube the tofu into about ¾ of inch pieces, mix the tamari and maple syrup in a medium bowl, then add the tofu. If you need a visual on how to cube tofu check out this recipe for oil-free tofu. Gently toss the tofu cubes to coat them in the sauce. Then sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and gently toss again.
Next, spread the cubed tofu out in a single layer on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a preheated oven set to 350 F (180 C) or until they turn golden brown. Flip the tofu halfway through.
How to make the peanut sauce
To make the simple peanut sauce for this tofu grain bowl, mix all of the sauce ingredients and start with 3 to 5 tablespoons of water. How much water you’ll need will depend on how thick the peanut butter is and how thin you like your sauces.
The sauce can be mixed with a blender, a whisk, or a fork. I prefer a whisk, it creates a smoother sauce compared to a fork and there’s no need to wash a blender (which makes a smoother sauce).
I use natural creamy peanut butter, the kind that’s just peanuts and maybe salt. It will have natural oil separation, stir it back into the peanut butter before measuring. Even after doing this, sometimes with natural peanut butter the contents at the bottom of the jar can be drier than what’s at the top. Each time I measure nut butter, I stir the contents to redistribute the natural oils.
If you substitute with regular peanut butter that has added sweetener and oil, it may alter the taste and texture of the peanut sauce. (See my ingredient notes above to compensate for the taste difference.)
Assemble your tofu Buddha bowl
Once the rice and tofu are done cooking, it’s time to assemble the delicious tofu bowl. Remove the stem of the kale leaves and tear them into bite-size pieces. If you prefer kale to be softer and easier to chew, you can finely shred it.
Another option is to take 1-2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce and massage it into the kale after the stem has been removed and the kale has been torn into bite-size pieces. This will break down some of the fibers, and it will reduce in volume.
Portion out the rice, tofu, kale, mango, and veggies into large serving bowls. Then top with the peanut sauce.
Storage
The peanut tofu Buddha bowls work great for meal prep. Store the grains and tofu together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Store the fresh vegetables, mango, and peanut sauce in separate containers. Wait to add the sauce until you're ready to eat. The peanut sauce will thicken after being refrigerated, add a splash of water to thin out.
Frequently asked questions
Extra firm or super firm tofu are best since the tofu will be cubed, tossed in a sauce, and then baked. Firm tofu will be much softer than extra firm and even more so than super firm.
Everything can be made in advance. The rice and tofu can be stored together, then store everything else separately in its own container. The peanut sauce will thicken after being refrigerated, add a splash of water to thin out.
Heat the rice and tofu until warmed through in the microwave.
If you use extra firm tofu then yes, but if you use super firm tofu then no. Both types of tofu should be patted with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture so it will soak up the tamari.
Related recipes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Nourish Bowl
- Chickpea Vegetable Rice Bowl
- Peanut Tempeh Bowl
- Vegan Southwest Sweet Potato Bowl
- Tofu burrito bowl
- Vegan fajita bowl with black beans
As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you like the recipe feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
Recipe
Baked Tofu Buddha Bowl
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our vibrant flavor-packed baked tofu Buddha bowl is loaded with fresh colorful veggies, sweet mango, and a rich creamy peanut sauce.
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 (14-ounce) block of extra firm tofu or super firm, cubed (about ¾ inch)
- 1 ½ tablespoons tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon flake nutritional yeast
Spicy Peanut Dressing
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, stir before measuring
- 3 tablespoons tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ inch fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3-5 tablespoons water (depending on how thin you want the sauce)
To Finish the Bowl
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups diced mango (thaw if frozen), optional
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3-4 cups kale, stem removed and torn into bite-size pieces
Instructions
- Drain then press extra firm tofu for 20-30 minutes. Skip pressing if you are using super firm. Then pat the tofu with paper towels to remove any excess liquid (for extra firm and super firm tofu). Then cube the tofu.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix the tamari and maple syrup together, add the cubed tofu and gently toss to coat. Then sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and gently toss again.
- Then spread the cubes out on a prepared baking tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Flipping halfway through.
- Meanwhile, make your rice and prepare the peanut sauce.
- Mix all of the peanut sauce ingredients together and start with 3 tablespoons of water. Add more water if needed to thin out and get a smooth consistency.
- When the tofu is done, portion out the rice, tofu, mango, cucumber, red bell peppers, and kale into large serving bowls. Then top with the peanut sauce.
Notes
I use natural peanut butter, the kind that’s just peanuts and maybe salt. It will have natural oil separation, stir it back into the peanut butter before measuring. If you substitute with regular peanut butter that has sweetener and oil, it may alter the taste and texture of the peanut sauce.
If your peanut butter is sweetened, start with less maple syrup, taste, and add more if needed.
How much water you’ll need for the sauce will depend on how thick the peanut butter is and how thin you like your sauces.
The peanut sauce will most likely thicken after being refrigerated, add a splash of water to thin back out.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american, asian inspired
Gail Johnson
So far I'm loving your blog. My husband has read all your reference books. This is so helpful for me to try and come up with new and interesting meals. I especially like that I have most of the ingredients in the fridge or cupboard.
Do you have a cookbook?
Allie
That's so great to hear you're enjoying the blog! I love hearing from readers who've enjoyed the content. I don't have a cookbook, but hopefully one day I will.
Katie
I loved the nutritional yeast on the tofu and the combination of mango and peanut sauce. Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely be making it again!